Your Support Makes All the Difference at East End House

Dear Friend,

East End House is celebrating 140 years of providing programs and services to children and families in the Cambridge community. While much has changed since the agency opened its doors, the inspiration we feel when witnessing the transformational impact East End House has on children and families in need has not. Here’s just one of their stories.

Five-year-old Mariah had a particularly challenging transition into the East End House School Age Program. When she first arrived in the program, Mariah was easily set off, disruptive and had a difficult time communicating her needs to program staff. To accommodate Mariah and help her build the skills she needed to succeed, staff utilized portable “chill bins” filled with sensory toys designed to aid children experiencing disruptive emotions by helping them return to a calm state, ready to participate in group activities. Staff also allowed Mariah to keep a stuffed animal from home for comfort, and created laminated cards to help her communicate her needs when she otherwise struggled to articulate them. While addressing her individual needs in program on a daily basis, staff also worked closely with Mariah’s family to share ideas and communicate her progress.

Around the same time Mariah joined the Program, Mariah’s mother, Sarah, struggled to provide basic necessities for her family. She was quickly connected with other East End House services including the Emergency Food Pantry, Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway and Adopt-A-Family Program. These resources were extremely beneficial for Sarah, as she was able to worry less about meeting basic needs for her family and focus more of her attention on Mariah’s social-emotional development and success. Through ongoing collaboration between School Age Program staff and Sarah, Mariah has since established strong relationships with staff and peers, became increasingly comfortable in the program, and experiences extraordinary personal growth. More recently, she even received the programs “Star of the Week” award, which helped her build additional self-confidence.

At East End House, we combine passion with innovative strategies to produce impact that is sustainable and responsible, fulfilling our mission of advancing educational achievement and strengthening families and community.

Thanks to compassionate donors like you, East End House is able to develop and enhance offerings that strengthen thousands of individuals, children and families each year. Join us today in making a gift to the 2015 annual appeal. Your donation will directly impact the lives of those we serve this winter and beyond. Thank you in advance for your generous support.

Wishing you Joy and Peace throughout this Holiday Season and the New Year!

Michael Delia

Susan Lapierre

East End House


For more information on East End House's mission and programs, please visit us at eastendhouse.org, join our online communities on Facebook and twitter, or call us at 617-876-4444.

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