HOPEsudbury, the Telethon and What it Does for the Town

While Sudbury is considered an affluent town by many, as with countless communities and families across the country, there are those who are struggling - and sometimes silently.

HOPEsudbury is a nonprofit in town that works to alleviate those struggles for its own community.

“Many find it surprising that there is this kind of need in Sudbury,” said Tracy Steward, board member and publicity chair for HOPEsudbury. “One of the issues is that poverty is more hidden. But the numbers speak for themselves; every year we have on average 50 households in Sudbury who dreceive assistance through The HOPE Fund alone.”

HOPEsudbury raises funds to help those in need and the bulk of that funding goes to The HOPE Fund, which serves only Sudbury residents.

Residents can apply to have bills paid (limit $1,000 per year) when they get in over their head.

“We also run community drives (like a backpack drive) to help those in need,” said Stewart. “We also make small gifts to other nonprofits locally and abroad.”

And one of its biggest fundraisers is coming up soon. The annual HOPEsudbury telethon takes place on Saturday, Nov. 7, from noon to 10 p.m., when folks can donate and watch it live in the Lincoln-Sudbury High School auditorium or on Sudbury TV (Comcast channel 8 or Verizon channel 31).

“The annual telethon is our major fundraiser for the year, raising more than 90 percent of our funding,” said Stewart. We are an all-volunteer organization. This fundraiser is an actual telethon were people perform and it’s broadcast live. Anyone can perform. People sign up ahead of time to perform, and if they are interested, they need to sign up now.”

The second component of this event is the auction, which includes items for bid such as restaurant gift cards, sports tickets and a lot more. The auction takes place online but the items are also featured throughout the day on the telethon.

“We are collecting auction items right now and if some one wants to donate they can go to the website as well,” said Stewart.

Stewart explains that HOPEsudbury was founded initially as a community response to the tragic events of 9-11.

“HOPEsudbury is dedicated to engaging the people of Sudbury in community-wide efforts to provide humanitarian aid to people in need, both at home and abroad,” she said. “We aim to create opportunities for Sudbury citizens to work together for the common good.”

Here are some programs that are funded through HOPEsudbury donations:

PROGRAMS FUNDED:

• The HOPE Fund provides short-term financial assistance to Sudbury residents with emergency or unexpected financial need.
• Any individual or family who has resided in Sudbury for at least one year may request assistance. Names of individuals who request support are kept confidential.
• Funds are available for: Fuel/Utilities, Medical Care/Medicine, Food/Special Dietary Needs, Rent/Mortgage/Insurance, Household Repairs and other needs. Funding decisions are based on individual circumstances, not specific income limits. Distributions are capped at $500 per individual or $1,000 per family.
• More than $400,000 has been distributed through The HOPE Fund since it was established in 2002. In 2014, 56 Sudbury families received support from The HOPE Fund.

Baskets of Good Will

• A simple gesture — like assembling gift baskets of goodies for families leaving a homeless shelter or the loved ones of deployed soldiers — is all it takes to demonstrate community. Distributing Good Will baskets has become a signature activity for HOPEsudbury.

Community Drives

• Community Drives are held several times each year. Recent collections included toiletries for soldiers overseas, backpacks and school supplies for a local homeless shelter, art supplies for the Colored Pencil Project, baby items for Family Promise MetroWest, and children’s books for libraries in South Africa.

Beyond Our Borders

• The Beyond Our Borders program makes small gifts to nonprofits locally and abroad.

HOPE at Home

• HOPE at Home provides occasional funding to Sudbury organizations serving vulnerable populations in town. Past recipients have included the Council on Aging, the Fire Department and an after school program. HOPEsudbury is also a big supporter of the Sudbury Community Food Pantry, sponsoring food drives and making monetary contributions.

Find out more about HOPEsudbury and the telethon, including information on how performers can sign up, and bidding on auction items.