Connect with us

Boston, MA

‘Christmas angel’ donates $25,000 for Boston’s St. Francis House annual meal for hundreds of guests

Published

on

‘Christmas angel’ donates ,000 for Boston’s St. Francis House annual meal for hundreds of guests


Hundreds of people from Boston’s homeless community were treated to a warm, restaurant-style holiday meal Christmas Day at St. Francis House, and it was all made possible by a $25,000 donation from a family in Medfield.

The day shelter, the largest of its type in all of New England, hosted the annual celebration for what they estimated to be between 400 and 500 guests.

President and CEO of St. Francis House, Karen LaFrazia, says the large donation from the Medfield family not only funded the Christmas meal, but also another event and hundreds of gifts the night before.

“Today, we actually had a donor family that completely underwrote all of the costs of our entire Christmas dinner,” LaFrazia told the Herald. “Yesterday, we had a special event on Christmas Eve where we passed out Christmas presents for everybody, so everybody came through and they got their choice of a backpack and a choice of a sweatshirt and a gift card so they can spend on what they want and what they need. And it was completely underwritten by a generous family.

Advertisement

“They are our Christmas angel,” she added. “The mother in this family used to come here when she was in high school and she would volunteer. She’s in a fortunate place right now, her and her family, so they’re able to give back in a very meaningful way.”

Volunteer Amy Wendel serves up apple cider to diners at the St. Francis House in Boston on Christmas Day. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)

But it appears that a notable amount of regular St. Francis House donors have been diving deeper into their pockets than ever before, according to VP of Philanthropy and External Relations Andrew Russell.

“Increasingly, this year, we have seen an enormous amount of our donors leaping in their giving. So, for example, this family from Medfield had been giving us $1,000 per year until this year, when they gave us a $25,000 donation. Donors who had been giving $5,000 per year have been giving $50,000 per year. So, it’s heartwarming to see,” Russell said.

The warm, festive environment offered guests what staff say is a “moment of dignity,” paired with a chance to escape from the daily burdens many have been experiencing in their day-to-day lives.

Jason Tench, who tells the Herald he’s been homeless for “a long time,” says he seeks services at St. Francis House because staff “really, truly care.”

Advertisement

“These people care a lot more [than most shelter services]. They come in every day and they appreciate us, which makes us appreciate them. It’s not just a job to them. They understand and they really, truly care. And it shows in the incredible work they do for us,” said Tench.

“It means a lot,” said Stephen Gonzalo, another homeless guest of St. Francis House. “I think this is where Jesus would want to be. It’s my first time here and luckily for me its on Christmas Day with this amazing meal and good people.”

Russell, the VP at St. Francis House, said the increase in donations — which allows St. Francis House to offer events like the Christmas meal — come as a blessing.

He says aside from special events, the extra cash is needed now more than ever, especially as the housing crisis paired with soaring utility costs in Massachusetts continues to make life unaffordable for residents.

“There’s more and more people that are coming in, whether it be seniors or young people that are on restricted incomes and if their rent goes up they can’t afford food or electricity, and people are forced to make difficult choices. So, the housing crisis definitely is playing a big part in the number of people we’re seeing on a daily basis,” Russell told the Herald. “We’re now up over 500 guests per day, every day. When you go back to 2023, we were seeing 7,000 people per year. The last two years we’ve been seeing 10,000 people per year.”

Advertisement
Volunteer Michael Casey, left, waits to serve food at the St. Francis House in Boston. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)
Volunteer Michael Casey, left, waits to serve food at the St. Francis House in Boston. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)

Homeless guest Arsenio Borges tells the Herald that he’s seen firsthand the help and support offered on a daily basis by St. Francis House, crediting the organization with helping him find housing for the first time in years.

“I think this is great. I live at the 112 Southampton Street shelter and this place has been incredible with how much they’ve helped me out. They actually just helped me get my Massachusetts ID so I can get housing finally. They’ve gotten clothing for me, shoes, socks, everything. So, they do help a lot,” said Borges.

As she enters her 19th year at St. Francis House, LaFrazia says the goal of the annual Christmas meal remains the same: to offer guests dignity, a warm meal and hope as they work to get through the challenges they face.

“I’ve been talking to our guests this morning and some of them have been reminiscing about Christmases past, when days were better for them and its bringing for them, a sadness,” said LaFrazia. “But, there’s also a little bit of joy for them to be here with friends and with staff that know they care about them and love them and us to give them a message of hope for the new year that things can and will get better.”

Kareh LaFraziak President and CEO of St. Francis House in Boston speaks before volunteers served free meals restaurant style to people that are homeless. The day shelter on Boylston Street severd up several hundred meals on Christmas Day. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)
Karen LaFrazia, president and CEO of St. Francis House in Boston, speaks before volunteers served hundreds of meals on Christmas Day. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Boston, MA

Ariana Grande fan gets better tickets to TD Garden concert in Boston after resolving StubHub issue

Published

on

Ariana Grande fan gets better tickets to TD Garden concert in Boston after resolving StubHub issue


Ariana Grande is coming to Boston next week and one of her biggest fans in Massachusetts will be there after resolving a ticket issue with StubHub.

Kelsie Duest of Hopedale had two front row balcony seats to Grande’s show on July 23 at TD Garden. Her brother bought them for her on StubHub last year. Her mother said it cost nearly $1,400 for the pair.

But about a month later, Sharon Duest checked her Apple Wallet and noticed the tickets were invalid. She said StubHub offered them a choice, take a refund or different tickets.

Kelsie Duest has two seats to Ariana Grande’s show on July 23 at TD Garden in Boston.

Advertisement

CBS Boston


Duest ended up accepting the tickets that were offered, only to learn they were obstructed view seats behind the stage and Kelsie wouldn’t be able to see Grande during parts of the concert.

Concerned that her daughter, who has Down syndrome, would miss out on the experience of seeing Grande on stage, Duest tried calling and emailing Stubhub hoping to get better seats.

“We didn’t want anything for free. We just wanted just the tickets that we had,” she told WBZ-TV.

Advertisement

With the concert coming up soon, the Duests reached out to the I-Team’s Call for Action for help, who contacted StubHub.

“We’re so sorry about the issues Sharon experienced with their ticket order, especially given how meaningful this concert is to Kelsie,” a company spokesperson said in an email.

“We understand how disappointing and stressful that situation was. Our Customer Care team worked with them to resolve the issue and ultimately secured upgraded replacement tickets in a section in front of where the original seats were located, allowing them to attend the show with an improved view.”

Kelsie and her mom now have club seats closer to the stage than the tickets they originally purchased.

“I know we couldn’t have done this without you guys. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Sharon Duest said.

Advertisement

A good rule of thumb with electronic tickets is to always check on them to confirm that they remain valid up until the event. You should also keep good records in case you need a refund or a replacement. 



Source link

Continue Reading

Boston, MA

ICE Boston arrests Barbados national during targeted operations in Attleboro

Published

on

ICE Boston arrests Barbados national during targeted operations in Attleboro


U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Boston said Friday that it arrested a Barbados national during targeted operations in Attleboro.

ICE Boston said Irijah Jabarri Stowe Marshall is “a criminal illegal alien.”

According to officials, his criminal history includes a pending charge for failing to register as a sex offender in Massachusetts.

He was also previously convicted of attempted rape and aggravated sexual contact, ICE Boston said.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Boston, MA

Man who allegedly shot at Boston Police officers arrested after foot chase in Dorchester

Published

on

Man who allegedly shot at Boston Police officers arrested after foot chase in Dorchester


A 20-year-old Boston man is facing a series of charges after prosecutors say he shot at Boston Police officers during an attempted stop in Dorchester before leading them on a foot chase through neighborhood backyards.

Rasiel Carbuccia was arraigned in Dorchester District Court Thursday on a list of charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying without a license and possession of a large capacity firearm, stemming from the Wednesday night incident near Devon and Laredo streets.

Opened fire with ghost gun, prosecutors say

According to prosecutors, Boston Police officers attempted to stop Carbuccia when he pulled out a gun and began shooting, striking a Boston police cruiser before fleeing the scene.

Investigators said Carbuccia ran through backyards and hopped fences before he was taken into custody. Officers did not fire their weapons during the encounter.

Advertisement

Prosecutors said investigators later recovered the firearm along the path where Carbuccia had been running.

“It was determined that the firearm was a ghost gun, and it did not possess a serial number,” Suffolk County prosecutor Jacqueline Martinelli said in court.

Union says “everyone should be outraged”

Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, said the shooting is part of what he believes is a troubling trend of violence this summer and renewed his call for more officers on Boston streets.

“Everybody should be outraged. Bullets flying in the city’s streets at uniformed police officers. How can we possibly convince the general public that they’re safe to walk around their own neighborhoods?” Calderone said.

Rasiel Carbuccia allegedly opened fire on Boston Police officers in Dorchester. 

Advertisement

CBS Boston


“We have teenagers pulling firearms and stealing mopeds from others in broad daylight. We have shots being fired at police officers in uniform, officers being attacked, people being shot daily that we can’t solve the crimes,” he added.

No one was injured in the shooting, but Calderone said the outcome could have been much worse.

“Thank goodness, neither officer or a pedestrian, an innocent child or somebody in the middle of the evening did not get killed last night. Just as thankful, at least they caught him. They recovered the weapon,” he said.

Advertisement

After the arraignment, Carbuccia’s attorney declined to discuss the case in detail but indicated mental health issues could become part of the proceedings.

“Ultimately as you guys know this is a process that has to play out and he’s presumed innocent and there’s going to be a number of things that are going to come out in respect to mental health and potentially the investigation, I don’t really have much more to say beyond that,” attorney Bob White told reporters.

According to prosecutors, Carbuccia had two open assault cases and an active warrant at the time of his arrest.

He’s being held in jail without bail and is scheduled to return to court later this month for a dangerousness hearing.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending