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2024 Impact Stories

Everyday choices create meaningful impact.

By giving shoppers an easy way to support their local communities, the Stop & Shop Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs have continuously proven that small acts of kindness make a difference. Since 2019, these two programs have generated more than $4,679,473 in donations to over 9,938 organizations. In 2024 alone, the Stop & Shop Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs donated more than $858,718 to 6,036 nonprofits.

Behind these numbers are the stories of local organizations and countless individuals and families who have been positively impacted by the Stop & Shop Community Bag & Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs. Throughout 2024, the PS It Matters Team heard numerous stories about how benefiting organizations have furthered their missions, supported underserved individuals, and increased cause awareness as a direct result of the Stop & Shop Community Bag & Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs.

The enclosed story collection highlights five nonprofits that Stop & Shop supported this year and illustrates how something as simple as buying a reusable bag or bouquet can make a difference in local communities. For more stories, please visit the Stop & Shop Program Website: stopandshop.2givelocal.com/stories.

Thank you for joining us in believing that everyday choices can create a meaningful impact. Together, we have sparked positive change in the communities that Stop & Shop employees and shoppers call home. We sincerely value your partnership and look forward to continuing this inspiring work in 2025.

Belonging to Each Other

Working to end homelessness in Falmouth.

Through comprehensive services, Belonging to Each Other helps people experiencing homelessness find and maintain stable housing. Stop & Shop has supported this nonprofit organization through its Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Program.

At Belonging to Each Other, we offer loving support and guidance to our Falmouth neighbors as they transition from homelessness to stable housing. We started in 2015 when concerned citizens met in the basement of a church, saying, “There is a homeless problem in town. How can we help address these people?”

Now, we’re going into our 10th season of providing shelter to a number of residents. All of the people we help have ties to Falmouth. We operate two homes in Falmouth, a men’s and a women’s house. Each home can handle eight residents at a time. We bring people in from wherever they live, whether in tents, the woods, or their car. They can leave whatever unfortunate circumstance they’re in and come into our homes from November 1st to April 30th. During these cold winter months, we ensure they receive all the services they need and deserve and help them find stable housing. We also work with other agencies on the Cape to support any other homeless neighbors by bringing groups into local motels and providing meals.

Our success rate is about 80%. We are so successful because we don’t just find people housing and go away. We provide support to our residents for up to two years after they move into stable housing to make sure that they build and maintain the skills that they need to keep stable housing.

We grew from a small group of concerned citizens to over 80 active volunteers in our organization. Last year, we had 1,330 days of meals. We prepared and served three meals a day, which equates to almost 4,000 meals to support our neighbors. Tell us about Belonging to Each Other.

What services do you provide to the community?

We run our housing program from November to the end of April, but we still work yearround. We have fundraisers and are constantly working to prepare for the next season. Our grants team does a phenomenal job raising funds for our operations.

We have a meal team of about 50 people. This team starts preparing, cooking, and packaging meals in September to make sure we have meals prepared and ready for the entirety of the winter. We start early because we don’t want to get backed up or have an emergency where we can’t feed somebody.

Our transportation team brings residents to service appointments, medical appointments, or wherever else they need to go. A lot of these residents don’t have cars. Others might have bicycles but can’t use them in the winter, limiting their mobility.

We also have a landscape team. We’re very cognizant that we are renting homes in town and want to be a good, responsible neighbor. We want to make sure that both the inside and outside of these homes are clean and taken care of.

What sets Belonging to Each Other apart from other organizations in your community?

We provide support to our residents for up to two years. While many other groups help support the homeless, others may not have the resources to offer long-term support like we do. It’s a lot to take on.

We have been fortunate to find a team of clinicians who are very generous with their time. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the services available to our residents. Our team helps them access the services they’re entitled to but might not be aware of. Our main function is to help our residents find stable housing, which can be particularly difficult on the Cape since real estate prices have gone through the roof.

We don’t do the work for residents. Instead, we guide and support them in their search for stable housing. Often, a lot of paperwork is involved in accessing public housing, so we teach our residents to fill it out correctly and on time. We help them develop the skills needed to get and maintain stable housing.

We don’t do the work for residents. Instead, we guide and support them

in their search for stable housing.

Tell us a story that illustrates the good work of your organization.

In our homes, we can’t take in people who are in the midst of a substance problem. When someone struggling with substance use comes to us, we work with them to get them into a program. When they have demonstrated that they are clean, we bring them in and work with and support them until we can get them into stable housing.

The people we support didn’t expect to be homeless in their lifetime. No one plans on it. No one asks for it. But life happens. Everyone is unique. Everyone has a different backstory. We have learned to address people the way that will best reach them.

The people we support didn’t expect to be homeless in their lifetime.

What is your most outstanding achievement or contribution to the community?

The fact that the community came together to help us buy a new building is great. This provides us with a stable future we can count on. Every person we get into stable housing is a phenomenal achievement, and the building we purchased helps us do that.

What do you want people to know about Belonging to Each Other?

A lot of people in Falmouth are surprised that we have homelessness here. They assume they would see people on the street or sleeping in a bus depot or in a storefront, but they don’t. The homeless here are typically in the woods or in their cars. We all think they will end up in big cities like Boston, New York, and San Francisco. It’s not true. They’re in our backyard, regardless of what community you’re in.

Most people assume the homeless in this area are young individuals who struggle with substance use and mental health issues. This certainly is part of the equation, but it’s not the whole thing. We have residents ranging in age from 21 to 86. Maybe the apartment they have lived in for 30 years was sold, and the new owner wants to make it an Airbnb. Maybe they did everything right but only have a social security check and a little savings to live on. All of a sudden, these people have no home. We’re incredibly fortunate that our clinicians, staff, and dedicated group of volunteers are knowledgeable and able to help.

We’re

incredibly

fortunate that our

clinicians, staff, and dedicated group of volunteers are knowledgeable and able to help.

How will you use the funds you’ve received from the Stop & Shop Community Bag and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs?

The funds go toward our operating costs. We use it to pay for food, support our motel program, and maintain our home. It helps us provide personal care packs with various toiletries, socks, and other items people might need. It also can help with furnishings once our residents are in stable housing.

English At Large

Empowering newcomers through language learning.

Through free language learning programs, English At Large strives to increase opportunities for newcomers and build inclusive communities in Greater Boston. Stop & Shop has supported this nonprofit organization through its Community Bag Program. Above, an English At Large Conversation Group takes a selfie!

Tell us about English at Large.

English At Large was founded in 1970 by a local woman who set out to train volunteers to help local people improve their reading and writing skills. As literacy rates improved, she realized that volunteers could be very effective tutors for newcomers who needed to learn English. That’s how English At Large was born.

We are an organization that engages, trains, and supports volunteers as tutors, teachers, and small group facilitators to help local immigrants and other newcomers in 24 communities learn English and gain the cultural knowledge they need to achieve their life goals. Our programs include One-to-One Tutoring, Conversation Groups, Beginner English Classes, and the Career Access Lab. These programs are offered free of charge and serve more than 300 adult learners each year.

What services do you provide to the community?

In keeping with our philosophy of meeting each learner where they are in their immigration journey, we offer a range of free programs for learners of all levels.

Our One-to-One Tutoring program is for adult learners who cannot attend a classroom program. They receive one year of tutoring through two-hour weekly sessions.

Conversation Groups are for adult learners who speak English at an intermediate level and need to practice their speaking and listening skills while meeting other learners in their communities.

Beginner English is a classroom program for adult learners who speak little to no English. It is a curriculum-based program that offers a traditional school year schedule. We currently offer Beginner English in Medford and Acton.

Our Career Access Lab helps learners with professional career goals navigate a U.S. job search, by teaching job search skills. Many of the learners we serve have professional credentials or degrees earned in their home country but are not familiar with many aspects of a job search, such as resumes, interviews and networking. The Career Access Lab helps them build these skills and gives them the confidence they need to find a job that matches their skills and professional potential.

All of our programs are delivered by volunteers who are trained and supported by English At Large. Services are delivered in the community where learners live and work, through our partnerships with local public libraries and other service organizations.

What sets English at Large apart from other nonprofits in your community?

There are three key things that make our organization unique. First, we serve a large suburban area where there are very few free opportunities for learners at any level to learn English. Our free programs give learners access to classes, tutoring and other services that wouldn’t otherwise be available or affordable.

We emphasize personalized instruction that has an immediate impact on their lives: practical instruction that they can walk out the door with and use the very next day.

Second, most classroom programs use a set curriculum, whereas our philosophy is to meet each learner where they are in both their language journey and their immigrant journey. We emphasize personalized instruction that has an immediate impact on their lives: practical instruction that they can walk out the door with and use the very next day. For example, in their weekly tutoring session, a tutor might work with their learner to practice functional language to improve workplace communication, or to expand their cultural knowledge to help them better navigate within their communities. Frequently, instruction focuses on learning and practicing language for communicating with teachers and pediatricians, so that learners can more confidently advocate for their families.

Finally, it’s important for us to offer a meaningful and fulfilling volunteer experience, as a significant number of our volunteers stay with our organization for many years. We provide initial and ongoing training for every volunteer position and offer frequent professional development and networking opportunities. We support and encourage volunteers who are ready to try a different role. The work our volunteers do is vital to our mission, and we want to ensure that they have a highly positive experience with English At Large.

Tell us a story that illustrates the good work of your organization.

I started tutoring after my training in March of last year, and I am currently working with my second learner. He is a gentleman from Venezuela who immigrated with his wife in 2017. He has four adult children who live here, and both he and his wife were professional educators in Venezuela. His wife was also a graduate of English At Large, and seeing how successful it was for her was one of the reasons he wanted to join our program.

He had two primary learning goals; first, he wanted to improve his conversational English, so that he could interact more easily and effectively with his coworkers. (He also thought that his grandchildren might stop teasing him about his English.) His second goal, importantly, was to become a US citizen, so our initial focus was on strengthening the skills he would need to pass his citizenship interview.

He recently passed the Citizenship Exam, and is now a citizen, as is his wife. After this achievement, we spent more time working on improving aspects of his conversational English. Since starting his tutoring in June, he told me he feels more confident speaking at work. He is outgoing and is not afraid to try speaking English with most people. Overall, he seems very pleased with the way things have been going, and frankly, I’m having a lot of fun with it.

What is your most outstanding achievement or contribution to the community?

One of the things we are most proud of is what we’re able to achieve with a very small staff and limited resources. Our greatest assets are our volunteers, and our partnerships with area libraries. These assets allow us to deliver free programs in 24 communities and a ladder of learning for English learners. Learners in our programs can learn basic survival English skills in a classroom, continue with individualized tutoring, and improve their fluency through conversation groups. This ladder of learning provides opportunities in an underserved geographic area to learners of all levels.

What do you want people to know about English At Large?

At English At Large, we feel that language learning is the most important key for newcomers to fully participate in their communities. Even though English instruction is at the core of our services, our ultimate mission is to build stronger and more inclusive communities.

How are you using the funds you’ve received from the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program?

Any funds we receive through the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program will be directed back into our programs, specifically to support the training and professional development of our volunteers and staff. We serve a very diverse pool of adult learners, due to our wide geographic reach, and we are seeing more low-level speakers with varied learning needs. Investing in the ongoing training and professional development of our staff and volunteers helps to ensure that our programs continue to be high-quality, relevant, and impactful for the learners we serve.

Investing in the ongoing training and professional development of our staff and volunteers helps to ensure that our programs continue to be high-quality, relevant, and impactful for the learners we serve.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

We are a small organization, so donations such as this one from the Community Bag Program are very impactful. This program also helps to increase awareness for English At Large in the communities we serve. We’re so excited to partner with Stop & Shop through this program.

M&M Angels

Proving love leads to a better future.

At only 6 years old, Morgan Grace was determined to help children living in shelters in New York City. Together with her mom, she founded M&M Angels in July 2020 and has been working to end child hunger ever since. Stop & Shop has supported this nonprofit organization through its Bloomin’ 4 Good Program.

Tell us about M&M Angels.

M&M Angels was founded by Morgan, my daughter, in July 2020. When she was 6 years old, Morgan’s birthday wish was to go to a local family shelter for her birthday party and to celebrate by donating snacks. From there, we started routinely donating snacks, clothing, backpacks, and toys, which is how M&M Angels began.

Our mission is to bring a sense of normalcy to children who live in challenging neighborhoods. We want them to understand that regardless of their social, economic, or housing status, every kid deserves basic essentials and an equal opportunity at things like great nutrition and financial literacy. Our goal is to provide these resources and information to help stop the cycle.

Our mission is to bring a sense of normalcy to children who live in challenging neighborhoods.

What services are you providing to the community?

For shelters around our borough, we provide snacks, clothes, and other essentials that they need. We also teach hygiene practices to help people feel clean and presentable.

Aside from covering basic needs, we started a wellness program, which helps families access information on nutrition and healthy dieting. We noticed that many families were not buying the best options when they could purchase their own food. Many families were also ordering out because they didn’t have a stove in their room, and home-cooked meals weren’t really an option. So, we are trying to show them the difference healthy snacks can make. Instead of ordering from DoorDash or Uber Eats, you could live a couple more years and save a lot of money with a few changes!

We also offer help with financial literacy. We want to show families how to build credit, save money, and optimize the resources they already have.

What sets M&M Angels apart from other nonprofits in your community?

We are relatable. We also pride ourselves on creating a judgment-free zone. Some of the same families we serve also volunteer with us, so we are relatable from the moment we go in. My team members also know it’s not a fashion show when you’re going in. We strive to be mindful of what they see and how we present ourselves.

We also sit down and talk with our families. It’s not a touch-and-go service. We often have one-on-one time before, during, or after events. We follow up with our families, and quite a few have called us outside our events. We motivate and encourage them, providing additional resources when we can. We take our work to heart and build a family. People hear M&M is coming, and their families run downstairs waiting for us because we worked to build that rapport and relatability.

We take our work to heart and build a family.

Again, we build a judgment-free zone. What happens at our events stays at our events. We are not one of those organizations that come to take a photo and leave. Instead, we stay in contact with them through social media and phone calls.

Please tell us a story that illustrates the good work of your organization.

During the snack drive in 2020, we were originally collecting food for only one shelter. Because of the generous support of family, friends, and our community, we collected enough donations to feed three shelters and a church pantry. Our last stop was one particular shelter we had no plans to go to.

When we arrived, I walked in while my team stayed outside. A mother in tears was going back and forth with a shelter staff member. The staff member said, “There’s some stuff over there. Just grab it. There’s nothing else we can do about it. We are just security.”

I looked over and saw all that was available was a banana, an apple, and a small carton of milk. The woman said, “This is not going to be enough. I don’t have anything else. My EBT card got lost in transit, and I need help.”

I’m standing there witnessing all of this, as one of the security guards said, “Oh, I think those people are just giving out stuff. Why don’t you go out there and see?”

I said, “Excuse me. That is no way to talk to someone. I don’t care what’s happening in your world right now. The way you’re talking to her is completely uncalled for.”

I pulled her aside to introduce myself and told her about M&M Angels. This was literally a last stop, but it was so clear we were meant to be there.

Morgan gave the woman’s son a bag, and at first, he was shy about putting stuff in. But another thing that sets us apart is that there are no limits. So, we encouraged them to take all the food and toys they wanted. The little boy was so overwhelmed, and the mother started crying. She also received a $100 Amazon gift card to hold her over until her EBT card arrived.

What is your most outstanding achievement or contribution to the community?

We actually had a beautiful moment at Stop & Shop not too long ago. Around Thanksgiving in 2022, we won cash and a $5,000 Stop & Shop gift card on “TODAY with Hoda and Jenna.” We used that money on our “Mommy and Momo Show,” a talk show we initiated when we couldn’t be in person at the shelters because of the pandemic.

Every Friday from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m., our show would go live, and families could participate in activities to win a $250 gift card to go food shopping. Dads, moms, grandmas, aunties, and kids all got involved. It really helped to build family morale during such a hard time.

With the gift card from “TODAY with Hoda and Jenna,” we took this further and surprised families at Stop & Shop by paying for their groceries. It really was one of the best moments where we were able to impact so many families. We won something but still gave it back and helped 25 families in the supermarket and an additional 20 on our show.

What do you want people to know about M&M Angels?

The most important thing I want people to know is our focus on unbiased love and kindness. It doesn’t matter the person’s preference, color, or look. We don’t judge what they prefer to do. Love leads to a better future. We believe in the importance of love and how it pays off for the future generation.

I watch the kids with Morgan and can see the bond they have built. What we need in this world is just a dip of love. Love will always pay forward. We’ve seen it with the families we serve in the past four years. When we come in with love, one interaction is remembered forever. We give love in hopes that it leads to a better future.

We believe in the importance of love and how it pays off for the future generation.

How will you use the funds you’ve received from the Stop & Shop Bloomin’ 4 Good Program?

Somehow, every time that check comes around, it comes right on time. Usually, we use it to buy gift cards for giveaways at our events. Other times, we purchase snacks and bottled water. For example, with the last donation we received, we surprised a family at the shelter with a $100 gift card. It all goes directly to the families we serve.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

I’m grateful for this organization that I created for the families around me. It brings me joy when I help the people around me. I’m also grateful for sponsors like Stop & Shop that help us with our mission and vision.

We always talk about hopefully having a center where families can come to get these resources, a place where they will feel comfortable. Our whole concept would replicate a supermarket and would provide plenty of options. I look at the lines of people standing outside and cringe, thinking about the embarrassment these families must feel. They deserve normalcy.

Dreaming big is how we accomplish change. Hopefully, one day, God will bless us with a center where we can change the face of what need looks like.

YWCA Northern New Jersey

Creating space for women to dream.

YWCA Northern New Jersey provides comprehensive services to empower women and promote equity for all. Stop & Shop has supported this nonprofit organization through its Community Bag Program.

Tell us about YWCA Northern New Jersey.

The mission of YWCA Northern New Jersey is to eliminate racism and empower women. YWCA is over a century old and has been at the forefront of gender and racial discrimination since its inception. As a regional part of this national organization, we serve five counties here in Northern New Jersey, which are Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, and Passaic.

YWCA is over a century old and has been at the forefront of gender and racial discrimination since its inception.

Our work centers on creating more just and inclusive communities for women. We do this through focused programs centered on trauma-informed care, empowerment, and antiracism training and education. We also engage in all types of mission-linked advocacy around policy that supports our work.

What services do you provide to the community?

All our programs fall within three areas of our work: equity, trauma-informed care, and safety and support for our community.

We have workforce development initiatives that are designed to support women on their paths to educational, professional, and financial success. We also offer STEM programs for women and girls.

We have reentry programs with clinical and case management support for women who are transitioning back into our community after incarceration. We operate our sexual violence resource center called healingSPACE, which is a state-designated program for New Jersey that serves Bergen County.

In addition, we offer high-quality childcare and summer camp opportunities that focus on social, physical, and emotional growth. The key is that these programs are intentionally affordable, allowing women to focus on what they need to while knowing their children are receiving quality care.

Our senior wellness programs keep our senior community healthy and strong. These services support and prioritize mental and physical well-being and socialization.

All these initiatives are focused on supporting equity for all and increasing access and resources within our service areas.

What

sets YWCA Northern New Jersey apart from other nonprofits in your community?

Our organization works as a companion to many other organizations in our community. We definitely link arms, but the piece that separates us is our focus on equity. We have a wide portfolio of work, but it all hinges on creating economic equity, strengthening mental health, enhancing opportunities, and increasing access for all. We provide very specific services, such as childcare and wellness initiatives, that connect to our mission.

Equity has become a buzzword, but for us, it’s not. Equity has been the heart of our work for over a century. We have strategic and thought-out initiatives focused on giving individuals the skills they need. At the same time, we are promoting strategic culture change across our entire society to make the systemic shift we need to support change.

Equity has been the heart of our work for over a century.

Please tell us a story that illustrates the good work of your organization.

A few years ago, we started a Women Entrepreneurs Program to help women who had an idea for a small business or who had already started one. Statistically, we know women in the workforce and their small businesses are very much linked to this country’s economic survival.

The program features coaching, business planning, and core infrastructure pieces to help individuals develop their business networking and relationship-building skills. We knew how important it was to put capital directly into women’s hands, but we had not been able to do this previously.

This year, for the first time, we were able to host a pitch competition. We are so grateful to Procter & Gamble for giving us $20,000 to launch our first effort. The women who had participated in the first two years of the program were able to apply to participate in this competition.

Not only did these women have the opportunity to actively compete for these funds, but they were able to keep growing through more skill development and mentorship opportunities during the experience as well. The final three competitors had the chance to do a live pitch at our Women’s Leadership Conference. This is a signature event we’ve held yearly for over a decade to unite women and support them in finding their paths. We had over 150 women present this year alongside a group of judges for the pitch competition in the front row. The excitement in the room was unbelievable.

All three of the finalists walked away with a cash prize. Everyone who participated said the process was a great opportunity for skill development. It was wonderful to be able to put money right in the hands of our women business owners. The event is about creating space for women to dream for themselves and plan how they will position themselves to achieve their professional and personal goals.

What is your most outstanding achievement or contribution to the community?

We are really proud of our work to develop women in the workforce. Whether it’s our women coming back into our community from correctional facilities, sexual violence survivors, or small business folks, we are working to strengthen women at their core and move them closer to economic equity. Providing opportunities to enhance their lives is always a proud achievement.

I’m also proud of the work we’ve been doing to create systemic change and promote racial justice. We know systemic racism is, unfortunately, well-rooted in every system in our country. So, we help empower individuals to think about becoming actively anti-racist. No matter how someone may identify, we all have a responsibility in this pursuit. I’m grateful to all who support us in this effort as well.

What do you want people to know about YWCA Northern New Jersey?

Based on the depth of our work, there’s something for everyone at the YWCA Northern New Jersey. Since we focus on equity, some people may think the YWCA is not the place for them because of how they might identify, but YWCA welcomes all those who believe in our work.

We offer our community the opportunity to not only benefit from our programs but also to give back through our volunteer initiatives. We welcome support and partnerships with those whose values align with ours. By reaching out to us through our website, we can learn how your skill set best fits the needs of our organization.

How will you use the funds you’ve received from the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program?

Having partnerships with a company like Stop & Shop has twofold value. One benefit is the unrestricted dollars coming into the organization. We can use these funds for programs that need the most support, such as camp scholarships for children or counseling for sexual violence survivors.

The other side that can’t be measured as easily is how impactful this is for outreach. By Stop & Shop pushing out our name and mission, they are helping us build awareness around our work. This helps the community better understand the services they can access through YWCA. We hope that by sharing information with others, we are able to make a connection and impact in the lives of those who need our services and support. Our goal each and every day is to live our mission of empowerment and racial equality for all.

Our goal each and every day is to live our mission of empowerment and racial equality for all.

I hope that folks understand how Stop & Shop is amplifying the platforms of nonprofits through their community partnership programs.

There’s so much ahead for YWCA Northern New Jersey and our work. We’re always looking for ways to continue to evolve. We hope that everyone can not only benefit from our services but also join our efforts as we move forward. Is there anything you’d like to add?

Susan B. Anthony Project

Promoting safety, healing, and growth for survivors.

Since 1983, Susan B. Anthony Project has provided free and confidential services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, ensuring each has a safe place to heal and grow. Stop & Shop has supported this nonprofit organization through its Community Bag Program.

Tell

us about Susan B. Anthony Project.

Susan B. Anthony Project is a domestic and sexual violence crisis center serving the northwest corner of Connecticut. Our organization was started in 1983 by Jillian Hanna and Polly Doremus. The two women had seen friends and colleagues with bruises and began asking questions. They gathered a group, collected $25, and started the first volunteer-run crisis line.

This founding group saved lives by bringing women into their own homes to keep them safe until they could find appropriate housing. Sometimes, they even picked folks up from work, put wigs on them, hid them low in the back seat, and drove them to the train station.

It all started with $25 and a handful of people, and now, we have an almost $2 million budget and help thousands of people every year. I love to tell this story about the grassroots nature of our organization. Specifically, for people overwhelmed by the scope of community problems and questioning the difference one person can make, I tell them to look at what two women started. We are proud to carry on their legacy and continue to save lives in their name.

What services do you provide to the community?

Regarding our statewide efforts, we are part of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence. We also work with a variety of independent sister organizations. Susan B. Anthony Project is unique from most of these other agencies in that we are a dual agency, providing both domestic violence and sexual assault services.

Most of what we do at Susan B. Anthony Project is crisis services. We have a 24-hour hotline staffed by people around the clock. We also have a crisis shelter for people coming directly out of unsafe situations. If we don’t have space, we’ll call our sister organizations around the state to find a safe place.

We provide both one-on-one and group counseling. For both children and adults, we also have advocates who spend time in the courts on both the civil and legal sides, helping people fill out restraining orders and acting as the victim’s voice in the courtroom. Advocates also accompany victims of sexual assault to the hospital to explain what the process is going to look like if they decide to have the sexual examination kit. They also make sure victims are informed of their rights and any additional options or resources that might be helpful.

Another side of our services is our prevention outreach and education. Not only are we constantly intervening in the cycle of violence to provide resources and support, but we are also out in the community actively trying to break the cycle. Spreading information is so important because some people don’t even know they’re affected by this type of violence. When people know what they’re looking at, they can hopefully take steps to avoid or remove themselves from situations ahead of time.

Not only are we constantly intervening in the cycle of violence to provide resources and support, but we are also in out in the community actively trying to break the cycle.

We aim to educate both those who may be impacted as victims and those who may perpetrate. If we can get someone who may have been brought up in a household of violence to realize there is a cycle that comes from what they’ve experienced, they might be able to take steps to change their behaviors before they become offenders themselves.

It’s an overwhelming task, but awareness is key. Outreach and education are the best chance we have at breaking that cycle. It’s important that people know there are resources and places to go if they are impacted or have questions.

Outreach and education are the best chance we have at breaking that cycle.

What sets Susan B. Anthony Project apart from other nonprofits in your community?

Anyone can come. It doesn’t matter who they are or what their immigration status is. All of our services are 100% free of charge, and everything is completely confidential.

Since we are not a medical office, we do not have strict standards to follow and can reach many more people. In our local nonprofit community, Susan B. Anthony Project is often used as an example of how things should be done. Our fellow nonprofits come to us for advice on a range of topics. We are proud to be held in such a high esteem by our community and to be leaders in this way.

Please tell us a story that illustrates the good work of your organization.

We had a client and her small child who had to leave her home in the middle of the night to escape her abusive husband. It is a very scary thing to leave in the cover of darkness like that.

Since we are available 24/7 on our hotline, all someone has to do is make that phone call, and we will be there to support them. Of course, a lot of fear and tears accompany the whole process, which is what happened with this particular mom and her son.

As with all our clients, we wanted this mom and her son to know they were safe and heard. They came into the shelter, and we got them settled into a private room with all the toiletries they might need and a phone. We gave them food, clothes, pajamas, a stuffed animal for her son to sleep with, and toothbrushes.

Over the next few days, we connected her with the Department of Social Services to secure other resources and ensure her child could safely get to and from school. Within three months, our advocates were able to get her situated in our transitional living program in her own apartment.

Now, she’s completely on her own with her child. The mother secured a job and is learning to be financially literate to take control of her family and provide for herself and her child. We have also helped with things along the way, like school supplies and Christmas gifts. Though these details are specific to one mom, similar stories can be told for many of our clients.

What is your most outstanding achievement or contribution to the community?

We recently brought forth a very unique event to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence. At Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, men walk a full mile in red high heels, both fundraising and bringing cause awareness.

Though walking a mile in red high heels doesn’t help a man understand what it feels like to flee a violent home, it playfully breaks ground to engage in a conversation with men, who are often painted as perpetrators. We are able to open up the conversation to talk about who this violence impacts, both directly or indirectly, and who perpetuates it.

The visibility the event brings is unmatched. It raises awareness of the fact that we exist and sheds light on the depth of the problems we are dealing with.

What do you want people to know about Susan B. Anthony Project?

First, we want people to know this type of support exists. A lot of folks don’t know about Susan B. Anthony Project or our sister organizations around the state, country, and world. You can save lives by just talking about who we are.

You can save lives by just talking about who we are.

There are so many folks in our community who are victimized, but a lot of stereotypes lead people to believe that only certain people are affected by domestic and sexual violence. This type of violence lives in every community and affects everybody, no matter your gender, socioeconomic status, race, or religion.

How will you use the funds you’ve received from the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program?

The best part about this type of funding is that we are able to use it where we need it. Each of our client’s needs are different, so there are a lot of things we can’t plan for. Having these funds available for client assistance allows us to confidently respond to their needs when they ask.

These funds have a range of uses. It could be used for anything from ballet shoes for a little girl in our shelter who is starting a class to Uber gift certificates for someone to get to doctor appointments or a job interview. The point is we never know what the next day will bring. These funds help us give clients what they need when they need it, so thank you for helping us do that.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

We’re really fortunate to be in the community we’re in. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary, and we’ve had donors who have been with us since the very beginning. This sense of community allows us to serve our clients more efficiently and successfully.

Though we started with only two people, we need a lot of help to provide the services we do. We are so grateful for everybody who takes a role to accomplish all of this. We are forever grateful for all the support.