Global Languages faculty and staff are participating in an MIT-community-wide donor drives organized by MIT Community Giving. This year, there is more need than ever, and you can participate by using the online portals mentioned below.
Secret Santa for Seniors
The holiday season is a joyous time of year for many people, but it can be lonely for many senior citizens who may not have family or friends to celebrate with. Every year, the Cambridge Police Department partners with companies across Cambridge to collect gift items for senior citizens in Cambridge elder services programs. The officers help put together a special gift bag of goodies and deliver them on Christmas Eve morning. This year, with all of us feeling a bit isolated, this reminders to our senior neighbors that they are in our hearts is more important than ever, so we have built an Amazon Wish List of items for folks to purchase and ship directly to the CPD to keep the drive going strong! You can find the list at https://bit.ly/CPDSanta. Please use Sgt. Susan Kale’s Gift Registry Address when selecting shipping. For more information on the drive, contact Adam Patten at apatten@cambridgepolice.org or 617-349-9354.
CASPAR Winter Clothing Drive
The CASPAR Emergency Services Shelter on Albany Street has been a vital Cambridge institution and MIT partner since its inception. Each year, we are eager to support their mission helping for homeless Cambridge residents prepare for the winter with our Winter Clothing Drive. We have crafted an Amazon Wish List for this drive with the items that CASPAR is most in need of as Winter approaches. Socks, hats, jackets, gloves, and more go a long way toward protecting our vulnerable neighbors from the cold. Find the list of needed items here, and please send to CASPAR/Bay Cove’s Gift Registry Address when selecting shipping: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2E5CH5OB9FSRA
Cambridge Family and Children’s Service Gift Drive
CFCS is a wonderful Cambridge charity that provides adoption planning and case management services for children and teens in the custody of the Dept. of Children and Families. For three years now, we have supported their holiday collection drive, which provides funds for CFCS case workers to purchase holiday gifts for the teens and young adults in their residential support programs. The joy and connection that this drive brings each year is always inspiring. You or your colleagues can make a contribution to the Cambridge Family and Children’s Service Holiday Gift Drive through the Charitable Contributions app on Atlas.
MIT COVID-19 Neighborhood Response Fund
We continue to collect funds for the MIT COVID-19 Neighborhood Response Fund, which supports our neighbors in Cambridge suffering from food insecurity and homelessness during the pandemic. We continue to bolster the efforts of six non-profit organizations in the Cambridge area on the front lines of the food security crisis that many are experiencing. Donations can be made via credit card or payroll deductions through the Charitable Contributions app on Atlas, or by securities or PayPal on giving.mit.edu. This fund is administered by the MIT Office of Government and Community Relations, and by the MIT Community Service Fund, MIT’s flagship charitable fund supporting the work of MIT volunteers in their local neighborhood.
MIT Staff Emergency Hardship Fund
The MIT Staff Emergency Hardship Fund provides financial assistance to MIT staff and postdoctoral scholars (associates and fellows) who are experiencing an immediate and temporary financial hardship due to a sudden or non-recurring emergency (e.g., loss of family income, new or additional expenses directly related to COVID-19, death of a family member, serious illness or injury, natural disaster). Financial assistance can be granted, up to a maximum of $1,000 per applicant, to assist MIT staff and postdoctoral scholars with rent, mortgage, utilities, food, child care, medical, funeral, or other essential expenses. Staff can donate to the fund or apply for funding.