LYNN — When Andrea Baez, the senior executive director of the Lynn YMCA, saw that many families in the city were going hungry, she reached out to Chef Paul Wahlberg, co-owner of the Wallburgers restaurant chain with his famous brothers, Mark and Donnie.
“I explained the need, asked if he could help, and he said yes immediately. When I ran the Y in Dorchester, he helped us many times,” said Baez.
Friday, Chef Paul and his staff will bring their Boston Food Truck to the Lynn Y. They will prepare 150 “Burger Boxes” — burger, chips, soft drink — and distribute the free lunch to those in need, YMCA staff, residents, and families as a thank you starting 11:30-ish. The “Burger Boxes” will not be available for purchase.
“The Wahlberg family, starting with Paul’s mother, are fantastic. The family is super philanthropic, especially when it comes to food insecurity,” said Baez. There is a Wahlburgers restaurant at Lynnfield MarketStreet, one of five in the family’s native Massachusetts. It has fed frontline healthcare workers and first responders in many of the 18 states in which the restaurant chain has a presence.
The Lynn Y first partnered with Chef Paul last fall when his charity, Alma Cares Inc., provided Thanksgiving turkey boxes. During this COVID-19 crisis, the Lynn Y and its association, the YMCA of Metro North, have partnered with such organizations as Tufts Health Plan, Shaw’s Supermarkets, Lynn Shelter Association and the Salvation Army to provide a assistance to people by collecting 26,000 diapers to distribute to families, serving 4,500 meals to hungry children, turning one of its floors into a nightly homeless shelter, and hosting blood drives with the Red Cross.
“The Y has a long history of stepping in to help when communities are in crisis. At the start of 2020, the Lynn YMCA just began to celebrate its 150th year in operation and were making plans to open our new building. We couldn’t have imagined then what was in store for our sesquicentennial year,” said Kathleen Walsh, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metro North. “People like Chef Paul, and all of our members, supporters, and community partners, have kept us positive and motivated to continue providing these needed services. Our 150th birthday celebration will just have to wait, until we can mark the occasion properly.”
“This city is special,” said Baez. “Every organization and non-profit wants to do the right thing, to help one another.”
The Lynn Y will run a fundraising Stride With Pride Virtual 5K June 11-14; information/sign-up is available at bit.lyYPride5k. Participating in this virtual 5K will support its COVID-19 efforts. Donations can always be made at https://www.ymcametronorth.org/locations/lynn-ymca/
Its major fundraising Gala will be held virtually in September at a date to be announced.
