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October 4, 2008: We love Mikey Lowell. He appeared in the Boston Globe sports section today with his Labels cap, and we’re seeing him
online in blogs like this. October 4, 2008: As mentioned in the previous Buzz item, we’re really happy that Red Sox
players are wearing Labels’ Hungry Cap
by John Varvatos during their defeat of the Los Angeles Angels. For an
example, click here for an interview from tonight’s news . . . or here for some on-field shots. October 1, 2008: Just before the Boston Red Sox headed out to California to play the Los
Angeles Angels in their division series, Central Committee member Sean Casey
distributed the Labels Are For Jars Hungry
Cap by John Varvatos to every player on the Sox. Keep your eye open for
those Labels caps on the Sox during the playoffs. Our Hungry Cap by John Varvatos is available to you through our online
store. September 30, 2008: Today is the second anniversary of the opening of the Cor Unum Meal
Center. We are very pleased to announce that during those two years, we have
served more than 265,000 meals at Cor Unum! We hope that all of
the supporters of Labels Are For Jars recognize the remarkable good that has
been accomplished through their generosity. Two years . . . more than 265,000
meals . . . two million thanks to you! September 28, 2008: We had a huge dinner at Cor Unum tonight to celebrate our
just-around-the-corner second anniversary of operations. More than 800 people
came to tonight’s dinner! A big thank you to the many volunteers who made
tonight’s meal such a big success! September 26, 2008: A group of students from the Brooks School in North Andover, MA began
volunteering tonight at dinner at Cor Unum, and plan to make this a regular
commitment. If you would like to explore the possibility of volunteering at
Cor Unum, please click here. September 23, 2008: The Boston Red Sox clinched their playoff berth tonight. In the
post-game celebration, Central Committee member Sean Casey showed the world
that he really needs to come out of his shell. Stay tuned for a Labels
connection to cap the regular season for the Red Sox. September 20, 2008: This week we received matching gifts from two donors’ companies – one
for $150 and another for $2,500. These matching gifts really add up. If your
company offers this opportunity, we are very eager to take advantage of it. September 17, 2008: Our big celebration of the second anniversary of Cor Unum’s operations
will be a feast for our guests on Sunday, September 28 from 4:00 to 6:30 pm.
If you’d like to join us, we’ll be happy to see you in Lawrence! September 13, 2008: Spotted today at Fenway Park: Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell with a
“troubled teen” Labels shirt. September 10, 2008: We are approaching the second anniversary of having opened the doors of
the Cor Unum Meal Center. In our first year of operations, we served just
over 100,000 meals. What’s your guess for how many meals we’ll have served in
our second year? September 8, 2008: Central Committee members Sean Casey and Paul B. O’Brien today welcomed
to Lawrence one of our major donors from Ohio. If you’re a Labels supporter
visiting the Boston area, please give us a shout if you’d like to come by for
a visit! September 4, 2008: School’s back in session in Lawrence this week, which makes us
especially thankful that we are able to offer our local children breakfast at
Cor Unum before they go to school. Breakfast is served daily from 6:00 to
8:00 am at Cor Unum. If you’re in the neighborhood, please join us for a
meal. September 1, 2008: Today is Labor Day. Thank you to all who sacrificed their time and
talent volunteering at Cor Unum this summer. Summer brings out highest number
of guests and biggest stretch for volunteers, so your help has been deeply
appreciated. August 29, 2008: We know that lots of young people are returning to school these days.
If you are interested in pursuing the possibility of forming a Labels Are For
Jars street team at your school, please contact us at questions@labelsareforjars.org, or 978-984-0118. August 25, 2008: Thank you to the four supporters who recently dropped off their Labels jars
in Lawrence. The total count came to $399.98! August 21, 2008: We appreciate the following contributions from around Massachusetts: $5
from Salem; $20 from Chelmsford; $25 from North Andover; $25 from Falmouth;
$25 from Wilmington; $25 from Wellesley; $25 from Lawrence; $30 from Newton;
$30 from Woburn; $32 from Roslindale; $35 from Brighton; $40 from Reading;
$40 from Methuen; $40 from Andover; $50 from Chatham; $50 from Jamaica Plain;
$50 from Melrose; $50 from Hingham; $70 from Winchester; $75 from Walpole;
$75 from Allston; $100 from Marshfield; $100 from Concord; $150 from
Littleton; $200 from Newburyport; $200 from Braintree; $300 from North
Reading; $300 from Arlington; and $1,000 from Carlisle. That’s a lot of
territory – and a lot of generosity! August 17, 2008: A number of companies have programs that allow employees to make
regular contributions to charitable organizations by having certain amounts
of money drawn directly from their paychecks. If your company has such a
program, please give us a shout if there’s a possibility of adding Labels to
the list of organizations that benefit from employees’ contributions. August 13, 2008: In the depths of the summer, we are once again thankful that Cor Unum’s
air conditioning offers our guests a respite from the heat. Especially for
families with children, not having AC at home is not a lot of fun. August 9, 2008: We had a visit today from a 78-year-old Labels supporter from Boston,
who hand-delivered his full Labels jar. We’re looking forward to his
continuing to fill his jar for many years to come! August 6, 2008: We are grateful for recent gifts from the town of North Andover, MA,
which borders Lawrence: $25, $25, $25, $25, $25, $25, $35, $50, $50, $60,
$100, and $150! August 3, 2008: Central Committee members Sean Casey and Paul B. O’Brien filmed an
interview at Fenway Park with Liz Walker, whose “Sunday with Liz” program is
broadcast on WBZ-TV. If you’re in the New England media market, you can catch
or TiVo that segment next Sunday, August 10, at 11:00 am. July 31, 2008: We last night had another great meeting of the Cor Unum Book Club, with
an army of kids of all ages receiving brand new books. Some are preparing to
write reviews of the books they’re reading through the Book Club. We’ll keep
you up to date on that. July 28, 2008: We welcome to Lawrence this week a group of teenagers and adults who
are participating in the Catholic HEART Work Camp. Catholic HEART Work Camp
each summer brings together thousands of young people across the United
States for week-long service projects and spiritual development. We are
grateful that one of the Boston CHWC groups has linked up with Cor Unum and
Labels Are For Jars! July 25, 2008: A couple in Wellesley, MA began in December 2005 sending us a generous
gift every few months. Their regular donations have now been written into
their electronic check-writing system. The grand total of their gifts to
date? $4,500 to help feed hungry
people through Cor Unum! July 22, 2008: The latest milestone passed at Cor Unum was our having served more than
230,000 meals since we opened the doors on September 30, 2006. Without all of
our Labels Are For Jars supporters, this would never have been possible! July 19, 2008: Connor Smith was one of the original members of the Saint Sebastian’s
Street Team and is now a student at Notre Dame. It was great to see Connor
back in Lawrence, serving breakfast at Cor Unum this morning. If you’re a
street team alum who’s back in the area for the summer, please stop by to say
hello. . . and put on an apron! July 16, 2008: Thank you for recent Labels jar returns: $16.29 from Delray Beach, FL;
$23.15 from Winchester, MA; $24.36 from Minneapolis, MN; $70.75 from
Brighton, MA; $75 from Lawrence, MA; $107 from Newton, MA; and $175 from
Lawrence, MA. Keep filling your jars, and keep feeding the hungry! July 13, 2008: A Massachusetts foundation that operates beneath the radar to fund
creative efforts that assist the economically poor has in recent months sent
us two gifts totaling $5,000. We are honored to receive your support! July 11, 2008: We know that many youth group leaders are working this summer to plan
programs for the upcoming academic year. If you’re interested in getting your
group involved with Labels Are For Jars, please
contact us at questions@labelsareforjars.org, or 978-984-0118. July 8, 2008: Online sales indicate you should see people wearing Labels gear in the
following communities: Manchester, NH;
Amston, CT; New York City, NY; Princeton, NJ;
Horsham, PA; Annapolis, MD; Washington, DC; Alexandria, VA; Mooresville, NC;
Buford, GA; Jacksonville, FL; Chicago, IL; Findlay, OH; Ypsilanti, MI; St.
Paul, MN; Milwaukee, WI; Monument, CO; Richardson, TX; San Francisco, CA;
Portland, OR; and Peoria, AZ. July 5, 2008: It’s been a fun Independence Day weekend at Cor Unum, with a big feast
yesterday on the 4th and the celebration continuing today and tomorrow.
We appreciate all the volunteers who lent a hand with dinner last night,
including Labels Central Committee member Dan O’Brien and his family. July 2, 2008: A friend of Labels recently helped launch the Cor Unum Book Club, which
has begun to meet regularly to offer high-quality, new books to children of
all ages who eat at Cor Unum. There are books for tots to teens. After a Book
Club member chooses a book, a Cor Unum Book Club bookplate is added with the
owner’s name inscribed in it. (Thanks to Central Committee member Dan
Caldicott for producing the bookplates!) Our hope is that Cor Unum Book Club
members will gradually build up home libraries filled with the books they’ve
read through our Club. June 29, 2008: Seen volunteering tonight at Cor Unum: Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, who represents Massachusetts’ 5th
Congressional District, which includes Lawrence. Representative Tsongas has
increasingly identified herself with anti-hunger and anti-poverty initiatives
both nationally and locally. We are grateful for her personal support of Cor
Unum. June 26, 2008: The numbers of people eating at Cor Unum continue to significantly
increase, as does our need for volunteers – especially at dinner. If you are
able to help us this summer serve meals at Cor Unum, please click here. June 23, 2008: Since our inception, Labels Are For Jars has been a 501(c)(3) organization, which means that all contributions are
tax-deductible. Our 501(c)(3) status was originally
drawn from Labels’ legally being a part of Saint Patrick Parish in Lawrence.
Thanks to the hard work of Central Committee member Luke O’Brien, we now have
independent 501(c)(3) status as Labels Are For Jars, Inc. One result of this
shift is that organizations that do not make grants or match donations to
religiously-affiliated charities will now be able to donate to Labels Are For
Jars. If you are connected with such an organization, we hope this will allow
you to help expand our mission. June 20, 2008: We are always pleased to find support for our project from folks in
other countries. We are especially pleased to have recently received a major
gift of $10,000 from donors in London, England. Many thanks!! June 17, 2008: Muchas gracias for the following donations from across the USA: $50 from Nashua, NH; $100 from Syracuse,
NY; $110 from Annapolis, MD; $50 from Cary, NC; $30, $50, and $100 from
Westminster, CO; $100 from Woodland Hills, CA; and $150 and $500 from San
Francisco, CA. June 14, 2008: The eighth grade social studies classes at Wellesley Middle School in
Wellesley, MA took up a collection to help feed hungry people in Lawrence. We
appreciate their donation of $80 to Labels Are For Jars. June 11, 2008: The Winchester Street Team tonight had a meeting to review some of the
great stuff they’ve done for Labels during this academic year. The group
presented Central Committee member Paul B. O’Brien with some very big checks
to support the Cor Unum Meal Center. It’s been a great year! June 9, 2008: Central Committee members Sean Casey and Paul B. O’Brien appeared on
the popular “TV Diner” program on NECN, which broadcasts throughout New
England. To watch the segment, click here. Thankfully, Sean did not get
involved in any scuffles and was not suspended from three future programs. June 6, 2008: Joe McCafferty, who helps with the Winchester Street Team, was at
Labels headquarters today to pick up inventory for his team to sell at
tomorrow’s Winchester Day celebration. We are so impressed by the enthusiasm
and dedication of the Winchester Street Team. June 3, 2008: Our favorite Frenchman, Stephane Colinet, tonight hosted a wine tasting
at the Cafe Escadrille in Burlington, MA, where he serves as wine director
and manager of the Gourmet Room. Stephane and co-host Billy Costa managed to
extensively promote Labels during the event – for which we are very grateful! May 31, 2008: Gifts to Labels Are For Jars come in a range of amounts – from a few
dollars to many dollars. We are very pleased to have received a donation of $10,000
from supporters in Canton, MA. That’s many
dollars, and will feed many, many people at Cor Unum. May 28, 2008: Thank you for the following recent donations from folks who live in
Lawrence: $10, $19, $19, $19.79, $20,
$20, $20.40, $25, $25, $25, $30, $30, $40, $50, $50, $60, $75, $80, $100,
$150, $230, $500, and $1,000. It means a great deal to receive so much
support from our local community. May 25, 2008: Friends of Labels in Jamaica Plain, MA, organized a garage sale and
sent us the profits. Great idea! If you’d like to clear out your house and
help feed the hungry in the process, we will welcome the proceeds! May 22, 2008: We were really happy to have members of the Winchester street team
volunteering at Cor Unum this week. You guys are a huge help! May 19, 2008: A bible study group in Wellesley, MA has done two collections from its
members and sent us donations of $110 and $185. We are very grateful for
these sacrifices. May 16, 2008: Thank you for $100 donations from supporters in the following
communities around Massachusetts: Newton Centre, Lexington, Andover, Hingham,
Concord, Brighton, Beacon Hill, Medfield, Wareham, Lawrence, and North
Reading. May 13, 2008: Spring has sprung in this part of the USA, which brings us into T-shirt
weather. There’s no better time to pick up a new Labels shirt or two. To
purchase Labels gear, simply click into our online store. May 10, 2008: Spotted volunteering at Cor Unum: Ralph Jaccodine, manager of Bang
Camaro, along with his two children and Central Committee member Lisa Fehl.
Thanks to Ralph for all he has done to promote our work! May 7, 2008: Stephen M. Mills, a great friend of Labels, recently received his
graduate degree from the University of Michigan School of Art and Design.
Stephen’s final project was a cutting-edge vehicle for homeless people called
the Homeless Utility Vehicle. To check out Stephen’s very cool project, click
here. (Is that a Labels Skullcap by John Varvatos that
Stephen’s sporting in one pic?) May 4, 2008: Muchas gracias to a Labels pal in Arlington, MA who invited guests at
his 30th birthday party to make contributions to Labels Are For
Jars. His friends kicked in $205 in donations, which we are happy to put to
work at Cor Unum! May 1, 2008: We are grateful to Labels supporters who regularly send us the contents
of their collection jars. Thanks for recent returns from around
Massachusetts: $13.77 from Chestnut Hill, $25.33 from Stoneham, $26.54 from
Concord, $29.50 from Chelmsford, $100 from Arlington, and $125 from Concord.
One hundred percent of the money sent to us from Labels collection jars is
used to feed people at the Cor Unum Meal Center. Every penny is put to good
work! April 28, 2008: Central Committee member Paul B. O’Brien spoke today to an assembly of the
upper school students at the Glen Urquhart School in Beverly, MA. Thank you
to Head of School Raymond Nance, as well as all of the students and faculty,
for their warm welcome to Glen Urquhart. We’re looking forward to future
collaboration! April 27, 2008: It is very clear in Lawrence that the economy is in a bad place. Recent
increases in food and fuel prices are hitting our people particularly hard.
The numbers of people eating at Cor Unum each day are significantly
increasing, with the line stretching through our parking lot each evening
before dinner. With this larger number of guests, we also have need for more
volunteers at dinner. If you are interested in serving at Cor Unum, click here. April 24, 2008: A married couple who live just outside Boston began in 2005 to make a
monthly financial contribution to Labels. With their latest donation, their
total gifts have reached the milestone of $10,000! We are continually amazed
by this sacrificial generosity. April 21, 2008: A senior at Wellesley High School in Wellesley, MA heard about Labels
Are For Jars from his parents, and took it on himself to spread the word
about Labels to members of the student body and faculty at his school. He
sent us the returns from an initial collection at school, and is planning
another drive toward the end of the school year. He writes, “I hope to be
working closer with this organization as the end of the school year
approaches and through my college career.” It is this kind of grassroots
support and viral marketing that continues to expand the success of Labels
Are For Jars. April 19, 2008: Members of the youth group from St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford, MA were
driving to Lawrence to help serve dinner at Cor Unum. During the drive, the
conversation somehow led to the teenagers’ emptying their own pockets to
collect $53 to help support Cor Unum. We like this kind of conversation. April 16, 2008: A couple who were recently married in Chestnut Hill, MA placed cards at
each place setting at their reception that informed guests that, in lieu of
traditional party favors, a donation had been made on their behalf to Labels
Are For Jars. The card included basic information about our mission and our
website address. We are grateful whenever a newly married couple shares the
blessing of their marriage with the people of our community! April 13, 2008: The Boston Globe Magazine
today published a super article about poverty in Lawrence, including a focus
on the Cor Unum Meal Center. To access the article, click here. Many thanks to Charlie Pierce, editor of the Globe Magazine and author of the article, for his beautiful work. April 10, 2008: Teenagers from Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Shirley, MA and Saint Mary Parish in Ayer, MA once again organized a “Souper Bowl of Caring” to benefit Labels on Super Bowl Sunday. The total proceeds were $997! We are very grateful for this donation, and for the many hours that teens from these parishes have devoted to volunteering at Cor Unum. April 7, 2008: We mentioned in January that Central Committee member Dan Caldicott had been overseeing a new project that would soon be hitting the streets. The streets have now been hit – with the very cool Labels Are For Jars design of Cor Unum’s refrigeration truck. To see some pics, click here. The truck, which was donated by friends of Labels, is used to transport food to the meal center each week. It’s now a moving billboard for Labels. Thanks to Dan, Mike and Zack Toth, and all the folks at Toth Brand Imaging for their creativity and dedication! April 4, 2008: Let’s take a trip around the USA to thank
supporters who have sent donations of $200 from Hampton, NH; $50 from Rye,
NH; $100 from Edison, NJ; $1,000 from New York City; $30 from McKnightstown,
PA; $130 from Washington, DC; $130 from Alexandria, VA; $20 from Cary, NC;
$30 from Apex, NC; $25 from Savannah, GA; $500 from Smyrna, GA; $50 from
Amelia Island, FL; $5 from Evansville, IN; $100 from Kohler, WI; $25 from
Westminster, CO; $750 from Denver, CO; $100 from San Francisco, CA; and (to
return to the East Coast) a big $6,000 from Old Tappan, NJ! April 1, 2008: If you haven’t recently checked out media coverage of Labels, click here to scan updated postings on our
“In the News” page. March 29, 2008: As Central Committee member Sean Casey (who is now fluent in Japanese) approaches
the beginning of the baseball season, we are very grateful to one of his fans
who mailed us a donation of $10,000 for the second consecutive year. As Sean
would say, どうもありがとう! March 26, 2008: We occasionally publish an electronic
newsletter for Labels supporters, and we’ve got a new one on the way. If
you’re not on our e-newsletter mailing list and would like to be, simply send
us your e-mail address at subscribe@labelsareforjars.org. March 23, 2008: A huge Easter feast was served today at Cor
Unum to more than 600 guests. The menu included seafood salad, honey glazed
ham, roast prime rib of beef, garlic mashed
potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, glazed carrots, and an amazing assortment of desserts.
Thank you to all who made possible this celebration, especially Diane Jarvis,
Director of the Cor Unum Meal center. March 19, 2008: As we come to the end of Lent, we encourage
all who have participated in our Lenten program to empty their collection
jars, put the contents in the form of a check or money order, and mail them
to Labels Are For Jars, 118 South Broadway, Lawrence, MA 01843. If you have
any suggestions for next year’s lent program, please send them along. March 16, 2008: A Labels supporter from Duxbury, MA makes
golf junkets to the Carolinas with a group of his friends. When he returns
from these trips, he sends us a $500 donation as a thank-you gift to his
friends. We are encouraging his game! March 13, 2008: The American Ireland Fund tonight threw a
huge bash in New York City, honoring Central Committee member Conan O’Brien
with their 2008 Irish Spirit Award for his work with Labels Are For Jars. We
are very grateful to the American Ireland Fund for the accompanying donation of
$10,000 to Labels, and to Conan for all he has done to advance our
mission. To see some photos from the
event, click here. March 10, 2008: If it’s getting any warmer in your part of
the country, you may want to ring in the spring with the purchase of a Labels Skull Cap by John Varvatos. Our
super-cool caps are made from 100% marino wool, which is perfect material for
not-so-cold weather. To make your purchase, simply visit our online store. March 6, 2008: How much do we love New York? It’s impossible to describe. We
especially love the folks who have made online purchases of Labels gear in
the following New York communities: Brewster, Brooklyn, Dobbs Ferry,
Flushing, Hamilton, Kenoza Lake, Liberty, Lynnbrook, Manhattan, North Salem, Pavilion, Queens,
Ronkonkoma, Scarsdale, Shoreham, and Watertown. March 3, 2008: Elizabeth O’Brien, Gillian O’Brien, and
Jessie Tardif of Winchester, MA organized a lemonade stand to rake in some
cash for Labels Are For Jars. The profits from the venture totaled $4, which
we received gratefully and put straight to work at the Cor Unum Meal Center. February 29, 2008: Happy Leap Year, and many thanks to a Labels donor in New York City who submitted to his company the matching gift paperwork for his contribution to Labels Are For Jars. This simple ef |