Cambridge Community of Real Estate Professionals
Mardi Gras Party Fund Raiser
$75 in advance and $90 at the door. All proceeds will benefit the kids at OUR PLACE!
March 5th from 6:30-10:30 pm at The Charles Hotel Ballroom
The scene is heartwarming, but also heartbreaking because we know that when these children leave at the end of the day, they will not go home, but to a homeless shelter. They will eat at a strange table, sleep in a strange bed and their families will face a new day with challenges that must sometimes feel insurmountable.
For the past 18 years, members and friends of the Cambridge Community of Real Estate Professionals (CCR) have joined together for one very important mission: to help OUR PLACE break the cycle of homelessness for local families and their children. We know that donations go directly to helping local kids ages 3 months to 5.5 years and their families. We know that the families served here are not asked about their religious, racial or sexual orientation. The Salvation Army and OUR PLACE are dedicated to meeting human needs without discrimination.
Over 2,880 families are homeless in Massachusetts, including over 5,050 children. And, sadly, that number is growing as we struggle with the loss of jobs and homes. Please consider that homeless children are:
• 2 times more likely to go hungry
• 4 times more likely to be asthmatic
• 5 times more likely to have gastrointestinal problems
• 6 times more likely to have speech & stammering problems
• 50% have one development delay and 30% have two
• 90% worry that something bad will happen to their family
• 25% have witnessed domestic violence
• 75% wonder where they are going to live
OUR PLACE is nationally accredited and serves 38 homeless children from our Cambridge-Somerville and surrounding areas every day while their parents work, seek permanent housing, or attend school. The kids receive the attention, nutrition, social skills and specialized education they need to survive and thrive. OUR PLACE truly works to create a safe, stable and caring environment where the children can grow and learn.
As you read this letter, volunteers from the CCR are working hard to make the 19th annual fundraiser a success. We hope to raise at least $60,000 with our Mardi Gras Soiree. Won’t you join us this year on March 5th from 6:30-10:30 pm at The Charles Hotel Ballroom? We will enjoy an elegant dinner and a fun evening with raffle prizes, live & silent auctions. The band Chaser, from New York, will have you dancing to the great songs of Louis Armstrong, Motown, and today’s best dance music. Event tickets are $75 in advance and $90 at the door. All proceeds will benefit the kids at OUR PLACE!
If you wish to contribute to OUR PLACE, please consider attending our event, buying raffle tickets, donating cash or prizes, placing an ad in our program book or working on a committee. Here’s how your donation counts:
• $33 covers 1 child for 1 day
• $166 covers 1 child for 1-5 day week
• $1,000 covers 1 child for 1 month
• $6,000 covers 1 child for 6 months
• $12,000 covers 1 child for 1 year
Any donation amount is welcome. Your contribution truly changes lives! Please make checks payable to CCR-OUR PLACE. Your contribution is tax deductible. Thank you for your support!
With warm regards,
Christine Goulding & Joe Kobialka, Co-presidents
Cambridge Community of Real Estate Professionals
For more details, visit us online at:
www.CCRFoundation.org
Or, call Carol Kelly, Development Director of the CCR at 617.835.5008.
*Statistics provided by Horizons for the Homeless, Bridging the Gap Report
www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org