Social Distancing

AT THE NEWTON NONPROFIT WELCOME HOME. WE PROVIDE PRIMARILY USED HOME GOODS TO OUR CLIENTS WHO ARE PEOPLE IN TRANSITION. WELCOME HOME IS A TEAM EFFORT, ACCORDING TO CO-FOUNDERS AND LONGTIME FRIENDS JULIE PLAUT MAHONEY AND MINDY PEGLER, DONATIONS COME IN AND THE NONPROFITS MORE THAN 100 VOLUNTEERS JUMP INTO ACTION, ENSURING THERE ARE NO RIPS, TEARS OR STAINS. DIGNITY IS ONE THING WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE FOR OUR CLIENTS. THAT DIGNITY STARTS IN THEIR SIMULATED STORE, WHERE PATRONS CAN SELECT FIVE ITEMS FOR THEIR SPACE. ITS REALLY A SPECIAL MOMENT WHEN A CLIENT READS IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE THAT THEYRE WELCOMED IN, THAT THERE ARE NO COSTS INVOLVED. WELCOME HOME DEPENDS ON THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE MOVING FROM OUR HOME OF 47 YEARS, JIM MNOOKIN SAYS HES BEEN DONATING AT THE NONPROFIT FOR YEARS, SO WE ARE DEACCESSIONING AND WELCOME HOME HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT. THE ORGANIZATIONS VOLUNTEERS WEED THROUGH THE DONATIONS, ITEMS THAT CANT BE USED HERE ARE SENT OFF TO ONE OF WELCOME HOMES PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. WHILE THEY CANT ACCEPT FURNITURE AND CLOTHES, WELCOME HOME TAKES JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE. WE REALLY RELY ON. ALSO, FOR PROFIT BUSINESSES TO THINK OF US. ONE NEW ITEM LIKE THESE SHEETS FROM IKEA STOUGHTON GOES IN EACH PACK OF GOODS FOR CLIENTS. IT ELEVATES THE ENTIRE PACK BECAUSE FOR WELCOME HOME, IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO DIGNITY AND RESPECT. 18 YEAR OLD TREVION GARCIA PARKER HAS HIS EYES ON THE FUTURE. HOPEFULLY ME BEING SOFTWARE AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, BUT GETTING TO THIS POINT WAS A CHALLENGE. LIFES HARD LIFE IS HARD, BUT BRIDGE IS ABLE TO HELP ME. EARLIER THIS YEAR, GARCIA PARKER FOUND HIMSELF WITHOUT A PLACE TO STAY AND TURNED TO THE BOSTON NONPROFIT BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS. HE ENDED UP AT BRIDGES TRANSITIONAL LIVING PROGRAM, WHERE HE LEARNED VALUABLE LIFE SKILLS. IVE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE WHILE ALSO JUST ENJOY LIFE, NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT NOT HAVING A PLACE TO STAY FOR THAT NIGHT. NEXT, FOR GARCIA. PARKER IS THE BRUNSON LIBERTY HOUSE. HE WILL LIVE HERE FULL TIME AS PART OF BRIDGES INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM. THIS PROVIDES KIND OF THE NEXT STEP. SO AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN AN INDEPENDENT SETTING THAT ISNT STAFFED 24 HOURS A DAY, BUT STILL HAVE A LOT OF STAFF SUPPORT. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROVIDE A GUIDING HAND FOR YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH BRIDGES TRANSITIONAL LIVING PROGRAM. NINE YOUNG ADULTS WILL LIVE AT THE HOUSE FOR UP TO TWO YEARS. LIBERTY MUTUAL IS ABLE TO HELP US SEARCH AND ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY. MELISSA MCDONNELL IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIBERTY MUTUAL FOUNDATION. STARTING IN 2018, WE REALLY LEANED IN HEAVILY ON ADDRESSING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED SOME $28 MILLION AND HAVE PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR OVER 16,000 YOUNG PEOPLE TO MOVE FROM SHELTERS INTO STABLE HOUSING. PEOPLE LIKE GARCIA PARKER, WHO IS NOW ABLE TO ENJOY HIS PASSIONS LIKE PHOTOGRAPHY. AND IM ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE STABLE LIVING. I CAN FINALLY LIKE, MOVE THAT STUFF FORWARD, WHICH IM REALLY HAPPY ABOUT. JUST A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION, DOING A LOT OF GREAT THINGS. THE BRUNSON LIBERTY HOUSE IS NAMED FOR RICHARD BRUNSON, A COUNSELOR AND SOCIAL WORKER WHO WORKED AT BRIDGE FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. SO MANY GREAT STORIES TONIGHT. THAT IS CHRONICLE FOR THIS EVENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. IM SHAYNA SEYMOUR WE HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW NIGHT FO