What an incredible experience it was to serve others in Jesus’ name while serving at Evelyn House and at My Brother’s Keeper.

Evelyn House is a family homeless shelter. Our group painted 7 bathrooms at Evelyn House and the bathrooms came out beautifully. The families all appreciated our work, especially the children. It touched our hearts to see how much the children loved their new blue and green bathrooms.

At My Brother’s Keeper we delivered furniture to 12 families. This service experience enabled us to see first-hand the desperate situations of many in our communities who are not homeless, but who are struggling in so many different ways. A family in Dorchester received a refrigerator and two beds so their 12 year old son and 7 year old daughter didn’t have to sleep on the floor any more. Imagine living with no refrigerator. A disabled man in Quincy, who lives in a one bedroom apartment had only a television and a coffee table. He was using the coffee table to sit on so he could watch his favorite television program. He received a couch, a kitchen table, two chairs, a bed, two lamps, two end tables, pots and pans and kitchen utensils. The look of gratitude on the man’s face was priceless. A woman on the 18 ^th floor of an apartment high rise in Fall River received a bed for her son, a kitchen table and 2 chairs. She couldn’t stop crying and thanking us for her deliveries. A woman in Somerset who had just moved from being in a domestic abuse situation in Lowell and had nothing, received a complete living room set (including a television), as well as a complete kitchen and bedroom set. The hugs we all received from her were extra special. With all 12 deliveries we made, we saw similar living conditions. Our muscles ached and we were tired as we carried heavy furniture up many floors in apartment buildings, but the work was worth it. There are 90 more families on a list at My Brother’s Keeper waiting for used furniture and the calls keep coming. The last gift each family receives on a delivery is a crucifix with these words shared from the volunteers, “He provided you with your furniture and answered your prayers. We were just His hands and feet today.” The motto at My Brother’s Keeper is “We carry furniture and food….. we deliver Hope.” This was an emotional and humbling experience for us. We resided at Stonehill College during our mission trip experience. We began our day every morning at Mass with the Congregation of Holy Cross Fathers and every evening we engaged in scripture reflections, journaling and important discussions and activities about what this experience is teaching us about our faith and care and concern for our neighbors. We are most grateful for the parish’s support and prayers for our efforts. Thank You!


Kerry A. Payson
Director of Youth Ministry