Jack Blog
May 4th, 2017 By Allison Kromer
Why do we so often see moms and their babies or toddlers on the ground floor of Jack Morton Boston’s lobby? Because Jack Morton Boston shares our building with the organization Room to Grow, an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of babies born into poverty throughout their critical first three years of development. Because we admired their mission, a few of our team members decided to volunteer some time to Room to Grow last month.
On the evening of April 25th, 11 team members from the Jack Morton Boston office made our way to the third floor to help sort out donations for the organization. Volunteer Coordinator Patricia Hunter shared how “families visit Room to Grow every three months for three years–from just before the birth of their babies until their children turn three–to receive baby items and individual support from staff social workers.”
After a heartfelt introduction and tour of the space, we were off to work!
Step one was to carry all of the donations from the storage closet to the main work space for sorting.
Step two was sorting out all the donations into categories: clothes, toys, books, accessories, Salvation Army, or to throw away. Does the item work? Check. Are all the pieces there? Check. Is it clean? Check.
Patricia’s guidance on whether something was worth keeping: “Would you give it to your boss’s child as a gift?”
I realized that this organization really cares about the families that they’re helping. It’s not about the quantity of the donations but also the quality.
Step three was to double-check the inventory and get a final count of all items. There were over 50 books–and for good reason. During each visit, a child picks 10 books to take home so that, at the end of their time spent with Room to Grow, they have a library of 120 books! (I’m in Finance, so you can trust me on that math.)
We loved working together to help Room to Grow. A few things overheard during our time spent volunteering:
“These puzzles are not all that easy.”- Gabriella
“This animal print onesie goes with my safari-themed guest room!”- Trevor
“I wish they made this in my size.” – Anonymous
Watching Christina and Gabriella put together a 50-piece toy in order to make sure the item was complete, I realized two things: 1. I love these people, and 2. Helping kids feels good.
Volunteering with Room to Grow was a bit tiring and very rewarding. But based on our positive experience, something tells me we’ll be back again soon.
