Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly

CONTACT:

3305 Washington Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-8882
boston.littlebrothers.org

Martha K. Guerin, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

In 1946, Armand Marquiset founded the Little Brothers of the Poor in Paris with the aim of helping those less fortunate, especially the elderly poor. He adopted the slogan “flowers before bread” to indicate that these older people needed spiritual nourishment too: a flower or a pastry to grace the meals delivered, and visits to relieve their isolation. This philosophy animates the programs of Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly, the Greater Boston offshoot of that now-global charity. LBFE has a core staff of only four, yet its volunteers make its outreach powerful. In 2007 alone, 1600 volunteers from eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire contributed 26,300 hours of their time to benefit 650 older women and men from every Boston neighborhood. They provided escorts to hospital and doctor appointments, delivered meals and food packages, ran special events, made holiday visits, telephoned to offer reassurance, and engaged in advocacy. LBFE’s volunteers come from a wide variety of sources—corporations host Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day parties; Girl Scouts, college students, retirees, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Mormons contribute time. You too can bring sunshine to the lives of the elderly by donating a few hours of your time or helping to fund LBFE’s efforts.

(2008: HUMAN SERVICES: Health & Aging: Support Services)