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The B Fund: Youth Advisory Board

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From now until April 2, 2021, The B Fund will be accepting applications for its Youth Advisory Board. Select applicants will join existing board members who are performing acts of kindness both small and large, while contributing their voices to help shape our programs.

The board will be divided into three small groups and the content for each group will be age appropriate, interesting, and fun:

*Mini: 5th – 6th Grade
*Junior: 7th – 9th Grade
*Senior: 10 – 12th Grade

Members will gain an opportunity to learn about The B Fund, its daily operations and the grant making process. At the end of each year, members will participate in a giving circle that will enable them to allocate a specific amount of funds to a local organization providing resources to critically ill children and their families.

For planning purposes, please be aware each group will meet at least twice a year. Due to COVID restrictions, meetings will take place via zoom and then in person if restrictions are lifted.

*Please note, you do not need to live in the Boston area to be a member of the Youth Advisory Board. We currently have several members who live in different states across the US.

If you are interested in joining us, please email us at info@thebfund.org.

Make sure you include the following information:
-Name
-Grade Level
-Mailing address
-A brief statement on why you want to be a member of The B Fund’s Youth Advisory Board. 

Emails must be received by April 2, 2021. Once received, a  member of The B Fund team will be in touch with the next steps in the application process.

Be Inspired: Meet Jen!

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Meet Jen!  She is kind, smart and generous.

Jen is the owner of Legit Activewear, a Best of Boston award winning multi-brand fashion fitness     store with a collection featuring the most sought-after designers in the industry. Located at The Street in Chestnut Hill and in Wellesley,  Legit Activewear has quickly become a favorite place to shop for many.

Legit Activewear served as one of our newest partner’s in the 2018 Halloween Candy Drive.  To get to know Jen and the culture over at Legit a little better, we asked her a few questions:

Three words to describe your business: Luxury, fitness and fashion.

If your co-workers had to describe you in three words, what words would they use? Workaholic, genuine and generous.

Are there any fun facts or interesting bits of information about your business that may surprise others? Yes, Legit has become quite the resourceful community! Customers start talking to each other and sharing recommendations for new realtors, tutors, trainers, therapists and even babysitters!

Why is it important for your business to help others? Nothing makes me happier then outfitting someone in something that makes them feel good. Working in retail is about bringing happiness to others! Whether it is through clothing, sneakers or candy, bringing happiness or fulfilling a need is important!

Favorite Halloween Candy?  York Peppermint Pattie

Halloween Costume? 80’s aerobic instructor

What three pieces of candy would you donate out of your Trick-or-Treat bag? Nerds, Lollipops or anything with nuts. My daughter is allergic to nuts.

Finish the following statement: Helping others feels……GOOD BECAUSE YOU ARE POSITIVELY IMPACTING ANOTHER PERSON’S LIFE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be Inspired: Meet Melanie

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Be Inspired…..

Melanie, on the right,  pictured with her daughter.

Meet Melanie! Melanie is the managing partner of EYESPOT, a local and independently owned optical boutique located at The Street in Chestnut Hill, MA.

EYESPOT has partnered with The B Fund’ s Halloween Candy Drive and will collect candy donations from November 1 – 5th. This is the second year EYESPOT has participated in The B Fund’s Halloween Candy Drive and we are thrilled to have them as a partner.

To get to know Melanie and the culture over at EYESPOT a little better, we asked her a few questions:

Three words to describe your business: Personalized, Professional and Friendly

If your co-workers had to describe you in three words, what words would they use? Peppy, funny and caring.

Are there any fun facts or interesting bits of information about your business that may surprise others? Yes, two things. First, for every pair of glasses you buy at EYESPOT, we will donate a pair to a child in Nepal. Next, each month we donate a box of glasses to New Eyes For The Needy in New Jersey.

Why is it important for your business to help others? We find helping others to be incredibly important because it fosters a sense of community! We love being able to help those in need, within the Boston Area and beyond!

Favorite Halloween Candy? Dark chocolate

Halloween Costume? Wacky Wavy Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube Man

What three pieces of candy would you donate out of your Trick-or-Treat bag? Snickers, Jolly Ranchers and Whoppers

Finish the following statement:

Helping others feels.…. AMAZING.

The B Fund is grateful for Melanie and her amazing team at EYESPOT for their efforts to support our mission and empower kids to make a difference in the lives of families caring for critically ill children.

To learn more about EYESPOT, visit eyespot.com

 

Halloween Candy Drive raises $25,000

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The B Fund’s 6th Annual Halloween Candy Drive was an enormous success. This week-long initiative that invited children and families to imagine the difference that one small piece of candy could make in the lives of those in need, has come to an end and we are excited to share the following with you:

  • 3,213 individuals were engaged.
  • 114,572 pieces of candy were donated.

A FEW FUN FACTS!

  • The top three donated candies were: Kit Kat, Snickers and M&M’s.
  • An 11-year old from Weston, MA. worked alongside other school leaders to bring the Halloween Candy Drive to her school. She attended meetings and prepared materials to present to 240 students. In the end, her efforts inspired 97% of her student population to participate.

Thank you for your participation! We could not have achieved this without the support of the community, businesses and participating schools.

To learn more about our Halloween Candy Drive or to be involved, email us: info@thebfund.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Bully Prevention Month: Choose to BE KIND!

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Have you heard? October is National Bully Prevention Month! It’s time to pause from our day to day activities and shine a light on kindness and the importance of putting an end to bullying.

We believe that together, we can remove negativity from the world. But, we all have to work together to promote peace and acceptance of everyone. In the spirit of this mission, we want to give you some tips to help be the best anti-bully advocate you can be.

If you or someone you know is being bullied tell an adult. It is always a good idea to make sure that someone knows about the situation so that they can offer help.

Be a friend to the person being bullied. If you see someone who is being bullied, lend them a hand and take them away from the bully. This will help them feel better and who knows? You may gain a great friend.

If you come across a bully, don’t be mean to the bully. Instead, maybe they need a friend. They might not know how to talk to people and they need someone to listen to them. Sometimes being extra nice is the perfect way to handle a bully of your own.

A better world starts when we act with kindness and offer a friendly hand to each other everyday. It doesn’t have to be anything big! Even offering a simple smile to brightens someone’s day is just enough. Together, with kindness, we can stop bullying.

2018 Halloween Candy Drive: SAVE THE DATE

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The 6th annual Halloween Candy Drive will take place November 1st – 5th.

This FIVE DAY initiative aims to teach children the power of giving through items that are truly valuable to children of all ages: their Halloween Candy! For each piece of candy donated, The B Fund contributes $0.25 to Boston Children’s Hospital and Team IMPACT, up to a total of $25,000.

For those of you who have never participated in our Halloween Candy Drive, the objectives of this drive are twofold:

  • to raise funds for critically ill children and their families
  • to teach children about the power of giving.

Children may not understand the value of a dollar or quarter, but they understand the excitement of receiving candy each Halloween. The drive encourages children to donate some of these treasures to help sick kids.

Once the candy is collected, participating schools, businesses and families will help children to inspect and sort donated candy and place up to 20 pieces of candy into a Ziploc bag. Each child will color a “Have a Boo-tiful Day” card, sign their name and seal their bag.

Treat bags will be distributed locally to individuals working to improve the health of critically ill children. This includes families and staff members at local hospitals, police and fire stations. 

FAST FACT: In just five short years, The B Fund’s Halloween Candy Drive has raised $66,500 and has inspired over 10,000 individuals across SIX states to make a difference in the lives of families caring for critically ill children. 

If you are a business, school and or family interested in getting involved, email us by October 10th:  info@thebfund.org