Neighbor Brigade Launches in Lexington

Lexingtonians in need have many places to turn for help.

In cases of emergency, they look to town agencies, school and church communities and even online lists, where friends, neighbors and strangers respond with offers to provide meals, rides and whatever else fits the situation. 

Now, one local woman is looking to bring together all of these existing networks into one Neighbor Brigade. 

Two weeks ago, Stephanie Lawrence launched Lexington’s chapter of Neighbor Brigade, a volunteer-driven nonprofit that uses online tools to find and connect volunteers with families who need support. Already, she has 125 volunteers.

“It’s been so impressive to have heard from so many new volunteers, how welcoming they have been,” said Lawrence. “It makes me so grateful to live in a community where people are so willing to help.”

Not that it should have come as a surprise to Lawrence, who has seen firsthand how transformative the help of others can be to a family in need.

Ten years ago, Lawrence was diagnosed with cancer. Her youngest daughter was two weeks old, her triplet girls were just 3 and Lawrence, their primary caregiver, was facing major surgery. That’s when the other parents at her daughter’s nursery school sprang into action and provided invaluable help in the form of food – meals for every day of the week. 

Lawrence survived cancer, but the kindness stuck. And then, earlier this year, she read a story sounded awfully familiar.

In an interview with the Globe, Pam Washek, the executive director of Neighbor Brigade, recalled her own experience wherein friends and neighbors came together to help Washek through her own battle with cancer by providing meals, rides, house cleaning and dog walking.

“My diagnosis and treatment was 10 years ago, but it was such a powerful experience that it just stuck with me,” said Lawrence. “I’ve been searching for a way to pay that forward, because it was just such a vital help for us. When I read that interview with Pam, I just knew this was exactly what I wanted to bring to Lexington.”

How It Works

As the coordinator for the newly launched Lexington chapter of Neighborhood Brigade, Lawrence is both recruiting volunteers and searching for families who need support. Once she finds a family in need, Lawrence will meet with them, assess their needs and add them to an online calendar before emailing all of the volunteers who can pick and choose times and activities that appeal to them. 

These are nonmedical, day-to-day household needs that might be things like preparing meals, running errands, providing rides or picking up prescriptions.  Typically, Neighborhood Brigade steps in for a temporary crisis – like a critical illness or sudden family tragedy – but they do not put a timeline on services, Lawrence said. 

Many among the current volunteers signed up through Lexington Public Schools listservs or after hearing about Neighborhood Brigade through word-of-mouth promotion. The chapter is currently mobilized and assisting one local family. 

To give an idea of how quickly Lexingtonians have taken to the Brigade, Lawrence cited one recent example: On Wednesday, April 25, Lawrence received word that the family could use an extra car seat for a short time, so she reached out to the volunteers and to LexFUN! There were three offers within the hour. 

“The next step, as I see it, is to continue to grow the volunteer pool and to continue to reach out to organizations in town who provide services to individuals and families,” said Lawrence, a member of Lexington's Human Services Committee since 2010. “One of the aspects of Neighbor Brigade is bringing existing circles together, so people aren’t only learning about needs within their school district, or their house of worship. Now, they can be aware of the families outside their immediate area and circles.”

For more information about Neighbor Brigade or to sign up, visit the organization's website, Neighborbrigade.org.