Everybody's Welcome at
My Brother's Table
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With the slogan "Nourishing Our Neighbors Since 1982," Lynn's My Brother's Table (MBT) at 98 Willow Street has a stellar history of feeding those in the community who are hungry, but their mission does not stop with food. Clients can get seasonal clothing or health check-ups, and they can even join a professional art therapist to work through their issues-or just have fun. Their mission statement says it all: "Our goal is to nourish our community every day through hospitality, free meals and unconditional love."
MBT was founded in 1981 by Father Harry Lawson of St. Joseph's Catholic Parish and Nancy Ryan of Catholic Charities in Peabody, who saw the desperate need of the hungry in Lynn and had the vision to respond. Originally located on Union Street, MBT was able to move to the current location in a former post office due to a program to repurpose federal buildings no longer used by the government.
All About My Brother's Table Executive Director, Diane Kuzia Hills, oversees the program that is open every day--weekdays, weekends, and holidays--365 days per year. Besides serving meals at the site, they have outreach programs that supply their homebound clients.
Since 1982 MBT, the largest soup kitchen on the North Shore, has served over three million free, hot meals to men, women and children in need-126,000 last year alone.
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A painting done by an MBT guest in the art therapy program.
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Because they refuse to identify their clients to government agencies, MBT is privately funded, relying on individualdonations, private grants and charity events. They also rely on food donations from restaurants, supermarkets and food drives. Events include the Founders' Celebrationin March and the Post Office's Stamp Out Hunger drive in the spring. Dedicated volunteers support the staff in providing a wide range of services beyond hot meals. One of those long-term volunteers is Dave Solimine, Sr. "My Brother's Table is a fabulous organization and a great benefit for the Lynn area," said Dave. "Giving back to the community as much as we can is so important to us."
The Services of MBT Go Far Beyond Serving Meals at Their Site
MBT provides a monthly buffet meal at Greater Lynn Senior Services, as well as delivering meals to homebound clients who are too young to get Meals on Wheels, providing a week's worth of frozen meals at a time. MBT has offered this service since 1991 to a number of families, some for a long time, some short-term, and some families in hospice care.
"Every Tuesday night is clinic night, with toiletries, over-the-counter medicines and a visit with the nurse practitioner, who is shared with the Lynn Health Center. A full-time case manager books nurse appointments and helps with applications for T passes among other things," said Diane. The partnership with the Lynn Community Health Center is great, serving some clients who have previously been institutionalized and are wary of the health care system. "My Brother's Table serves as an introduction, opens the doors for them to feel comfortable again with social service agencies."
One meal-with-a-twist project of MBT is a literacy program for low-income Lynn families, providing a delivered family-style meal to be shared at home, freeing the adults from having to cook and allowing time to read together. MBT also has a "little library" where clients can drop off and pick up a book to read. Diane would like to do more with the little library concept. "I'd like to put one at the Little League field," she said, a place where people tend to spend a lot of time. MBT's Clients Are a Cross-Section of Lynn's Population "We serve newborns to folks of 96-ish," Diane noted. MBT works with teen mothers, offering cooking classes once a week. Many of the clients are employed, some at day labor, but don't work every day. Some live in housing without access to a kitchen. About two-thirds of the clients have disabilities. Many grew up in Lynn and have been here for generations, while others are recent newcomers-all backgrounds, races, and creeds are welcome. They also help refugee families.
MBT's Busy Season Is All Year Long Serving lunch and dinner on weekdays and meals on weekends, MBT is there every day of the year. "During last year's worst blizzard, we served 250 meals," Diane said. "Many live within a few blocks of us." Christmas, Thanksgiving-My Brother's Table is open and serving food. Their busiest season, she said, is summer. "It's light out so the elders will come; it's more comfortable to walk without icy sidewalks. There are seasonal migrant workers, and the kids are home from school and eating around the house, so there's more of a pinch on the food budget."
Rain or shine, snow or sizzling heat, My Brother's Table is there to serve Lynn folks every day of the year. For more information on how to receive services or how to volunteer, check out the website at www.mybrotherstable.org.
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My Brother's Table -
You Can Help!
As a nonprofit agency relying completely on donations and fundraising, My Brother's Table is always grateful for the support of the wider community. Please check their website for up-to-date needs and donation information. www.mybrotherstable.org
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My Brother's Table Volunteer Jane Hunt
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Hooked on Helping: Jane Hunt, MBT Volunteer
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Jane Hunt is a long-term volunteer and board member with my Brother's Table.
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Jane Hunt is a long-time Marblehead resident, but part of her heart lives in Lynn at My Brother's Table, where she has been a volunteer for many years and sits on the Board of Directors. Except for a very brief period, Jane has volunteered since the early 1980s when the facility was located on Union Street. Drawn in by a friend from her church, St. Andrews Episcopal in Marblehead, she was immediately, as she says, "hooked!" Raised in a comfortable Connecticut home, Jane met her husband Tim, an avid sailor, when she was working in Boston and they moved to the North Shore 54 years ago. They have two daughters and a son as well as several grandchildren, scattered from Marblehead to New York City. Jane and Tim are very active in their church as well. Volunteering at My Brother's Table shows Jane a different life from hers. "It was the most meaningful thing I could imagine being able to do. Living in Marblehead, you don't see the poverty you see in Lynn," she says. "Over the years I've gotten to know a number of the guests. So many are trying so hard to provide for their families, to come back from conditions like alcoholism or drug abuse, and can't afford to feed themselves properly. It blew my mind. I hadn't run up against addictions or poverty like that in my life. It opened my eyes to a section of the population that I needed to see." MBT's funds come only from donations and special events like the annual walkathon on the last Sunday in October and the classy Summer Party in August. Volunteers like Jane are essential to MBT's services, and training is provided as necessary. Some volunteers deliver meals, some cook, some organize, some serve food, and all serve the community. Jane notes that a client might be his own worst enemy, making poor decisions that result in homelessness. While it's frustrating, she enjoys talking with them. She also knows how strange MBT's mission is to some folks. One gentleman of a European background enjoyed his meal and then asked where he should pay. Told it was free, he said, "It's a good restaurant!" "He couldn't imagine a place like this, not having to pay anything," Jane says. "Not a day goes by that I don't say, Thank you, God! for what we have."
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Staff profile: John "Sully" Sullivan
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John "Sully" Sullivan has been a familiar face around the Solimine Funeral Homes for decades. Married to Barbara for 27 years, he appreciates family-his own and the Solimines. "It's all about the people here, a wonderful staff of hard-working people. If they ask you to do something, they have done it themselves. If you're cleaning the ladies' room, Dave Sr. is cleaning the men's room."
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John "Sully" Sullivan has worked for the Solimine Funeral Homes for over 30 years.
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Born in the Bronx, Sully and his family moved to the Catskills when he was a child; his mother had tuberculosis and had to get out of the city. Both of his siblings have passed on, but he revels in his children. His married son and daughter live in the area, and his step-son is married to a Navy nurse, stationed in New Bern, North Carolina. His eight grand- children are another source of joy.
To counter his emotionally difficult work with bereaved clients, Sully loves to spend time with his extended family. "I like to hang with them, go out to eat, decompress. There is goofiness!" He enjoys all kinds of music, from country and western to hip-hop, and he likes woodworking. A bookcase he made when he was first married is "still standing after several moves," most recently from a ten-room house to a two-bedroom condo-a daunting process that any downsizer will appreciate.
If he had one wish, it would be for peace in a crazy world. "For my grandchildren, for the world. I would wish to hand over to them the world our parents gave to us. We've got an incredible country, now in turmoil."
Travel is another passion. He loves the South, finds it easy to visit the North Carolina contingent, and especially likes St. Augustine, Florida, and Savannah. "You haven't lived until you've seen a St. Patrick's Day parade in Savannah," he said. "It's a four hour parade, more patriotic than anything else. All branches of the service are represented, every military school marches, and a Masonic bagpipe band." He also enjoys Maine, but he thinks living in the Lynn area is perfect. "In half an hour, you can be in some of the nicest woods, or on beautiful beaches, in Boston with its excellent medical care. It's the best place in the world." "The funeral business is sad, but over the years we hope we're helping people. I go home and thank God I've got a great wife who understands me." His sense of humor helps him decompress. "Sully is a valued member of our team and has been dedicated to the needs of the families we serve for over 30 years," said Joel Solimine. "Families appreciate his compassion, and we all appreciate his sense of humor." "I'm blessed to be working here, to be living the life that I live," said John Sullivan. So for Sully, it's all about family: the Solimine family, those he serves professionally, and his own wife, children and grandchildren.
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Boston North Cancer Association Scholarships
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Formerly known as the Lynn Cancer Association, the Boston North Cancer Association (BNCA) funds or otherwise supports cancer-related projects. "The association has historically been proactive in advancing the cause of cancer prevention, treatment and research to the communities of the North Shore of Boston by means of granting funds to organizations and individuals who are active in those pursuits," said Kevin McCarthy, Vice President of the association.
As part of their mission, the BNCA provides three annual scholarships, two for graduating high school seniors from the area and the third to a medical student with an interest in cancer research or treatment. One of those scholarships bears the name David J. Solimine Sr. Honorary Scholarship. Seniors in specific North Shore high schools who have either survived cancer or who are currently under treatment are eligible to apply. Kevin said, "David J. Solimine, Sr. is presently one of the longest serving members of our Board of Directors. His dedication to his hometown of Lynn prompted him to contribute his time and efforts to the association for more than two decades."
The related Hope Begins Here Scholarship is awarded to college-bound North Shore high school students whose parent has survived cancer, has passed away, or is currently undergoing cancer treatment.
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Andrew Gibson received
The Hope Begins Here Scholarship in 2013;
he is studying business at the University of New Hampshire.
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Receiving the Hope Begins Here Scholarship in 2013, Andrew Gibson is attending the University of New Hampshire, where he is a campus leader. When he was a sophomore at St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. Andrew was taken in by his "Big Brother" of the Big Brother/Big Sister program. "The Hope Begins Here Scholarship not only supported me financially, it gave me the emotional strength I needed to succeed. Holding that big foam check, looking out and seeing a crowd of people supporting me was one of the happiest moments of my life," Andrew said.
Further information and applications are available on the BNCA's website at
www.bostonnorthcancer.org.
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The David J. Solimine Sr. Honorary scholarship for 2015 was awarded to Brooks "Parker" Saunders, Jr., a graduate of Peabody Veterans Memorial High School now attending UMass Lowell. From left: Boston North Cancer Association VP Kevin McCarthy, Parker Saunders, Jr.; board member David Solimine Sr.; and BNCA President Susan McCarthy. |
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FAQ: "How Does a Family Funeral Home Differ from a Corporate Owned Facility?" In recent years funeral home ownership has often moved from families to corporate chains. Services provided might seem similar across the board, but there are also differences.
Are the Solimine Funeral Homes owned by a corporation?
No, the Solimine Funeral Homes are locally owned and operated by the Solimine Family. While we have purchased the Rhodes, Landergan and Richardson Funeral Homes, which date back into the 19th century, all of our business is concentrated in the Lynn area. We don't answer to a corporate headquarters or to stockholders, who are concerned with profits.
How is corporate ownership different?
Funeral homes have historically been based in a community, with generations of a family serving their friends and neighbors, rooted in the local traditions. In an age of mergers and acquisitions, ours is one of the few family businesses that retains a traditional local ownership.
How can you tell the difference when you're looking for a funeral home?
Having a familiar name suggests that the funeral home is locally owned, but when chains take over the businesses, they retain the well-known names of local families. Check the websites to find out whether the home is part of a chain. You can consult the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association website, where chain funeral homes are commonly identified. www.mfda.org. You can also always ask.
Are services different between the corporate and family funeral homes?
The services offered by family funeral homes are the same as the corporate homes provide: burial, cremation, services either secular or religious in nature, pre-need planning, to name a few.
How do the costs differ?
As with any consumer service, families want to compare costs when choosing a funeral home. We are open and transparent about our pricing. We post pricing for our service packages and merchandise on our website for you to review in the privacy of your home. We are the only local funeral service provider to do so.
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