[email protected]+ Boston Day of Service

♪ music ♪ [Mike Festa] We are very big into the mission of what AARP is all about— I am so happy as the State Director of Massachusetts to see so many volunteers from all over the country. But a lot of folks from Massachusetts to be sure— who have come this morning to volunteer and roll up their sleeves— and get right to the business of helping people. Nice and strong. Today is a focused effort on Community Day of Service. Now I can tell you the Greater Boston Food Bank— they serve 87,000 meals a week. And we're doing a lot of meal packing to get them teed up. In fact, the way it was told to me by those organizing this— is that we have so many volunteers. And we have so much going on with meal packing— that they had to say stop— we can't store enough of those meals— you know, the bags and all that's being assembled. So that really tells me, and I hope it tells the folks listening— that we're really making an impact there too. ♪ music ♪ [female speaker] I am making a mess, but I'm enjoying it. And I hope that when my pots are completed and they're given away as gifts— someone will enjoy it. Because a lot of love is going into making a mess. [female speaker] It's important to me because I want to think that somebody would do it for me. And this is what AARP is all about. ♪ music ♪ [female speaker] It's great. It's wonderful. It's something that should happen everywhere— in every state. And I'm proud to be a part of it today here in Boston. This is my first time volunteering with AARP. And I'm enjoying it, and I hope that someone enjoys what we're doing for them tomorrow. ♪ music ♪ [female speaker] We're originally from this area. We live now in Colorado, and we just wanted to come back and be Boston Strong, and come back and help the community. So we thought this was a good thing for the homeless children to make the bed. ♪ music ♪ [male speaker] Certainly, the work that the volunteers from AARP are doing here this morning— is going to help in the sense that we'll have 30 or 40 new beds that we can bring out to agencies today and tomorrow. And they may be in homes, and in apartments, and in rooms with families by this weekend. So we have people moving into stable housing— who—their kids, their 2 and 3 year olds, their 4 year olds are sleeping on the floor because they don't have a bed. And this is just something that you don't hear much about. It's something we've heard a lot about from agencies in this community. And we are building 500 beds this year. And we can tell you that we brought a bed to a homeless shelter served by Heading Home. And we brought it up to the bedroom, and put it together. And the mother was there. She spoke no English. And her little 2-year-old boy did. And what he said was in English, and it was very— he was very excited— and he said, "this is my bed?" So he—they were just very, very appreciative. That little boy—and if we can reach 500 kids like that this year or more through working with AARP volunteers and other volunteer groups— I'll think we'll—we'll be very pleased with ourselves. But the work will continue. ♪ music ♪ ♪ music ♪