Editor’s Note: The following is a profile submitted by Aspire Health Alliance for Patriot Ledger’s Lend a Hand campaign. The customer’s name has been changed.
Noel had a hard time growing up.
She was first hospitalized when she was 14 and was eventually diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She credits a Department of Mental Health worker who got Noel into a group home for inspiring her to believe in herself.
Noel still lives in a group home and hopes to enroll in an English program at Quincy College.
Noel’s dream is to become a published writer, and she writes poetry about her struggles. She asks Lend a Hand for a computer so she can convert her handwritten words into digital documents and compile a book of her poetry.
Who will lend a hand?
Lend a Hand was founded by Chazy Dowaliby, who passed away in 2019. Dowaliby, who became a well-known South Shore figure during her decades at the helm of the Ledger, was named editor-in-chief of the paper in 1998 and launched the Lend a Hand program. in her first year. Since then, Lend a Hand has raised millions from reader donations.
Donations to Lend a Hand help fund the social service programs and resources for the three partner organizations: the South Shore Community Action Council, Quincy Community Action Programs Inc. and Aspire Health Alliance. Lend a Hand only accepts monetary donations, which go to the agencies.
Aspire Health Alliance serves Boston, the South Shore and Southeastern Massachusetts by offering mental health programs and services for children, teens and adults, as well as services for children with developmental disabilities through an early intervention program. The agency is also the regional provider of 24/7 crisis intervention services.
South Shore Community Action Council is a Plymouth-based nonprofit organization serving low-income families and individuals on the South Shore through food assistance programs, child care and other social services.
Quincy Community Action Programs is a Quincy-based organization that helps individuals and families achieve financial stability through educational programs, early childhood education, and heating and utility assistance, and by helping to put food on the table through the QCAP Food Center .
Lend a Hand donations range from thousands of dollars each year to small $10 or $15 checks to coins from a child’s savings. It all adds up.
How to donate to Lend a Hand
Donating is easy.
Many will find using PayPal easiest. You can donate securely online via PayPal. All credit cards are accepted and you do not need a PayPal account. Search: PayPal Lend a Hand Foundation. The direct address is www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=F5JAG5WWMYS5A.
Another way to donate is to clip the coupon from the print edition of The Patriot Ledger or from this story. You can send a check or money order. Don’t have the discount coupon? Just send us a piece of paper with this information:
Your name, address, telephone number, amount of the contribution, who the donation comes from and whether this donation is anonymous and whether you want to donate in honor or memory of someone. Please note: your address and telephone number are not for publication, but are intended to contact you if we have any questions.
Donations by post go to:
The Patriot Ledger
3 Webster Square PMB #467
Marshfield, MA 02050
If you have any questions about The Patriot Ledger’s Lend a Hand campaign, please email newsroom@patriotledger.com and put “Lend a Hand 2024” in the subject line.
And most of all, thank you for your generosity and continued support of Lend a Hand.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Noel’s struggle landed her in a group home. Can you lend a hand?
