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2 Fellows

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2 Fellows

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2 Fellows

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2 Fellows

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1 Fellow

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1 Fellow

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2 Fellows

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2 Fellows

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2 Fellows

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2 Fellows

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1 Fellow

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1 Fellow

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1 Fellow

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1 Fellow

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Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction

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Superintendent of Lynn Public Schools & United Way Board Member

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Director of English Language Learning and Bilingual Education at SPS

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Director of School and Community Partnerships at SPS

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Assistant Superintendent at GPS

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(Wednesday) Nick Brandi-Miller 18'19' picture 2.JPG

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Partnership in 2013, first community

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we're back.
august 6th-19th, 2018
downtown Lynn
https://www.beyond-walls.org/
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Follow @beyondwallslynn for updates
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Beyond Walls Mural Festival is back with all new walls, all new artists, and plenty of surprises...

Can't wait? Catch last year's recap here!

BW Signature Events

We hope to see you at our Beyond Walls signature events! Don’t miss our larger “Hive” of events happening all over Downtown Lynn! That’s right, we have invited local makers, county-wide art enthusiasts, and likeminded party-starters to help us spread the Lynn love this summer with multiple events happening each day of the festival. Support the full range of arts and culture organizations that are hosting events in Lynn during the festival. 50+ Additional events to be announced soon!

Beyond Walls Night of Storytelling
Date: August 7th, 6PM
Location: Lynn Auditorium

An evening of powerful tales from Lynn residents we've worked with these past three years. Curated and moderated by Al Wilson, Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Walls.

Meet the Artist Panel/Opening Night of Beyond Walls Exhibit
Date: August 10th, 6pm
Location: Lynn Museum; 590 Washington Street 

An evening panel introducing some of the 2018 Muralists moderated by Beyond Walls staff. This night will also be in conjunction with the Opening of the Beyond Walls Exhibition at the Lynn Museum featuring artwork from Beyond Walls 2017 Artist contingent. Refreshments will be available.
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Beyond Walls Artist Cup
Date: August 12th 7PM-9PM
Location: Manning Field

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No matter where you travel on this blue/green dot called Earth, you’ll see football (fútbol or soccer) being played. Come watch Beyond Walls artists, staff, board, committee and Lynn residents take on a contingent from Pow Wow! Worcester Mural Festival in this friendly exhibition game. 

Life as a Working Female Artist
Date: August 14th, 6pm
Location: Raw Art Works 37 Central Square

Meet and hear from some of the 2018 female street Artists. Conversation will be moderated and centered around the topic of what it is like to be a working female artist today.

Yoga in the Park 
Date: August 18th Time 11AM
Location Heritage State Park, 160 Lynnway
Outdoor, oceanfront Flow Yoga will be led by Shanel Anderson of Lynn-based Soul City Yoga. This session will not only provide restorative qualities for artists, but will highlight the beauty of Heritage State Park for all who participate.
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Rock the Block
Co-hosted by the Downtown Lynn Cultural District, Ironbound, and Beyond Walls
Date: August 18th 1-9pm
Location: Downtown Lynn; Mt. Vernon Street 

Come and celebrate Lynn! Throughout the day there will be food trucks, street vendors, bands, live art painting, and a beer garden. At 5PM a ceremony will commemorate the achievements of the artists and culminate to a parade throughout the mural route. After the parade (a crowd favorite from last summer), a DJ will close out the party with a dance party in the streets. Don’t miss it!

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Partnership in 2016, second community

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Salem's History: So Much More Than Witch Stories | Stuff You Missed in History Class

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Partnership in 2019, third community

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United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley

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United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley

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United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley's mission is to unite others to create positive, lasting change for people in need

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 United Way AmeriCorps - United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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Team of up to 30 UW AmeriCorps Fellows

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United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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Apply Now to Serve as a 2019-2020 AmeriCorps Member
In 2013, the City of Lynn faced a growing and immediate need: there was an increasing number of non-English speaking children and young people coming to school, and schools and community organizations needed support to provide them with the kind of education they deserve. As a result, many were failing to graduate high school, leaving them unprepared for college or a well-paying career.

It was a problem no one organization could tackle alone. United Way partnered with the community to bring about a solution: deploying an AmeriCorps program - what would become North Shore AmeriCorps - to public schools and out-of-school time programs to Lynn and Salem. The goal was to provide immigrants, refugees, and students with a first language other than English ages 8-17 with tutoring and mentoring so they could get on the right educational track.

How it Works

To power the program, the Corporation for National Service and Massachusetts Service Alliance provide core funding for stipends to the 25 AmeriCorps members willing to dedicate a year to service. They serve at 14 locations and support 500 English language learners each year.

Members serve together with teachers and program staff to assist youth as they learn English, math, and increase overall academic engagement. Each member serve one-on-one with or in small groups of English language learners to help build skills like comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. Members also serve as mentors, helping their students build social and emotional skills like communication, confidence, and teamwork.

The positive feedback goes both ways. United Way invests deeply in training and equipping AmeriCorps members to best support their students, and they receive real-world experience through their service that they can take into college and careers.

Get Involved

North Shore AmeriCorps is an example of how United Way powers collaboration to solve a community's toughest challenges. United Way provides critical program leadership and offers a valuable resource to public schools and community organizations: supporting immigrant student education so they're able to thrive in school, stay engaged, and graduate.

If your organization is interested in becoming a hosting a future AmeriCorps Member at your organization please apply here. Deadline is July 15, 2019.

United Way seeks candidates ages 18 to 29 to become AmeriCorps Members placed in schools and community organizations on the North Shore. The program is a powerful way to launch your career while serving on a dynamic team supporting a diverse group of youth.

If you are interested in becoming an AmeriCorps Member and helping empower non-English speaking youth through education and mentorship, contact Sean Cicero at apply directly by completing our online application. If you would like more information about the role or program please scicero@supportunitedway.org .

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North Shore AmeriCorps - United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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Apply Now to Serve as a 2019-2020 AmeriCorps Member In 2013, the City of Lynn faced a growing and immediate need: there was an increasing number of non-English speaking children and young people coming to school, and schools and community organizations needed support to provide them with the kind of education they deserve.

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Program Director

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Vice President, Community Impact

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Program Coordinator

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Corporation for National and Community Service

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Thanksgiving Project

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United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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This week, more than 1,000 hard-working volunteers from around the Greater Boston area will unite with one goal in mind: to make sure every family gets to enjoy a home-cooked holiday meal with their loved ones this season.
United Way's annual Thanksgiving Project is the largest collective initiative of its kind in the Greater Boston area. Since 2009, the project has rallied the resources and passion of thousands of volunteers, community organizations and generous donors to lend a hand to families in our community who need it the most.

It can be easy to take a full belly for granted when you're able to walk into the grocery store and purchase whatever you're craving. But for many, that is not the reality. More than 616,000 people in Massachusetts are experiencing food insecurity with nearly 200,000 children factoring into this count. This scarcity often boils down to a day-to-day decision between putting food on the table and keeping the heat on.

"Dorchester's a neighborhood where if you're earning minimum wage you're really not making enough money to pay your rent, pay your utility bills, and have food for your family."
-Debbie Rambo, President of Boston Catholic Charities

For families facing these kinds of choices every day, these bags are more than just a festive Thanksgiving meal. Each bag contains enough food for a week which means they get to eat well without compromising their limited budget. Items include onions, potatoes, canned corn, canned green beans, cornbread mix, stuffing, black beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, rice, and an aluminum turkey pan. Every family also receives either a turkey or a grocery gift card to purchase one depending on the site.

Last year, we distributed 6,500 bags of food totaling more than 150,000 pounds. This year, when it's all said and done, we will distribute over 200,000 pounds of food to more than 11,000 families in 20 different communities! That means that more than 25,000 people will be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal because of United Way's amazing volunteers, donors, and sponsors.

How it works

Companies all over Eastern Massachusetts run drives for cornbread. Combined with over a hundred pallets of food donated by , it all adds up to more than 200,000 pounds.

The week before Thanksgiving, more than 1,000 volunteers put their muscles to work packaging food into Thanksgiving grocery bags and loading them onto trucks for delivery. UPS is bringing it all together by generously donating their trucks, fuel, labor, and logistics to the project.

Distribution of bags takes place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving through United Way's partners, including regional nonprofits like Catholic Charities , Interfaith Social Services , the Lynn Housing Authority , the Weymouth Food Pantry , Lawrence Community Works , and more.

Families have something extra to be thankful for - a home-cooked holiday meal with their loved ones and a day's respite from the struggle to meet their basic needs.

Inspired to get involved? Here's how you can still help:

Sponsor a family's meal by donating directly to the project. As food costs continue to rise, funding remains our most critical need.

Host a Gather, Gobble and Give event , either at an office potluck or at home. Make it count by sponsoring a local family's Thanksgiving dinner as part of the celebration. Set a goal for the number of families you would like to support - each meal costs only $50.

Join the movement by following @unitedwaymabay on social media and sharing what you are most grateful for. Remember to tag #UWThanksgiving #LiveUnited and @unitedwaymabay to help spread the word!

A huge thank you to all who were and will be involved in making the 20th annual Thanksgiving Project a success! It is thanks to your hard work and dedication that we are able to have the impact we do. "The Thanksgiving Project continues to grow year over year, which is a testament to our donors and volunteers," said Mike Durkin, President of United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. "But it also shows how much need remains in our communities."
You can help feed families all year long by supporting United Way on #GivingTuesday December 3rd. As part of the #PowerChange campaign, Eversource will DOUBLE YOUR DONATION!

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Impact: The 20th Annual Thanksgiving Project - United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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This week, more than 1,000 hard-working volunteers from around the Greater Boston area will unite with one goal in mind: to make sure every family gets to enjoy a home-cooked holiday meal with their loved ones this season. United Way's annual Thanksgiving Project is the largest collective initiative of its kind in the Greater Boston area.

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Kathryn Sullivan, Fellow serving at Girls Inc of Lynn

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United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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For Kathryn Sullivan, serving at Girls Inc. of Lynn through United Way's North Shore AmeriCorps Program has been filled with brilliant moments of growth and learning. In this week's blog, Kathryn describes how she worked through a tough situation with one girl who, more than anything, just needed someone standing by her side, cheering her on.
Written by Kathryn Sullivan
She comes to me crying. She got detention and her mom is going to be mad. I open the drawer of my desk and bring out the tissues and a pack of Oreo cookies. I offer her both.

"Tell me what happened," I say calmly. "But first, breathe."

Jaquelina* is one of my sixth-grade mentees who I meet with every week at Girls Inc. of Lynn. Along with two other girls, we plan group activities that they wouldn't normally get to do during regular programs. She has been in this country for just over a year. Her conversational English is good and she understands just about everything, but when Jaquelina is upset she slips into her native language at lightning speed. I stumble to keep up.

"A boy made fun of my eye and said I was ugly and that he was gonna punch it into place, so I slapped him." She pauses, gulping down a sob and I catch a glimpse of her lazy eye behind her glasses. Her eyes are puddle brown and pretty, but bear a look of indignation. I wonder to myself what I would have done if that boy had said those things to me.

Jaquelina continues. "And then my teacher sent me to the principal and he told me that I have detention for the rest of the week for breaking school rules." She pulls a paper out of her backpack and hands it to me.

"And I have to get this signed and I just can't tell my mom." She blurts out, "So can you sign it for me?"

I skim the paper. It's a sheet acknowledging that she has detention and requires a parent/guardian signature. This is the first time I've been asked to forge a signature for a student.

"But Jaquelina, I can't sign this. I'm not your parent or guardian. You're going to have to tell your mom," I tell her gently.

Her look tells me that, of course, she already knows this. Jaquelina protests anyway, "But if I tell her she's not going to let me go to Roller World this weekend!"

Ah-hah. There it is. The motive.

I shift in my seat and contemplate my wording. "Jaqui, I totally understand why you got upset and it was unacceptable for that boy to speak to you that way. But that doesn't mean that you can express your hurt and anger physically. That's unacceptable, too. You need to tell an adult if that happens and explain your feelings using your words. You know it's not okay to use your hands." I pause and she meets my eyes, nodding sullenly.

"As for this paper, you know that you have to tell your mom the truth, and the sooner, the better. You're right, likely there will be consequences for your actions and you may not get to go to Roller World this weekend, but I'm sure you'll get another chance to go. It's important that you're honest with your mom."

She bites into her cookie, still not saying anything.

"If you want, we can practice what you'll say to your mom right now." I try to sound encouraging. "I know your mom really loves you and she'll understand. What do you think, should we practice what you want to say?"

After a minute, she nods and we begin. We hash out her wording and practice her inflection; I advise her to be as honest as possible. We repeat the exercise several times until she feels less alone.

I stand by her side when she reaches into her coat and brings out her phone. She calls her mother and begins repeating what we rehearsed, explaining what happened. I hear Jaqui's mother scolding her slightly on the other end, then reassuring her that she loves her. When she hangs up, Jaquelina is smiling again. Both of her eyes are bright and focused.

"I'm wanna be better," she says, determinedly. "I'm gonna be better."
*Name changed

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United Way's North Shore AmeriCorps: Lessons from the Ground Up - United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

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Written by Kathryn Sullivan She comes to me crying. She got detention and her mom is going to be mad. I open the drawer of my desk and bring out the tissues and a pack of Oreo cookies. I offer her both. "Tell me what happened," I say calmly.

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Partnership Coordinator at GPS