Welcome to the Massachusetts Children's Fund
We are a 100% non profit organization devoted to
one and only one purpose
providing baby food and supplies to children throughout Massachusetts.
The need is both staggering, and surprising. Over 100,000 families with children sought food assistance in 2005 alone. Many of these are young babies, who often have never even seen a jar of baby food before.
If you thought that the
state provided for these children, you're not alone.
That's what we
thought, until we saw it first hand, 5 minutes away from our suburban home.
At the Massachusetts Children's Fund, we pick up where other programs leave off . . .
There are several state programs that exist, and yet all fall short in some way.
W.I.C. - the Women, Infant, and Children program of the US Department of Health and Human Services provides emergency supplies for pregnant woman and infants, but only provides for dry cereal and liquid formula. Jars of baby food are considered a luxury, and are not covered.
Food Stamps - According to Project Bread, Massachusetts has the lowest rate of food stamp participation in the nation, with less than 50% of those eligible, actually receiving them. Of course, receiving them doesn't solve the problem for babies, since Baby Food is typically viewed as a "luxury item."
Food banks and Food pantries serve the needs of thousands of individuals throughout the region. But...they don't accept or handle food in glass jars, and so again baby food is unavailable.
Instead of proper nutrition, a common practice we see is for moms to fill a bottle with formula and dry cereal to form a paste. Then they chop up whatever adult food they were having and mix it all up, cut off the end of the nipple, and call that a meal. Clearly, feeding mashed up French fries to a 2 month old infant is not going to result in a healthy child, and that's where we come in.
We have provided over 20,000 meals to local children in the last 2 months, and haven't even begun to put a dent in the need that exists. In addition to food deliveries, we provide a team of volunteers to do nutritional counseling at local shelters and organizations. Educating parents about the means of proper nutrition remains the first important step to breaking the cycle of poor health so prevalent in the communities we serve.
Finally, we provide a fully tax deductible vehicle for the donation of used cribs, strollers, car seats and other baby supplies. By providing proper equipment to these families, we lessen the risk of accidentally injury that results in hundreds of hospital cases a year.
Click the links at the top and left to read about what we do, learn more about how you can help, or volunteer to join our Board. You can also click the Donate Online link at the top to make a donation.
Click HERE for a Letter from our President
Click here to see photos of some of our amazing success stories!
Click here to see photos of some of our amazing success stories!
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