The Start of a Great Partnership!
Last summer, President of McSweeney & Ricci, Mary Lou Ricci, noticed a Facebook post on the Notre Dame Academy Alumni page and shortly after, a beautiful relationship was formed!
The post was from the Ellis Memorial School, a non-profit school located in Boston’s South End. The Ellis school provides high quality early education and care for infants, toddlers, and preschool children, and out-of-school time programs for youth in grades K through 7 at sites in the South End and Roxbury.
At the end of August each year, Ellis puts on their “Summer Showcase.” During the showcase, the Ellis students show their skills in a talent show and there’s an awards ceremony to recognize the children’s efforts. The showcase ends with each student being given a backpack filled with the supplies they will need for the upcoming school year and a $25 Old Navy Gift Card to purchase new school clothes. Last year, McSweeney & Ricci purchased the gift cards, backpacks and school supplies and the employees enjoyed the experience so much they committed to helping Ellis regularly. In December, McSweeney employees donated and wrapped Christmas gifts for the children as part of Ellis’ Frosty Friends holiday program. Assistant Personal Lines Manager, Jackie Rios regarded the holiday gift giving program and wrapping party as her favorite activity all year.
Backpack Buddies
Just a few weeks ago, McSweeney & Ricci received the list of needed backpacks and supplies for this year’s Backpack Buddies program, and sprang into action. A representative from Ellis came to pick up the donations last week and on August 28th the backpacks were given to the students at the end of their Summer Showcase. The backpacks ranged from Nike, Under Armour, to Vera Bradley and Justice and were filled with everything the students would need for the return to school, including:
- notebooks
- rulers
- erasers
- pens and pencils
- calculators
- hand sanitizers
- crayons
- markers
- sticky notes
- sharpeners
Each backpack also contained a $25 gift card to Old Navy so that each student would be able to purchase a new back-to-school outfit. Ellis School Development and Volunteer Assistant, Delaney Lawrence helped to coordinate the donation effort, and said that the children were thrilled with their new backpacks.
A Culture of Community
McSweeney & Ricci is looking forward to helping support the efforts of the Ellis School with their Frosty Friends program again this winter and in the future. Supporting the community is part of McSweeney & Ricci’s corporate culture and the agency is committed to having a positive impact on the areas where we live and work. McSweeney & Ricci regularly supports numerous local and national charities including the Sgt. Daniel Vasselian Memorial 5k, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Marshfield Boys & Girls Club, and the Carroll Center for the Blind to name a few. The agency has also provided high school scholarships to qualifying seniors from Marshfield, Scituate, and Cohasset high schools for more than twenty years.
With three locations in Braintree, Marshfield and Cohasset, McSweeney & Ricci Insurance Agency has provided personal insurance services such as home, auto, boat, and RV Insurance as well as, commercial (business) insurance to individuals and families throughout the South Shore of Massachusetts and beyond for over fifty years.
