LOCAL CHARITIES

The mission of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the Islands (BBBSCCI)  is to partner with under-resourced families to provide their children with transformational one to one professionally supported  relationships with caring adult mentors so that their children will thrive.  Currently serving over 300 youth throughout Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Plymouth, BBBS engages the community to recruit volunteers and raise the funds necessary to accomplish our mission. 

BBBS offers three separate youth mentoring program models:

*our traditional community based mentoring program

*our site-based mentoring programs in Bourne, Hyannis, Yarmouth, and Plymouth

* our innovative campus based mentoring program in partnership with Wareham and Bourne schools

Through mentoring, youth achieve their full potential, contributing to healthier families, better schools, and stronger communities.

Gift Levels:

• ·  $20 towards mentoring activities at our Mass Maritime campus
• ·  $35 covers the cost of a background check for a potential volunteer

Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod partners with families in need of an affordable home to build one of their own, fostering stability, self- reliance, and a strong sense of community.

We serve families with incomes at or below 65% of the median income of Barnstable County who have the stability of income to pay a mortgage and are able to put in no less than 250 “sweat equity” hours per adult helping to build their home.  Over 500 individuals are now living in a home they built in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod and experiencing the pride of ownership. Our recent homes are all equipped with solar panels, and the homes tend to produce more energy than they use meaning no utility bills.

Very importantly, research has confirmed that decent housing improves health, increases children’s educational achievement, and strengthens community ties.

Gift levels

• $30 buys 30 pounds of nails
• $75 buys six light fixtures for a home

Grandmothers Against Gun Violence is a non- profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization focusing on gun violence prevention and firearm safety.  We were founded after the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012 and are approaching our 10th anniversary.  We respect the Second Amendment realizing that gun ownership comes with individual and societal responsibilities. 

Our mission is to educate our members, collaborate with other groups who share our concerns, and advocate for public policy and legislation leading to reduced violence in all our communities.

We need community support to continue to create safer spaces for all of us. Our efforts include a gun lock giveaway project scheduled for next year, the “You Can Save a Life” brochure and advocacy for measures to reduce violence both on a national and state level. 

Gift Levels:

• $15 supports the “You Can Save a Life Now” campaign and speaker fees
• $30 buys six gun locks to save children’s lives

Recovery Without Walls is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safety, structure, stability, and support to women on Cape Cod whose lives have been interrupted by the trauma of substance abuse.  The resources and services provided by RWW are free of cost to clients and are offered in an effort to assist women in making the pivotal transition from substance abuse treatment to a life of recovery.

As of spring 2022, RWW became the last standing all women’s program for recovery on Cape Cod.  In response RWW created the Womens’ Recovery Network 

Gift Levels 

• $20 supports the Period Project (menstrual products) in sober homes
• $30 provides therapy support for the women

Cape Cod Foster Closet (CCFC) provides clothing, diapers, toiletries, baby gear and more to children ages newborn to 18 in local foster families. Our mission is to support foster and caregiver families by providing basic necessities as well as helping hands and emotional support. As of Auguest 2022, there were 235 children in placement on the Cape and Islands  

Cape Cod Foster Closet was founded in 2021 by the Palmers.  Foster parents since 2017, the Palmers are acutely aware of the time, energy and expense involved in serving as a foster family. They recognize that many people decide to become foster parents as an act of faith. It is a special calling to provide a safe, healthy and loving environment for children who need acceptance and stability while their family situations are being sorted out. 

Although not everyone can be a foster parent, each of us can support a foster family in our own unique way.

Belonging to Each Other (BTEO), founded in 2016, guides our Falmouth neighbors experiencing homelessness to stability by providing cold-weather housing and year-round supportive services. We operate with a mix of part-time staff and more than 60 volunteers to provide, without charge, warm, safe housing from November through April.  We also provide computers, phones, internet, transportation to work and appointments, special meals, and cleaning supplies.  We encourage work and saving and provide year round case management for our former residents and other people experiencing homelessness in Falmouth.

Throughout someone’s stay with BTEO, we and they are highly focused on obtaining a more stable housing situation for them.  That requires creating a step-by-step plan with a case manager who meets at least weekly with residents to guide them in overcoming their impediments to stable housing.  (133 words)

Gift Levels:

• $25 for one hour’s work to create a housing stability plan
• $100 for a one night stay in a warm, safe home for one person 

Wings for Falmouth Families is a community based non-profit providing local families with financial assistance when they are experiencing a medical crisis or a tragic event. While medical costs may be covered by insurance, spousal loss of work, childcare and housing expenses, to name a few, add up to anenormous burden. 

Through donor gifts, fundraising events, and grant opportunities, Wings for Falmouth Families is able to provide an immediate safety net of financial aid so that a family can focus on their number one priority – the parent or child facing illness or tragic event.