A Farewell... 

Dear Tobin Community,

It is with mixed emotions that I say goodbye to all of you. The journey over the last 10 years has been wonderful and fulfilling, personally as well as professionally. I want to thank you for all of your support. I will miss working with such a kind and caring community. I am very proud of the faculty, staff, and families, and I know all of you will continue to work tirelessly to help our students strive for excellence in all that they do and to be the best that they can be!

Sincerely,

Martha

A Thank You from the Weekend Backpack

Dear Friends,

As food deliveries make it into student backpacks this week for the last time this school year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your tremendous support of the Cambridge Weekend Backpack Program!

We are so grateful for how the community has rallied around this program! Whether packing food, providing donations, or spreading the word, the Cambridge Weekend Backpack Program is truly community-run. We saw this widespread support at our recent Flatbread Pizza Fundraiser--one of the most well attended benefits the restaurant has ever held!

We are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish during this school year:  
–Sending healthy meals home to 240 students in 10 schools (more than 10,000 bags of food!).
–Garnering support from the City of Cambridge, foundations, businesses, organizations, and individuals.
–Mobilizing dozens of volunteers each week.
–Joining the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House organization.
–Generating press, including Jessica Lander’s recent opinion piece, Food Security in a Backpack, in the Boston Globe.  
–Supporting local school districts to establish backpack programs of their own.

More than anything, I’m motivated by the impact of our program on families. Recently, we received this letter from a parent whose child comes home with sandwiches, milk, fruit, and snacks that we pack each week:
Thank you for allowing our family to experience this, to feel some security for a little while. You change so much about one's life when you fill such a desperate need.   

We also have been receiving comments from teachers of participating students who attribute higher student engagement and achievement from those students this year, citing the backpack program as a major factor in this year's success. Maybe more importantly, is the effect that the program is having on the whole family, as indicated by this teacher comment: 
I believe that this program is critical. One of the most significant benefits is the increased engagement from families who participate. Being part of a community that cares about a child's whole family life, inside and outside of school, engenders trust and partnership across home and school. 

As we look toward next year, I know that we can do even more. Among our many goals, we would like to expand to an additional school. We are now fundraising for our 2015-16 program. Please consider making a gift for our 2015-2016 year. You can sponsor a child for the entire school year for $250. If you have ideas about events or program partners, or you would like to volunteer, please do not hesitate to be in touch. This program could not run without you. Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely, 

Alanna