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Lawrence has a population of just over 71,000
people, 70 percent of whom are Hispanic. An amazing 27 percent of the people
of Lawrence live below the poverty line. Of children under age 18 in
Lawrence, 37 percent live in households below the poverty line, as do 23
percent of people age 65 and over. The combination of economic poverty and an
unusually expensive housing market leaves many people in Approximately 75 percent of school-age
children in
Cor Unum is a not-for-profit meal center
located in The The Cor Unum Meal Center very powerfully responds to the urgent need to feed the hungry in Lawrence, lovingly welcoming all people, providing nourishment for the bodies and souls of all who are in need. |
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Labels is the brainchild of a team that includes late-night
funnyman Conan O’Brien, MLB All-Star Sean Casey, celebrated brand designer
Mike Toth, and Father Paul B. O’Brien. The group launched Labels Are For Jars as a unique
means of raising money to feed hungry people through the Cor Unum Meal Center. Labels markets a thought-provoking black t-shirt that is adorned
with a commonly used label on the chest, and “Labels Are For Jars” across the
back. Currently available shirts are
“addict”, “geek”, “homeless”, “jock”, “minority”, “prisoner”, “mentally ill”,
“pacifist”, “slacker”, and “troubled teen”. The Labels line also includes the
Labels Skull Cap by John Varvatos,
personally created by one of today’s most celebrated fashion designers, John
Varvatos. The black wool cap has a “hungry” label on the front and the Labels
Are For Jars and John Varvatos logos on the back. In
the summer of 2009, five Boston Red Sox players launched Labels’ “Hit for
Hunger” campaign. Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon,
and Dustin Pedroia released Labels’ “Hit for Hunger” shirts - available in
red and blue – which display each player’s name and number, as well as the
“Hit for Hunger” and Labels Are For Jars logos. Labels
shirts and caps are packaged in clear plastic jars with coin slots cut into
the screw tops. Buyers are encouraged to use the jars at home, school, or
work to collect as much money as they can. When the jars are filled, buyers
send their donations in the form of a check or money order to Labels Are For Jars. The shirts are
sold from our website and through direct sales groups in local communities
called street teams. Street teams are primarily groups of high school and
college students, who have a unique power to affect change in our society. Labels Are For
Jars is comprised completely of volunteers, so every cent we collect is used
to help feed the hungry in |
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At the end of 2001, a small group of men and women who shared a common concern about hunger in Lawrence began to explore in depth the reality of hunger in their city. They reviewed existing anti-hunger efforts in Lawrence, speaking at length with the leaders of food programs, government and private social service organizations, local health care institutions, and schools. After extensive research, it was determined that there was a compelling need for additional food for the hungry and a significant demand for a meal center to be established in South Lawrence. Community leaders generously offered their support for a new effort that might address the challenges at hand. In the spring of 2002, this new effort took the form of a committee that proceeded with the planning and organization of what emerged as the Cor Unum Meal Center. (“Cor Unum” means “One Heart” in Latin.) By the end of the planning process, it was concluded that more than $1.5 million would be needed to build the Cor Unum Meal Center – a very ambitious goal! In the autumn of 2004, a campaign was launched to raise $1.5+ million for the construction of Cor Unum, with Labels Are For Jars at the center of the pursuit of the mission. In September of 2005, the fundraising goal for the construction of Cor Unum was reached! Thanks to the sacrifice of individuals, foundations, businesses, and the extraordinary number of people connected with Cor Unum through Labels Are For Jars, what had seemed by many to be an unreachable goal became a reality. With the achievement of the construction goal, Labels embraced the mission of helping raise by September 2006 $400,000 to fund Cor Unum’s operational expenses. Construction of the Cor Unum Meal
Center was completed in September 2006, allowing the doors of the
state-of-the-art center to be opened on September 30, 2006 for the serving of
meals. The fantastic news was that the $400,000 goal for operational expenses
was reached. Once again, the supporters of Cor Unum and Labels Are For Jars
achieved what had seemed to many to be an unachievable goal! Between October 2006 and January
2007, dinner service at Cor Unum expanded from three to seven nights a week.
Breakfast service began in May 2007 and reached a full seven-days-a-week
schedule in August 2007. By the time of the center’s first anniversary in
September 2007, more than 100,000 meals had been served at the Cor Unum Meal
Center. From the first
days of the operation of Cor Unum, it has been clear that its leaders’
assessment of the nutritional needs of the Lawrence community has been very
much on target. By the time of the center’s fourth anniversary in September
2010, more than 600,000 meals had been served at the Cor Unum Meal
Center. At the current rate of meal
service, more than 200,000 meals are served annually at Cor Unum. Labels Are For Jars is committed
to raising the funds needed to keep Cor Unum thriving. Through Labels Are For
Jars, people who want to change the world by feeding the hungry are able to
do so in Lawrence, MA. For more information please visit www.corunummealcenter.org |
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Popularly called “The Immigrant City” since its
foundation in the 1840’s, Lawrence has undergone during the last 40 years
significant demographic changes, including large increases in its Hispanic
population. The following statistics
(unless otherwise cited, drawn from the United States Census
Bureau’s 2006-2008 American Community Survey report) offer a concise sketch
of Lawrence today:
Lawrence faces
tremendous economic challenges that have an enormous impact on people’s
ability to sufficiently feed themselves:
Eastern
Massachusetts is one of the most expensive housing markets in the
country. Lawrence has a significant
housing shortage, leading to disproportionately expensive housing costs. Many of the residents of Lawrence are
forced to choose to pay for housing rather than for food. The Massachusetts
Department of Public Health’s “Massachusetts Births 2008” report (released in
March 2010) reveals the startling social and health care conditions in which
the majority of children in Lawrence are born:
On the educational
front, Lawrence faces daunting challenges.
In 2008, only 36 percent of eligible students graduated from high
school. The school district’s drop-out
rate in 2008-2009 was more than three and a half times the state’s
average. In the 2009 Massachusetts
Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests, the Lawrence Public Schools
ranked either last or close-to-last at every grade level in every subject
tested. Lawrence, MA is a wonderful city
with a rich history, a vibrant population, dedicated leaders, and development
projects that offer hope for the future. It is also a city with dramatic
socioeconomic problems that must be addressed not just in the future, but
today. |
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Hunger exists everywhere. Hunger does not
discriminate on the basis of age, race, or sex. It affects our children, the
unemployed, the disabled, the homeless, and the working poor. Hunger happens in communities all around The statistics that perhaps most shockingly
reveal the reality of hunger in If all people are created equal, and if all
people have the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness, much more must be done by all of us to feed the hungry in In Labels Are For Jars is eliminating hunger in Lawrence. |
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Saint Patrick Parish is a remarkably dynamic community in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Founded in 1872 to serve the needs of a primarily Irish immigrant population, St. Patrick’s has evolved into a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-generational family in the growing Lawrence community. At St. Patrick’s, more than 2000 people worship each week in three languages — English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. More than 1,000 parish volunteers coordinate approximately 75 ministries and organizations that involve people of all ages and needs. Every year, more and more parishioners sacrifice their time and talent in programs of spiritual development, youth ministry, adult education, pastoral care, and social service outreach. St. Patrick’s is a sponsoring parish for Lawrence Catholic Academy, which educates approximately 500 children in nursery school through eighth grade. Students at the school represent the full ethnic, linguistic, religious, and economic diversity of the people of Lawrence. St. Patrick’s parishioners focus much attention on the social needs of the City of Lawrence. A wonderful city, Lawrence faces very significant challenges economically, socially, academically, and spiritually. Certain problems in Lawrence — including poverty, hunger, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, the breakdown of families, and violence — can sometimes seem so enormous as to be insurmountable. It is this type of adversity that serves as the foundation for the people and supporters of St. Patrick’s to have created the Cor Unum Meal Center and Labels Are For Jars projects. In the midst of the darkness experienced by many in Lawrence, St. Patrick’s is a bright light. At St. Patrick’s, it is believed that deep challenges should be viewed with hope as opportunities for a better future. To learn more about St. Patrick’s, please go to the parish’s website, saintpatrickparish.com |