Hunger and Homelessness

Family Promise

Family Promise is a cooperative interfaith partnership offering hope to homeless families with children through safe, transitional shelter, meals, and supportive case management as they seek permanent housing.

Volunteering with family promise is about building relationships and partnerships to facilitate positive change. For Family Promise Metrowest, it is about designing new ways to use resources to help provide the shelter and support our families need to secure permanent, affordable housing.

This group will prepare and serve food for approximately 20 homeless family members throughout the course of the year. Please note that Family Promise does not allow students to serve if the organization has families from their specific school district. (This year it is Natick and Holliston)

For more information about Family Promise, please visit their website.

This group is open to students entering 6th and 7th grade.

2017-2018 Schedules

Family Promise: (dates updated!)
This group meets on Sundays, 3:15-8:30pm*

Group 1:
October 22
November 19
January 21
March 11
April 8

Group 2:
October 29
December 3
January 28
March 18
April 29

Important Dates for all Ma'asim Tovim Students

Tuesday, September 12, 2017: Welcome to B'Yachad, Pay it Forward 6:00-8:00pm
Wednesday, September 13, 2017: Welcome to B'Yachad, Pay it Forward 6:00-8:00pm
October 15, 2017: Ma'asim Tovim B'yachad - Volunteer Training 4:30-6:00pm
October 20-21, 2017: BM3T Shabbaton
February 11, 2018: Ma'asim Tovim B'yachad - Purim Carnival Planning 4:30-6:00pm
March 4, 2018: Purim Carnival 1:15-3:15pm

*Family Promise: Please reserve time until 8:30pm on these dates but only 4 or 5 students will need to stay until then in order to deliver and serve the food at Family Promise. On days in which you are not delivering, pickup is at TBE at 4:45pm

What will I Learn?

You will learn about the importance of a free meal for people in need.
You will gain a deeper understanding of the differences between Family Promise host church communities
You will gain a deeper understanding of food disparities and the need for access to nutritious food.
You will gain a deeper understanding of the homeless community in the Boston Area

What will it be like at Family Promise?

You will meet at TBE to cook and prepare food that will be then delivered by 4-5 students directly to the Family Promise host church. Those students can then stay and eat dinner and meet the guest families.
This group will require a commitment from parents and families as families will help prepare and deliver the meals.

Quotes, Updates, Photos and More

"It was a wonderful experience to be able to cook with my friends for those who need it. I learned that that helping others is a great feeling and it has an impact." -Marley R., Family Promise Volunteer

"I enjoyed that I could make the world a better place while having fun with my friends and making new ones. And I learned that we have to think of people as people before we think of them as anything else." - Molly H., Family Promise Volunteer

"I enjoyed most seeing the smiles on the kids and adults faces when we brought them the food. They were always respectful and were nice to us when we brought them the food and spoke to them. I learned how to cook and how grateful we need to be for what we have." -Anonymous Family Promise Volunteer

"What really felt meaningful to me was that I got to interact with the children and parents that we were helping. Also, the smiles on both the kids and adults faces when we brought the food that was made by us to them, to feed them from a long day of traveling or work. When helping your greater community around you, you are not only teaching the kids and adults, but also teaching yourself by doing this action, this was the take away that I learned" - Rachel A., Family Promise Volunteer

"I became aware of the homeless people living so close to us." -Nicole B., Family Promise Volunteer

"We cooked a meal for some kids and they liked it so much they took the entire tray to their room. It was very meaningful that we helped them that much. I enjoyed how I really go to help people directly, not just creating something to be passed along." -Ben J., Family Promise Volunteer

“I enjoyed visiting the families and eating with them because it gave me an understanding of how they lived everyday.”- Hannah A., Family Promise Volunteer

“I loved that we actually got to meet the families that we were making meals for and I learned that these families are just like us in every way.”- Alexeya O., Family Promise Volunteer