Double Your Gift: Two anonymous donors are matching all individual donations made to FBMS during the month of July, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000!
Rethinking FoodFest in the age of COVID-19
As an alternative to our annual FoodFest fundraiser this year, we have launched the Campaign for Hope with a goal of raising $500,000 by the end of July. These funds will support our neighbors struggling with homelessness during this critical time.
We decided to cancel FoodFest this July because our primary responsibility during the COVID-19 pandemic is protecting those we serve and our community at large. The cancellation of our signature fundraising event comes at time when there’s an urgent need for corporate and individual donations. Keeping our shelter doors open and our facilities safe during this crisis has resulted in an additional $125,000 each month that must be met privately.
Through our Campaign for Hope, our community can come together (while apart) to bring hope to our most vulnerable. Now more than ever, we need to take care of one another.
Click here to view our Campaign for Hope supporter brochure.
Leading Supporters
Become a Hero of Hope
Become a Hero of Hope today and help us reach our goal to raise $500,000 to make sure we can continue to care for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Click here to view our Campaign for Hope supporter brochure.
If you are interested in learning more about supporting our campaign, contact Brendan Monahan, Corporate & Foundation Relations Specialist, at 508-427-6448 x2286 or email bmonahan@helpfbms.org.
Leading Supporters
Heroes of Hope
Charlesbank Homes Foundation
Philip & Deborah Edmundson
Jay & Linda Hooley
John and Mary Corcoran Foundation
The Shaughnessy Family
The Bay State Federal Savings Charitable Foundation
Jeffrey Cotto (Vice President, Consultant, Business Insurance, Rogers | Gray)
Don Dickinson
John C. and Eunice B. Morrison Charitable Foundation
P. Leo and Helen A. Corcoran Foundation
Bill & Katherine Reardon
Kathleen, Joanne and Richard Jr, in honor of their parents, Richard and Virginia Welch
Media Supporters
COVID-19's Impact on FBMS
Protecting Our Most Vulnerable
Our response to the COVID-19 crisis has been rapid and evolving, with the well-being of those we serve the leading, constant priority.
We’ve collaborated with public and private partners, including the City of Quincy, City of Brockton, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Manet Community Health Center, and Boston Health Care for the Homeless, to help protect the health of our guests and staff.
Late Winter: Increased preventative measures at shelters, disinfecting more often, making hand sanitizer readily available.
Early March: Enhanced intake screening processes for our shelter guests and began regular deep cleaning at our sites.
March 12: Suspended volunteer operations and visitors at shelter locations.
Mid-March: Consulted with peers in Washington and New York to understand best practices. They recommended creating additional shelter space to make social distancing possible for guests.
Late March: Began testing of shelter guests and staff at MainSpring House in Brockton.
April 1: Opened up a satellite shelter at the South Shore YMCA branch in Quincy.
April 6: Opened up heated temporary shelter tents adjacent to MainSpring House.
April 9: Began testing of Quincy shelter guests. Guests are tested and brought to a local hotel to quarantine while awaiting test results.
Early results indicate that these measures have been effective in reducing spread across the population we serve.
The road ahead is long but we are filled with hope that our community will continue to 
come together to care for our neighbors in need.
Impact of COVID-19 on FBMS operations
- Increased need and costs for cleaning supplies/services and hygiene products
- Decreased volunteer workforce and meal donations
- Increased utility costs to power temporary shelter sites
- Ever-increasing need for personal protective equipment like gloves and masks
- Doubled size of frontline workforce to staff new shelter locations
- Increased hourly wages of essential frontline staff
Keeping our shelter doors open and our facilities safe during this crisis has resulted in an additional $125,000 each month that must be met privately.
Although financial donations give us the most flexibility in responding to this crisis, there are number of ways you can help your neighbors in need during this unprecedented time, such as donating prepared meals, cleaning supplies or PPE. Click here to learn how you can give back.
Support our FoodFest Food/Beverage Providers
The food-and-beverage industry has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please consider supporting our past FoodFest food & beverage providers as they try to recover from this crisis.
They’ve supported us at FoodFest. Now it’s our time to support them. Consider buying a gift card to donate to FBMS and/or patronizing the following food/beverage providers. All gift cards received will be raffled off between July 27-31. Gift cards can be mailed to: FBMS, Attn: Development, 430 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301, or emailed to info@helpfbms.org.
Here’s a list of our FoodFest vendors in recent years:
FBMS FoodWorks