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VOLUNTEERISM

VOLUNTEERISM

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Patriots Celebrate Volunteerism in 2024

The Celebrate Volunteerism initiative aims to share examples of dedicated volunteers, build awareness of the need for volunteering, identify and educate others about volunteer opportunities and inspire New Englanders to follow the Kraft family's example of becoming lifelong volunteers.

Throughout the season, the Kraft family, the New England Patriots Foundation and Gillette celebrate volunteers that work tirelessly to support children and families in need throughout the New England region, while also encouraging Patriots fans to get involved in their communities.

Each week throughout the season, the Patriots select a "Patriots Difference Maker of the Week." You can learn more about the 2024 winners below.

Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and the New England Patriots Robert Kraft, President of the New England Patriots Foundation Josh Kraft and Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett take a group photo with the 2023 Patriots Difference Makers of the Week.
Photo by David Silverman
Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and the New England Patriots Robert Kraft, President of the New England Patriots Foundation Josh Kraft and Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett take a group photo with the 2023 Patriots Difference Makers of the Week.

Click here to learn more about the 2023 Patriots Difference Makers of the Week

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Patriots Difference Makers of the Week

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Ana Medina Pilar

Dream Big!
Needham, Mass

Dream Big! was founded in 2010 in Massachusetts to help girls and young women from low-income situations to overcome financial barriers that prevent them from participating in sports and physical activities. Their mission is to help girls and young women from economically disadvantaged communities to achieve their dreams by providing them with the equipment, sports attire, program and college showcase fees and leadership training needed to participate in sports and physical activities that contribute to their health, education and overall well-being.

As a junior in high school, Ana's coach nominated her for the annual Dream Big! Inspirational Leadership Award and she was selected as the honoree for her leadership and success in the classroom. Ana was awarded a scholarship to attend a basketball camp over the summer and her team was awarded new equipment. Since then, she has remained a key volunteer for Dream Big! in many capacities.

Since graduating high school and college and becoming a nurse, she has remained a volunteer and has found new capacities to help. She has helped sort donations, spoken at the annual leadership conference and has raised more than $8,000 running on the nonprofit's Boston Marathon team. She is the first alumni to become a member of the national advisory board.

Ana has been one of the most committed, caring and positive volunteers with the organization. She serves as a constant spokesperson to help recruit new volunteers, donors and athletes. Ana has truly helped to change the lives of thousands of girls and young women through the countless hours she has committed to Dream Big! over the years.

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Jeff McGowan

Empower, Inc.
Cohasset, Mass.

Empower's mission is to empower, support, and connect children and young adults who have experienced the loss of a parent. Childhood bereavement is a severely overlooked and underserved community, and Jeff is helping shed light on this by sharing his story of loss and the impact that it has had on him.

As Jeff shares, he began using alcohol as a coping mechanism as he tried to "buck up," as boys are often taught, and ended up with a DUI. Soon after the DUI, he found a community in Alcoholics Anonymous, and he has now been sober for more than 25 years. Understanding the impact loss has on boys and young men, he encouraged the founder of Empower to expand their work to serve all children. To be more inclusive, the nonprofit changed their name from EmpowerHER to Empower.

Jeff's volunteer roles include recruiting male mentors, serving as a spokesperson and lead ambassador, sharing his story of loss, and serving as a mentor himself. Jeff completes the intakes with each newly enrolled family and has met with countless surviving guardians and children across New England.

He coined the term "Share the Weight," a tagline Empower uses to recruit male mentors. This past year Jeff spearheaded Empower's inaugural Father's Day event in Boston, serving as the chair of a 10-plus person volunteer committee. Jeff serves as an incredible, invaluable spokesperson for Empower as he so frequently speaks about the great work Empower does in the community and urges others to join as volunteers in various capacities.

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Marilyn Price Spivack

Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts
Westborough, Mass.

The Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (BIA-MA)'s mission is to create a better future for individuals with brain injury and their families through advocacy, education, prevention, research, and support. Marilyn has many roles volunteering for the brain injury community. She served for the last 27 years on BIA-MA's Board of Directors and is one of the most devoted volunteers to improving the lives of those with brain injury in the state.

She led the advocacy efforts for the establishment of the Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP) under the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC). She worked with both the legislative and executive branches to stress the need for brain injury programs and services. SHIP serves approximately 1,200 individuals each year. At the federal level, she advocated for the passage of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996. At the time, the TBI Act was the only federal legislation that specifically addressed TBI prevention, research, and service delivery through grants to states.

Over the years, Marilyn recruited board members with her connections in the medical field and as the Neurotrauma Outreach Coordinator at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. She connected with other acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals and others in the medical field to support BIA-MA. At Spaulding, she encouraged brain injury survivors, family members and loved ones to connect with BIA-MA.

At 89 years old, she is known as the "God Mother of Brain Injury" and has worked for more than 50 years to improve the lives of those experiencing brain injuries. She advocated for her daughter to live in a residential home where she receives ongoing services for adults living with brain injury to live in the community.

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Christina Hurley

Less Leg More Heart
Nashua, N.H.

The mission of Less Leg More Heart is to help amputees transition from the hospital to home after limb loss. They provide advocacy with medical, home fit up, education, build ramps, purchase running blades, help with physical and emotional support, provide care packages and much more.

Not only is Christina a volunteer, but she is also the founder. When she lost her leg, she suffered greatly during her transition from the hospital to home. She realized that there weren't enough resources available for the amputee community and wanted to make a difference.

Christina works a minimum of 40 hours a week, educating, fundraising, social media, advocates for many. She works endless hours to help make people's lives easier. To be able to help more individuals, she has partnered with other organizations to support the mission. Christina works hard to make apply for grants and sponsorships to be able to help amputees and their families.

She has helped people who couldn't get into their homes by adding ramps. She has sat with many people so they do not feel alone and know they have the support of the organization. She raises money to send underprivileged people to the Amputee Coalition. She helps with finding the proper care, so that their physical wellbeing is being met for any type of prosthetic needed. Christina puts her whole heart and soul into the organization.

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Ya-Ching Huang

Good Shepherd Community Care
Newton, Mass.

Good Shepherd is dedicated to the delivery of the highest quality of care, support and education for those experiencing or anticipating serious illness and loss. They are committed to enhancing the quality of remaining life, so that those in the final stage of life can live as fully, independently, and comfortably as possible.

Ya-Ching has become an invaluable member of the Pediatric Palliative volunteer team. Shortly after finishing her training, she was paired with a family who was managing the care of their seriously ill two-year-old child. Ya-Ching stepped into a companionship role with them, showing up consistently and offering her time and kindness. Ya-Ching never ceased to offer her support to the family and continued to ensure they were aware of her willingness and interest in being a part of their support network.

Not only has Ya-Ching stepped into a consistent, compassionate, and authentic role as a volunteer in-home with a family, she has dedicated her studies and time to improving the field of pediatric palliative care. As a Boston University Sociology PhD student studying the experience of families, patients, and clinicians in the palliative care model, she has begun working with the pediatric palliative care team to push forward palliative care initiatives and understanding.

Ya-Ching recently joined the bereavement support team to follow patient families in the Asian hospice program. As a multi-lingual person, fluent in English, Mandarin and Taiwanese, she is able to connect with families during difficult times of grieving to support them in their native language with nuance, humility, and awareness of how grief can impact all parts of one's life.

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Edwin Candelario Sr.

Lawtown Boxing Gym Inc.
Lawrence, Mass.

More than 15 years ago, Edwin founded Lawtown Boxing Gym with a vision to transform the lives of young people in his community. Their mission is to offer a positive outlet through the discipline and structure of boxing, instilling values such as respect, responsibility, and perseverance. Motivated by a desire to provide a safe haven from the streets, drugs, and trouble, he established the gym as a place where discipline, structure, and positive values could thrive.

Edwin's passion for boxing and commitment to youth development drove him to create a space where young people could learn not just the sport, but also life skills that would set them up for future success. Their experienced coaches teach boxing fundamentals to people of all skill levels while emphasizing education, healthy living, and community involvement. Through mentorship and guidance, they empower gym members to make positive choices and set ambitious goals.

He has personally mentored countless young athletes, teaching them the fundamentals of boxing while also guiding them in their personal and academic lives. His dedication to each individual's growth has helped many stay on track, avoid negative influences and pursue their dreams. Through his efforts, Lawtown Boxing Gym has become a beacon of hope and opportunity, helping to shape a brighter future for the youth of the community.

Under Edwin's leadership, the gym has become more than just a training facility; it is a community hub where positive values are cultivated. Edwin's impact extends beyond the boxing ring, forging partnerships with local schools, businesses and organizations to provide additional support and resources for the gym's members. By fostering a sense of belonging and purpose, they deter young people from risky behaviors and help them realize their full potential. The gym is free of charge to be accessible to all.

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Vito LaMura

SeniorCare Inc.
Gloucester, Mass.

SeniorCare services elders and disabled adults in nine North Shore communities, supporting their independence at home or in their chosen living environments while remaining integrated in their communities. With over 50 years of service, SeniorCare Inc.'s team and volunteers have supported thousands of older adults and their families.

A volunteer of 25 years, Vito volunteers his time, working in multiple programs at SeniorCare, and serves on the SeniorCare Board and Advisory Council. Vito delivers meals to homebound seniors, bringing them a nutritious meal, a smile, and a little conversation. Sometimes, these visits are the only contact a senior will have during the day, so these visits also function as wellness checks. They eagerly look forward to his visits.

Vito drives elders to and from their medical appointments, escorting them, waiting while they are in their appointments, picking up prescriptions, and bringing them home safely. He assists elders with organizing their mail, helping them pay their bills, and educating them about scams and fraud. Family members who may not live close to their family have told Vito that just knowing their loved one is receiving regular meals and social interaction through Meals on Wheels provides them with peace of mind.

SeniorCare could not support these invaluable programs without wonderful volunteers like Vito. He is an incredibly dedicated, caring human being, willing to help wherever and whenever. He has spent time volunteering for many organizations over the years. Vito continues to live in the service of others, which exemplifies the true spirit of volunteerism.

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Jiani Johnson

Science Club for Girls
Cambridge, Mass.

Science Club for Girls' (SCFG) mission is to foster excitement, confidence, and literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for girls and gender-expansive youth from underrepresented communities. From one club for girls in kindergarten, SCFG has evolved over 30 years to become a leader in experiential STEM learning, girls programs and mentoring, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.

Jiani, a 20-year-old bioengineering student at Harvard University, has served as a volunteer mentor weekly for the past two years at the Science Club at Prospect Hill Academy in Cambridge. She is highly skilled at making STEM learning fun, exciting, and accessible to children. She goes above and beyond, helping to recruit other student volunteers and assisting with any task that needs to be done.

Quite often, you can find Jiani engrossed in conversation with a group of girls who are excitedly showing off their experiments. They all especially want Jiani to see what they have done, be it a chemical reaction they have created or a model bridge they have built. This is because Jiani's enthusiasm for STEM is contagious. You can see the girls in her group light up in her presence.

As a Black female bioengineer, Jiani shows girls from underrepresented communities that they too have a place in STEM. This matters because careers in STEM offer a pathway out of poverty and economic stability. She builds such a strong sense of community among participants, many of whom, because of the relationships developed with Jiani and the other mentors, return to SCFG's programs year after year and begin to see SCFG as a home away from home.

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Gail Dailey

My Brother's Keeper
North Easton, Mass

My Brother's Keeper delivers furniture, food and Christmas gifts free of charge to children and adults in need across Southeastern Massachusetts. Gail has been a dedicated volunteer at My Brother's Keeper for nearly five years, making a significant impact with her contributions.

She uses her creativity and enthusiasm to transform simple items into thoughtful, boutique-worthy gifts to be delivered in addition to their core programs of food and furniture assistance. Gail went above and beyond by leading a major initiative for Mother's Day 2024, organizing over 500 gifts for Mothers in the weeks leading up to the holiday. Her initiative and enthusiasm inspired others to donate and volunteer, amplifying the project's success.

Gail dedicates extensive time during the Christmas season, volunteering 12 hours daily from Thanksgiving through Christmas to help distribute gifts to over 3,000 families. Gail's readiness to tackle a wide range of tasks-from administrative duties to hands-on activities-reflects her commitment and flexibility.

She stands out as a volunteer due to her exceptional creativity, proactive approach, and infectious enthusiasm. Gail embodies the mission of the organization through her actions, bringing love and hope to those she serves daily. With Gail's help, My Brother's Keeper delivers food, furniture, and Christmas assistance to more than 18,000 local households serving over 62,000 adults, children and seniors each year.

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