ALAN CITRON

One of Sowing Seeds’ Founders
and Our First President

Our love and admiration to you

Many Sowing Seeds volunteers experienced the joy of volunteering with Alan Citron. An even greater number of Marshfield residents were the beneficiaries of Alan’s kindness, good works and compassion. It is with profound sorrow that we share Mary Doolan’s thoughts,

We are greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alan Citron on Friday, May 3rd.  Alan, a member of the North Community Church, was one of the founders and the first president of Sowing Seeds.

He was a visionary leader who worked tirelessly in the early years of Sowing Seeds to help create the ministry that flourishes today.  Alan was a progressive, idealistic, faith filled man who inspired all who knew him. He cared passionately for those in need. May Alan rest in peace, and may his wife Gail, daughters Ashley and Amanda, his mother Eileen, and sisters Robin and Marcey find comfort during these difficult days.

Friends and family are invited to attend visiting hours at the Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home, 382 First Parish Rd, Scituate on Wednesday, May 8th from 4PM to 8PM. A funeral service will be celebrated on Thursday, May 9th in the North Community Church, 72 Old Main St, Marshfield Hills at 1PM. Interment immediately following at Couch Cemetery, Marshfield. Shiva will be observed on Friday, May 10th from 12PM to 8PM at the home of Robin Johnson.

We are honored that Alan's family has named Sowing Seeds to be the recipient of donations in his memory.

Mary Doolan
For the Board of Directors, Sowing Seeds

Rest in peace.

A reminder: We are always closed when the Marshfield Schools are closed (unless we post otherwise). The school will be closed again tomorrow and so will we.

Thanks to the thousands of people locally, regionally and from out-of-state who worked long hours to to provide rescue, relief, shelter, the restoration of services, emergency management, weather services, all the outdoor labor in the cold, providers of food, comfort, compassion, advice, media and communications, safety.... Thanks to the businesses which tried to stay open to serve the workers. Thanks to the churches and other institutions that provided cleared lots where the utility trucks could congregate and stage their work. Thanks to the leaders who advocated for us. Thanks to the people whose communications allayed our fears.

Thanks most of all to the neighbors who looked in on their neighbors or strangers. We are grateful for our loved ones who called, texted or emailed. We are thankful for our loved ones who shared this with us.

Goodbye, Nemo.

We hope you, your loved ones, and your neighbors are safe and warm. The Clothing Bank at Sowing Seeds will open tomorrow, Thursday, February 7, 2013.

If the storm predicted for Friday arrives as the meteorologists currently predict then the Clothing Bank will be closed on Saturday. The decision has not been finalized yet.

Under normal circumstances we would be opened unless the Marshfield Schools are closed or delay opening. In those cases the Clothing Bank does not open.

Since we have regular hours on Saturdays (when the schools are closed) Sowing Seeds cancellations are also aired and posted at WATD (95.9), http://www.959watd.com/storm-watch.php, WBZ, WCVB, Fox 25, WHDH and WRKO. (I’ll also post it here unless I lose electric power.)

Be safe. Enjoy the view from the safety and comfort of your home. Please let us know if there’s anything you need.

We are grateful for your interest and support.

Two days ago we learned of unimaginable tragedy in Newtown, CT. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends, first responders and all those who will tend to the survivors and community in the days and years to follow. May we have earnest discussions to address the causes of these tragedies. May we never bear witness to such a horror again. God bless the people and community of Newtown.

Have you put on your party hat yet? This weekend Sowing Seeds will be present at two events. Join us!

This first is a spirited benefit for the work we do. The second one is free!

On Saturday evening our friends at The Friends of Sowing Seeds are hosting a wonderful night of music, song, hors d'oeuvres, WBZ's Bill Shields' reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," the release of a special Sally Dean Mello ornament and more. The highly acclaimed Boston Boys Choir will be performing. For more information follow this lead: http://www.friendsofsowingseeds.org/purchase-tickets.html

On Sunday, representatives from Sowing Seeds will be joining the Marshfield Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce
for their wonderful Holiday Festival 2012. It takes place at Library Plaza (also near Road To Responsibility, Inc.) from 2-5 pm. The festive participants will also join in the tree lighting at the Molly Fitzgerald Memorial Fund's Dandelion Park. It's a great event for young kids and easily accessible by elders. For more information see:
http://marshfieldchamberofcommerce.com/ .

We will be accepting donations for our neighbors in need. In particular, we're seeking donations of new packages of socks and new packages of underwear, new or nearly new warm coats and gift cards to local supermarkets, gas stations and stores. Thanks to each of you who helps our neighbors - whether it's through us or another caring organization. You're making a huge difference in people's lives.


The puppet show begins at 2 pm in the Ventress Memorial Library. We hope you are enveloped in the sd new!

Regina Caines, Chair, Tribute Planning Committee (left)
and Jill Kimmel, Chair, Board of Trustees (center)
present Mary M. Doolan with an Outstanding Woman Award






Family and friends joined Mary for the event.




Outstanding Women Mary Doolan and Esther Nicholas Splaine enjoyed meeting at the event.




Eva Martin Blythe, Executive Director of the YWCA Cambridge, Regina Caines, Chair, Tribute Planning Committee,
Callie Crossley, WGBH-FM Public Radio
and The Honorable Denise Simmons, Vice Mayor of the City of Cambridge
pose for a moment after the evening’s festivities




Elizabeth Doolan (right) enjoys a proud moment with her Mom, Mary Doolan.

There were many school, church, family and organizational groups that helped prepare these families for school.

For a few consecutive years, this great group of relatives and friends has held lemonade stands, movie night, candy sales, and bottle and can drives to raise a significant amount of funds for us to use for back-to-school items. With you in our world the world has a bright future. Thank you, again!









At times we receive generous gifts from out-of-town supporters, too.
Sophie, at Dolly’s Nursery School and Summer Camp in Hingham, solicited the help of her schoolmates in collecting a big box of socks. We bet Sophie can read already. How else would she have known that packages of new socks and packages of new underwear are the items we need most frequently? Thank you, Sophie and your schoolmates!

Because we honor the confidentiality and privacy of the people we serve it can be a little difficult to tell their stores and our shared successes. Yet it’s those very people and their stories that continue to inspire us. We are grateful for all the people who allow us to enter into their life’s journeys as they enter ours as well.

Cleanliness is -- next to Godliness?

Cleanliness is -- welcoming?

Cleanliness is -- our obsession!

We often ask for goods on behalf of our clients. We rarely ask for goods for the organization itself. So when a volunteer stepped up and donated a new vacuum were we kind of giddy. Here Ann was taking the vacuum out for one of its first test drives. If you haven’t seen the Clothing Bank yet be sure to stop in when we’re open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 am to 12 noon. Thanks to the care of our dedicated volunteers it is very welcoming and boutique-like.

Thank you, Friends of Sowing Seeds!

Yet Mary’s selection as finalist was just the tip of the iceberg. She was selected for the Excellence in Leadership Award and it was very well deserved!

Mary’s perseverance, insight, tireless work and evolving vision earned her this well-deserved recognition. At the time our local newspaper, Mary Jane Hanron of the Marshfield Mariner, wrote a beautiful piece about Sowing Seeds: A Ministry of Compassion.

In a fairly recent press release MNN quoted Mary again, as MNN was seeking nominations for this year’s awards: Honoring Nonprofits in Your Community: 2012 Nonprofit Excellence Awards Nominations Invited The full text** of MNN’s press release follows below.

In this release Mary answered a question about the effect the award had on Sowing Seeds, “the statewide recognition and local publicity we received as a result of MNN’s Excellence Awards led to increased giving at a time when requests for help have doubled and most cases are more complex. Equal in importance, our volunteers and existing supporters shared in the tremendous encouragement that the statewide award provided. The MNN Leadership Excellence Award continues to feed our spirits and encourage us in our work.”

Thank you, Massachusetts Nonprofit Network for helping us to help others! This award continues to make a tremendous difference in our work and in our spirits.

*************************************************************************************************

** 
BOSTON- The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN), the statewide organization that works to strengthen the nonprofit sector in the Commonwealth and raise its profile, has opened nominations for the fourth annual Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The awards recognize the work of exceptional nonprofits and nonprofit leaders in communities across the state.

“Nonprofits touch every part of our lives,” said Rick Jakious, Chief Executive Officer of MNN. “This is an opportunity to recognize the nonprofits that make a unique contribution in your community.”

The Nonprofit Excellence Awards will be presented at MNN’s Nonprofit Awareness Day celebration at the State House on June 11. Signed into law by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in 2007, Nonprofit Awareness Day, an annual holiday raising awareness of the sector and celebrating its work, is the first state holiday of its kind.

“The Award was a huge surprise and a great honor for our all-volunteer organization,” said Mary Doolan, President of Sowing Seeds in Marshfield, MA, and the recipient of the 2012 Leadership Excellence Award.

“The statewide recognition and local publicity we received as a result of MNN’s Excellence Awards led to increased giving at a time when requests for help have doubled and most cases are more complex. Equal in importance, our volunteers and existing supporters shared in the tremendous encouragement that the statewide award provided. The MNN Leadership Excellence Award continues to feed our spirits and encourage us in our work.”

Nonprofit Awareness Day was created to underscore the significance of the sector: Nonprofits currently provide 455,900 jobs in the Commonwealth and employ 16.7 percent of the Massachusetts workforce, according to a 2012 study by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies.

“Nonprofits are critical to our economy, providing jobs and boosting tourism,” said Jakious. “They protect our cultural, historical, and environmental treasures and enrich our daily lives. The sector includes institutions of higher learning and world-class cultural landmarks that define Massachusetts in many ways, as well as organizations that provide critical services to our most underprivileged residents.”

The awards were conceived as a way to acknowledge leading organizations, and to create new opportunities for them to tell their stories and to reach out to residents of the state.
Nominations for the 2012 Excellence Awards may be made in seven categories:

• Advocacy
• Board Leadership
• Collaboration
• Communications
• Innovation
• Leadership
• Young Nonprofit Professional

*************************************************************************************************

At Sowing Seeds we are grateful for the advocacy, resources and congeniality of our MNN peers. Many nonprofit organizations are worthy of high honors and praise in our state. We are grateful for the work of so many other organizations, some who help us do our work, and others undertaking important tasks and services which help improve the lives of Massachusetts’ residents. Thank you all.

This blog’s Sowing Seeds’ photos ©2012 Connie Drapeau Kennedy, www.thewelcomegallery.com

Many Sowing Seeds volunteers were not only delighted to meet with the governor, we’re actually grateful that the road widening project will begin soon. Drive down Route 139 at 4:30 in the afternoon and attempt to make a left hand turn. You’ll know why.

Mary Jane Hanron’s story for the Marshfield Mariner follows:
Route 139 Roadwork Gets Underway in Marshfield


The Patriot Ledger’s story, Governor Says Marshfield is Becoming a ‘Regional Hub’

and video are here, including a clip of how the governor joking he was “ambushed” by town, Chamber and business leaders in Marshfield:

Governor Patrick at Marshfield Groundbreaking

In the long run the road change will be good for residents, organizations and businesses in Marshfield.

*****************************************

* From the website of the Office of the Governor:

MARSHFIELD – Thursday, March 29, 2012 – Governor Deval Patrick today joined Representative James Cantwell, town officials and members of the Marshfield and South Shore Chambers of Commerce to break ground on the Route 139 widening project.  
Currently, the one mile stretch of Route 139 between School Street and Furnace Street narrows to one travel lane in each direction. The $4.1 million project now under way will widen the roadway to two lanes in each direction. Additionally, a traffic signal will be installed at a newly configured intersection of Route 139 and Enterprise Drive. 
“This project will alleviate congestion in Marshfield and provide businesses with new opportunities to grow and to thrive,” said Governor Patrick. “Our Administration is committed to infrastructure improvements just like this one, to catalyze private development and boost job growth for the region.”   
“This infrastructure project is one that addresses a long-standing traffic issue, meets regional economic development needs and is sustaining several dozen construction jobs,” said Richard Davey, Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. “As the construction season begins to ramp up, we look forward to even more projects that meet these same goals.”
Aside from widening the roadway, this project seeks to allow for improved turning movements and will also include sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. Project completion is scheduled for summer 2014.
“I have supported the widening of Route 139 since my first day in the Legislature and I am very happy to see that the project will finally become a reality,” said Senator Robert Hedlund. “I believe the project will stimulate sustainable growth in a manner consistent with the community’s planning principles." 
“I applaud the Patrick-Murray Administration for making this project a priority,” said Representative Cantwell. “For a relatively small transportation investment, the benefits of this project for Marshfield are tremendous. Once complete this project is estimated to result in 900 new permanent jobs being located in a commerce park that has historically been challenged by transportation access. In addition, the Route 139 project will lead to dramatic improvement to traffic flow, benefitting the town’s collective quality of life and enhancing public safety for the region.”
“The South Shore Chamber is excited about this project. This is one of several projects the Administration has backed to build a stronger regional economy,” said Peter Forman, President and CEO of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. “This project, while short at only about one mile, has a significant regional impact because it opens up commercial land in the Route 3 corridor in the South Shore.” 
“Expanding this major artery in Marshfield will truly serve to free up the life blood of economic development for the town and the region,” said Chris White, President of the Marshfield Chamber of Commerce. “We’re grateful for the efforts of Governor Patrick and Representative Cantwell for making this happen."
“This is the area where the traffic bottleneck has become a significant traffic issue, either for cars turning into and out of Enterprise Park or to local businesses along Route 139,” said Marshfield Selectman Matt McDonough. “We’re looking forward to the expansion of this roadway and we’re hoping to encourage even more businesses to invest in Marshfield.”  

###
*****************************************


This blog’s Sowing Seeds’ photos ©2012 Connie Drapeau Kennedy, www.thewelcomegallery.com

View all of our blog postings by clicking this link.

You can also root on our guests and volunteers at Sowing Seeds (in Marshfield, Massachusetts) on Facebook,
on Twitter @SowingSeeds_MA,
and on LinkedIn at Sowing Seeds (Marshfield, Massachusetts).

On the bright side, the weather could be so much worse. ➔




View all blog postings by clicking this link.

****************

The Clothing Bank is closed today. Your hearts were open this year, all year.

****************

Thank you, our friends in 2011.

Thank you volunteers, partners, donors and the neighbors we serve, for your immeasurable kindnesses. Although it was a very rough year economically, we were privileged to take part in a symphony of compassion where many neighbors played different parts in a score of goodness.

We say "thank you" on behalf of the thousands of Marshfield residents you helped this year - a heartfelt "thank you" for helping however help was needed:

• Providing essential rides, clothing, guidance, budgeting.
• Sharing furniture, a referral, advice, professional services, a trade service, time.
• Listening with an open heart.
• Making phone calls to referral services and utility companies on behalf of our neighbors.
• Providing us with school supplies.
• Returning calls to each of "us" who needed a hand.
• You helped "us" - a town full of caring people - sleep better at night, knowing that you, our Sowing Seeds volunteers, were there to catch families falling between the cracks.

All grief and sorrow takes the flight,
and speedily is gone;
The bright resemblance of thy face,
so fills this heart of mine;

Thanks for sharing your brightness in 2011. May your 2012 be filled with light, happiness, good health and a great community of love, comfort and joy.

****************

Happy, Healthy, Joyful New Year all our friends and Friends!

****************

One take on Auld Lang Syne's history: Washington Post article

From "It's a Wonderful Life": Auld Lang Syne

Take out your Kleenex and turn on your Victrola: Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians

Keep the Kleenex out: Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin

Generations keep it alive: Mariah Carey

and again: Red Hot Chili Peppers

and, more Kleenex, sung last year in memoriam: Susan Boyle

and here's your chance to sing along: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
(Click "Show More" for their lyrics.)

Peace and Joy to You and All the Earth!

* Wikipedia: Auld_Lang_Syne

___ ____ ____ ___ ___________
___ ____ _________TTThank You!__T____________

Selections from the Sowing Seeds Wishlist
Fall 2011

* Warm Coats (in nearly new condition)

* Winter Boots (in nearly new condition)

* Towels, Sheets and Blankets (in nearly new condition)

* Packages of New Socks

* Packages of New Underwear

* Girls Clothing

* Gift Certificates to Local Merchants**

* Clean Mattress Sets

* Volunteer Drivers

* Volunteers for the Clothing Bank

* Cars in excellent mechanical condition

As we enter into our season of giving thanks, we thank you for considering your neighbors struggling this day and night in Marshfield.

** Local Merchants serving basic needs include: Marshalls, Payless Shoes, Kohl’s, TJX, grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations

Tags: sowing or sewing, Sowing Seeds, sewing seeds, sowing seeds Marshfield, local charity, Wish list, Marshfield MA , Marshfield MA outreach, 100% volunteer organization, All volunteer organization, Basic needs, Clothing, Guidance, Rides, drivers, transportation, Thanksgiving, Christmas list, holidays, holiday giving, South Shore

Tags: Friends of Sowing Seeds, Kristin Dewey, Maureen Blair, Edie Kirk, Liz Duffy Roosevelt, Jerome Smalls, The TJX Companies, Roche Bros., Roche Brothers, , Linda Ergas, Indian Pond Country Club

Tags: Halloween, halloween, Rev. Irving Beveridge, First Baptist Church of Marshfield, Helen Melvin, spirits, saints, Marshfield, Marshfield Massachusetts, Sowing Seeds, sowing seeds of hope, sewing seeds, sowing seeds marshfield , sowing or sewing, All Hallows Eve, All Hallow's Eve, Marshfield MA, Marshfield volunteer, Marshfield outreach, Ecumenical outreach

At times everyone can use a little lift. Sometimes it comes in the form of a ride. At other times it’s an understanding person. We’re grateful to our neighbors and partners who help us to help others. Together we make a difference.

**************************************************************

If you have moderate transportation needs, look to GATRA for regional transportation. The GATRA busses have served our area for a few years. They’re reliable, clean, convenient and inexpensive. Special rates and services are available for senior citizens and people with disabilities. The GATRA routes link together, enabling travel well beyond your hometown for less than the cost of a gallon of gas. Thanks, GATRA!

Unfortunately, many of our families are still in need of cars. If you’re trading in your vehicle please consider a tax deductible donation to Sowing Seeds. A local family could use your help.

Representatives of Goodwill Hunters present a $6,000 check to Sowing Seeds from their fun-filled MarshVegas Night fundraiser held at the Venus II. Through their fundraising efforts the Goodwill Hunters organization honors the memory of siblings Drew and Anjuli Hunter. 

From left to right:  Miranda Berrada, Mike Berrada, Betsy Appleby, Gail Hunter, Mary Doolan, Julie Desmond and Ann Berrada.

Through their generous donation of time, money and spirit Goodwill Hunters will help thousands of individuals seeking help from Sowing Seeds this winter and year. Goodwill Hunters have also held events to raise awareness, goods and funds for the Marshfield Food Pantry. Fortunately, their kind hearted enthusiasm and spirit is contagious, and many younger adults enjoy and help with their events.

Dear Supporters, The 3rd Annual Fashion Show and Charity Auction to support Sowing Seeds is right around the corner!   November 6th, 11:30am - 2:30pm at Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston. This year's event will be better than ever!! We will feature a full gourmet brunch buffet, fabulous silent and live auction items, raffles, door prizes and some celebrity appearances! Not to mention the always spectacular Fashion Show!  Tickets are available now! $45 by Oct. 15th and $50 thereafter! All proceeds go to benefit Sowing Seeds of Marshfield. Email us at FriendsofSowingSeeds@verizon.net or call 781-834-8807. The Auction committee has been diligently planning a silent and live auction as well as a raffle. Both of which proved to be exceptional sources of funds raised at last year's event. WE NEED YOUR HELP to accomplish this goal again. A vast array of donated items, large and small is required to design a successful auction. Please examine your resources and contacts and identify a gift to us if possible. It need not be big or glamorous. Many small items can be compiled to create one smashing, unforgettable auction possibility.  Thank you! ~ Friends of Sowing Seeds

(Sorry for the loss of formatting.)

And for a little pick-me-up we found some young people singing an older song. A song that carries an ageless message: You Got to Have Friends.

We are grateful for ours.

Please be prepared for exceptionally cold weather at home and in your car. It’s really winter in Marshfield when temps dip below zero. We’re expecting that this weekend.

If you’d like to help your neighbors keep warm you just might be thinking that we need more winter coats. Actually, you already were very generous with your coats this winter. By donating new packages of underwear -- all ages, sizes and genders -- you can really help keep your neighbors warm. Many people walk to laundromats to clean their clothes. More underwear = fewer frigid walks. Underwear is always our greatest need. Even though long johns would be great, many of our neighbors need the very basics. The next time you have a few spare dollars in your pocket and see them on sale please know that a gift of underwear is greatly appreciated.

We hope you’re all safe and warm this weekend and throughout the winter.

Thank you for your continued interest in Sowing Seeds.

Oh, and yes, boxers over briefs.

Tags: Baby, it's cold outside.