Archives for October 2018

Happy Make a Difference Monday! Interested in making a difference this week, but not sure where to begin? Check out these local listings of ways you can help out in your area!

Laughter League Live!

Thursday, November 1^st 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Virginia Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts

527 Tremont Street, Boston

The Foundation For Laughter proudly announces the debut of LAUGHTER LEAGUE LIVE, a one-of-kind benefit evening of comedy celebrating the work of the Laughter League Healthcare Clown team at Boston Children’s Hospital. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION’S TASTE AMERICA TOUR – TASTE BOSTON

Friday, November 2^nd 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm

State Room

60 State Street, 33rd Floor, Boston

The James Beard Foundation (JBF) announced the cities and dates for its sixth annual Taste America^® national culinary tour. The traveling series will bring one-of-a-kind dining experiences and educational opportunities to 10 dynamic culinary destinations this fall including Boston. In addition to spotlighting the delicious food around the country, Taste America will focus on amplifying JBF food waste and sustainability initiatives and will directly contribute to the Foundation’s Scholarship programs. For more information, click here.

Peter and The Starcatcher

Friday, November 2^nd – Saturday, November 17^th 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm

First Church in Boston

66 Marlborough Street, Boston

Peter and The Starcatcher will have you hooked from the moment this funny, fantastical tale takes flight. Come be a part of the adventure and embrace the endless possibilities of imagination, friendship, and love. All tickets are Pay-What-You-Can – which means they don’t decide the price, you do! Their “sweet spot” would be about $20 per person; if you are on a budget, pay less, and if you are able to pay more, please do! Donations of new and gently loved toys and books will be collected at each performance for local charities. For more information, click here.

Breathe Deep Boston Walk to Stop Lung Cancer

Saturday, November 3^rd 10:00 am to 1:00 pm

DCR Baxter Park Somerville

Assembly Row, Somerville

The 13^th annual Breathe Deep Boston Walk to Stop Lung Cancer will be held this Saturday. Proceeds from the event benefit LUNGevity, the nation’s leading lung cancer-focused non-profit.  LUNGevity’s mission is to change outcomes for people with lung cancer through research, education, and support.  The route is a scenic walk (approximately 5K) around the park and is stroller accessible and wheelchair suitable for most. For more information, click here.

WalkBoston “Step On It!” Scavenger Hunt

Saturday, November 3^rd 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Old City Hall, front plaza

45 School Street, Boston

Think you have seen everything in Downtown Boston? Guess again. Join in a sidewalk scavenger hunt through downtown Boston this Saturday! 100% of all proceeds will support WalkBoston, a non-profit organization dedicated to making Massachusetts more walkable. For more information, and to register, click here.

What better way to start making a difference than within your local communities? Here’s a list of 5 local opportunities to get involved this week.

ARCK’s 7th Annual Auction Benefit Gala- 1,001 Artful Nights

Friday, October 26^th 6:00 pm to 12:00 am

Taj Hotel

15 Arlington St, Boston

Join Art Resource Collaborative for Kids (ARCK) for “1,001 Artful Nights,” their arabesque-themed benefit gala and auction. ARCK helps children and teachers integrate art with academics for leadership, civic engagement, and social justice learning. All proceeds from the event will help ARCK continue to use art as a vehicle for empowering the future creative workforce. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Jett Foundation’s Trunk or Treat

Saturday, October 27^th 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Cordage Commerce Center

10 Cordage Park Circle, Plymouth

Join the Jett Foundation for their first annual Trunk or Treat event! Trick or treating can get extra tricky when you use a mobility device, so they’re making things a little easier. To register, click here. If you would like to volunteer the trunk of your car and a bowl of candy, please email danielle@jettfoundation.org.

WalkBoston “Step On It!” Scavenger Hunt

Saturday, October 27^th 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Old City Hall, front plaza

45 School Street, Boston

Join in a sidewalk scavenger hunt through downtown Boston this Saturday. 100% of all proceeds will support WalkBoston, a non-profit organization dedicated to making Massachusetts more walkable. For more information, click here.

Night of Wonder: Reach Your Winner Child

Saturday, October 27^th 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Boston Children’s Museum

308 Congress Street, Boston

A night filled with nostalgia, guests will enjoy an open bar, dinner, dancing and the opportunity to wander through the museum, experiencing mission-focused activations including an interactive live-mural painting led by Artist for Humanity. Proceeds from Night of Wonder will support local families struggling with the financial burdens of a pediatric cancer diagnosis. For more information, click here.

Music to Cure MS 2018

Sunday, October 28^th 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Park Avenue Congregational Church

50 Paul Revere Rd, Arlington

Join Music to Cure MS for their 16th annual free concert of opera, songs, & chamber music to support the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis. For more information, click here.

If we all sit and take a moment to think, there are so many things to be thankful for in this life. Each day is a new opportunity to set out with the right intentions and make a difference. Here are a few feel-good stories from the week to help you get your mind right.

Special Delivery

Via AJC

No matter how many times you move in your life, you always remember your favorite pizza spot from your hometown. When they were younger and money was tight, a young couple who had lived in Battle Creek, MI 25 years ago would pick up Steve’s Pizza for dinner. Several years and moves later, they’ve yet to find a better pizza. Recently, the couple was planning a trip to come back home when the husband, Rich, ended up in the ICU for five days and realized his battle with Cancer was coming to an end. While home and under hospice care, he was asked if he could have one thing to eat, what would it be? Of course, the response was Steve’s Pizza. After hearing about this, Steve’s pizza decided to make its first and only delivery stop to Rich who lived three hours away. The smallest things truly make the biggest difference.

Cole Strong

Cole is a young boy from Connecticut who loves the Boston Red Sox. He recently had to have surgery to remove a tumor from his leg but before he went into the 17-hour surgery, he received a care package from the Red Sox which included Sox merch, real Fenway dirt and more. The most special thing he received, however, was a photo of his favorite player, Dustin Pedroia, wearing a “Cole Strong” bracelet. The surgery was a success and Cole woke up just in time to see the Sox beat the Astros and head to the world series. Stay strong Cole and go Red Sox!

An American Hero

Via Task and Purpose

This Wednesday President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to retired Marine Sgt. Maj. John Canley. Canley, who used his brother’s paperwork to enlist in the Marines at the age of 15, fought bravely in the Vietnam war. He often charged into heavy enemy machine gun fire and personally saved the lives of more than 20 Marines. Thank you for your service, Marine Sgt. Maj. John Canley.

We hope you all have a beautiful weekend. No matter how big or small, each act of kindness and valor will always make a difference.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our busy lives we forget to take a moment to look around and be thankful for all that we have. Here are a few opportunities to get out there and help those less fortunate in your area this week.

Karma: Charity Flow for Pine Street Inn

Wednesday, October 17th 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Athleta

92 Newbury Street, Boston

Join Karma for a charity yoga event, courtesy of Elisar Hares from Aria Yoga Co., to benefit Pine Street Inn, a homeless shelter dedicated to eradicating homelessness. Pine Street Inn is committed to providing street outreach, emergency services, supportive housing, job training and connections to employment for their guests. For more information, click here.

Party Under The Harvest Moon

Friday, October 19^th 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

MITs Morss Hall / Walker Memorial Hall

142 Memorial Drive, Cambridge

Join Food For Free at their fundraiser as they eat, drink, dance, bid, celebrate, and support. Every dollar spent on tickets, auction bids, and donations help get healthy food to people who need it. For tickets and more information, click here.

Women’s Lunch Place 35th Anniversary Spaghetti Dinner Celebration

Friday, October 19^th 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

The Fairmont Copley Plaza

138 St James Ave, Boston

The Spaghetti Dinner is Women’s Lunch Place’s annual fall fundraising event. This year will be a celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the shelter. The Spaghetti Dinner supports the mission of Women’s Lunch Place and allows them to continue helping the most vulnerable women in the Greater Boston area. For more information about becoming a Spaghetti Dinner sponsor, contact Lorraine Levine, Director of Development, Lorraine@womenslunchplace.org or 617-449-7190.

Samaritans 2018 Walk for Hope

Saturday, October 20^th starting at 8:30 am

811 Turnpike Street, North Andover

Join the Samaritans of Merrimack Valley as they host the second annual Walk for Hope to promote suicide awareness and show support for those impacted by suicide and mental health challenges. For more information, click here.

Partners In Development’s 18th Annual Benefit

Saturday, October 20^th 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Vittori-Rocci Post

143 Brimbal Post, Beverly

Partners In Development, located in Ipswich, works with individuals living in extreme poverty in Haiti, Guatemala, the Mississippi Delta, and Peru. They will be hosting their 18th Annual Benefit this Saturday. For tickets and more information, click here.

This weather is about as fussy as our moods this week. Some days we’re up and some days we’re down, but it’s important to end every week on a high note. Our feel-good stories of the week are the perfect remedy to renew your hope in the world and well…feel good!

Starting Over

Via People

Returning home after participating in Hurricane Florence relief efforts, 24-year old army medic Luis Ocampo and his longtime girlfriend Kailey were sad to find their home had been burglarized. A colleague and friend was so upset by the news, she started a GoFundMe campaign to help the couple replace their stolen property. The page quickly raised $15,000, well above the original $5,000 goal. Luis and Kailey were so thankful for their community’s response but knew they did not need that much money to replace what they had lost. They kept what they needed and decided to donate the remainder to the Soldier and Airman Assistance Fund and other servicemen who had been affected by the hurricane.

Home Sweet Hotel

Via CBS Evening News 

Jaret Hucks owns the Midtown Inn and Cottages in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since Hurricane Florence hit a few weeks ago, Hucks has been offering free lodgings to evacuees. He has given away over 1,000 free nights to families and pets of all kinds, even breaking his own pet policy. He may have lost about $50,000 in profit, but many families have offered to help out with housekeeping and chores, while others have provided supplies to ease the burden. When asked why he chose to open his doors, Hucks replied, “Love thy neighbor, right? That’s what you’re supposed to do.” He hopes that his efforts will inspire generosity in others.

Everyone Welcome

Via The Irish Sun

An entire community has come together to be officially named Ireland’s first autism-friendly town. Over 212 organizations in the town of Clonakilty worked with the As I Am charity to be accredited as Autism-Friendly. Businesses had to agree to implement four measures: erect maps and visual guides of their facilities, make sure buildings are open to service dogs, set up relaxation zones for patrons who may become overwhelmed and establish quiet time periods. All employees and community members have also been given autism-friendly training. We hope that more towns around the world commit to rejecting the stigma of Autism. Great work people of Clonakilty!

Let’s keep these good vibes going and remember to accept, inspire and be generous!