MARLBOROUGH, Mass.–Credit Unions in Massachusetts have donated $157,637 to “A Bed for Every Child,” an initiative of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.
The donation was made at the Stephen D. Jones Credit Union Charity Golf Tournament.
“A Bed for Every Child” began in 2012 when a concerned inner-city, public school teacher reached out to the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. The teacher shared that many of her students were coming to school extremely tired because they did not have a bed, according to the Cooperative Credit Union Association.
Knowing that many of the students’ parents could not afford to purchase one, she wondered if the Coalition could help get beds for some of her students - that one inquiry launched A Bed for Every Child,” the CCUA said.
“The Massachusetts Credit Unions can be proud of their efforts, specifically their leadership role, as credit unions continue to lead the charge in helping the Coalition grow A Bed for Every Child program,” said Ronald McLean, president/CEO of the CCUA.
A Lesson from Dominoes
Added Robyn Frost, executive director with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, “At the start of the pandemic, we needed to shift gears. If Dominos can deliver pizza curbside and contactless, we thought why can’t we deliver beds in the same fashion? And that’s what we did. We just couldn’t have groups build the beds and so our staff was busy, building and delivering beds to more than 2,800 children throughout the state last year and through the generous support of the credit unions, we didn’t miss a beat. We thank you all.”
The CCUA said Massachusetts’ credit unions have supported the Coalition for more than two decades, raising over $2.25 million and providing blankets, toys and books to help families in need.