Make A Difference Day Harnesses Generosity of Braintree Community

November 24, 2009 –Sustainable Braintree, Inc. is appreciative of the Braintree Community for its generous demonstration of concern for people and the planet by its enthusiastic participation in the Make A Difference Day event in October.  Braintree Town Hall became a collection center for new and gently used items to be recycled or reused to benefit people in need.  Community organizations collected 1½ truckloads (16 foot trucks) of clothing, household items, and children’s toys and furniture for Big Brother Big Sister, the Kids Closet, the Dianne DeVanna Center, and Cradles to Crayons; 2 carloads of men and women’s career clothing collected by All Souls Church for Interfaith Social Service’s Career Closet;  1 carload of food and linens for the Mass Humane Society, 30 boxes of books for the Friends of Thayer Public Library; 45 bags of paper products and canned goods for the Marge Crispin Center Food Pantry; 57 pounds of sneakers, 2 pounds of wine corks, 3 pounds of keys and 38 pounds of aluminum can pull tabs for recycling to benefit the Shriner’s Burns Hospital in Boston; 13 pounds of eyeglasses and 35 pounds of cell phones for reuse.  Donors received a free, locally-grown pumpkin, donated by Rockland Trust and Big Brother Big Sister.  350 Pumpkins were given away to commemorate the International Day of Climate Action - 350.org.  50 reusable canvass bags loaded with information about Braintree’s Single Stream Recycling program were given away.  The event was held in conjunction with Sustainable Braintree's Farmers Market, held weekly on Saturday mornings from June through October. 

Cooperation from Mayor Joseph Sullivan’s office was instrumental in the success of the event, as were generous donations received from Big Brother Big Sister and Rockland Trust.  Cardi’s Furniture donated a gift certificate which was given away in a free raffle at the Big Brother Big Sister table.  Volunteer helpers were appreciated, coming from many participating groups, including the National Honor Society at Braintree High School, as well as from the Braintree community at-large. 

Make A Difference Day is a national day of helping others, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.  Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October.  Sustainable Braintree became involved in this event because reusing and recycling items are important ways to conserve the earth’s resources.  This year’s event was particularly meaningful because it coincided with a global environmental awareness day known as the International Day of Climate Action – 350.org. 

Sustainable Braintree advocates smart living through sustainability and environmental awareness.  Please visit Sustainable Braintree’s website, www.sustainablebraintree.org/gala2010  for information about the Second Annual Green Gala on Saturday, January 23, 2010 and how you can contribute to its scholarship and grant program to support environmental education. 

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