SWAMPSCOTT — The Town is partnering with My Brother’s Table in Lynn to gather donations for families in need that include food, warm clothing, and gift cards.
My Brother’s Table Executive Director Dianne Kuzia Hills explained how people who are interested can join the cause.
“It’s really easy. Folks can go to our website. There, we have a link where people can help — and there are a bunch of ways to help — from volunteering, to donating funds, or to giving items that we need,” Kuzia Hills said. “We keep an updated list of items that we need for each season, and right now we have our holiday wish list online, along with our winter wish list.”
Kuzia Hills continued, saying that the organization is collecting gift cards to give people on Christmas Day, but My Brother’s Table is also actively seeking warm clothing like hats, gloves, and coats.
“We really encourage people to look at the wish list because some items we can get for free or at wholesale prices that the public doesn’t have access to… If it’s on our wish list, it means that we can’t get it at a discounted price, and we’d really appreciate donations of it,” she said.
She added that in previous years and donation drives, the community of Swampscott has been very generous.
“It’s a really generous and giving community that’s helped Lynn quite a bit,” she said.
The organization is also seeking items such as:
- Hygiene products for men, women, and children
- Shelf-stable juice and milk
- Single-serve shelf-stable coffee creamers
- Toothbrushes
Assistant to the Town Administrator Jody Watts, who is also collecting donations at Swampscott Town Hall, said that helping support families is the best part of her day.
“The generosity of people who come in and drop things off is unbelievable. We’ve been able to help get a lot of food over to My Brother’s Table,” Watts said. “It feels good to be able to do something so worthwhile.”
Administrative Assistant Elana Berube, who assists Watts with the donations, said it makes her feel reassured that she’s giving back to the community.
“It means a lot… I’m making sure that at least one person, or a senior citizen, or a child, actually has something in front of them for the holiday season,” Berube said.
