Earth Day is a special holiday in the Incompass Human Services community, not just because of what it represents to the planet – but it’s also the official kick-off of our gardening season!
This year, Earth Day fell on Friday, April 22 and Activities Specialist Cathy Brunelle once again put on a wonderful event! Day program participants at Incompass Human Services met outside of agency headquarters at 4 Omni Way in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, where Care Champions had setup stations with garden beds, flower pots, watering cans, and gardening tools. And this year was made even more special because a group of volunteers from the local BNI Global chapter!
“It’s been more than two years since we’ve been able to welcome members of the community to take part in an event like this, and the looks of joy on the faces of both the participants and volunteers said it all,” remarked Dan Esdale, chief marketing officer at Incompass.
Earth Day at Incompass is Really Earth Week!
As is tradition, each day hab room provided Care Champions with a list of seeds they wished to grow on Earth Day. And throughout the week, members of the Incompass community worked to prepare the garden beds and purchase soil so the group would have the tools they need to celebrate Earth Day right. Bianco’s Catering, who is also a tenant at 4 Omni Way, even got in on the fun providing individuals with the lettuce heads that were planted in the vegetable garden!
“We planted everything from onions to garlic to beans throughout the afternoon, and the weather could not have been better!,” said Brunelle.
Volunteers Had A Lot to Share About Their Experience…
For the volunteers from the BNI Power Players, it was their first time at Incompass Human Services – and their first chapter volunteer engagement since the beginning of the pandemic.
“My business is rooted in spreading joy, and spending the day with the Incompass day program participants was the definition of spreading joy,” remarked Dot Richards, vice president of the BNI Power Players and owner of Cards by Dot. “I loved being outside with the volunteers and participants!”
Ryan Hart, a financial advisor with New York Life and treasurer of the BNI Power Players remarked that he was impressed with the coordination of the event by the Care Champions, and could see the impact first-hand. “I was struck by just how genuine the Incompass team was in engaging us as volunteers, and ensuring they put on a great program for the people in their programs. And I can’t wait to see the progress of the vegetables that we planted throughout the day!”
We’re thrilled to participate in the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce TEAMS Fundraiser, a virtual community event supporting the nonprofit community in Greater Lowell.
The reality is, we’ve incurred significant costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including PPE, cleaning supplies, technology products and services, and increased staffing costs. We also were forced to cancel our biggest fundraiser of the year, the Kentucky Derby Party.
While the entire LifeLinks CLASS team has risen to the COVID-19 challenge, our Care Champions need your support!
And in true LifeLinks CLASS fashion, we’re collaborating with our individuals to create some truly amazing and creative auction packages…
Old World Wine Basket
Generously donated by our Board of Directors, this wine basket is truly special! Curated by the sommelier at Wine Sense, these are truly high-end wines that can pair with an incredible meal. Value: $400
LifeLinks CLASSY Artwork
One word to describe this artwork: PRICELESS! Our individuals are so creative, and all money raised by this item will be used to purchase new art supplies for our day programs. Value: Priceless
Edelman Autographed Helmet
He may be catching passes from a new QB this year, but he will go down as one of the greatest receivers in Pats history! His career arc is inspiring! This comes with a certificate of authenticity (COA) and would look great on anyone’s shelf! Value: $500
Bird Autographed Basketball
They don’t call him “Larry Legend” around here for nothing! Larry Bird personified the 80s Celtics team, and his memorable battles with Magic Johnson and the Lakers in the old Boston Garden are iconic to this day! COA included. Value: $300
Best Patio Set on the Block
Here is our featured item, and it’s your COVID-19 oasis! Picture this on your patio…
It’s okay if you don’t want to purchase an item, you can always just make a small donation on the site. Let’s show the entire region how much we love our LifeLinks CLASS Care Champions! Silent auctions are fun, but there can only be one winner for each item, right? Every gift helps!
The Durkin Foundation Donates $4,000 Worth of Market Basket Gift Cards to the LifeLinks CLASS Family Support Center
LifeLinks CLASS was overwhelmed with joy to be a designated beneficiary of The Durkin Foundation’s “Durkin Delivers” campaign, receiving $4,000 in Market Basket gift cards last week that will be disseminated to families in need by the LifeLinks CLASS Family Support Center.
“The past two months have been an incredibly stressful time for all of us in the community, but the families who we support have really been hit hardest, “ says Kelly Trickett, executive director of the Family Support Center. “These $100 Market Basket gift cards couldn’t come at a better time, and I can’t think of anyone who will appreciate it more than the families we are supporting.”
The executive director of The Durkin Foundation, Matt Durkin, is a fierce advocate for the intellectually and developmentally disabled in Greater Lowell. At the onset of the “Durkin Delivers” campaign, he attended a Zoom meeting with Trickett and LifeLinks CLASS Director of Residential Services Angie Otieno to hear more about the work LifeLinks CLASS is doing this challenging time.
“Connecting with Angie and Kelly was so important to me, as I want to understand all the ways that The Durkin Foundation can help organizations like LifeLinks CLASS who are delivering critical supports to our most vulnerable population during this time of need,” said Durkin. “We’re thrilled to announce the gift to LifeLinks CLASS, and it was really a no-brainer to make them a beneficiary of the campaign.”
Durkin also touched on the impact to area small businesses as part of this fundraising campaign. “We heard over and over again from advocates that gift cards to restaurants and grocery stores will go a long way right now, and these gift cards are helping out those business owners as well.”
The LifeLinks CLASS Family Support Center works with more 300 families throughout Greater Lowell and Greater Lawrence, providing individualized services to families who have an intellectually or developmentally disabled individual living at home with them.
“Over the past two months, we’ve actually been able to increase our engagement with families in the community,” said Trickett. “We’ve pivoted to providing daily virtual supports and activities, ranging from online yoga classes and art classes to check-ins via Zoom.”
