Dear friends,
If you are in need of some good news, you have come to the right place! I invite you to grab a warm beverage ~ hot chocolate for me please ~ and spend a few minutes reading about some wonderful people who are helping us make things better for kids and families throughout Massachusetts.
There is much to be concerned about right now as policy changes and looming funding cuts threaten both child well-being and the availability of services and basic supports. Our administrative and policy teams are working hard to limit the impact these emerging challenges will have on the people we serve. And, at the same time, on a daily basis our team is working with hundreds of children, and their families and caregivers. These talented, creative, and compassionate professionals provide services and supports to help program participants overcome serious obstacles to their health and well-being, remain together as families, and thrive.
The key to MSPCC’s success is that we do not do this work alone. In this newsletter you will read about some of our valued partners. Businesses like PwC and Yale Appliance Foundation, MSPCC Board of Advisors members like Patricia Murphy, and donors like you, who are our support system and our inspiration. With their help, and yours, we are prepared and equipped to help kids and families take on challenges large and small.
Whether we are meeting the needs of one child or one parent at a time, or working to change policy, practice and systems, MSPCC’s success relies on all of us working together. And together, we are making a big difference for children and families.
With gratitude,
Nancy
Holiday Heroes
Every holiday season, MSPCC is fortunate to receive an outpouring of support from individuals and companies who share one goal: filling children’s holiday seasons with joy. We’re grateful for all those who fulfill wishlists, purchase gift cards, and/or volunteer to make each holiday season one to remember. And while we have ways for anyone to get involved, a few companies have found especially creative ways to bring holiday cheer to children and families.
Turning Young Families’ Houses into Homes
Furnishing a home can be a daunting, expensive task for many families. This rings especially true for many participants in Healthy Families, a voluntary and free home-based family coaching program that supports young, first-time parents under the age of 23 and helps them create stable, nurturing environments for their children.
Recognizing that their support could make an extra difference to young families, during one holiday season, Yale Appliance Foundation stepped in to provide every family in MSPCC’s New Bedford Healthy Families program with two presents of their choice. Program Director Debbie DeAlmeida recalls, “Families were struggling and requested large items like dorm fridges and portable washing machines. Yale Appliance Foundation graciously fulfilled these requests.” In addition to providing gifts, Yale Appliance Foundation staff attended the program’s holiday party, manning the food table, distributing meals, and spreading joy. Because of their support, 80 young families’ homes felt a little brighter that holiday season.
Coming Together to Bring Santa’s Sleigh to Town
Each holiday season, MSPCC receives wish lists from children in our programs across Massachusetts. Our staff are eager to make holiday dreams come true, and we’re lucky to have a generous community of supporters who are ready to help - including PwC and SPRY Moving Boston.
For more than a decade, PwC has fulfilled up to 200 holiday wish lists from children of all ages, purchasing gifts and wrapping them at their Boston office. In recent years, as the question of how to transport the ever-growing mountain of gifts back to MSPCC arose, SPRY Moving Boston stepped in to provide a large truck and professional movers to serve as “Santa’s sleigh and helpers.” The truck transports the gifts from PwC’s Boston office to MSPCC’s Lexington headquarters, where MSPCC staff and volunteers sort and prepare the gifts for distribution. Through this collaboration, we’re reminded that coming together to bring children and families joy is the true definition of holiday magic.
Introducing Our New Board Member
MSPCC is honored to welcome Patricia Murphy to the Board of Advisors. Pat retired as Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources for Fidelity’s Enterprise Services at the end of 2022 after a 25 year career. She remains actively involved with Fidelity through board and committee memberships including the Board and Audit Committee of Fidelity Digital Assets, the Compensation Committee of Fidelity Investments, and the Remuneration Committees of Colt Technologies and Fidelity’s Data Center Business. Prior to Fidelity, Pat worked with Delaware North Companies. While there, she held many assignments, most notably at New Boston Garden Corporation where she led the transformation work culminating in the successful opening of the Fleet Center (now the TD Garden) in Boston.
How did you initially become involved with MSPCC?
My good friend, [former Board Chair] Chuck Senatore, invited my husband and me to MSPCC’s fundraising dinner. I was moved by the work people were doing to support families and children.
Why is supporting MSPCC important to you?
The mission of MSPCC and the needs of our families are somewhat personal to me. I grew up in less than ideal circumstances and I experienced what happens when there are struggles. Happily, I know firsthand what a difference emotional and financial support can make in the lives of children and families.
What excites you most about joining the MSPCC Board?
As a board member, I am excited about the opportunity to engage in ways that make meaningful differences in the lives of the families we support. I want to advocate and support the strategic and financial needs of the organization for the benefit of families.
If you could tell a potential MSPCC supporter one thing about the organization, what would it be?
The organization was a pioneer in advocating for the needs of children and the support of families. 140+ years later, we continue that advocacy and support. The needs of children experiencing significant stress and difficulties are not abating – they are growing. We need you and your support to continue the work.
advocacy News
- Courtney Chelo, MSPCC’s Director of Government Relations, has been selected as part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation’s Massachusetts Institute for Community Health Leadership (MICHL)’s 2025-2026 class. Chelo joins a cohort of 15 health care and public health professionals who will, over the course of nine months, strengthen their leadership skills, deepen their awareness of structural, cultural and institutional racism, and expand their influence across organizations in public and private health settings. Read the press release here!
- MSPCC Chief Innovation Officer Kelly English was quoted in a recent press release from Governor Healey on the expansion of community-based behavioral health services for children and youth across Massachusetts. English commented, “Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative services play an enormously important role in the system of care for youth living with behavioral health conditions in our state…This newly expanded and enhanced community service agency network marks an exciting new chapter in the evolution of CBHI and holds great promise for its ability to better support youth with complex behavioral health needs and their families in Massachusetts.”
- English and MSPCC Director of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Policy Aditi Subramaniam joined Pamela Sager, Executive Director of Parent Professional Advocacy League, to present a poster at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work’s 2025 Training Institutes. The poster detailed findings from a series of interviews with families that took place during the first phase of the E4 Project, a multiyear initiative to address care barriers for youth with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and mental health concerns and identify solutions and strategies to improve service access. The work is funded through a grant from the Peter and Elizabeth Tower Foundation.
Want to stay up to date on MSPCC's Advocacy Work? Sign up for MSPCC’s advocacy e-newsletter and action alerts to hear the latest news. Stay informed on advocacy efforts affecting children and ways you can help, learn how your support has changed the lives of our clients in various programs, and stay updated on what is happening with children in Massachusetts with news and coverage from MSPCC.
invest in mspcc through the mary ellen society
Named for a little girl whose landmark child abuse court case led to the establishment of MSPCC in 1878, the Mary Ellen Society honors supporters whose generosity via bequests or life income gifts ensures MSPCC’s work will continues into the future. Planned giving options include remembering MSPCC in your will, adding MSPCC as a beneficiary of your retirement account or life insurance plan, or investing in Charitable Gift Annuities. To learn more, visit our website or contact Melanie Lima, Director of Development, at mlima@mspcc.org.
MSPCC KidStuff Fund
A new car seat. Sports equipment. Activity fees. We all know that raising children comes with expenses that add up quickly. For many MSPCC families, those expenses can seem insurmountable. That’s where the MSPCC KidStuff Fund comes in. Your gift to the MSPCC KidStuff Fund will give staff the ability to tell a family, “Yes, we can help with that!”
How will your gift bring joy to children?
SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
An Evening to Benefit MSPCC
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston More details to follow!