Events, news and more from Second Chances
Save the date
PUBLIC CLOTHING AND COIN DRIVE
Somerville Community Growing Center | Union Square, Somerville
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Details and directions next month »
We had a great time at our public clothing drive last month with a terrific group of volunteers and lots of generous community members. Check out the photos on our Facebook fan page »
Would your company or organization like to co-sponsor this community event?
Contact Andrea at info@secondchances.org for sponsorship information.
Can't wait until September? Donate any time at one of our clothing donation bins »
Our impact
This month we were thrilled to be able to provide an elderly veteran with a $100 gift card to shop for clothing so that he can look and feel great as he begins the search for his first apartment after many years of homelessness. Our client will receive rental assistance from Cambridge Housing Authority and ongoing support from HomeStart Cambridge as he adjusts to living in his new home. And, because of your support for our work, he'll also have a good start on a new wardrobe!
Second Chances is grateful to everyone who made it possible for us to assist this client and 500 other community members who will receive clothing, shoes, accessories, gift cards and more from Second Chances this year. Together, we are providing people in need with the tools to realize their goals for a positive future.
In 2010, Second Chances will collect and recycle/reuse more than 60,000 pounds of clothing; provide free apparel and gift cards to approximately 500 homeless and very lower income community members; and partner with hundreds of local companies, community groups, philanthropic organizations, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, employees and residents to support people in need in our community.
News and updates
In July, Second Chances was honored to be featured as the nonprofit of the month for OMR Architects' monthly postcard mailing. We asked OMR's Anne Draudt to share a little about the firm's corporate philanthropy philosophy and community building work.
OMR Architects
West Acton, Massachusetts
Web: www.omr-architects.com
OMR's architectural practice is based on an understanding that everything - all parts of a building, all aspects of a project, indeed all aspects of life - are connected. This philosophy infuses not only the architecture, but also our design process, interactions with people and the way our firm is run.
On the first Earth Day, in 1970, the Boston Globe introduced "EcoLogic", a new cartoon series by OMR Architects' principal, Michael Rosenfeld. The series addressed the importance of protecting our natural environment from human abuse. Since then, the firm's work has incorporated the principles of sustainable design to positively impact the environment, reduce operational costs and enhance productivity.
As part of our overall mission, OMR Architects is working to create a network of nonprofit organizations who share our values of community development and environmental responsibility. Each month we select a nonprofit organization that performs services to enrich and protect our community. These organizations receive a financial contribution from OMR and are featured on a monthly calendar postcard which is sent to a variety of OMR associates, clients and friends. Our goal is to give the nonprofit organizations more recognition and visibility. Our hope is that by bringing groups together around shared interests we can learn about each other's work and discover connections that will enrich and expand our experience.
OMR Architects is pleased to feature Second Chances on the July 2010 calendar postcard and to support their work with both a financial contribution and a company-wide clothing drive. Community and sustainability are fundamental values of OMR Architects. Second Chances' commitment to helping people in need and recycling used clothing is an impressive example of putting these values into action.
Note: Second Chances is grateful for Anne's kind words and we're excited about our partnership with OMR Architects. We appreciate the generosity, time and effort of Michael Rosenfeld, Dominique Facile, Anne Draudt and others. If you are interested in partnering with Second Chances, please contact Andrea at info@secondchances.org.
Appreciation
Special thanks to Lawyers Clearinghouse for connecting Second Chances with exceptional pro bono legal assistance, and much appreciation to Ropes & Gray for the generous and extremely helpful donation of attorney time. We are grateful for the careful work and excellent advice we received from attorney Rebecca Schoff of Ropes & Gray, and we appreciate the efforts of Machiko Sano Hewitt from Lawyers Clearinghouse in matching Second Chances with pro bono assistance.
And, finally, thank you to the following companies and organizations that completed clothing drives to benefit our clients in June and July:
- East Boston High School Key Club, students and staff - 216 pounds
- Jones Lang LaSalle, Cambridge - 312 pounds
- The Langham, Boston - 632 pounds »
- Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Waltham - 138 pounds »
- Somerville Community Growing Center public clothing drive - 750 pounds »
Best regards,
Andrea Shapiro
Founder and President/CEO
Follow us on Twitter »
Or on Facebook »
Read our blog »
Contact us or change your email address »
