NORTH READING — North Reading Masonic Lodge is once again hosting a new toy collection for The Mighty Meredith Project on Saturday, November 30 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the lodge, 238 Park St.
The Mighty Meredith Project (MMP) is in need of new toys, games and clothes, plus gift cards to help children who find themselves in local hospitals at different times of the year, and more specifically during the holiday season.
North Reading is lucky enough to have a strong charitable group that supports families in need. Based right here in North Reading, the Mighty Meredith Project was founded by North Reading resident and now college student, Meredith Casey, with the support of her mom, Karen Bradlinski Casey. To learn more about them and their story visit www.mightymeredith.com where you will find a “Wish List,” but as the age ranges from small toddlers to young teens, any item you thing a child would want to receive is appropriate. The page also includes a “donate now” option for those unable to participate in the local Fill the Box drive.
The toys, games and donations are brought to Meredith’s wrapping station where volunteers will match the toys with the proper patients/families to help make the holidays a little brighter for them.
“North Reading Masons are a community-based group of men who enjoy helping others. We work with local groups who share a similar desire to make our community better and to bring joy to those in need,” commented local Mason Matt Libby. “Under the leadership of Robert Cimeno, the North Reading Masons have provided assistance to many local groups and individuals. And, the Masons are very pleased to provide a collection location for such a worthy group, such as the Mighty Meredith Project.” This is the fifth year that the Masons have hosted the MMP toy collection and they are looking to increase the collections over previous years.
Enlisting helpers for this project has not been difficult. A group of NRHS students has started a grassroots campaign to collect more toys from the community through promotion at the school and local businesses. Many will be at the Lodge on the collection day to help take bags out of cars and organize the donations, Libby added. Some of the volunteers, including Wyatt Ares, Scott Costello, Nathan Barstow and Chris Libby, are returning for their fourth or fifth year. Newcomers like Eva Cannalonga, Xander Villaroel, and Willow Koepke will get to see the generosity of the North Reading residents first-hand for the first time.
The Mighty Meredith Project is special Libby whose family unknowingly benefited from MMP when his son, Christopher, found himself in Tufts Floating Hospital a few years ago. Bringing a child to the hospital can be very scary and unsettling for a family, recalls Libby, so when the nurse brought a gaming system to Christopher, it provided a much needed distraction for him and enabled their family to get through a difficult and intense time. And the Libby family didn’t receive special treatment; this is a typical experience for young patients entering the hospital due to the efforts of the Mighty Meredith Project, which helps countless families through its Be Kind mission and the generous donations from caring people in the community.
Today, the Libby family finds themselves in the children’s hospitals and satellite hospitals for routine tests and treatments for two of their sons, Chris and Charlie. Libby says, “I love to see the young patients when they have a game or toy in their hands. I know Meredith had a hand in that. It brings such joy to the patient and it allows the parents to relax, knowing that their child is comfortable.”
