Greetings in Appreciation,
Our 11th Year of Holiday Missions is upon us! Our plan for this letter was to announce we were officially a 501(C)(3); however, although not yet, we are happy to report we have incorporated with the State of MA, we have an EIN and are awaiting the final approval from the IRS. Foundation Dario is very much alive and will be official soon! More to follow…
Over the past 10 years we have raised over $58,000 to help children at an orphanage in Costa Rica, homeless adults at a shelter in Haverhill, poor children at a school in Cambodia, families in crisis during the holiday in Groveland, children impacted by HIV throughout New England, Brenda a young girl with Cerebral Palsy have the Quinceanera of her dreams, homeless LGBT youth in Cambridge, families in Lawrence impacted by the devastating storm in Puerto Rico, of course the year we all performed random acts of kindness and shared our stories and last year when we delivered 6019 lbs. of food to Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry in Ayer. Through each and every Mission, together, WE have made an IMPACT!
For those of you who are new to our Holiday Mission – eleven years ago we looked at what we were spending on holiday shopping and decided to use that money to help those we felt were more in need. We let you, our friends and family know that instead of exchanging gifts, we would prefer a donation to our Mission. We donate the first $3,000 and you, our friends and family continue to amaze us with your additional love and support.
This year finds us literally following the North Star. In 2003 Bonnie Hathaway saw the need for homeless family services in her community of Leominster. She approached her church and joined forces with the Montachusett Interfaith Hospitality Network (MIHN) and started housing homeless families in local churches; however, due to strict fire and building codes had to seek other housing locations. In 2015 a generous private benefactor purchased a home in Leominster that affords 5 families a place to live and receive services they need to get back on their feet. In 2019, MIHN changed their name to North Star Family Services, Inc.
This year’s mission has us working on a wish list from each of the 5 current families living at North Star along with items needed for the home. As in all years, if you would prefer to send a cash donation, we would be happy to do the shopping for you. To ensure we are able to provide each of the personally requested items, we have not included the list with this letter to avoid duplication. For those who choose to shop for items yourselves, please reach out to us directly at daploof@hotmail.com or SuperLMario2014@gmail.com and we can provide you with a list of items not yet purchased. Please bring your items to our Open House Wrapping Party on Sunday December 22nd between 1PM-5PM. We love seeing our home fill with gifts, the energy being created as we all wrap and the reactions of those who are impacted by our collective efforts to help those in need. If you are not able to attend, we would be happy to coordinate a time to pick up your donated items.
Here’s to another great Mission! Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season!
With So Much Love,
