2025 Fall Service Toolkit

MILITY. GRATITUDE. KINDNESS. MPASSION. HUMILITY. GRATITUD DNESS. COMPASSION. HUMILITY FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT 2025 COME. KIND MPASSIO MILITY. GRATITUDE. KINDNESS. MPASSION. HUMILITY. GRATITUD DNESS. HUMILITY. KINDNESS. C ATITUDE. KINDNESS. COMPASSIO MILITY. GRATITUDE. KINDNESS. MILITY.GRATITUDE. GRATITUDE. DNESS. COMPASSIONON. HUMIL ATITUDE. KINDNESS. COMPASSIO MILITY. GRATITUDE. KINDNESS. MPASSION. HUMILITY. GRATITUD DNESS.KIND. COMaSSION. MILITY. GRATITUDE. I

#Serveforshane “I have three lessons that guide me. First, service is not a hand out—it’s a helping hand. And everyone needs a helping hand at some point. Next, give with your heart. In an instant, your world could change and roles could be reversed. And finally, be thankful every day.”

Shane McColgan, Class of 2021, Carver 2024 Service Hero

With love, we dedicate Fall Service to Shane MColgan, Class of 20211, Carver, whom we lost in May 2023 following a valiant fight with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).ML).

Shane was 16-years-old and a cherished son, brother, grandson, friend, Alumnus, and change maker. At age seven, he found his life's purpose- -ending hunger in his hometown of Carver. Two years later, he and his family founded the "Shane Gives Thanks Food Pantry to nourish families and strengthen the spirit of generosity and compassion. What began as a dream to feed hungry children now serves 1,300 neighbors each month.

It was a privilege to have known this remarkable young man. Shane exemplified your generation's audacious hope and fervent activism in pursuit of what is good and just. We carry his indomitable spirit forward as we commit greater kindness, deeper humanity, and service leadership rooted in love.

Shane is forever 35ONE and forever in our hearts. Through your leadership of Fall Service and beyond, his legacy of love will endure.

Table of Contents Chapter 1 ACHIEVING food justice. . . . . . . . . . 16

Chapter 2

Community Engagement . . . . . . . . . 28

Chapter 3

Elementary Engagement . . . . . . . . 48

Chapter 4

One Team. One Community. . . . . . . 64

Chapter 5

Spread The Word (STW)!. . . . . . . . . 84

Chapter 6

READY, SET, SERVe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Chapter 7

Appreciation & Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. It is attributed to Project 351.

Project 351 encourages you to use this Toolkit to inspire youth service and build unity, for research, or other noncommercial purposes with proper citation when used publicly. Please use the following citation when referencing this Toolkit: Project 351. (2025). Fall Service Toolkit. 2025 Edition. Boston, MA.

AMBASSADOR COMMITMENT TO LEAD Our community is led by a set of guiding principles — each of which is essential to our mission and important to our unity and well-being. Throughout this service year, we hope that you have gained knowledge and understanding of the Project 351 values and ethos that define our service, our community, and the world that we hope to build, together.

We are a youth-led movement for positive social change, defined by courage, compassion, and a spirit of unity that thrives with hope. We build from a foundation of gratitude for those who came before us — our families and communities, Alumni, and the long, rich history of Service Heroes, movement makers, and change agents.

As an Ambassador...

INTRODUCTION

I begin—and end—in gratitude.

I commit to Project 351’s core values as my North Star: kindness, compassion, humility, and gratitude.

I serve with a deep understanding of my own motivations, enriched by self-reflection and a dedication to kaizen—the idea of continuous improvement.

I believe in the power of audacious hope, the transformative impact of kindness, and the unlimited potential of 35ONE. I lead with love, serve with compassion, and build bridges with respect for the dignity of all. I reject racism, bigotry, hatred, and bullying of any kind and in every form.

I embrace the knowledge and joy found in a diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and lived experiences.

I use my voice to inspire, express appreciation, encourage friendship, and amplify the unheard.

I devote my gifts to the causes and issues that inspire my passion; and to the unifying vision of the Beloved Community.

I step up and stand up as an ally and champion for those in need of our partnership, advocacy, and friendship.

As I serve and support others, I prioritize my own wellness, care, and affirmation -- mindful that 35ONELove begins with self-love.

I will UNITE, ACT, LEAD with purpose, passion, and pride.

And, as a proud member of the Class of 2025 and 35ONE community, I will demonstrate that our generation is a mighty force for extraordinary change.

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

Our service ethos The Four Core Values of Project 351 Kindness: The quality of being friendly, generous, considerate, and warm toward all others Compassion: The instinct to care deeply about others through greater understanding of their life story and circumstances

Humility: The characteristic of being modest, recognizing that my experiences and perspectives are one of many

Gratitude: The quality of being thankful; demonstrating appreciation and kindness with joy

Begin in gratitude for the privilege of service and the opportunity to learn from those with whom we serve.

Enter into community with humility and respect.

INTRODUCTION

When we UNITE, ACT, LEAD in service, we express our core beliefs...

Respect and value the dignity of all.

Serve “with” not “for” community. Communities are rich in wisdom, initiatives, and ideas, but often lack vital resources that allow them to achieve their vision. When we serve, we support their vision by mobilizing resources that may be lacking.

Together, we are stronger. Collaborative teamwork increases service excellence. Respect for the opinions, ideas, and perspectives of others is essential.

We are one team, one community, one family...35ONE!

Service is joy!

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INTRODUCTION

“When World Central Kitchen arrives in community after a natural disaster, we need to just get started, get into the kitchen and cook. This is the most effective decision we can make. One plate at a time added up to millions of meals because we just got going.”

Chef José Andrés, Service Hero

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Introduction Welcome We begin in gratitude for your devotion to nourish our communities and ensure every economic hardship and deepening divides. But, we know the power of service, the hope inspired by 35ONELove, and the impact we make when we unite in a shared mission. Our commitment to Fall Service is motivated by our respect for the dignity of all and belief that every child -- every individual -- deserves the resources they need to thrive.

The first step of leading change (after our ‘why,’ of course!) is to understand the scale and

INTRODUCTION

family has consistent access to nutritious food. We live in challenging times with sustained

scope of the challenge: According to Project Bread, 1 in 4 households with children, are currently food insecure. This amount has increased in recent years.

Over 20% of households with children in Massachusetts are food insecure.

Our response? To build bridges and unite our Commonwealth. The compassionate action and unified purpose of 35ONE. And, in your hands is the inspiration, information, and blueprint you need to help end hunger in your hometown. These pages include the knowledge and motivation to guide your development of Fall Service.

This Toolkit gains its strength from you. It will be your companion for training calls, resource for best practices, and canvas for your goals and vision. Please use it to guide your service journey, strengthen your confidence and courage as leader, and mobilize your hometown to end hunger.

At each stage of Fall Service, we “Learn, Act, and Reflect” to ensure our vision, action plan, and values reflect the best of us and respect for the dignity of those we serve. As always, let kindness, compassion, humility, and gratitude guide your path of service.

Thank you for your commitment to end hunger and nourish your community.

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How to Use This Toolkit Project 351 celebrates 1.5 million lives impacted in 15 years and the Class of 2025 has impacted nearly 88,000 neighbors through dedicated and compassionate action!

As we close out this service year, our most important leadership challenge and skillbuilding opportunity lies before us.

This Toolkit is your guide for this final chapter of your Ambassador year. In it, you’ll find guidance, inspiration, best practices, and plenty of room to reflect, plan, and execute.

But, the Toolkit is only valuable if you invest in it. So, dive in and bring your voice and vision to the cause of hunger.

Each chapter will guide you through opportunities to LEARN, A ACT CT, and REFLECT REFLECT.. And, each page turned will bring you closer to ending hunger in your community... and to

INTRODUCTION

developing the skills and values of a leader capable of extraordinary change.

Learn You understand this by now: we can’t solve problems we don’t understand. And, to truly understand, we must seek knowledge, perspective, and wisdom from those most familiar, committed, and affected by the cause to which we are devoted. In this case, hunger.

AL ALUMNI A UMNI INSPIR INSPIRATION TION From Chapter 3 on, each chapter begins with Alumni Inspiration. The Class of 2025 stands on the shoulders of 5,229 Alumni who have worn the navy tee and served their community with excellence. Their reflections and lessons learned offer invaluable perspective.

THE WISDOM OF “FIVE” Throughout this Toolkit, we’re going to pause and TAKE FIVE—an opportunity to reflect and learn from a Project 351 champion with expertise we value. Each will share five lessons of leadership to guide and inform your service. We’re very grateful to our TAKE FIVE team for sharing their wisdom and believing in YOU!

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Act Your leadership of Fall Service will take many forms including building an Action Plan, team management, civic engagement, creating partnerships, and—of course­—service! Each action should reflect our values and thoughtful intention, and be executed with optimism and joy!

ART QUOTES Every Toolkit chapter features an inspirational quote or statistic in graphic form that reflects or reinforces a key message. Weekly, you will be given the same graphic to share on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media channels to help you STW!

Leadership is a continuous journey. The best leaders dedicate time and effort to learn from each experience—both roses and thorns. By reflecting on strengths and opportunities for further growth, we ensure our next service mission will have even greater success.

QUESTIONS

INTRODUCTION

Reflect

Guiding questions invite your reflections and insights, and provide documentation of your leadership-in-action.

ACTION STEPS At the close of each chapter, this summary of important priorities will help focus your efforts and maximize your time.

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TAKE FIVE Understanding hunger in Massachusetts—and how we can end it together Erin McAleer, President & CEO, Project Bread Project Bread is the statewide antihunger organization that connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food, while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry.

INTRODUCTION

Food insecurity is disproportionately experienced by people of color, immigrant families, and those with fewer economic means. And, food insecurity correlates to lower levels of educational attainment, high levels of unemployment, and additional economic hardships.

Project Bread promotes legislation that deconstructs historical racism and structural inequities, so that we can drive meaningful change to improve food security to address immediate need and long-term sustainability. We focus on solutions that provide Massachusetts residents with reliable sources of food and give them ongoing food security, so that they can reach their academic potential and live healthy lives.

How can YOU help in the fight against food insecurity?

1. Spread awareness and dispel myths. Prior to the pandemic, household food insecurity in Massachusetts was at 8.2%. The coronavirus pandemic fueled a hunger crisis unlike any other in our lifetime, at its peak rendering 19.6% of households food insecure. Hunger can affect anyone.

2. Work with your local food pantry, and ask them about the barriers to food access. For many people who are food-insecure, getting the help they need can be a challenge. Obstacles include lack of transportation, language barriers, physical mobility limitations, fear of stigma, or simply not knowing where to turn.

3. Schools are key partners in the work to end hunger. Massachusetts became the 8th state to make free school meals permanent. This is a starting point for ending childhood hunger. School meals are a major part of daily nutrition for children growing up in low-income households. Food served in schools makes up half the daily calories for many students in Massachusetts. Going forward, advocate for year-round access to nutritious and delicious food through school and summer meal programs. Support critical meals for students such

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

INTRODUCTION

as implementing school breakfast, and supporting school nutrition staff with resources and training year-round. For more information, contact Project Bread at ActionTeam@Projectbread.org.

4. Your leadership matters, so raise your voice to help hungry people. Changing public policies can make a substantial impact in the lives of families who struggle to make ends meet. You can influence policies that protect people from hunger by engaging your elected officials. In Chapter 2, you’ll learn how to inspire your local elected representatives with your commitment to end hunger!

5. Visit www.projectbread.org to learn more. Promote our FoodSource Hotline, learn more about our programs, join the Project Bread Action Team, and sign up for next year’s Walk for Hunger. We have lots of tools that you can use to help Make Hunger History in Massachusetts!

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Hunger Across Our State This year, in the United States, the richest nation on Earth, 34 million people and 9 million children, are projected to experience, or currently experience, food insecurity in 2025. While these statistics reflect progress from the crisis level caused by the pandemic, food insecurity remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic.

FOOD INSECURITY vs. HUNGER

North, South, East, West. From North Adams to

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

Cape Cod and the Islands, hunger is a persistent and debilitating challenge—affecting every one of our hometowns.

A hungry child—family member, senior, or veteran—is not acceptable at Project 351. We are moved to act because our neighbors, families, and friends need our

While we all at times experience the personal sensation of hunger, food insecurity refers to “a lack of available financial resources for food at the household level.” Food insecurity is complex, and can affect people in any city or town, living above or below the poverty level.

Source: Feeding America

INTRODUCTION

care and support.

THE STATE’S FOUR REGIONAL FOOD BANKS OFFER COMPELLING STATISTICS:

EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND THE CAPE & ISLANDS The Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. Last year, GBFB distributed 109 pounds of food, the equivalent of over 90 million meals.

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS Last year, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts distributed 14.6 million meals total in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties— 30% of which benefitted children aged 0-17.

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NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS Each month, the Merrimack Valley Food Bank supplies 140 food pantry and meal programs, which impacts 30 communities and 80,000 people.

CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS Nearly 5,000 volunteer hours and 115 agencies help to distribute food in partnership with the Worcester County Food Bank—reaching 75,000 people each year.

Service Hero and Massachusetts State Rep. Andy Vargas of Haverhill co-sponsored the “School Meals for All” legislation, which was passed in 2023 and will provide permanent free school meals to all Masschusetts children, ending the practice of “meal shaming,” or placing restrictions on children whose families owe money for meals.

The Berkshire Food

As many as 55% of the

Project served over

nearly 18,000 students

39,000 meals throughout

enrolled at Bunker Hill

2024.

Community College in Boston qualify as food insecure—and in response, the school opened its own food pantry in 2019, which has already distributed more than 75,000 pounds of food.

INTRODUCTION

Massachusetts

The 2024 projected food insecurity rate for children in Hampden County is 20.4%—the second highest in the state.

1 in 6 children on Cape Cod are food insecure. Often, these children participate in free food programs at their schools, but weekends can be very difficult for their families. The organization Cape Kid Meals was created to provide food for the weekend for all children in need, and currently serves 37+ schools across the Cape and over 1,000 children.

During Fall Service, through service and community engagement—and by raising your voice in support of a cause you believe in, you will help ensure that thousands of neighbors, family, friends, and classmates across Massachusetts will have access to nutritious food this holiday season.

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Hunger IN MASSACHUSETTS As we learn and serve, it is important to understand the connection between poverty and hunger; as well as between race, ethnicity and hunger. Greater knowledge fuels our urgent responsibility to work to eradicate food insecurity and the underlying inequalities in our society that perpetuate hunger and poverty.

These statistics reflect the unjust and disproportionate impact of the intersection of hunger, race, class, and sexual orientation on some of our neighbors, families, and friends:

In 2024,

1 in 3white households with children compared to nearly

1 in 2 Black and Latino households INTRODUCTION

with children were food insecure.

(Source: US Census Household Pulse Survey)

37%

The percentage of all households in Massachusetts who reported food insecurity in 2024. This is greatly surpassing the level of food insecuity at the height of the pandemic of 19.6%

Food insecuity is an intersectional issue.

LGBTQ+ and People of Color households experience food insecuirty at higher rates than the households of straight white families.

55-56% The percentage of Black or Latino LGBTQ+ households with child who experienced food insecurity in MA as of May 2024.

(Source:Greater Boston Food Bank) (Source: Greater Boston Food Bank)

The federal nutrition program, SNAP, has increased substantially since the onset of the pandemic. In 2024, SNAP supported an average of 1.1 million people –1 in 6 households – each month to purchase food.

More than 1 in 4 SNAP households have at least one child.

(Source: Project Bread)

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Learn & Read more Stats on Project Bread’s webSIte

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INTRODUCTION

November 30-December 13: Fall Service

35ONE DAY! Hanukkah

December 16–20 Celebrate & Appreciate

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Post, Like, & Share to Change the World Social media is a powerful platform for changing the world. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is just one example of the

Tips

global scale and life saving impact of a viral social media phenomenon. Inspired Frates millions

by Service Hero Pete Frates, of people around the world dumped a bucket of ice over the head, posted an image, and donated to ALS research.

According to The CPA Journal, the first year of the Ice Bucket Challenge

INTRODUCTION

(2014), 17 million people posted their

Spread the Word. Social media is a megaphone for service. Post details (time, date, location, wish list) to encourage donations.

Tag our Project 351 accounts in your posts!

challenge videos, which were watched

Educate. Build awareness of

by 440 million people a total of 10 billion

the challenge of hunger with

times! And, an astonishing $115 million

infographics, inspirational quotes,

was raised in just eight weeks! That

facts, and statistics.

investment tripled the research budget of the ALS Association, yielding break-

Celebrate unsung heroes.

through scientific discovery and greater

On #ServiceHeroSunday, celebrate

hope for those affected by ALS.

and appreciate your Food Pantry partner, Cornerstone Partners, LT,

To set a strong foundation for your social

and volunteers who make your

media/end hunger efforts, let’s cover

service possible.

some basics.

A picture is worth 1,000 words.

You can find Project 351 at: Facebook: @TeamProject351 X: @TeamProject351 Instagram: @project351 Hashtags we’ll highlight for use throughout Fall Service: #ServeForShane #p351FallService #MotivationMonday #WhyIServeWednesday #UniteActLead #readysetserve #endhunger #NoKidHungry

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

We’ve all heard that before! In service, that’s especially true. Snaps of your Food Pantry, your LT in action, and overflowing donation bins builds the interest and support of your followers.

Express gratitude. Use social media to appreciate your Cornerstone Partners, Leadership Team, community partners, and other stakeholders. Tag them in your posts.

Ambassador Voice: Why I Fight Hunger "I want to help as many people as I possibly can. No one should have to go hungry. This service is particularly close to my heart as my family has always been very involved in our local food pantry. I hope to help feed people in my community and ease at least one worry during the busy holiday season."

INTRODUCTION

Macy, Sandwich

"No one should be food insecure.Times are tough for a lot right now with surging prices. We need to do all we can to help people in our communities."

Chris, Westwood

MY VOICE

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INTRODUCTION

3 words to change the world

“BE KIND NOW” Ming tsai, 2017 Service Hero

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

FOOD

3 ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN EXPERIENCE

LEARN

1 3 in

INSECURITY Source: Project Bread

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At Blue Cross, we’ve

proudly

supported Project 351 for

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

1

15 YEARS because we believe in their unique approach to

food justice,

which centers the ideas and energy of

YOUNG PEOPLE.

When communities, nonprofits, and companies

work together, we can solve tough problems.”

Lucy Darragh Strategy and Social Impact Director Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

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Chapter

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ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE Our Partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is a communityfocused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. They are committed to showing up for everyone like they’re the only one and guiding their members to the exceptional health care they deserve. In keeping with that commitment, they are rated among the nation’s best health plans for member satisfaction and quality.

OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD of MASSACHUSETTS Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has a special place in Project 351’s heart and history. They’ve been “true blue” believers since our founding in 2011, inspired by your leadership, compassion, and unlimited potential to create the positive change we wish to see in the world. And, in 351 cities and towns across the Commonwealth!

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

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We are deeply grateful to our friends at Blue Cross for their leadership and investment in your Fall Service. Their generosity and faith powers our mission foward as we “Make Hunger History!” We draw inspiration from their leadership on issues of Health Justice and food insecurity. Let’s dive in to learn how Blue Cross and their partners are nourishing communities across our state.

MISSION AND VALUES Blue Cross’ 4,000 employees are inspired by five core values:

1. Be the example. Do what’s right, not what’s easy.

2. Be kind. Act with humility and heart.

3. Be curious. Ask questions.

Seek diverse perspectives.

4. Be courageous. Bring bold ideas and make them happen.

5. Be community focused.

Always.

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

“EMPATHY, AUTHENTICITY, PASSION.” Jeff Bellows’ Three Words to Change the World

YOUR VOICE: What partner (or partners) will you rely on during your Fall Service campaign?

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Vice President Corporate Citizenship & Public Affairs Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

Jeff Bellows

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FOOD JUSTICE is health justice Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is deeply committed to helping all Massachusetts community members lead healthy lives and ensuring equitable access to the environments, experiences, and education needed for good health.

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

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Blue Cross understands that health isn’t just about what happens in a doctor’s office, it also involves the social and economic conditions that affect people’s well-being. Its Health Justice strategy aims to eliminate health inequalities by understanding the root causes of health disparities – like access to nutritious food.

Healthy lives require healthy food, and healthy food is a human right. Promoting access to healthy food has long been a pillar of Blue Cross’ work in the community. Individuals and families across the Commonwealth, particularly in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, struggle to access affordable, healthy food options. In Massachusetts, 1.8 million adults, or 33% of the state’s population, reported chronic food insecurity with one in three individuals reporting running out of food or not having enough money to purchase food every month (source: Feeding America 2020).

To overcome these challenges, Blue Cross works to promote “Food Justice” so that everyone can have access to healthy food and a sustainable food system.

Food justice requires: •

Food security. Ensuring all community members have reliable access to healthy, culturally relevant food.

•

Food systems transformation. Reimagining the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food to make the system fair and just.

•

Community participation. Giving all community members a voice in shaping the food system.

•

Environmental sustainability. Ensuring food production, processing, and distribution does not harm the environment and the local ecosystem.

•

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YOU. Your leadership, service, advocacy, and compassion.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

The importance of a sustainable food system cannot be overstated. A sustainable food system not only provides access to healthy food but also supports local economies and protects the environment. Prioritizing sustainability, a focus of many Food Justice organizations, is an investment in the long-term health of Massachusetts communities, making sure that future generations, like yours, have access to the resources they need to thrive.

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A Call-to-Lead with Love and Serve-with-Compassion

But as you’ve learned and read in the Introduction, millions of our neighbors experience food insecurity and struggle to access fresh and nutritious food. Food insecurity can lead to serious health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, which are often exacerbated by a lack of access to nutritional options. Achieving food justice is crucial in addressing these disparities and ensuring that all communities, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have equal access to healthy food.

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

Food is not just about nutrition; it’s a crucial part of our culture, health, and community.

When people have access to healthy food, they lead healthier lives, which means they can attend school, work, and contribute positively to their communities.

For 15 years, Blue Cross has proudly invested in your leadership as bridge builders, change makers, and a statewide force for good. This Fall, they’re by your side in our common mission to Make Hunger History. Whether organizing food drives, raising awareness about food insecurity, or advocating for policies and organizations that nourish community, every act of service, compassion, and 35ONE Love counts.

Food Justice is Health Justice.

Your leadership of Fall Service will help us achieve both!

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CONVERSATIONS WITH

CHANGEMAKERS

[

At Project 351, we draw inspiration from dreamers and doers who use their gifts to uplift their communities. Leaders like Jeff Bellows, Blue Cross’ Vice President of Corporate Citizenship, and Addario Miranda, ALC, Lowell, and Youth Advocate, Project Bread. Recently, Jeff and Addario bonded over their shared passion to end hunger and hopeful vision for changing the world.

Addario: At Project 351, we begin with our why. So, I’d like to ask, “what is your why?”

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

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Jeff: My why is rooted in an inherent need to be involved. I want to help people be their best selves. Ever since I was young, I’d see a problem and want to solve it. Throughout my career, I’ve been the happiest and most fulfilled when I’m working on a team to create greater equity and opportunity for every member of our community.

Addario: What are your three words to change the world?

Jeff: Empathy, authenticity, passion. Empathy is essential to understanding other people’s perspective and their why. Authenticity is being the real you and never wavering from your values and beliefs. And passion – I believe passion can change the world!

Addario: Every day, you’re leading positive change as the Vice President of Corporate Citizenship. What’s corporate citizenship?

Jeff: Corporate citizenship is a company’s values coming to life. It’s the investment, policies, and employee engagement that reflect our priorities and beliefs in the communities where we live and work. Blue Cross’ values are the reason I’m here.

Addario: How would you define Health Justice?

Jeff: If we achieve Health Justice, every member of the community will have healthy lifestyles and equitable access to the environments, experiences, and education needed for good health. To reach our goal, we partner with community to eliminate structural barriers that prevent us from achieving wellness and work to dismantle their root causes.

Ending food insecurity is one of our Health Justice promises.

Second, we’re inspired by your commitment to Health Justice, especially through work to promote mental health and wellness and to end food insecurity. The third factor is Project 351’s leadership team, whom we admire for their excellence and spirit of gratitude.

Finally, Project 351 gives me hope. I get energized by your Ambassadors and Alumni.

You’re brilliant and passionate and are changing the world!

Addario: My final question: Our country is really divided, with too much anger and fear. What advice do you have as we work to build a more united and compassionate Commonwealth and country?

Jeff: We’ve learned so much from our community partners. To solve complex challenges, we must find common ground and that process – if done well – builds unity.

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Senior Legacy Fellow Class of 2021, Lowell

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

Addario Miranda

The first step is listening with compassion and hearing to understand. No matter what the topic, there’s always at least two sides. It’s important to learn other perspectives and try to walk in their shoes. You may not change their opinion, but you can show grace and give space for them to express their feelings. That greater knowledge helps you discover things you share in common. You begin to solve the challenge as you build bridges of understanding. At this challenging time in our country, I have faith Project 351 will help us find the way forward.

Addario: Thank you, Jeff!

Jeff: Thank you, Addario. You’re an amazing young man. I want you and every Ambassador to know that Blue Cross is proud to be your partner. We admire your courage to stand up for what you believe in and your leadership to make hunger history!

MAKE. HUNGER. HISTORY. 23

MAKE HUNGER HISTORY Leading Change in the 35ONE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is more than a health care company, they’re a force for powerful change. We are honored to serve with and learn from these visionary leaders to achieve equitable and just communities, where every child and family has the resources they need to thrive.

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

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5

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We have special appreciation for Blue Cross’ commitment to local communities – the 351 cities and towns you proudly represent.

They know that the people most affected by food insecurity often have the best understanding of their community’s challenges and solutions: •

2 million adults in MA, or 37% of the state’s population, reported chronic food insecurity with one in three individuals reporting running out of food or not having enough money to purchase food every month.

•

One in three households in MA experienced child-level food insecurity, meaning that a child was hungry, skipped a meal, or did not eat for a whole day because there was not enough money for food. Children from LGBTQIA+, Black, or Hispanic households had higher rates of food insecurity than rates overall.

•

Regionally, food insecurity varied greatly across MA, with 32% of households in Eastern Massachusetts – the largest population in the state – experiencing food insecurity.

•

Among households with children, the prevalence of child-level food insecurity is 50% in Western Massachusetts, 41% in Central Massachusetts, and 32% in Eastern Massachusetts.

Our state’s regional diversity requires strategies that are uniquely their own. That’s why Blue Cross collaborates with nonprofits that involve historically excluded groups to create a blueprint for change.

This week of Thanksgiving, we give thanks for Blue Cross’ leadership and partnership. We draw inspiration from eight of their regional Food Justice partners, and their example of innovation, collaboration, and respect for the dignity of all.

Take a look at page 25 to learn more about eight of Blue Cross’ partner organizations across the Commonwealth. Scan the QR code for detailed information about each organization.

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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7 4

8

3

FOOD JUSTICE CATEGORIES Food Security

2

Boston Area Gleaners

3

Cape Cod Council of Churches

4

Commonwealth Kitchen

5

Grow Food Northampton

6

Marion Institute

7

ROOT

8

Southeastern Massachusetts

Springfield and surrounding area

Acton and Eastern Massachusetts

Cape and Islands

Greater Boston and beyond

Northampton and surrounding area

Marion and South Coast

North Shore and Essex County

1 ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

6

1

All Farmers

Agricultural Partnership Southeastern Massachusetts

Food Systems Transformation

Community Participation

Scan this QR code for more information

Environmental Sustainability

on Blue Cross’ partner profiles.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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3-5-1 Reflections Three leadership traits of which you are most proud and why. Identify and reflect on the leadership skills/values you’ve developed through Launch, Spring Service, and 9.11 Tribute Service.

1.

2.

3.

1

Five things you have learned about the local fight to end hunger from your Food Pantry

ACHIEVING FOOD JUSTICE

partner. How will you use this newfound knowledge to strengthen your service?

One new skill you hope to gain through Fall Service.

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Ambassador Voice:

Why We Serve

"I want to do as much as I can to contribute help to people in need. I have come to fully realize the kind of impact I can have on my community and the world."

Edwin, Pittsfield

"My final why is rooted in

of opportunity, dignity, and hope" Giovanna, Lenoxx

1 "I know that everyone's lives are not the same. Knowing that I sometimes have more privilege than others, it makes me want to do this project even more."

Israa, Malden

MY VOICE

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION TO SERVE

compassion and community. I've learned that hunger isn't just about a lack of food, it's about a lack

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2

28

LEARN

2

Leadership Goals

2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Community Engagement

LEARN

Chapter

> Gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the people, organizations, and resources that make your hometown special. > Develop skills of civic engagement to unite your community in the fight to end hunger. > Learn how to build effective relationships with the media, elected officials, and local businesses and recruit them in support of your service.

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Let’s Community Map! Massachusetts is comprised of 351 cities and towns. Each one is rich with unique history, assets, and resources that give it strength and define its identity. Last Fall, your educators selected you to represent one of those communities as Ambassador. This Fall, you have the opportunity to showcase all that is good and kind and generous about your

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hometown.

Spring Service engaged your school and organizations you know well. With your greater confidence and skill, it’s time to explore beyond the walls of your classroom as you Unite.

Act. Lead.

Community Mapping focuses on identifying new resources and partners in your fight to end hunger. As you do, you’ll learn about some well-known assets and hidden jewels

2

in your hometown. Our cities and towns are filled with amazing people and institutions.

Imagine tapping all of that wisdom, experience, and energy to creating change? All it

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

takes is a leader with a big heart, clear vision, and commitment to make the world a better

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place. All it takes is YOU!

Let’s explore your community, discover its unique assets, and identify how you can partner to fight hunger.

Hometown Assets: Youth groups Public and private schools, & their school communities

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Government offices—city manager/Mayor, state senator, state representative, city council, etc.

Libraries & bookstores Parks and public areas Nonprofit & community organizations Faith-based institutions & organizations Veterans & military groups Civic organizations (e.g. Elks & Rotary)

2

Arts & culture organizations Senior Citizen Councils & volunteer groups

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Businesses & stores Historical & cultural sites Community events & celebrations Landmarks & tourism Newspaper, radio, & cable outlets Community websites & social media platforms

In partnership with your LT, identify what makes each of these community assets special and a potential resource for your fight to end hunger. For example:

A YOUTH GROUP

Your LOCAL BOOKSTORE

The FALL HARVEST

convenes ENERGETIC

has a COMMUNITY

CELEBRATION is jam

YOUNG PEOPLE

BULLETIN BOARD

packed with RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBORS.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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Community Resources Work with your Leadership Team to brainstorm a list of YOUR community’s resources and how you can partner to end hunger. Recruit a team member for outreach and set a deadline for action.

Youth Group

ex. Resource:

Unique Asset:

Host a collection site; recruit volunteers

ACT

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member: ex. Resource:

2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Juan

Deadline:

Local Bookstore

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member: ex. Resource:

Unique Asset:

1.

Resource:

Autumn

Deadline: Unique Asset:

Deadline: Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member: 2. Resource:

Deadline: Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member: 3. Resource:

Deadline: Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member:

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

Week of December 3 Community bulletin board

Hang a STW flyer

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member:

Young people!

Deadline:

November 13

4. Resource:

Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner:

5. Resource:

Deadline:

ACT

Team Member:

Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member:

Unique Asset:

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

6. Resource:

2

Deadline:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member: 7. Resource:

Deadline: Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member: 8. Resource:

Deadline: Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member: 9. Resource:

Deadline: Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member: 10. Resource:

Deadline: Unique Asset:

Opportunities to Partner: Team Member:

Deadline:

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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1. Media Everybody welcomes good news—including opportunities to make their community and our world better! Local and regional press provide a megaphone for our service. Their engagement helps elevate the issue of hunger, recruit support, and spark community engagement long after Fall

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Service is done. The holidays are an especially wonderful time for media

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2

outreach, as news outlets seek positive stories that convey the spirit of giving.

There are three outcomes of media coverage: Sharing your story of service will inspire others to ACT. Elevating the issue of hunger will compel your neighbors to CARE. Demonstrating the positive difference that young people can make will build PRIDE AND UNITY in your hometown.

Engaging the media strengthens your skills of communication and your confidence as a source of inspiration. The process of our engagement must be thoughtful, strategic, and respectful. Please engage a caring adult to support these important efforts.

Leadership Lesson Service Hero Wisdom Build your media outreach plan into your Action NEW PHOTO

Plan and STW efforts. A unified plan will allow you to resource and prepare appropriately for each milestone.

“ People want to volunteer like crazy. In the fires in Ventura, we got more than 2,000 volunteers in less than a week.

People love to activate themselves to the betterment of the lives of others—they really have that call to help others. So, activating volunteers with (awareness) through media and different social media platforms, that’s very important.”

CHEF JOSÉ ANDRÉS, SERVICE HERO & FOUNDER, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN

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TAKE FIVE How to Successfully Pitch the Media We live in an era of innovation, inspiration, and immediate access to news. It is a privilege to report to you on historic events, community newsmakers, and the best of our humanity. As the mom of two Project 351 alumni and Board Member of Big Sister of Greater Boston, I take pride in stories that highlight the remarkable difference that young leaders make through service.

Research & Discover. Read your local newspaper, listen to radio stations, and watch local cable. Make a list of the reporters, editors, and news outlets that may be interested in your project. If you attend an event where you have an opportunity to introduce yourself to a reporter—take it! You won’t be able to do this if a reporter is on a stressful assignment or breaking news. But, if you see that the journalist is having a moment of “down time,” say hello!

2. Develop your pitch. Be concise, but add a dose of your inspiration and passion. Economic challenge has increased the crisis of hunger across the state. Your efforts to support those facing food insecurity is news that we care about. Prepare and practice your key messages -- important facts and your “WHY”. Start with the problem you seek to solve: “1 in 5 households with children experience food insecurity. Young people in _______ (insert your city/town) are working to change that.”

2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

1.

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Lisa Hughes, News Anchor, WBZ-TV

3. Personalize—and proofread! Customize your “pitch” for each journalist.

Make a personal connection by complimenting them on a recent story that interested you. And be sure to carefully proofread anything you share or send to your media contact.

4. What’s the hook? Offer a compelling visual or event to draw interest. For example, include the time and location for your delivery of donations.

That moment represents the fulfillment of your goal—providing support to your hometown food pantry. Help the reporter tell their story by sharing opportunities that bring your service to life.

5. Start early…be persistent and polite. Send your initial pitch two to three weeks before your Food Drive. Project 351 will provide you with a sample Media Advisory and Press Release for you to customize. Follow up by phone to confirm the information has been received. Send polite emails leading up to your event to confirm their coverage. The week of your event, send an updated Media Advisory to finalize details. Good luck!

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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Target List for Media Engagement Key takeaways to engage media: Engage a caring adult and/or Project 351 to guide and support you.

ACT

Personalize the media release template from Project 351 to tell YOUR service story.

Define YOUR pitch. Why does the fight to end hunger matter? How can the viewers/readers support your team’s service?

Be sure to include an inspiring and interesting “visual”—your LT in action,

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2

images from the Food Pantry, etc.

Identify spokespeople, who—in addition to you—can best share your story of service and impact. Cornerstone Partners can be great in this role!

Brainstorm a list of your top media targets. Focus on those that have a high likelihood of interest in your service.

Gratitude, always! Be sure to appreciate your Cornerstone Partners, LT, and other key contributors to Fall Service. Follow-up with the reporter with a note of gratitude for their interest and consideration.

MEDIA ENGAGEMENT MATRIX Name: Title: Media Outlet​​​: Contact Info: STW Goal: The pitch: The compelling visual:

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

Name: Title: Media Outlet​​​: Contact Info: STW Goal:

ACT

The pitch: The compelling visual:

2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Name: Title: Media Outlet​​​: Contact Info: STW Goal: The pitch: The compelling visual:

Name: Title: Media Outlet​​​: Contact Info: STW Goal: The pitch: The compelling visual:

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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2. Elected Officials The individuals who serve your communities and our Commonwealth as elected officials may have different ideologies, but they share a common passion—to make our state the best it can be. These leaders enter public life with the noble purpose of improving opportunity and the quality of life for

LEARN

every citizen. They consider you and your peers important constituents. Your

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2

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voice matters, as do the issues you care about.

Engaging elected officials in your Food Drive will help build visibility for the issue of hunger and the important leadership of your Food Pantry. Our elected officials have the opportunity to advocate for policies and funding that can positively impact hunger, and your outreach will help encourage their support. Let’s “Take Five” to learn how to recruit an elected leader to serve with you.

Service Hero Wisdom

“ We’ve learned to shout our anger and whisper our kindness. We need to flip that around and shout our kindness and whisper our anger.”

GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK, FOUNDING HONORARY CHAIR, PROJECT 351

TAKE FIVE Former State Representative Smitty Pignatelli, Service Hero

I loved serving my constituents in the beautiful Berkshires, and

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Engaging Elected Officials in Service

especially value time with young people. Full of ideas and fresh perspective, youth challenge and motivate me. Here are five tips for engaging your elected officials.

Research and confirm your elected officials. Make sure you have the correct name, title, and contact information.

2.

Plan ahead. Provide enough time to engage. Fall is a busy season, so reach out early.

3.

Prepare well and establish contact. By phone call, letter or email, be sure your outreach is polite, informed, and specific.

4.

Identify specific opportunities to engage. Ask your elected official to help in one or all of these ways: Promote your Food Drive in the elected official’s constituent newsletter or on their web site. The reach of both is in the tens of thousands.

Donate time & food. Visit your Host Site to meet you and donate to your Food Drive. Elected’s team can also help with media engagement.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

1.

2

Issue a Proclamation. For State Senators and Representatives, request a proclamation from the Commonwealth that recognizes the efforts of your LT and school in the fight to end hunger.

Co-write a letter to the editor with your local elected to raise awareness on the issue of hunger and the leadership of your local Food Pantry.

Deliver. Ask your elected and their staff to help your LT pack and deliver donations. As we serve together, I can hear your ideas, which ensures your voice is heard...and helps make me a better leader.

Advocate. Share statistics and stories about hunger in your community with your elected. Ask them to advocate and to remember the issue of hunger when passing laws or allocating budget resources.

5.

Follow-up! Stay in touch. Let your elected officials know about the success of your Food Drive and how they can be of further help. Thank the elected officials and their team for their hard work on behalf of your cause.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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3. Local Businesses We are lucky to live in a Commonwealth where businesses embrace the dual objectives of “doing well and doing good.” Companies of all sizes play an instrumental role in making our communities strong and vibrant.

Through investment, expertise, volunteer engagement, and partnerships

LEARN

that innovate and transform, the private sector stands with us on the frontline for creating

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2

40

change.

Project 351 is only possible because of the investment and partnership of the business community. And, on the local level, Ambassadors and Alumni have creatively engaged stores, restaurants, and other businesses to support their service. This “Take Five” offers guidance on how to recruit the private sector in support of your service mission.

TAKE FIVE Kanna Kunchala, Senior Vice President & Chief of Staff, City Year At City Year, our AmeriCorps members build close relationships with students, provide academic support,

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Partnering with Businesses to Fight Hunger

serve as “near-peer” mentors, and partner with educators to help students succeed. Our work would not be possible without private sector partners who dedicate financial

2

resources, time, energy, and wisdom to support our Corps

1.

Think about values alignment. Your work as a Project 351 Ambassador is guided by a core set of values. So, identify businesses whose values align with yours and whose priorities align with your goals. A number of companies will be more inclined to support a Food Drive—grocery stores and restaurants are two examples. Prioritize those who share your interests. Companies that share a deep commitment to community are most likely to support your project.

2.

Find the right person to contact. Use the company’s website. There’s usually a section called “About Us”, where you can find information about the company’s community commitment. This section often includes the appropriate staff leader and the process for submitting donation requests.

This may be by letter, online form, or phone call.

3.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Members and the students they serve.

Be bold, be brave, be polite. Be specific about your request (e.g. donation of goods for a raffle, financial support for the Food Pantry), the impact it will make, and how you will recognize the company’s generosity. Don’t be afraid to dream big about the company’s engagement, you never know where a polite and inspirational request may lead!

4.

Engage your partners in your Food Drive. The best way of building support for the long-term is to engage executives and employees in service. You can start by inviting your contacts to attend an LT meeting. Listen and learn about your partner, their business, and their priorities. Together, you’ll strengthen your bond through service.

5.

Creative gratitude is the most memorable. Distinguish yourself with a creative thank you. Make sure to share gratitude at the conclusion of your project. Ask your partners for feedback and encourage them to stay engaged with Project 351. Let them know how you will continue your service with Project 351 as Alumni. Let them know about your continued service Project 351 as Alumni. Tell them a 2026 Ambassador will begin their service year in January!

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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Engaging Elected Officials Develop a target list of elected officials you hope to engage, identify your request (e.g. “Please come serve with my Leadership Team!”), and determine the most effective process for contact. Be sure to include your outreach dates in your Action Plan and to ask a caring adult for additional guidance.

ACT

Name:

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2

Title: Phone:

Email:

How I Hope to Engage Them:

Name: Title: Phone:

Email:

How I Hope to Engage Them:

Name: Title: Phone:

Email:

How I Hope to Engage Them:

What leadership lessons do you hope to learn from partnering with an elected official?

What issues and ideas do you wish to share with your elected official(s)?

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Partnering With Local Businesses Identify areas of need where local businesses can add strength. Focus on their expertise and assets. For example, a local pizza shop could contribute a pizza party to the homeroom that collects the most donations. A moving company could transport your donations to the Food Pantry. A bank could advertise your Food Drive on their ATM screens. During training, we will share examples of “donation request” letters for your use.

ACT

​1.

Fall Service needs: Potential business partner:

2

Name, title, and contact information:

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Process/deadline for request: ​2. Fall Service needs: Potential business partner: Name, title, and contact information: Process/deadline for request: ​3. Fall Service needs: Potential business partner: Name, title, and contact information: Process/deadline for request: ​4. Fall Service needs: Potential business partner: Name, title, and contact information: Process/deadline for request:

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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3-5-1 Reflection

3

THREE leaders you connected with in your community. Engaging with the media, local

REFLECT

businesses, and elected officials requires courage, confidence, and a plan for success.

2

Please share the impact of your outreach and the leadership skill you developed through engagement.

M ​ EDIA:

Impact:

​LOCAL BUSINESSES:

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Impact:

​ELECTED OFFICIALS

5 1 Impact:

FIVE things you learned by community mapping.

What surprised you most?

What challenged you?

Favorite part of your hometown Most interesting aspect In your opinion, what is your community’s greatest asset?

ONE way you are excited to engage your community in Fall Service.

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Ambassador Voice:

Service Inspiration "Watertown Food Pantry contributes to my why of spreading brighten up someone's day. IIwant to spread joy so everyone can feel the kindness that IIfeel from my community. I aspire to have the leadership of the people who volunteer at my local pantry and I hope the difference I make spreads to others."

Dominique, Watertown

whether they be strangers or friends, so that when they see someone in need they’ll step up to the plate."

Lyla, Fitchburg

2 "I am motivated to give everyone the opportunity to be their best self by providing them with food on their table. No child deserves to worry about their next meal or what they will be eating when they get home."

Kylie, Sterling

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

"Give people hope-

REFLECT LEARN

kindness because even if donating food feels small, it can

MY VOICE

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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ACT LEARN

ACTION STEPS

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2

46

MAP your Community. Brainstorm a list of your community’s resources and make a plan for outreach.

RESEARCH your local media outlets, elected officials, and businesses. Decide which of these you will reach out to.

ENGAGE your Community! Once you have mapped your community, done your research, and identified potential partners, it is time to reach out.

USE this week’s social media graphic (on the next page) to celebrate & encourage your community partners (media outlets, elected officials, business leaders). Tag your community partners in your posts and celebrate their contributions to your team and project.

“

Leadership is

reaL outcomes for real people.

2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

commitment to real outcomes.

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“

Leadership requires an unwavering

Rep. Andy Vargas State Representative, 3rd Essex District

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ALUMNI INSPIRATION

NAME

Robbie Moyes CLASS

2022 TOWN

Avon MY WHY

My "why" is through the power of being the best I can be to bring out the best in others. Whether it's through service or conversation, giving a donation or a smile, the influence of good sparks a chain reaction of good karma that is essential for building a strong community.

My mission is to engage my community in

Let your creativity take hold of your servic

MY MISSION

My mission is to engage my community in service through the passions we share in hopes of influencing others to do the same. My mission revolves around the principle of giving purpose through passion.

FALL SERVICE ADVICE

Let your creativity take hold of your service project! Be unique and ambitious in your ideas to engage your community with your service project. You will find these are the most successful and the most fun!

Chapter

3

Elementary Engagement Leadership Goals > Untap the potential of the next generation of Ambassadors to increase service impact. > Build skills as mentor, motivator, and mobilizer! > Learn how to use storytelling and arts & crafts to inspire elementary students to build the knowledge, awareness, and ability to help end hunger. > Create an Action Plan and strong educator partnerships that enable service success.

ENGAGING YOUNG STUDENTS Community mapping and engagement are the bedrock of Fall Service. You’re discovering how to identify unique assets in your hometown and recruit their support to nourish families and neighbors. Now, we begin with the most joyful and fun community members

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in your hometown: elementary school students!

This chapter will teach you how to: Work alongside principals, administrators, and educators to create partnerships of mutual benefit and important impact Adapt or create an exciting lesson plan Bring your passion for service to the next generation of your hometown’s

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

3

Ambassadors Invite K-5 students to use their skills and energy to support a successful Food Drive.

If this special opportunity appeals to you, we encourage you to focus your time and energy on your elementary school as your only Host Site. You’ll build new leadership skills, deepen impact for your Food Pantry, and generate lots of Service Joy!

Leadership Lesson

Elementary engagement is a key strategy for building a community-wide ethic of service.

It provides you with an opportunity to learn new skills and build important knowledge.

As you partner with elementary educators, you may hear the terms: “service learning” and “Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)”. Don’t be intimidated, both refer to the process of educating students about issues, building skills and motivation, and co-creating—as a school community—opportunities to make a difference.

“Service learning” is something you do every day with Project 351—combine learning with leading. Elementary engagement invites you to make those “wow” moments possible for K-5 students.

And, here’s the bonus! As your educator partner and you develop a service leadership and learning project for elementary students, you’ll benefit, too! Elementary engagement will increase YOUR leadership and communication skills; knowledge and confidence; AND

50

impact for your hometown Food Pantry.

Alumni Inspiration

YVETTE ESTEVEZ, CLASS OF 2019, WEST NEWBURY

Representing 351

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“I’m so excited to engage elementary-aged children for Fall Service! When my little brother Benjamin assists me in service projects, he experiences pride, joy, compassion, and confidence. He knows that he did a good deed and supported his community. I want to make sure that every child has the opportunity to learn about the goodness and importance of community service.”

3

As a member of our blue and orange community, it’s important to represent our core elementary school, this includes conversations with educators, planning sessions with your team, and the behaviors you model in the classroom.

A teacher’s classroom is their special space. It serves as the expression of their passion for teaching, values of their student community, and the standards and behaviors they want their young scholars to emulate. It is our privilege and honor to be invited to enter a classroom. The educators are investing in YOU as a leader and demonstrating their belief that YOU will positively impact their educational goals. Pretty cool, right?

As a guest and role model, you hold special status in these classes—which you can maximize to get students excited about service! Imagine if this partnership continues year-

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

values of kindness, compassion, humility and gratitude in every interaction. At your

to-year? With Fall Service, you have the opportunity to spark a service movement in your hometown!

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Inspiring the Next Generation of Ambassadors Over this service year, you have demonstrated the service impact made possible through

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partnerships, collaboration, and the spirit of 35ONE.

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

3

52

Partnering with an Elementary School will require the knowledge and skills you’ve developed as an Ambassador. The privilege of investing in a school’s culture of service will empower future leaders. There are two key

Alumni Inspiration

educators and one group of individuals—with whom you will build partnerships for success.

With each, it’s important to:

“Always remember—a future Ambassador

BUILD trust and express gratitude.

When I served with my Fifth Grade

LISTEN & LEARN about the school community, their values and vision, and how Fall Service can help strengthen their school pride, unity, and impact.

SHARE the mission of Fall Service and your vision of classroom engagement.

or two could be in your classroom!

Leadership Team, I was mindful of my responsibility to model kindness, inclusion, and enthusiasm for service.

My goal was to inspire them to “unite, act, lead” in ways that exceeded their expectations and encouraged them to keep leading!”

ESTABLISH shared goals and a united plan—including timeline, communication, and roles and responsibilities.

MICHAELA CAMPBELL Class of 2014, Holliston, 2025 Service Hero

Key Partners 1. School Administration Typically, your first contact with the school will likely be an administrator (such as the principal or a guidance counselor).

Your classroom teacher and other engaged educators will be wonderful role models and your best resources for learning about your students. They’re experts at managing the classroom and bringing out the best in their students, and can advise on successful engagement.

3. Classroom—the students and Good Troublemakers!

Leading classroom-based service and engagement may feel daunting, so we’ve created

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2. Educator

3

some tools to help you get started! SLA Training and our Community Call will also focus

Let’s Learn What Makes Each Partner Important & Unique!

PARTNERSHIP 1: SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION GOAL: A “YES! WE’D LOVE TO SERVE WITH YOU!”

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

on tips and tricks for success.

To get started, you need confirmation of their belief and support! The school principal—or their appointed colleague—will provide guidance on the expectations of partnership and process required to get to YES!

Contact Elementary School Explore your school’s—or school district’s website—to find contact information.

If possible, partner with YOUR elementary school so you can leverage existing relationships and your knowledge of the school community Build a communication plan!

Begin! You can email, call, or visit.

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PARTNER #1: SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION (continued)

Lead with Purpose Schools often have a mascot or values statement. Is there common ground between

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Project 351 and the school? For example, you both share a commitment to kindness. If so, highlight your common values and vision, and articulate the alignment between Fall Service and their school community.

To prepare for the meeting: Are you a graduate of that elementary school? Highlight your loyalty and gratitude for the school community. And, commitment to “pay it forward.”

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

3

Include an article, photo, or impact numbers from your Project 351 service to inspire the educators’ confidence.

Explore the school calendar, which you can often find online. Are there upcoming service projects, performances, fundraisers, or assemblies that Fall Service could support and strengthen?

Checklist for Meeting with School Administration Goals, vision, and timeline for partnership in support of Fall Service.

A copy of “Stone Soup” — and your ideas for student engagement/classroom activity. (Project 351 will provide you with detailed lesson plans for your use!)

Your passion, belief, and Project 351 pride.

The result? They say: YES, We’d love to serve with you!

What’s Next?

Ask the Principal to reach out to the recommended classroom educator to encourage their partnership.

Listen and learn from the Principal’s guidance on that educator; their students—goals, culture, values; and insights on successfully engaging that grade level.

Send a follow-up note of gratitude and restate your agreed upon goals.

Prepare to inspire your Classroom Educator!

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LEARN

PARTNERSHIP 2: CLASSROOM EDUCATOR GOAL: SHARED VISION, PASSION, & GOALS!

They’re excited to meet/speak with you! Let’s go!

Educators are the best resource for learning about a particular grade level and classroom.

They’re the experts at classroom management and helping a lesson run smoothly.

MEETING GOALS Build excitement for the fight to end hunger and the positive impact you will have with students.

Create a partnership based on shared values and common goals.

Listen and learn about the classroom—academic/values/ community goals and the standards and protocols to support the educator’s expectations.

Share information about Project 351, Fall Service, your WHY?, and your plan for classroom engagement.

USE YOUR TIME TOGETHER TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND: Are there particular activities that work best for their class?

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

Your principal has said YES! And, has recommended a classroom teacher for collaboration.

3

What are classroom “rules” and expectations? For example: do students have to raise their hand to answer questions?

What motivated the educator to say “yes” to your engagement?

How are classroom materials used?

Do students need permission to use supplies? Do they each have their own? What will you need to supply?

What are the school’s guidelines on the use of student photos on social media/with local media? Would you be allowed to share photos of your service together?

55

PARTNER #2 CLASSROOM EDUCATOR (continued) Congratulations! The educator says: I’M IN!

LEARN

Let’s partner to inspire my students to devote their special gifts for fighting hunger!

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

3

What’s Next?

Express appreciation and excitement!

Clarify educator’s goals, expectations.

Create a timeline for action and a vision for your classroom engagement Confirm date(s) and time(s) or your classroom visit.

Send a follow-up note of gratitude and restate your agreed upon goals and timeline.

Prepare and get excited to meet the students!

Tips for Facilitating with Students Praise students for their good work and responses! Being kind and positive helps maintain a good classroom environment.

Model the Project 351 values in your interactions with the students.

Icebreakers are good! Relate them to your lesson, look back to your team builders for inspiration. The students will look up to you and want to know who you are, too!

Students may be chatty with the excitement of a classroom guest! The teacher will likely help you with classroom management. There are many strategies, such as pausing and waiting, “hands up”, and counting down to refocus students.

Be flexible! Your lesson will not go exactly how you planned and that is okay! Adapt to the needs of the class. Remember, the students haven’t read your lesson plan, so only you will know if something doesn’t work perfectly!

56

PARTNERSHIP 3: STUDENTS! GOALS: INSPIRE SERVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMBASSADORS Elementary students grow and learn in bursts of inspiration and discovery. Your educator can provide guidance as to how your leadership in their classroom can reflect the

This grade-by-grade overview provides broad student enrichment priorities. Don’t worry—you’re not their educator or responsible for these important objectives! But, it’s helpful to have an understanding of each grade level’s focus: KINDERGARTEN: Self Control Skills, listening and following directions, counting, alphabet and basic spelling, cutting/pasting GRADE 1: Group activities, learning words, writing basic sentences, handwriting, GRADE 2: Improving concentration, independent reading, basic writing to form short paragraphs, basic computer skills GRADE 3: Friendships and group activities are well-established, begin reading basic chapter books, responding to more inference based questions, writing good sentences to form short stories or paragraphs GRADE 4: Improved organizational skills, can understand themes and genres, building vocabulary, able to conduct research GRADE 5: Students more self-aware, can analyze characters/plots, can present information to classmates, basic understanding of societal issues

3 ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

reading at a basic level (so it’s better to read stories aloud to them!)

LEARN

different stages of growth.

In your meeting(s), your educator will provide important guidance on your students, their grade level, and what approaches work best in their classroom.

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STONE SOUP LEARN

Adapted from a Swedish Folktale

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

3

There once was a traveler who came to a small village, tired and weary from his long journey. The traveler did not have anything to eat and hoped that a friendly villager would be able to feed him. He came to the first house and knocked on the door. He asked the woman who answered if she could spare just a small bit of food as he had traveled a long journey and was very hungry. The woman replied, “I’m sorry, I have nothing to give you. I can barely feed my own family.”

So the traveler went to another door and asked again. The answer was the same: “I have nothing to give you.” He went from door to door and each time was turned away.

Undaunted, the traveler went to the village square, took a small tin cooking pot from his bag, filled it with water, started a fire and dropped a stone in the pot. As he boiled the water, a passing villager stopped and asked him what he was doing. The traveler replied, “I’m making stone soup. Would you like to join me?” The villager said yes, and asked if carrots were good in stone soup. “Yes, thank you!” said the traveler. The villager went home and returned with carrots from his garden to add to the boiling water.

Soon, another curious villager came by and was invited to join them.

She went home and returned with some potatoes. A young boy soon joined the group, with his mother and dinner plates from their home.

In time, a crowd gathered with each offering their own favorite ingredient: mushrooms, onions, salt, black pepper, acorn, squash. Every villager wanted to contribute to the stone soup!

Soon, the air was filled with the delicious aroma of stone soup. And, the traveler declared, “our dinner is ready!”

The community gathered for a joyful feast -- all thanks to a single stone.

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

TAKE FIVE

Engaging Elementary Schools in Service Maura Reilly Rowell, 2nd Grade Teacher Cole Elementary School, Norwell

world and their sense of wonder keep me smiling each day. My students will be our future leaders and I love to watch them grow.

LEARN

I love being in the classroom with my students, especially in these challenging times. Their fresh ideas and perspective on our

I encourage you to inspire your hometown’s next generation of Ambassadors! Your service and example will teach them the power of their potential to change the world. Here’s my “Take

3

Five” on engaging elementary school educators and students in your fight to end

1. Work with the school administration. A supportive school principal should be your primary goal! They have their own “toolkit” to help ensure success, including STW, recruiting district administrators, and their personal engagement. Set up a meeting to let them know what you’re trying to accomplish and the importance of ending hunger.

Ask for their guidance and support.

2. Engage the community. Find out if you can present at a School Committee meeting.

Most often, elected officials are thrilled to support initiatives that are cross-district. They just need to be informed, understand your vision, and feel your enthusiasm! The School Committee will help amplify your call-to-serve.

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

hunger:

3. Engage younger leaders. Your elementary schools may have a student council, service club, or ambassador program. Work with their staff liaison to mobilize their leadership of STW, homeroom announcements, or as your elementary LT. 4. Prepare and have fun! If your plans include a classroom project, like Stone Soup, prepare for success in three important ways: Create a shared vision with the classroom instructor.

Develop a plan, including the materials you will need.

Relax, smile, make eye contact, use first names when you can, demonstrate your passion for ending hunger (it’s infectious!).

5. Always follow up! Be sure to let the students know the impact of their service. And, as every Project 351 Ambassador knows by now – gratitude is essential. Personal thankyou’s to the principal, educator, and students is always a nice touch! Notes, posters, banners – create your own “thank you” art! Or, engage the school newsletter to thank the community for their commitment to help others.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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3-5-1 Reflections

3 5

REFLECT

THREE goals you have for engaging elementary school students

3

1.

2.

3.

FIVE ideas you have to inspire and motivate the next generation of Ambassadors to

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

serve and lead.

1

ONE thing you are most excited for when engaging elementary school students.

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Ambassador Voice:

Our Hopes for Service

Aidan, Wellesley

REFLECT

"I want to make sure no one goes hungry, and to make sure everyone has plenty of food in order to live happily. I want to leave my mark on this world in a meaningful way that makes a difference, no matter how big or small that difference may be. ANY difference makes an impact"

3 "In a world where you

learn how to serve."

can be anything, be kind to those around you. Which thoroughly motivates me to Make Hunger History this Fall."

Soleil, Boston

Morgan, Essex

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

"My "why" is to help end hunger in the world, starting in Boston. Especially for kids, to help them continue to grow and learn to have success in their lives! I also want to spread awareness of this epidemic of hunger and help people

MY VOICE

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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ACTION STEPS ACT

ENGAGE YOUR SCHOOL PARTNER. Reaching out to the principal, guidance counselor, or other administrator.

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

3

62

ENGAGE YOUR EDUCATOR PARTNER. Develop goals that will be mutually beneficial, and ask for your educator partner’s feedback and suggestions on your lesson plan.

PREPARE YOUR LESSON PLAN. Review the lesson plans offered by Project 351, adapt them according to your school’s needs, and practice!

EXECUTE YOUR LESSON PLAN! Be flexible and ready to adapt on your feet in the classroom with the students.

EXPRESS GRATITUDE. Over the last three years, the dedication and devotion of educators has been heroic. Please be sure to express gratitude for their example of excellence, and their support and expertise in support of elementary engagement.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

Be Kind.

LEARN

Sometimes you don’t even know you made a difference.

You may just change a person’s life.

ELEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT

be compassionate.

3

Cherylann Gengel Co-Founder, Be Like Brit 2015 Service Hero

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

63

LEARN

ALUMNI INSPIRATION

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

4

NAME

Ella DeStefano CLASS

2022 TOWN

Franklin IN 8TH GRADE I WAS:

Curious MY WHY My "why" is to inspire more people to not only lead and serve but start with a smile before offering their hand

MY MISSION My mission with Fall service is to mobilize as many community members as possible to aid with the mission of ending hunger. The mission to end hunger is a full year commitment and if I can help someone commit to volunteering at the pantry every month instead of donating one time, that mission will be fulfilled much faster.

FALL SERVICE ADVICE The biggest lesson I have learned from fall service is that people want to help, they just don’t always know how. By leading fall service, you bring awareness to the necessity and opportunity for others to serve with you. Your impact is great, but the impact of your community is greater. Be present at your donation sites as much as you can and talk to people. Tell them your why and understand theirs. Gather information about your local pantry and inform them on how they can continue to be involved year-round. That is how my mission and impact has grown and how the goal of ending hunger will come closer.

64

Chapter

4

One Team.

One Community.

Leadership Goals > Build a strong, united, and motivated team with gratitude and by inspiring others with your knowledge of the issue of hunger. > Define roles and engage teammates in your Action Plan. > Don’t forget to have fun! Service is joy!

One team. One community.

Leading change in your community is not an individual pursuit.

Everything worthy in our lives is achieved with others. Each goal and every dream are only possible because of the belief and support of friends, family, and community.

LEARN

The same is true when creating positive change. As you strengthen your leadership

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

4

through Fall Service, you will also gain confidence in team management and community engagement.

First up, teamwork.

1. Recruit Recruit a motivated and dedicated Leadership Team (LT).

As you learned through Spring Service and Tribute Service, LTs are essential to service success. They bring big ideas and important skills, help STW, and ensure that all elements of your Action Plan are completed with excellence.

During SLA, you will have the opportunity to assess your own leadership style on the Leadership Compass You will discover your strengths as well as opportunities for greater development. And, learn tips for working with LT members with differing approaches to leading—recognizing that the best teams are those that balance every point on the Compass.

LEADERSHIP COMPASS The Leadership Compass is based on the Native American Medicine Wheel, or Four-Fold Way, in

NORTH Action-takers with an “I’ll do it” attitude

which each direction has a main “human attribute” from which to draw for support and

WEST

EAST

Analytical thinkers who value organization

Visionaries with creative imaginations

strength.

SOUTH Empathetic individuals who are receptive to others’ needs and ideas

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

LEARN

Service Hero Wisdom "Food is hope, food is dignity, food is empathy. Food

4

is community, food is family, food is caring. Food is longer tables. Food is peace. Food is love."

CHEF JOSÉ ANDRÉS, 2025 SERVICE HERO & FOUNDER, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN

Best of all, LTs create a new community of friends that share the belief that everyone can—

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

nourishment and food is resilience. Food is building

and should—make a difference.

Build the best team possible by: Identifying the skills and talents required for service success.

Identifying potential LT members who have these abilities— and share your love for service.

Recruiting with respect and enthusiasm by sharing your Action Plan and goals, timeline, and your hope for their role.

Be sure to listen and learn about what they would value most from this experience. Understand and appreciate the positive impact of their skills and leadership style.

Hosting an inspirational kick-off meeting—in person or virtually—by featuring your Food Pantry partner, defining clear goals, assigning roles and responsibilities, and expressing gratitude.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

67

2. Mobilize Mobilize your team through I D E A S

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I

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

4

D

Identify roles/committees What kind of work needs to be done? How can you break up the work evenly among team members?

Determine team size How many people do you need on your team to be successful?

How many team members will it take to perform each task?

Can one person work on multiple committees/tasks?

E A S

Engage Who has the necessary skills to complete each task? What is the most effective and efficient way to delegate responsibilities?

Appreciate What strategies can you use to sustain a high level of motivation? What are some creative ways to demonstrate gratitude throughout service?

Summarize What is the most effective way to communicate your Action Plan and weekly progress? How can you ensure LT members successfully execute their tasks/assignments? How can you communicate clearly and concisely?

3. Delegate Build teams based on interest, skill and talent, and greatest needs. Fall Service will require at least three subcommittees or teams: Spread the Word, Operations/Logistics, and Celebrate & Appreciate. You will have the chance to fill in information for each subcommittee later in this chapter.

Leadership lesson

Host your Food Pantry partner as a guest speaker for your Leadership Team and/or school. Their frontline experience and expertise will offer important perspective on the scope and impact of hunger in your community. A virtual meeting may be easier to coordinate!

68

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

4. Communicate Use your passion and commitment to end hunger to inspire others to join the fight. Utilize statistics and key messages from your Food Pantry and Introduction to motivate your team. Ensuring that your team understands the “why” (need) of service is your first step to success.

Establish weekly meeting times for the Leadership Team, and additional meetings for your subcommittees. Summarize meeting notes, action steps, and deadlines at each. Circulate each meeting by asking a team member to briefly share their commitment to end hunger.

You’ll thoughtfully demonstrate inclusion, and build the confidence and commitment of your teammates.

LEARN

weekly updates to the team to keep everyone focused and on task. As inspiration, begin

Share victories and milestones. Take time to celebrate the progress you’ve made!

4

5. Impact And, an extra bonus—you’ll have fun creating change with friends and teammates.

As you’ve learned this year, “impact” goes beyond numbers or quantitative measures— pounds of food donated or total financial donations of financial donations. “Of equal importance are qualitative outcomes including the development of skills and confidence and increased awareness of hunger. (Chapter 6 details quantitative and qualitative measures.)

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

The stronger your team, the greater the impact in the fight to end hunger.

69

.!iS SIJPRlllf

0

CITIZENS INN

ACT

I

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

4

70

\ FROM HUNGER

Recruit your LT! The fight to end hunger requires all of us! Unite a team of friends and family to learn, serve, and lead Fall Service!

Friends/Classmates

ACT 4 ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

Family/Neighbors

Clubs/Student Council/Teams

Educators/Caring Adults

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

71

LT Roles & Responsibilities FOCUS AREA

RESPONSIBILITIES

You

1.

Build and manage relationships with Cornerstone Partners.

2. Recruit and manage Leadership Team.

ACT

3. Develop and track Action Plan to ensure success.

4. Build awareness for the issue of hunger; recruit support for hometown Food Pantry.

5. Inspire others to embrace service.

6. Communicate impact; appreciate the support of school

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

4

and community.

Operations

1.

& Logistics

2. Identify and confirm “high traffic” locations for collection bins.

Secure “wish list” and collection bins for food donations.

3. Track and record donations on a daily basis.

4. Prepare and transport donations to Food Pantry.

Spread

1.

Develop creative strategies to advertise and build excitement for service.

the Word

2. Share mission and inspiration of your Food Pantry.

3. Build school spirit through friendly competitions.

4. Maximize Spirit Week, the Thanksgiving holiday, and other community events to promote service.

5. “Community Map” and engage media, elected leaders and others to build awareness. (See Chapter 2.)

6. Get creative with social media and other communication tools.

Celebrate &

1.

Demonstrate gratitude to volunteers, Leadership Team, Cornerstone Partners, caring adults (educators, family

Appreciate

members, Regional Coach) school, and community.

2. Report and celebrate impact of service—local efforts and your impact as part of Project 351’s statewide team.

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

TEAM MEMBERS

REQUIRED RESOURCES

GOALS/DEADLINES

ACT 4 ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

73

Team Management: Strong Teams = Great Service Our friends from City Year offer tips for effective management of your Leadership Team, including Power Tools and Team Building activities. So, dive in, build your team, and have

LEARN

fun! We hope these Team Management tools build your confidence and inspire you to lead your best service yet!

Rules to Lead By Guiding Principles

4 ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

Be Respectful

Be Cooperative

Be Aware

Be Responsible

Expectations

Treat others well. Encourage one another.

Listen and value opinions and ideas.

Support one another.

Go the extra mile for a teammate.

Speak, act, and engage with others in the manner that you wish to be treated.

Follow through on your actions.

Be accountable and reliable.

Remain curious and eager for wisdom and advice

Be Humble

from others. Embrace every task from largest to smallest with pride and best effort.

Be Grateful

74

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

Express sincere appreciation.

Build a culture of gratitude.

LEARN 4

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

75

Power Tools to Build Community Power Tools are inclusive structures for building team and community. These techniques help build leadership skills, instill confidence and empower your Leadership Team. Below, we’ve suggested ways you can think about adapting these Power Tools to accommodate virtual

LEARN

meetings and socially distant service gatherings.

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

4

Hands up: A tool for quieting a large, loud group, in order to begin a meeting or event, or to mobilize for action. Raise your hand, signaling all group members to respond with their hands raised and voices silent.

Strong Circles: A tool for mobilizing large and small groups, a “Strong Circle” is formed when participants stand in a tight circle—shoulder to shoulder—with “everybody in, and nobody out.” Strong Circles build unity by ensuring that each team member can see, hear, and acknowledge the contributions and ideas shared in the circle.

Virtual Execution To create a virtual Strong Circle, ask team members to place their hands—palms out—on the sides of their video screen. This creates the illusion that the team is connected palm to palm. And, captures the spirit of a unifying Strong Circle! Use this tool to begin and end your virtual meetings.

Spirit Break: A simple tool that connects people through a symbolic gesture and focused thought of inspiration. Form a Strong Circle and place one hand in the middle, piling one hand on top of another. Select one team member to select a “power word” to break on. The word should reflect your team, the task ahead, or a positive feeling. Count “1, 2, 3” and state your power word in unison. Now, let’s go serve!

Virtual Execution At meeting close, encourage a final call-to-serve for your Spirit Break.

Invite your team to enter a word of inspiration in the chat. Choose one with your team, countdown—3,2,1—and say the word in unison and with enthusiasm!

Ripples & Joys: Inspired by the famous words of Robert F. Kennedy: “ Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

Open each LT meeting with “Ripples & Joy” to ground your service mission in inspiration and perspective. Invite LT members to share a “ripple” -- an act of courage or belief that inspired others to act. (For example, a financial donation to your Food Pantry motivated by an LT’s outreach.) And, a “joy” inspired by Fall Service. (“My younger brother is recruiting his 6th grade Class to support Fall Service!”) Service is joy! Take time to reflect and celebrate!

Virtual Execution Encourage participation by “passing” the ripple or joy. As one LT concludes their ripple/joy, they invite the next team by name. Have fun! Use wave hand motions, high fives, and shout-outs to energize your team as the meeting begins.

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

Team Building Team building activities are interactive exercises to strengthen relationships. By building trust, communication, and friendship, your team gains unity and greater purpose.

These team building exercises can be adapted for virtual formats. It is important to create a process for inclusive participation. You can assign each LT with a number to determine the order of engagement. Or ask LT members to invite the next member’s participation by calling

Two Truths and a Lie: Sit in a circle. This requires some imagination and a straight face! Each member introduces themself

LEARN

out their name.

with their name, role on the Leadership Team, and two truths and one less-than-true thing about themself. To be successful, the

this exercise, each person shares their middle name (if they have one) and the

the lie should be clever but believable. For example,

meaning, origin, or history of their name. If

“I am a triplet, I met the President of the

someone doesn’t have a middle name or

United States, I’ve skydived.” The “lie” is

doesn’t want to share it, they may use their

skydiving! After the “two truths and a lie”

first name, a nickname, or their chosen

are shared, the group discusses and guesses

name instead.

the lie.

Adjective Name Game: While sitting in

Best Friend Introductions: Ask each

a circle, the team leader explains that

team member to answer the following

each person in the group should think of

questions—but to do so from the

an adjective that describes an aspect of

perspective of their best friend. How would

their personality. The adjective must begin

their BFF describe them?

with the same letter as their first initial.

(Energetic Ella!) Go around until everyone has said his or her name. Movements may be used instead of adjectives (“Jeff,” he says, as he jumps!).

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

What’s in a Name?: A lot, you’ll discover! In

4

“truths” should be unique and special, and

Their biggest talent is: They greatly value: Their biggest pet peeve is: In ten years, they would like to be:

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

77

TAKE FIVE LEARN

Leading a Team James Donohue, Class of 2015, Duxbury Middlebury College ‘24 The privilege of leading a team in service can be challenging. Your ability to motivate and respectfully manage the members of your LT will ensure Fall Service success. I offer these “A, B, C’s” in support of your team

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

4

leadership alphabet, and the leadership values that correspond!

A: Appreciate your team’s efforts. It always feels good to be appreciated. Build a team culture of gratitude by consistently recognizing the contributions of others.

Your LT will be happier, more motivated, and united!

B: Be the hardest working member of your team. Your role as a leader is to support your team, rather than expect the team to support you. Demonstrate your dedication to the group’s goals, and set an example by investing your best effort in Fall Service.

C: Communicate with consistency & clarity. Regular communication with your team is essential. As team leader, you must articulate the Action Plan, clarify roles, and motivate excellence. As a leader, communication works in both directions.

Always encourage input from your LT and be an active listener.

D: Devise a plan as a team so that every member has a job and knows their role.

Your Action Plan is the foundation of your service success. Engage your team to finalize your vision, including milestones and the tasks required for greatest impact. Confirm LT roles and responsibilities, and ensure they have the information they need to succeed.

E: Empower your team. Let them know that their work is meaningful and will make a difference. At Project 351, we believe that kindness and service can change a community. Help your team realize that they are a part of this positive impact.

Share the “Why?” of Fall Service. Let them know that they are making an impact in your community. You’ll empower them to work hard and, hopefully, continue to serve long after Fall Service!

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PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

Ambassador Voice:

#ServeForShane

HOLLY, CLASS OF 2024, MANSFIELD

3

KYLER, CLASS OF 2024, WEYMOUTH

EVA, CLASS OF 2024, TRURO

“Thank you to Shane’s family for raising such an incredible and inspiring child. He was taken far too young, but shall forever be remembered. I dedicate my Fall Service in honor of his kind heart.

ANNABELLA, CLASS OF 2024, STONEHAM

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

“We #ServeforShane to create love for all.”

REFLECT

“I would like Shane’s family to know that he is not forgotten and that Weymouth will strive to continue his legacy.”

“The impact and legacy Shane has left behind is remarkable.

Shane will continue to inspire Ambassadors year after year, showing them true hope for a better world.”

MY VOICE

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

79

3-5-1 Reflection

3

No matter the size, your Leadership Team is critical to your success.

REFLECT

THREE goals you have for your LT

ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

4

5

FIVE values and skills you hope you and your LT embody and learn

1

ONE way you will promote fun and friendship as you serve.

80

ACTION STEPS BUILD your best LT, yet!

MOBILIZE your team through IDEAS.

USE Power Tools and Team Building exercises to build community during your team meetings.

POST this week’s social media graphic (on the next page).Tag your LT members with a message of gratitude and motivation.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

4 ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

SCHEDULE weekly meetings for your Leadership Team and Committees.

ACT

FORM committees and delegate responsibilities to each committee. Match skills and interests with roles. Be sure to listen and learn from how each LT wants to contribute—you’ll make their service more meaningful and joyful.

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REFLECT ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

3

S N O \ l A N O D E W R fOOD D PROIECl 351

king We are as

82

• Pop conn • Cereal

(cons th ed goods

for:

ot don'I re

q uire o co

n opener;

4 ONE TEAM. ONE COMMUNITY.

“

love becomes our legacy.

LEARN

“

If we merge mercy with might, might with right, then

Amanda GorMan Poet & Author 2023 Service Hero

83

LEARN

ALUMNI INSPIRATION

SPREAD THE WORD!

5

NAME

Nicolas Roht CLASS

2024 TOWN

Marshfield IN 8TH GRADE I WAS:

Determined MY WHY

My why is to work tirelessly to benefit and contribute to the overall advancement of our communities that are most in need.

MY MISSION

My mission is to learn, apply, and serve to achieve the greatest possible positive impact on society.

FALL SERVICE ADVICE

In positive change comes challenges and urges to give up, but know that the difference made is worthwhile.

84

Chapter

Leadership Goals

5 SPREAD THE WORD!

Spread The Word!

LEARN

5

> Partner with your STW team to develop a communication strategy that is inspirational, informative, and creative. > Strengthen your confidence as speaker, motivator, and source of inspiration to others. > Increase donations through effective and consistent deployment of STW tools. > Build pride and unity through positive messages.

85

Why We Spread the Word One of Project 351’s most important truisms is: It’s never too early to STW! Promoting service and raising awareness of your passion cause — in this case, hunger

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-- is key to your success. And, a lot of fun, too! STW is a great way to engage friends, unleash creative talent, and generate support.

This chapter will review a number of best practices from Spring Service. In Chapter Two we focused on Media Engagement. The combination of these communication platforms will help spread the word beyond your school walls and across your community.

So, let’s do this! Our Fall Service STW will:

SPREAD THE WORD!

5

86

1

Serve as a call-to-action to create positive change.

2

Build awareness of hunger in YOUR hometown and about a LOCAL organization making a big impact.

3

Celebrate & appreciate an unsung hero (or two!) who lead the local fight to end hunger.

4

Promote kindness, compassion, and generosity during the holiday season.

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Leadership Lesson "True leaders are selfless, and do not lead for themselves but for others. Through understanding them self they are able to strengthen those around them and bring communities up."

SOPHIA, CLASS OF 2025, SHERBORN

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Use Your Voice to Change the World One thing we know for sure—a successful STW campaign leads to successful service! So, review this section for inspiration, as you build your Fall Service STW plan.

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Recruit LT members for STW support. Reflect on best practices and lessons learned from Spring Service, Hope & Gratitude, and 9.11 Tribute Service. Ideas include: homeroom announcements, email newsletters, and posters/flyers in high traffic locations at your Host Site.

And—as soon as you’ve confirmed dates, Food Pantry, and Host Site(s)—start STW! We can’t wait to be inspired by all the ways you’ll inspire and engage your community to

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#EndHungerNow!

THE POWER & INSPIRATION OF YOUR VOICE At a school assembly, Student Government meeting, house of worship, School Committee or City Council meeting, or other gathering—virtually or in person. Frame your message, practice with family and your LT, share your passion.

Your commitment will inspire others!

CREATIVE SELF-EXPRESSION Spoken word, a poem, a song, art installment, or video! Use your special talents to generate attention and support for your service.

“ The good news, good news, good news generation You and me Until all you ever see on TV Is lots and lots of stories, Talking about how my generation made Love and peace Out of divisions that used to be.”

SOPHIA GUSTAFSON, CLASS OF 2016, MEDFIELD

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ENGAGE MEDIA TO AMPLIFY YOUR CALL-TO-SERVE You’ve learned that the media can be a strong ally in leading change. A “Letter to the Editor” of your school and/or hometown newspaper is a great forum for inspiring and engaging your community.

Preparation is key to the successful placement of your letter. Research the it is: “To the Editor”), and process for submission (email, form submission, etc).

Instructions for submitting a “Letter to the Editor” are usually included on the newspaper’s website or on the editorial page of the print edition.

Construct a concise & informative letter that focuses on: 1.

Inspiration Brief introduction: “I am the 2024 Project 351 Ambassador for Dracut every city and town in the Commonwealth for a year of service and leadership development. Our Fall Service focuses on the fight to end hunger in our communities.”

Share your passion, and why the pandemic has made this cause especially urgent today: “I am committed to end hunger in Dracut because…”

2. Information Define the problem in a straightforward, relatable manner: include

5 SPREAD THE WORD!

and attend Dracut High School. Project 351 unites an Ambassador from

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following: Guidelines for length of letter, proper salutation (in almost all cases

statistics about hunger in your hometown.

Highlight the solution: build awareness for the leadership and impact of your local Food Pantry.

3. Engagement Invite others to support your drive and/or the Food Pantry with food or financial donations. Be specific & concise: where, when, how can neighbors join your fight to end hunger?

4. Appreciate Elevate the leadership of others: “Please join the efforts of the Dracut Student Council, the Dracut Swim Team, and our Principal, Ms. Smith, at our Food Drive on November 30th–December 11th at (insert locations)” Close with inspiration and a final call to serve: “I’m so proud to be from a caring community like Dracut. I hope you’ll join the students at Dracut High in our efforts to provide food and care for neighbors throughout our town.”

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TAKE FIVE LEARN

Channeling your Inner Designer Kieler Langemo, Class of 2016, Uxbridge ELA Teacher, Sutton Middle School Owner, Axxon Design Before you read any further, stop and take a moment to look around you. Almost everything in the world has been designed with purpose, from the chair in your dining room to the binding of this book. Each day, you

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make important design decisions that you don’t realize.

While making your bed in the morning you decide to place the pillows a particular way. Why? Is it for aesthetic reasons? Does it allow for more comfort while sleeping? Did you even make your bed at all? Everything we do has an intended purpose. As a designer, it is my job to analyze a variety of audiences and cater to their specific needs through different media, whether it be invitations, flyers, or websites. It is my hope that my Take Five will open your eyes to the world of design and communications. Use these tips to strengthen your service endeavors, but remember: designers are not born overnight, so don’t feel intimidated if this seems overwhelming, it takes practice!

1. Who is your audience? Before going into any of the design work, it is important to think about who you are designing for. Who are you intending for your design to speak to? The answer to this question will ultimately determine your approach. Is your audience students in an elementary school or high school? Content will differ for each! Colorful pictures will appeal to children, while more advanced language is appropriate for teenagers.

2. Designing for the virtual world. world Once you’ve determined your audience, you can begin developing the most effective communication tools. Over the last two years, virtual communication tools have become both necessary and impactful. Digital flyers is one great example! Not a pro designer? No problem! There are plenty of online resources to help you. One of my favorites is Canva.com. Or, you could opt to use a Google Docs or Microsoft Word document to type out your message and add a few enticing graphics. Still prefer working with your hands? You can always design your posters with paper and writing utensils, take a photo of your creation, and upload it to online platforms.

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3. Plan and organize your content. Your design should emphasize the most important Fall Service information you want to convey: dates, donation locations, a call-to-serve (“Join the fight to end hunger!”), and the name of the food pantry you’re serving. Be sure to include the Project 351 logo! Sketch out the order and placement of your information. Get feedback from your LT or mentor...and then create your STW masterpiece!

advertising your efforts. Does your town have a local Facebook page where you can post a digital flyer? Perhaps your local school teachers will allow you to post your flyers to their virtual learning spaces, such as Google Classroom.

Some schools have monthly or even weekly email newsletters where your digital flyer can be sent to parents across your town! Either way, with a bit of online research and communication with your local officials, you will be able to “Spread the Word” in no time!

enhance the appearance of your design.

Color science and font selection. Select a color palette of 1-3 colors. Don’t overdo it! Too many colors can make the design overwhelming to look at.

This is the same for font selection: stick to one or two. Creative or bold fonts may be used for large titles, while easier-to-read fonts (like Arial or Calibri) should be used for large bodies of text.

5 SPREAD THE WORD!

5. Ensure your design reflects excellence! Use the following “pro tips” to

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4. Advertising in the virtual world. Social media pages are the perfect place for

Emphasize the important information. What is your call-to-action? Maybe it is “End Hunger Now!” or “Donate Today.” Emphasize your message with font that is large, colorful, and bold.

Don’t forget to leave space! Make sure to leave a margin between the edge of your page and your content. Content that is “crashing” into the edge of the page creates a design that is uncomfortable to look at.Similarly, use proper spacing throughout your design so your information can be clearly read.

Proofread. Proofread. Proofread.

Proofread Even if your design looks good, it is only effective if it is professional. Make sure that all text has been reviewed for spelling and grammatical errors. This is a small (but very important) step!

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Get Ready to Spread the Word Spread the Word checklist Host a STW team meeting to brainstorm, plan, and organize.

ACT

Create a timeline and assign responsibilities.

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Clarify your key messages about service. See checklist on the next page.

Identify the top sources of information for your school and community as platforms for your message (e.g. school website, morning announcements, local radio).

Finalize list of tools you will use to inspire and motivate others to act: flyers, social media, media, events, and announcements.

Gather pictures, statistics, and impact facts to bring substance and meaning to your invitation to serve. Engage your Food Pantry partner for video and brochures.

Execute with consistency and excellence.

Start immediately & continue through the last day of your food drive.

Dedicate your final two weeks to high visibility efforts. Inspire, inform, and engage your peers and community with creativity, enthusiasm, and excellence.

What?

Framing your message: Make your message simple, actionable, and compelling.

And remember, accuracy of information is important!

out page 8 for info you can use.)

The impact and importance of your local Food Pantry and the wonderful team

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Compelling statistics on hunger in Massachusetts and your hometown. (Check

who serves there.

Specific “call to action” — your Food Pantry’s wish list of donations.

Date and time of your service; locations of collection bins.

If needed, guidance on the “how to’s” of your contactless drive.

Contact person for more information (this is YOU!).

Appreciation.

Logos or names for Food Pantry, Host Site, and Project 351.

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Invitation to serve — “Join us to end hunger in our community!”

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How? Communication tools (you know these well from Spring Service and Tribute Service!): Flyers & posters in highly visible locations.

School blogs, e-newsletters, classroom websites

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Video, film a “commercial” at your Food Pantry—share inspiration and

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information.

Create a webpage, use creative skills to create a hub for information, pictures, and impact numbers.

Morning announcement/connect-ED calls.

Engage your community on social media. Use Facebook events, Twitter,

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Instagram, Snapchat. Use the tools and hashtags throughout this toolkit!

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LT through word of mouth, social media, email to friends and family.

Your Cornerstone Partners, their website, newsletter, email list.

Calendar listings in newspapers, school newsletter, church & temple bulletins.

Where?

Online: Advocate for your cause on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

House of worship, community center: If you are involved in faith based or community organizations, invite them to support your drive by hosting a

Around town: Ask local businesses, such as coffee shops or retail stores if you can hang your posters or flyers inside.

Your neighborhood: Engage family and friends with colorful flyers in their mailboxes. Make your appeal personal and donating convenient by hosting a drop-off location at your home on a specific time/date.

people with gather -- Farmer’s Market, community celebration, and Harvest Festival. Then, confirm the format -- virtual or in-person. Build your plan from there, starting with outreach to the organizers. In person? Can you set up an info table for STW and collect donations and/or distribute flyers. Virtual?

Perhaps the event host will allow you to share Fall Service info on their event website. In either case, use social media to amplify your efforts!

5 SPREAD THE WORD!

School & community celebrations: First, identify upcoming events where

ACT

collection.

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When?

“It’s never too early to STW!” Begin as soon as you confirm service dates and your Cornerstone Partners.

ACT

Use the calendar on pages 9-11 to outline your STW plan with start and committed to a final plan, add final dates to your planning calendar.

Brainstorm Ideas to Spread the Word:

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end dates. Use a pencil, so you can make revisions! When your team has

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ACT 5

SPREAD THE WORD!

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3-5-1 Reflection You know this best. Thoughtfully developed and well-timed “Spread the Word” strategies are key to service success. This Fall, we focus on two STW goals—recruiting support in the

3

REFLECT

fight to end hunger and raising awareness of your hunger in your hometown.

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THREE tools and messages to best convey the cause and extent of hunger in your

community

5 1

FIVE STW ideas that will contribute to the success of your food drive:

ONE “call to action” that most appeals to the heart and head of potential supporters?

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REFLECT 5

SPREAD THE WORD!

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LEARN SPREAD THE WORD!

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Ambassador Voice:

Leading with Values

SOPHIE, CLASS OF 2025, MARION

"I have seen statistically a world

Hunger History" in my hometown."

MAX, CLASS OF 2025, WEST BROOKFIELD

5 SPREAD THE WORD!

that is struggling with hunger and clothing. I have partaken in making a movement towards ending that. I hope that one day I can inspire others to help those in need, because not everyone is as fortunate as others. This keeps me striving to help people and "Make

"Learning about the 49% rate of food insecurity in my county, and even higher across the state, and that in MA one in just 3 children experienced hunger in 2024 fuels my why. I want to serve because those impacted by this issue could be my neighbors, and even for those I don't know, whom all deserve the dignity of having food on their tables every night - as food is a human right."

REFLECT

"I have seen the impact of the past few services, and they have led me to see the 'why' behind every project. The 'why' is in every individual we help. To make even the smallest positive impact on a person is my 'why'."

FRANCESCA, CLASS OF 2025, BOSTON

MY VOICE

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ACTION STEPS HOST a STW Team Meeting.

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FRAME your message to build AWARENESS & inspire ACTION

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REVIEW AND PRIORITIZE STW best practices with your team and determine timeline for action IDENTIFY your megaphones for STW—influential individuals, organizations, partners, and platforms—and turn up the volume!

THINK VISUALLY: Fall Service infographics, video, photography, and other creative self-expression will enrich, inspire, and activate generosity and support.

START Spreading The Word!

USE this week’s social media graphic as part of your STW efforts. Celebrate someone who is using their voice to fight hunger (LT Member, Food Pantry partner, Service Hero).

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“

When the whole world is silent , even one voice becomes powerful.

“

Malala Yousafzai

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ALUMNI INSPIRATION NAME

Ekaavli Daga CLASS

2021 TOWN

Holden IN 8TH GRADE I WAS:

Spunky MY WHY I serve because everyone deserves to know they are loved and cared for, just as I do.

MY MISSION My mission is to both reduce unnecessary waste and give back to my local community. In the first year of our food recovery program, we did just that: saving over 6,000 pounds of nutritious food from the trash and redirecting it to local children who didn’t have enough to eat on the weekends. Although I am at college now, I’ve handed the program off to the next set of amazing student leaders, who will continue it for years to come!

FALL SERVICE ADVICE Never, ever be afraid to fight a “no”.

Chapter

6

Leadership Goals

READY, SET, SERVE

ready, set, serve

6

> Prepare and energize your team for successful project execution. > Manage project execution with a clear vision, assigned roles, detailed Action Plan, and kind encouragement. > Measure and evaluate the impact your team has made.

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Ready, Set...SERVE! Your Food Drive is approaching and your hard work is about to pay off in the successful engagement of family, friends, classmates, and community members. No matter the size of your team’s donations, the effort you have invested to raise awareness of hunger in your

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community is admirable and impactful.

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6

The week leading up to service is an important time of preparation, energy, team alignment, and effort. Use the following checklists to ensure you’re prepared to get READY, SET…SERVE!

ONE Week prior to Service kick-off

UNITE

ACT

LEAD

Your Leadership

Finalize checklist

Express gratitude.

Team for a READY,

and confirm

Build unity.

SET, SERVE

schedule, supplies,

Reflect kindness,

meeting.

Leadership Team

compassion, and

roles, and other

humility. Energize

details to ensure

your team to do

success.

their best to fight hunger.

Ready, Set, Serve Meeting

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WHO?

Leadership Team, Host Site contact(s) and other caring adults

WHEN?

Week prior to the start of service

WHY?

To express gratitude, build team, and review final details, logistics, and STW strategies.

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Service Hero Wisdom

“ If we believe in the change we seek, then it is easy to commit to doing all ours alone to build a better society and a better world.”

CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS, CIVIL RIGHTS HERO

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we can, because the responsibility is

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6

Leadership Lesson

For 2016 Tribute Service, Madison Walsh and Natalie Turkington of Sudbury, created one of our all-time favorite processes for encouraging donations. With the permission of the Store Manager, they assembled a cart brimming with wish list items. One greeter stood outside the door to inspire shoppers with the mission of Tribute Service and ask for support. A second greeter stood right inside the store with the basket of wish list items. Shoppers eagerly added one, two, or more to their cart and then dropped them in Natalie and Madison’s collection boxes on the way out! This service model is ideal for Fall Service!

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One Week Until Service Kick-off Express gratitude. Before the Food Drive begins, it’s important to thank your team and partners for their efforts. Surprise them with cupcakes or cookies, or handwritten notes of thanks.

Call to serve: Amy Porter of Holliston Food Pantry offers this tip for final preparations: For neighborhood/school collection: provide grocery bags with a flyer featuring your Food Pantry’s wish list and dates/location of your collection. Providing bags gives donors the option of hanging the bag from their front door for pick-up at the home (if home pick-up is an option for your team).

For supermarket collections: use social media and email to encourage people to

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Re-confirm dates of your drive and the location of your collection bins.

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shop at your store partner on designated days. On collection days, have smiling As they shop, individuals can purchase items and donate on their way out. Be sure to confirm permission from the Grocery Store Manager, use sturdy collection bins, and have a plan for transporting donations to your storage area.

Light up social media. Plan something creative for each day of the week. Engage your team and partners in a coordinated effort to encourage support. Use photos, hunger statistics in your hometown, the social media art we’ve provided in this Toolkit, daily updates, location/time for collection, and other information to inspire service.

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volunteers greet shoppers with a flyer of wish list items and ask for their support.

Assign team members for daily collection bin progress reports and to transfer donations to your secure storage area. Use the tracking chart in this chapter.

Schedule team check-ins at the halfway point of your drive and the day before your drive ends. Use the meetings to track progress, identify challenges, and redeploy team members as needed.

Confirm date and location to sort, pack, & transport your donations to your Food Pantry. This is a great opportunity to have fun and measure your impact as a team.

Begin your Gratitude List. Engage the team for names of people and organizations who have contributed to your service. From large donations to small acts of kindness, be inclusive of everyone who played a part. (Use chart on page 140.)

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48 Hours Until Service Kick-off If you have a school based project: ask your Principal if you can do any of the following: school-wide email, text, or call to families, morning announcements, and/or a website announcement.

Create and post new signs and/or digital graphics that request “High Priority” food

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items. Use neon colored paper to attract attention.

6

Email “Mobilization Memo” to Leadership Team. Review final assignments: daily monitoring of collection bins; daily transfer of donations to storage room; sort/pack/deliver team; STW efforts, and; “celebrate and appreciate” team.

READY, SET, SERVE

Prepare your collections bins & decorate the surrounding location to encourage generosity. Include a hand sanitizing station along with your bin, if possible! Make sure to replenish the hand sanitizer regularly.

Send an email to Host Site contact and your ALC Service Hero team leader to thank them. Let them know your team is ready to serve Reach out to your Project 351 friends, Service Hero teammates, and Alumni friends and wish them luck. You’re one team in service—celebrate and support one another!

Throughout Service Document everything—take pictures, use video, and flood Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and other social media with images of service, collection bins filling up, and “behind-the-scenes” snapshots. And, please tag #p351fallservice.

Daily check-ins at your collection bins. Add a new bin if necessary and safely transfer food donations to storage location.

IMPORTANT: Please assign a team member(s) to Track Results daily.

(Use the chart in this chapter.)

STW! Be creative and have fun through service. Share updates, post photos of your growing pile of donations, share statistics and images from your Food Pantry partner, report on friendly competitions, recognize and appreciate those who have contributed to your drive.

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48 Hours Until the End of Service Send Final “call to serve” message to everyone you know—and make sure the Leadership Team and your Cornerstone Partners are doing the same. “Only 48 hours to help us end hunger in our community. Join us!”

Send Leadership Team email/text confirming sort/pack/deliver date, time, and location.

Confirm the transportation plan for donation delivery to your Food Pantry.

and meeting room are cleaned and organized.

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“Leave it Better than Your Found It.” Make sure your collection locations, storage room,

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Sort & Pack & Deliver!

Your drive is complete, your donations have been tracked and weighed, and your team feels great about the impact you’ve made on hunger! The final—and best—step of service is before you: the delivery of donations.

LEARN

This is a meaningful and fun service opportunity for your Leadership Team and other

6

committed volunteers. A reminder, before you begin Fall Service, confirm the date and time of pick-up or delivery with your Food Pantry and your transportation plan, including adequate storage space for your donations.

Step 1: Sort & Pack Confirm any requirements or preferences from your Food Pantry Partner. They may ask for the separation of canned goods and dry goods; or request that donations are double

READY, SET, SERVE

bagged for sturdiness.

Set up your sorting room to allow for team-based activity. Utilize long tables without chairs, so volunteers can have easy access to the donations. Position donation bins at one end of the table and necessary supplies on or adjacent to the table. Supplies include: Paper bags or boxes for packing Sharpies to mark bags/boxes with the contents (e.g. canned vegetables, pasta) Trash bag for discarding “past due date” items Convene your team and kick-off your Sort & Pack. Express gratitude, review objectives, and deploy volunteers effectively.

Important tip: Instruct each table to appoint a volunteer or two to check all expiration dates of donated items. Discard items past date. Remember: “quality = dignity!”

Divide into teams, play music, and have a friendly competition for which team can pack fastest!

Take photos—including a team photo with a sign indicating total pounds of donations and the name of your Food Pantry—and post to social media as a means to appreciate donors, volunteers, and Cornerstone Partners.

Use the “Sort & Pack” to create thank you cards/banners for Cornerstone Partners and other key supporters.

Summarize impact, ask for reflections (e.g. Roses & Thorns), express appreciation, and encourage continued support of your Food Pantry.

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Step Two: Donation Delivery!

After the investment of time, care, and teamwork…it’s time for impact! On the confirmed date and time for delivery, transport donations with your Leadership Team. If you have invited media or elected officials, be sure to confirm all details with these individuals.

Greet Food Pantry contact and follow their instruction for storage of donations.

Present thank you card/banner and express appreciation for the privilege of

Invite your Food Pantry partner to share their reflections on the positive effect of your donations on the families served. This will make the important connection between the “act of service” and the “impact of service” for your Leadership Team. Understanding the scope and scale of your impact builds pride and motivation for the continued fight to end hunger.

Take photos—including team photo with your Food Pantry partner—and post to social

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partnership.

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media.

The impact of your service far exceeds the number of pounds collected for your Food Pantry. Yes, this is the primary goal and critically important in our fight to end hunger. But, you have also achieved other notable and important goals. These may include: Developed strong Cornerstone Partnerships United and managed a Leadership Team

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Measuring Impact

Built awareness for the issue of hunger Engaged your school and community in critically-needed service Developed communication skills Mapped your community and created important relationships Executed the “nuts and bolts” of service—from start to finish Had fun, made friends, and strengthened your ability and commitment to lead Reflecting on impact—quantitative (pounds of food, number of Leadership Team members) and qualitative (knowledge gained, awareness built)—provides a full scope of your impact. It’s important to capture and reflect upon both.

Use the next pages to track and calculate your quantitative impact. You will record and submit your totals in your Fall Service Impact Report. When all totals are in, we will report the collective impact of the 2024 Fall Service team!

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Daily Tracking: Measuring Impact Please use this chart to track your daily progress of donations. These impact numbers will be shared in your Project 351 Impact Report (post-service); and with your Cornerstone Partners, school, and community as you celebrate the difference you have made.

# POUNDS OF FOOD

$ COLLECTED

EST # DONORS

ACT

DATE

READY, SET, SERVE

6

Total # pounds of food

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Total financial donations

TEAM COMMENTARY/FEEDBACK

ACT 6 READY, SET, SERVE

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Outcomes: Assessing Long-term Impact Project outcomes are the changes you hope to see by leading a Food Drive.

A primary goal is raising community awareness of the local challenge of hunger and

LEARN

causing others to act.

Sample Project Outcomes

READY, SET, SERVE

6 By engaging community in service, our team promoted unity and inspired future service.

By sharing my story with local media, we educated others about the issue of hunger.

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By hosting collection bins at our elementary schools, our team inspired younger children to act with kindness and give back.

By engaging my State Senator and Mayor, we helped ensure hunger and our Food Pantry has the attention of decision makers on policy and budgets.

TAKE FIVE Molly Kent, Class of 2016, Sandwich Jack Burgess, Class of 2017, Sandwich The execution of your service project can seem overwhelming.

LEARN

Leading Your Team Through The Finish Line

You have been organizing, planning, delegating, and suddenly... it’s time to serve! Follow these tips to overcome the challenges that may arise and finish strong!

Remember “Why We Serve”. When things don’t go as planned or when an idea doesn’t work as well as you’d like, stop and take a moment to remember “why” you serve. What is your passion, your drive, and your inspiration for your project? Think about your food pantry, your Leadership Team, or why you joined the fight to end hunger. Regaining your vision for a project will push you to work even harder than before.

2. Checklists can be your best friend. Make checklists for everything! Take the time to sit down and brainstorm everything that needs to get done. Make a

READY, SET, SERVE

1.

6

concise list of every action step—no detail is too small! Use the checklists in this Toolkit! Our LT uses daily, weekly, and monthly checklists to ensure our action plan stays on track.

3. Flexibility is key. You want to be the best—and most flexible—partner to your Food Pantry and Host Site. Be especially mindful that this is the busiest time of year for your Food Pantry. Send an email or a call the day before an important service date or meeting to remind them. Despite all your best efforts, plans can change at the last minute. When that happens, be patient, be flexible, and work through it with your partners! Together, you’ll turn challenge into success!

4. Community map! Use “Ready, Set, Serve” to increase community engagement.

Amplify STW, recruit your elected officials and local businesses, flood social media. Use these megaphone to increase awareness and donations will follow!

5. Gratitude is essential. Expressing gratitude throughout your project makes it a better experience for your team. Celebrate small victories and appreciate all of the people who have helped or inspired you. Giving back to your team is just as important as giving back to your food pantry.

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Outputs: Reporting the Numbers Project outputs are tangible things that can be counted. For example, the number of pounds of food collected or the number of people who donated food or financial support to the Food Pantry. Let’s record your team success! (You’ll use this to complete

ACT

your Fall Service Impact Report at the conclusion of service.)

READY, SET, SERVE

6

My Project Outputs I spent

hours planning and executing my product drive. volunteers donated to our Food Drive.

I had a Leadership Team of

members.

We collected: pounds of food. in financial donations.

We impacted: number of families for

week(s).

(Work with your Food Pantry to identify this number or another statistic that conveys the personal impact of your service.)

We engaged these members of our community Type includes Media, Businesses, Elected Officials, Schools, Community Organizations Type: Who/How: Impact: What I learned: Type: Who/How: Impact: What I learned:

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Type: Who/How: Impact: What I learned:

Type:

ACT

Who/How: Impact: What I learned:

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Type: Who/How: Impact: What I learned:

Type: Who/How: Impact: What I learned:

Outcomes My Leadership Team and I achieved the following outcomes from Fall Service:

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Ambassador Voice:

Unite. Act. Lead.

BRAEDEN, CLASS OF 2025, NEWBURYPORT

6 "My why is 'give back to a world that gives so much to me.' I’ve seen the amount of people in our communities that need help and can’t afford basic human necessities so I want to change that."

READY, SET, SERVE

"My final why is to leave a lasting impact on my community by helping ensure that no one has to worry where their next meal will come from. Knowing that small actions can make a big difference inspires me to lead with compassion and help create a stronger, more supportive town where everyone can unite and help each other."

REFLECT

"I have changed as a leader by learning the skills necessary to run a clothing drive and a food drive. The most important leadership lesson that I learned was that nothing will be perfect. There will always be some bumps in the road that you need to over come, and if you can do that, you will succeed."

IVY, CLASS OF 2025, BOYLSTON

GRACE, CLASS OF 2025, CANTON

MY VOICE

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3-5-1 Reflection

3 5

REFLECT

THREE service impact measures that bring you greatest pride

READY, SET, SERVE

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FIVE favorite moments during your service

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1

During “Ready, Set, Serve”...

ONE effective tool or strategy that you used to inspire and motivate your team:

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REFLECT 6

READY, SET, SERVE

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ACTION STEPS PLAN AND HOST your Ready, Set, Serve Meeting.

ACT

KEEP SPREADING The Word!

READY, SET, SERVE

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SCHEDULE a Celebrate & Appreciate meeting for the week after Service.

SORT, PACK & DELIVER REPORT Your Outputs SHARE this week’s social media graphic (on next page) to inspire your LT as Service begins. Tag them in your post. Appreciate their hard work and encourage their leadership as Service begins.

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6 READY, SET, SERVE

Diane Patrick Former First Lady of Massachusetts

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ALUMNI INSPIRATION

NAME

Addario Miranda

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

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CLASS

2021 TOWN

Lowell IN 8TH GRADE, I WAS:

Empathetic MY WHY

To create an equitable world MY MISSION

My mission while in 351 was to make as large of an impact as possible on my community, I did this through advocating for universal school meals, and by collecting thousands of pounds of food for my local food bank!

FALL SERVICE ADVICE

My leadership lesson is to always remember that you’re enough! No matter what you do, you will always make a difference in someone’s life. The beauty of fall service is that even one pound collected fills the belly of one child!

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Chapter

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Leadership Goals

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

Appreciation & Reflection

> Model Project 351 values of compassion, humility, and gratitude. > Celebrate the success of your drive with friends, family, and community and encourage the continued service of others. > Listen and learn during post-service debriefs to analyze strengths and opportunities for further development. Then, get inspired for your next service project!

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Celebrate and Appreciate Gratitude is the heart of Project 351. Feeling it, expressing it, and acting in a manner that demonstrates appreciation and care. Through sincere thankfulness of others, we cultivate communities of kindness and compassion, strengthen bonds of friendship, and grow

LEARN

awareness of the many gifts in our lives.

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And so… our service isn’t complete until we Celebrate & Appreciate and reflect upon our impact, team work, and lessons learned.

grat·i·tude (noun) the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Step 1 CREATE A GRATITUDE LIST Use the chart on page 140. Who and which organizations made Fall Service possible?

“More rather than less” is the guiding principle of Gratitude Lists! Be inclusive! Engage your Leadership Team to develop and finalize list.

Step 2 BRAINSTORM CREATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL WAYS TO EXPRESS THANKS Fuse both joy (a fresh batch of brownies or a silly video!) and meaning (highlights of your impact) with every action. Don’t forget social media! Post, tag, tweet your thanks!

Step 3 ENGAGE YOUR CELEBRATE & APPRECIATE TEAM TO EXECUTE THE PLAN Schedule work time together to create, reflect, and have fun. The act of thanking others will make you smile. Set a timeline for your work and a deadline for the distribution of gratitude. (A deadline of one week after the delivery of donations is suggested.)

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Celebrate Celebrate the di!erence your community has made through Fall Service— and inspire others to serve by your example.

PROJECT 351

YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM & FRIENDS

Post pictures and stories to Facebook,

Host a gathering, in-person or virtually, in

Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and other

celebration of the donations you collected!

use hashtags #p351 and #p351fallservice.

YOUR COMMUNITY Share your team’s story and the impact you made in a local paper and on social media. Write a “Letter to the Editor” of your hometown newspaper to report on the generosity and kindness of your

YOUR FAMILY Appreciate their e!orts and encouragement. And, identify your next family service opportunity!

Give thanks for the support of your school at an Assembly and morning announcements. For schools/Host Sites, post gratitude on their website and social media. Create a “thank you” banner with impact numbers for a highly visible location.

FOOD PANTRY During donation drop o!, present a thank you card/banner. Your greatest expression of gratitude is your continued support of their mission!

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community.

YOUR SCHOOL/HOST SITE:

LEARN

social media. Tag Project 351’s handles and

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Gratitude list ACT

NAME

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

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Cornerstone Partners (Food Pantry & Host Sites) alc team leader

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Caring Adults/ family

Media Business Leaders Elected Officials

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REASON I’M GRATEFUL

Please complete this grid to ensure you appreciate and recognize the dedication, partnership, and hard work of those who made your service possible. Don’t forget to include Fall Service impact numbers in your expressions of gratitude.

HOW I WILL CELEBRATE/APPRECIATE

DEADLINE

ACT 7 APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

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Gratitude list ACT

NAME

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

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friends & other community members

Contacts at Additional Collection Sites

Other Supportive Individuals/ Organizations

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REASON I’M GRATEFUL

Here are more special people to celebrate and appreciate as you complete your final service campaign of the year!

HOW I WILL CELEBRATE/APPRECIATE

DEADLINE

ACT 7 APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

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Feedback & Reflection Each time we serve, we face challenges, celebrate victories, and experience countless “a ha!” moments of insight and discovery.

The process of reflection and team debrief concludes your service. A candid assessment of

LEARN

your e!orts will highlight opportunities of strength—and for growth. Use these to further develop as a leader, teammate, family member, friend, and student.

Team Debrief Schedule a debrief & reflections meeting.

Length: 60 minutes (suggested)

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

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Who: Leadership Team and supportive adults Timing: Within a week of the end of your drive—you want everyone to have fresh memories of service!

Preparation: Ask team members to prepare for a brainstorm of the strengths and challenges of your Food Drive.

Agenda 1.

WELCOME & GRATITUDE Begin with celebration of impact and your appreciation. Be personal and heartfelt.

2. SUMMARIZE IMPACT! Share the final tally of donations (#s of food, meals created, financial support) and any highlights from Fall Service (newspaper article, engagement of an elected official, the extent of your school’s engagement).

Leadership lesson

Schedule debriefs with your Host Site and Food Pantry, too. Their insights and guidance will be invaluable to your development as a leader.

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3. RIPPLES & JOY Encourage team to share their pride in a structured celebration of positive impact.

(See Chapter 3 for guidance.)

4. ROSES & THORNS Use the chart on the following page for team reflections and feedback.

5. ADDITIONAL “DEBRIEF” future service. Here are some Team activities from our good friends at City Year.

Fists of Five Ask the team to shake out their fists, similar to playing “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

LEARN

Engage your team in fun, constructive reflections to share knowledge and ideas for

After a count of ten, everybody puts one hand in the center, displaying the number of fingers that reflects how they feel about service. One (1) = excellent/never better; five (5) = not great/needs work. Ask each team member to explain why they chose

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their number.

Ask each team member to pick one word that expresses how they feel about the Food Drive.

PTA (Personal and Team Accomplishments) Ask each team member to share one personal accomplishment and one team accomplishment.

Head • Heart • Feet Ask each team member to answer the following about their service experience: Head: What did you learn?

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

One Word

Heart: How are you feeling?

Feet: What are you walking away with?

6. GRATITUDE Express appreciation to the team. If possible, highlight one special contribution made by each team member.

7. CLOSING MESSAGE Keep serving! The Food Drive has ended but the fight to end hunger continues. Inspire your team to continue their positive impact. If your pantry is accepting in-person volunteers, schedule the next volunteer shift for your LT at the Food Pantry. And, be sure to keep your LT contact list, so you can engage your friends and family in future service projects.

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ACT

ROSES & THORNS

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

7

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TEAM MEMBER

ROSES

This team building exercise is a positive and productive way to learn from your service.

Ask each team member to reflect on service and the Leadership Team experience and share a highlight (rose) and a suggestion for improvement (thorn).

Use this chart and/or a chalkboard to capture ideas and then, discuss as a team. Actively listen and acknowledge feedback and ideas. Every idea or comment is valuable and should be respected. The result of Roses & Thorns will be a room full of stronger leaders; and more e!ective and impactful service projects in the future!!

WORDS OF INSPIRATION

ACT

THORNS

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TAKE FIVE LEARN

How to Write a Thank You Note Carolyn Casey, your Project 351 teammate The written expression of gratitude is a fading art in this era of email, text, and social media. But, it is a passion of mine and something I prioritize for family, friends, and the 351 community. Handwritten notes are a greatly cherished and valuable means of communicating thanks. They

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

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reflect your sincerity and allow for creative selfexpression. And, they serve as powerful mementos of a special event, milestone, or accomplishment. As you “Celebrate & Appreciate”, I encourage the use of handwritten or, for the artist, hand drawn thank yous. Let’s “Take Five” to review the steps for appreciating others.

1.

BEGIN WITH WARMTH AND GRATITUDE

Start with a fresh sheet of stationery or a card. Lead with gratitude that reflects the individual’s specific contribution to your service. Be sure to use the correct form and spelling of the person’s name, as well as that of anyone else referenced in your note. Be enthusiastic with your words of thanks!

“Dear Principal Jones, Thank you for serving as my mentor during Fall Service, you inspired me to exceed my goal of collecting 100 pounds of donations and I am grateful.”

2. CELEBRATE THE IMPACT YOU CREATED TOGETHER AND USE SPECIFIC FACTS Get creative and include a service photo that reflects the impact you made.

“Because of your belief and guidance, the Foxboro High School community collected 125 pounds of food for the Foxboro Food Pantry. More than 250 students participated! Attached, please find a photo of our Leadership Team delivering FHS’s generous donations.”

3. MAKE IT PERSONAL Share specific details of the impact of their support. Demonstrate that you recognize and value the unique gifts they shared to strengthen Fall Service.

“As you know, 1 in 5 families in our community is at risk of hunger. According to Mary Jones, the director of the Foxboro Food Pantry, the donations from FHS will help nourish hundreds of our neighbors over the holiday season.”

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4. INVITE THEIR FEEDBACK AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW AS LEADER “As our Food Drive comes to a close, I welcome any feedback or guidance you may have so I can continue to strengthen my leadership and communication skills. I would also value your continued support of future service projects.”

5. FINISH STRONG!

“Thank you again for investing your time to coach me on leadership and project management, and for your support of Project 351’s Fall Service. I have learned many valuable lessons from you, lessons that I will continue to use to make positive change in our school and community.

LEARN

Conclude your note with warmth and kindness, and by restating your appreciation.

With gratitude, Ambassador/Alumni Name”

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3-5-1 Reflection Over the past six weeks, you have grown as a leader, teammate, and agent for positive change. Together, the Fall Service Team has learned new skills, set important goals, and

REFLECT

executed an Action Plan that dramatically impacted hunger in our Commonwealth.

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3 5

As Fall Service and this Project 351 year of service concludes, take time to reflect on what you have learned and how you have grown. And, to dream about what service comes next!

THREE important leadership lessons I learned:

1.

2.

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

3.

FIVE things I learned about myself:

Biggest surprise: Biggest challenge: I most enjoyed:

I am most proud of: I am most grateful for:

1

ONE future service mission, I have is

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Ambassador Voice:

Celebrate & Appreciate

DIANA, CLASS OF 2025, NANTUCKET

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"I want to make hunger history because no one should have to My why is so no one has to go without when it’s not their choice.

My goal is to help lower hunger rates in my hometown and make a difference in many peoples lives, who may be struggling more than others and have these drives and pantries as a saving grace to them."

"Over the last ten months, I have learned that actions have the power to transform lives and create ripple effects that hold the ability to instill significant growth within communities. By leading my own service project, I learned the tremendous value of collaboration, effectively delegating tasks, and empathy."

AVA, CLASS OF 2025, RAYNHAM

BRIDGET, CLASS OF 2025,

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

fight from necessity in life to thrive.

REFLECT

"Over the last ten months, I have come to learn the true impact of service. I have put myself out there more to help others as a constant volunteer in several places and overall realized the true important and benefit of service, whether it’s for yourself, or others."

EAST BRIDGEWATER

MY VOICE

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

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ACTION STEPS WRITE handwritten thank you notes to your Cornerstone Partners and Leadership Team Members

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SHARE public appreciation to your Cornerstone Partners and community leaders who supported your project (media outlets, elected officials, local businesses).

APPRECIATION & REFLECTION

ACT

MEET with your Celebrate & Appreciate Team to create a Gratitude List and brainstorm creative ways to plan.

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MEET with your Leadership Team and supportive adults to reflect & debrief on Service.

ENCOURAGE your Leadership Team to share this week’s social media graphic (on next page) and tag somebody who helped your team RISE during Fall Service.

PROJECT 351: FALL SERVICE TOOLKIT

ROBERT INGERSOLL 19th Century Orator