MELROSE – The Melrose Emergency Fund received over $6,000 in donations thanks to the generosity of more than 40 donors since the Mayor’s Office kicked off its annual campaign a few weeks ago.
Since its founding in 1996, the Melrose Emergency Fund connects and provides Melrose residents in need with the resources, programs and financial assistance they need to create an equitable and collaborative community. Most funds provide basic needs — food, fuel, utilities, and rent. The Emergency Fund depends entirely on donations from the public, and every donation goes directly to aid Melrose residents. Over the years, the fund accepted and disbursed hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to Melrose families.
“No family should have to worry about keeping a roof over their heads or fret about whether the lights are going to stay on,” said Mayor Brodeur. “It’s difficult to imagine the pressure of trying to navigate all those stressors. The Emergency Fund functions as a safety net in the City and as a step forward for all residents.”
The Emergency Fund will continue to collect donations through the holiday season and into the new year. Every penny goes directly to Melrose families trying to get out of debt with utility companies, maintain housing in Melrose to keep their children in Melrose Public Schools, or put food on the table-people who are often forced to decide between buying groceries or paying utility bills.
Mayor Brodeur thanks the recent donors to the Emergency Fund:
• Ronald & Deborah Harding
• Lynda Morgenroth
• Richard & Danielle Talieri
• Robert & Susan Walsh
• Bernadette Kennedy
• Michael & Susan Morris
• Deborah & Stephen Anderson
• Victor & Glenda Amirault
• Barbara & Paul Leedham
• Helen Cronin
• Mary Timmons & POA Karen Hennessy
• Mark Garabedian & Kate Lipper-Garabedian
• Kathleen Pitts in Honor of Richard Pitts
• John Calabro & Augusta Agustsson-Calabro
• Michael Bibilos
• Mary Edwards
• Cheryl Murphy, in Honor of Mrs. Carole Walsh
• Margaret Zirker & Scott Warmkessel
• Mr. & Mrs. E. Vinciarelli
• Ronald Cheney
• Bob & Nancy Savarino
• Michelle Brodeur & Ian Ward
• Linda Deangelis
• Lisa & Avi Nagr
• Carol Lavoi Shuster and the Essex County Community Foundation
• Aaron Belanger and the Melrose Men’s 30+ Baseball League
• Kate Roberts
• Carol Newell
• Donald & Janice Bissex
• Jeffrey Worth and Wakefield Co-operative Bank
• Leslie Landry
• Francis & Marguerite Squatrito
• James & Diana Lane
• Michael & Sue Anne Kostur
• Janet & Henry Murphy
• Janice Walsh
• George Proakis and Lisa Lovela
• Mary Werler
• James Keane & Tanis Houseman
• Aldo Agnoletti
• Paula Sen Root & Chris Root
• Carol Ferguson
• Vinny Nagle, in Honor of Mike Brussard
To donate, send a check to Melrose Emergency Fund, Mayor’s Office, 562 Main St., Melrose, MA 02176 or bring it directly to the Mayor’s Office on the second floor of City Hall. Checks should be made out to the City of Melrose, with “Melrose Emergency Fund” in the memo line. Contributions may also be made through the City of Melrose Online Bill Payments webpage. There is no overhead because city staff administer the funds as part of their regular duties. All applications are confidential. For questions regarding donating to the Emergency Fund, call 781-979-4440.
Community members in need of financial assistance can apply online or download an application on the City’s website at www.cityofmelrose.org/emergencyfund. All applications are reviewed by the Melrose Emergency Fund Advisory Board.
