Help Circle of Hope respond to the humanitarian crisis in MA

Dear Friends,

The day after Circle of Hope's first delivery to the Mary Eliza Mahoney House, we received a frantic call from the shelter director. A new family, including a brand new baby girl, had arrived in shelter overnight after fleeing violence in Haiti.

Your generosity helped give this family the coats, clothing, and infant essentials they needed to face their first New England winter.

For many people in crisis, a single pair of clean pants or a warm coat is the first critical step on a journey to recovery, stability, and wellbeing. As thousands of people seek asylum in Greater Boston and homelessness surges statewide, we need your help to meet the growing need for clothing and hygiene essentials.

Please give a gift to our annual campaign by December 31, 2023 to help more than 22,000 people experiencing homelessness in Boston and MetroWest keep themselves and their children safe this year.

Thank you for your incredible generosity, compassion, and support. We truly could not do this life-saving work without you.

With my deepest gratitude,

Ari Barbanell, Executive Director

Circle of Hope, Inc.

Your Gift Helps Families in Crisis

Dear Friends,

Family homelessness is on the rise in Massachusetts and many family shelters Circle of Hope serves are beyond capacity.

This year, we expanded our Emergency Response Program to meet the increasing needs of families in crisis. We also launched a new pilot partnership with Framingham High School to help students experiencing homelessness and began serving families in scattered site shelters across MetroWest.

Your generosity made it possible for us to help more people than ever before.

When a high school student and his mother narrowly escaped a house fire, you helped them recover by replacing their lost clothing and shoes. You gave a 22-year-old woman the clothing and hygiene essentials she needed to care for her three younger siblings. You provided warm clothing and coats to 35 families facing their first New England winter. You supported the physical and mental health of a grandmother and her six grandchildren by providing clothing in the correct sizes for the entire family.

Together, we can continue answering every urgent call for help. Please donate by December 31, 2022 to help thousands of families and individuals stay warm, healthy, and safe this year. Your gift will comfort someone experiencing trauma right now.

Thank you for your generous support!

Most gratefully,

Barbara Waterhouse

Founder, Executive Director

November 2022 News from Circle of Hope

There is so much happening at Circle of Hope this fall! Click here to read our November newsletter.

2021 Annual Campaign

Dear Friends,

In mid-June, Community Service Officers from Boston Police Department District E-13 asked Circle of Hope to help a young woman who was pregnant and homeless. “She doesn’t have anything,” the officers told us. Her due date was less than three weeks away.

Right away, we sent the soon-to-be mom brand new clothing, a Welcome Baby Bag, a new mom kit, and essential toiletries. These vital donations helped her and her newborn thrive in the vulnerable postpartum months. 

The number of emergency response requests grew this year, as did our partnership with the Boston Police Bureau of Community Engagement. Within 48 hours, we answered their emergency calls for dozens of families who lost everything in house fires, giving 6,500 items to children and families throughout Boston. Ten graduating public high school students who were homeless received our “Welcome to College” packages of bedding, toiletries, and health essentials at a special recognition celebration. Through Circle of Hope’s Vaccine Equity Initiative, Community Service Officers distributed COVID-19 vaccine postcards in multiple languages to help families who are homeless access reliable, life-saving vaccine information. 

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have supplied our partner shelters and clinics with 166,000 essential items – including 31,700 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) – to prevent the spread of illness and keep the people we serve healthy.

We couldn’t have done it without you. Your generosity made it possible for Circle of Hope to answer every call for help. Your support now will help us deploy warm clothing, hygiene supplies, and PPE directly to people in need this year.

Please give a gift to our Annual Campaign by December 31, 2021 to help us protect infants, children, and adults who are homeless and most at-risk during the pandemic. 

Thank you for your generosity and support. Together, we are protecting health and saving lives.

Most gratefully,

Barbara Waterhouse

Founder, Executive Director