From their web site:

“Our mission is simple. We want to put an end to child slavery in Haiti. Unfortunately, the solution is not so straightforward. As a part of a complex web addressing the restavek system in Haiti-our role is to give hope, and even freedom, to those who need it most. The Restavek Foundation provides restavek children opportunities for education, advocates for enslaved children, and raises awareness on a global scale to end modern-day slavery in Haiti.”

“Generations Incorporated engages active older adults in results-driven intergenerational programs that inspire students and improve schools. Our programs generate strong relationships between older adults and students that get results and make a difference in both of their lives.”

I’ve been following your blog for a while now and I’m glad that your touching upon what most think is a stodgy, inefficient sector of passion and no focus. I’m currently working this summer in an organization called New Sector Alliance. It’s a non-profit consulting firm, in the tradition of Bridgespan, that places recent graduates or burgeoning social leaders from college at non-profits throughout Boston and San Francisco.

But that’s not the one I’m making a case for.

The organization that I’m working with this summer is Community Servings. Simply, they provide meals to individuals with critical illnesses and cannot get access to resources (i.e. income) needed to support themselves at this difficult time. They are based in Jamaica Plains right off of the Stony Brook station stop.

That’s the punchline. Here’s what I’ve seen and experienced over the past 5 weeks.

They’ve had rapid growth over the past 9 years after raising 4mm to move into their new facility in Jamaica Plain from Roxbury in 2007. It was intended to increase capacity but has already maxed out at 750 clients.

They deliver weekly meals to each client which comes out to 4000+ meals being produced weekly on one of the thinnest budgets in the comparable human services category.

25 different diet profiles for clients with a wide-ranging variety of critical illnesses including cancer, leukemia and HIV. Each client is profiled extensively for their appropiate dietary needs and given appropiate meals for health and, hopefully, recovery. All meals are then delivered by in-house transportation staff along routes across the Greater Boston area. If you’ve been driving around in the middle of the day, you probably have sat next to one of their delivery vans and did not even know it.

They conduct the Pie In The Sky and Life Savor Events each year. These are two of the most popular fundraising events in the entire Boston area and is repeatedly praised for its simplicity, fundraising effectiveness and effort to unite the Boston philanthropic community.

I still haven’t touched on why it is the most innovative. They’re just barely starting to tap the potential that they have at this organization.

They’ve started an Urban Garden for use in the main Meals program (discussed earlier) as to increase the nutritional value of their meals. Almost forgot – these meals aren’t your stale hospital food you see given to ill patients. These are culturally sensitive, VERY well-made meals every day. Honestly, I just graduated from a local university and their food service could never compete in terms of variety and flavor.

CS just kicked off it’s Farmer’s Market as it expands upon its mission to lie at the nexus of access and good nutrition. 300+ attendees for the past two Sundays and it is only growing in popularity as people look to get more involved. Maybe after church for Sunday’s dinner?

They’ve started a very successful Job training program called Step Forward. It’s a job training program that is integrated into the Meals program whereby their cooking efforts directly improve the productivity of the internal operations. Very neat stuff indeed.

They’ve also began supplying meals to area middle schools through a Summer Meals program as a lot of these kids in the area depend on the state for at least 2 of their daily meals requirement. It’s also another way to diversify the funding sources of CS and encourage it’s sustainability.

I don’t know if your readers are aware but there is a real crisis breaking out in the non-profit sector as needs over the past two years have skyrocketed and corporations/foundations have pared back their donations for survival. Many non-profits are in desperate need of funding and only merge or disappear appear as options.

CS will not do either. It’s actually adding capacity, expanding into new opportunities, diversifying funding sources and actually increasing their effectiveness.

Would make for a nice business case, wouldn’t it?

Website: http://www.servings.org

Lyndon
lyndonmouton2009 at gmail

PS: I just realized that my passion for this organization has taken way too much time in replying to your request, Larry. But I hope that it serves as an indicator of how important CS will be in America’s future of Service. You can say you heard it here first.

For many animals, this is a much better solution than a shelter where they’ll be passed over for more domesticated or younger and eventually be euthanized. I think it’s a unique and innovative approach to a problem and we’re constant contributors to their work.

Hope all is well, Larry!

gs