Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly Awarded $25,000 Grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation’s State Giving Program
JAMAICA PLAIN – Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly (LBFE), Boston Chapter, was awarded a $25,000 grant for hunger relief from the Wal-Mart Foundation’s State Giving Program. LBFE’s nutritional program include an emergency food pantry for elders 70+ who find themselves without food, grocery distribution, semi-monthly luncheons and holiday meal delivery.
Elders who are referred to our emergency food pantry are most often not able to get out of their homes to take advantage of other resources. Most often this is a situational issue more than a chronic one: illness or weather makes them temporarily homebound, unexpected expenses (most often health care related) leave them with inadequate funds for the month.
Our holiday meal delivery takes on another social detriment faced by our elders – loneliness and isolation. In addition to providing a full and nutritious meal, our volunteers also provide companionship during a lonely time of the year. Holidays and meals are such a social aspect of our culture, they are often forgotten by the lonely. We aim to bring the joy of the holidays and meaning behind a meal back to our elderly friends.
“This grant came at a wonderful time for us. This funding will help us serve today’s generation of elders and prepare for the upcoming population shift. The elderly have always been an underserved population, and with advances in modern medicine and the baby boomers’ entrance in to their golden years, the need is only going to increase.” –Nikki Therrien, Executive Director of Little Brothers – Friend of the Elderly
Elders and volunteers in Boston interested in participating in LBFE programming should visit www.littlebrothersboston.org or contact boston@littlebrothers.org
About Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly, Boston Chapter (LBFE – Boston)
LBFE — Boston was founded in 1979 as part of a national network of non-profit volunteer-based organizations committed to relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly in Greater Boston. Our motto, flowers before bread, reflects our belief that living is more than a roof over our heads and food on the table, but also the presence of people who care. Staff and over 1,500 volunteers, provide companionship, support and care to over 800 elders seventy and over without the benefit of family or adequate social contacts. Priority is given to those living independently at, or below the poverty line, without charge and without regard to race, gender, creed, nationality, or sexual orientation. LBFE – Boston is a 501(c)(3) operating solely with the support of individual donors, volunteers and foundation or corporate assistance. For more information, visit www.littlebrothersboston.org.
About The Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program
The Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program plays an essential role in the Foundation’s mission to create opportunities so people can live better. The Program provides grants to 501(c)(3) organizations ranging from $25,000 to $200,000, depending on the type of program.