As the new year begins and the Hopkinton Emergency Fund continues to help residents in need of emergency financial assistance, the organization would like to highlight and recognize its partners, whose collaboration is crucial in helping the Fund fulfill its mission.
Efforts to support residents in need existed for some time prior to the HEF’s incorporation. Community providers — and HEF partners — such as Hopkinton Youth and Family Services, Project Just Because, the Hopkinton Senior Center and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul would meet regularly to offer whatever help they could. Assistance was often available in the way of food, clothing, gift cards, furniture and more. However, financial support for large expenses often would go unmet as state laws prohibit local government organizations from soliciting funds.
To help fill this gap, the Hopkinton Emergency Fund receives anonymous referrals from its partner organizations, who work closely with families seeking help and can attest to their particular needs. When HEF grant coordinators receive and review a request, they contact the referring partner organization for additional information. The grant coordinators then make a recommendation to the Funding Committee of board members. If approved, a check is written to the vendor and delivered to the partner to give to the client in need.
Hopkinton Youth and Family Services
Hopkinton’s Youth and Family Services (HYFS) aims to provide access to comprehensive social services for youth and families and to enhance behavioral health for the entire Hopkinton community. HYFS provides a variety of resources to the community including referrals, behavioral health screenings, clinical consultations, counseling, case management, programs to support behavioral health and primary prevention services.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hopkinton Youth and Family Services presented the community with COVID-19-specific resources related to emotional health, substance use support, personal safety and domestic violence, parental stress, food resources, unemployment due to COVID-19, financial assistance programs, language resources and resources to help youth and families cope with the pandemic’s impacts.
“I often see community members with unique situations resulting in emergency financial needs, and the Hopkinton Emergency Fund has been a vital resource for us to turn to in order to provide additional critical support to members of our community,” said Dawn Alcott, Director of Hopkinton Youth and Family Services.
Learn more about Hopkinton Youth and Family Services here.
Project Just Because
Project Just Because is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to help struggling families in times of greatest need by supplying basic necessities including warm clothing, food and school supplies, and to serve as many men, women and children as possible in a caring and dignified environment.
Project Just Because offers a variety of programs year-round to support the community. These programs include a free grocery store, the Hopkinton Food Pantry, Pallet Program, clothing, gluten-free food pantry, 211 Emergency Program, Basket of Love Program, Birthday Program, thrift, a furniture program and a resource network.
“We pride ourselves on being a trusted resource for residents when they need help navigating hardships, and we are pleased to be working with the Hopkinton Emergency Fund to be able to offer even more resources to those in need,” said Cherylann Walsh, Board President of Project Just Because.
Learn more about Project Just Because here.
Hopkinton Senior Center
The Hopkinton Senior Center’s mission is to enhance and enrich the quality of life for adults ages 60 and older in the Town of Hopkinton, providing activities and services that encourage independence, healthy living and continued participation in the Hopkinton community.
The Hopkinton Senior Center’s Outreach Program provides seniors with assistance such as financial assistance, fuel assistance, nutrition assistance, transportation alternatives, medical equipment loans, housing options, Springwell referrals, home care and long-term care, caregiver support, Medicaid, elder law referrals, technology assistance, and File of Life.
“The Hopkinton Emergency Fund has been a valuable organization for us to turn to, to help our residents experiencing emergencies,” said Kim Carson, Hopkinton Senior Center outreach coordinator. “Having this additional resource provides hope and a sense of security in great times of need.”
Learn more about the Hopkinton Senior Center here.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is described as a network of friends, inspired by gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service people in need.
Accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) continues its mission to assist local families in the following areas: rent/mortgage payments, utility payment/forgiveness programs, along with support for food, healthcare and transportation needs. Through service and listening, SVDP seeks to gain a broader understanding of the challenges faced by those it serves.
SVDP lends a helping hand to local clients regardless of religious affiliation, and is eager to partner with other Hopkinton non-profit organizations to meet the needs of the community.
Colleen Charleston, President of St. Vincent de Paul, spoke on the partnership with the Hopkinton Emergency Fund, saying: “Organizations working in tandem with each other benefit the community in which they serve.”
Learn more about The Society of St. Vincent de Paul here.
About HEF
The Hopkinton Emergency Fund is a public, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks to provide temporary emergency financial assistance to residents of Hopkinton through collaboration with existing local human services organizations.
While several human services organizations whose missions are to assist those in need with food, clothing and other necessities exist in Hopkinton, these local organizations are not able to provide money to help clients pay bills for critical needs such as healthcare, utility bills, car repairs, rent, and more. With most organizations offering either distinct services or limited funding for very specific needs, many people in Hopkinton who experience immediate financial emergencies have nowhere else to turn. The Hopkinton Emergency Fund was started in 2020 to fill this gap.
To read an introduction to the organization and its holiday donation campaign, click here. To read about the impact HEF grants have had for those in need, click here. To read about the important of donations, click here.
Donate
Those wishing to donate can do so directly through the HEF website donation page. Donations may also be made via check, at Hopkinton Emergency Fund, Inc., P.O. Box 44, Hopkinton, MA 01748.