South Boston Neighborhood Aid Network Launches Care Kits, Assistance Fund
We are excited to announce that our South Boston Neighborhood Aid Network is launching two new projects this month to help our neighbors in need throughout the fall and winter seasons:
Southie Emergency Assistance Fund This fund will provide small amounts of cash assistance to Southie residents to help pay rent, utility bills, or other critical expenses. The fund will be managed by SBNDC. We will begin taking applications later this month. Donate to the fund here! (Select the Southie Emergency Assistance Fund from the drop-down menu)
Southie Care Kits These kits will include information about how to locate and access established resources within the local community, while providing a few essential items to help families cover the gap, such as face masks, hand sanitizer, a food store gift card, and other hygiene and household items that families frequently requested and were unable to find through other programs. Each kit costs $40-50 to put together, and you can click here to sponsor a kit with a donation! (Select Southie Care Kits from the drop-down menu)
The SB Neighborhood Aid Network was established by South Boston NDC in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and modeled after the numerous mutual aid groups being organized in communities across Massachusetts. The core mission of the SB Neighborhood Aid Network is to help South Boston residents in need get connected to the established services and programs available to help them, such as food pantries, and to provide immediate assistance, such as groceries and cleaning supplies, when needed.
The work of the SB Neighborhood Aid Network has been made possible by individual donations, neighborhood volunteers, and sponsorship from the South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation, the Boston Resiliency Fund, and the Southie MOMS Club. To date, we have responded to more than 200 Help Requests and provided help to more than 500 people!
For those interested in volunteering, we also have some new ways to get involved, including:
Assembling and/or delivering Care Kits
Helping process Assistance Fund applications
Joining a committee or project team to help our Aid Network keep this momentum and help as many of our neighbors as possible.
To sign up as a volunteer, visit bit.ly/sbnan-volunteer-signup.
South Boston residents in need of help or information can access the Aid Network in the following ways:
Call or text the Hotline at 617-221-7594 (leave a voicemail)
Submit an online form at bit.ly/sbnan-help-request