At the same time John and his brother Richard had noticed a favorable fundraising situation. Their Kennedy Brothers Physical Therapy centers had organized many successful fundraising efforts before, so why not add to the list. Their location, in the heart of Boston's financial district, gave them access to an excellent cross-section of potential volunteers and contributors.
The first CITC event in 1989 brought 165 children, with their parents in tow, from various shelters throughout the city to City Hall. Each child was given an individually purchased gift, taken from their wish list, from Santa. Entertainment and a holiday meal were also provided.
The growth of the program has been spectacular. The 1997 edition of the Christmas party was held at the Bayside Expo center and hosted 1250 children. There were 15 different games and rides, 5 groups of performers, a 7 course meal, free haircuts donated by the Salon Pini of Newbury Street, and of course Santa. In addition to the present they received from their wish list, the children received stuffed animals, hats, gloves, t-shirts, and educational books. All of this was put on with the help of 600+ unpaid volunteers, including junior high and high school age kids from area schools. We have year round programs which include distributing birthday presents for the children, and seminars for parents. Parent seminars have provided expert lectures given in the shelters for such topics as child safety, nutrition and financial planning. We have also helped start a day care center at the Lifehouse Shelter that is managed by the residents.
In 1995 the Adopt-a-Family program was started. The impetus was to create family intervention with lasting and concrete results. The program enlists volunteers to "follow" a family when they leave a shelter. The volunteers develop a relationship with the families and help them with financial management and other day to day questions they need help with. Intervention has included day to day support, jobs, financial and legal advice, health club memberships, transportation, daycare, clothes, food, furniture, and odd jobs around their house or apartment.
Band aid solutions are discouraged because they do not solve the problem at hand. We want to stop the revolving door of homelessness that these families are stuck in.
Over the years wonderful human interest stories have surfaced. One such example is the previously homeless children who have come back to CITC as volunteers. Another account is the story of one of the Adopt-a-Family volunteers who spent numerous hours, and endured many hardships, helping a homeless family get on their feet. When the volunteer was unexpectedly hospitalized the first people to visit this person was the family they had helped.
