Above: Teens from a Southborough based youth group are asking the public to help local workers with the economic hardship caused by the state of emergency. (image left contributed)
A Southborough church’s teen group is asking the community to help people put out of work by the pandemic.
The St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Youth Group is organizing a fundraising drive. The goal is to raise $2500 to buy gift cards to grocery stores. Donations will be collected and distributed by Project Just Because.
Below is their announcement. It includes instructions on directing donations to the drive:
St. Mark’s Church Teens Organize Grocery Gift Card Fundraiser For Furloughed Workers
The person who cuts your hair. The team who cleans your house or the waiter you love at your favorite restaurant. These are the faces and personal contacts we all have, many of whom have been either furloughed or lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
And these are the people falling through the cracks and really struggling right now, according to Cherylann Walsh, president of Project Just Because, a 501-C organization serving those in need across our area and in central Massachusetts.
Many in these industries, she explained, rely on getting that paycheck every week in order to have money for food or to pay bills, and while expanded unemployment services may help down the road, they need help right now.
That urgent need spurred the Youth Group at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Southborough to organize a fundraising drive to help. Led by Dan and Steph Root, the group is asking for donations through the Project Just Because web site to fund grocery gift cards for furloughed workers, with the goal of raising $2500 by April 30th.
“It hit home for me when a friend of mine’s mom got furloughed from her job as a cook at a restaurant,” said Steph Root. “ She is a single mom, received no money to tide her over, and doesn’t know when she’ll get her job back. It’s really hard.”
Dan Root added, “It makes you realize we all know people like that, and we can do something real to help tide them over. Any amount – whether it is $10 or $100– is greatly appreciated and really needed.”
To make your tax-deductible donation, please go to www.projectjustbecause.org, click on the Donate menu option, select your method of payment, and be sure to type “GIFT CARD” in the optional notes section of your payment to ensure funds are allocated for this fundraiser. Thank you!
As noted above, for donations to be directed to the gift card drive, click the optional field for writing a note.
