HANSCOM AFB, Mass.–The Hanscom FCU Charitable Foundation held its annual Holiday Raffle and raised a grand total of $16,550 this year to benefit A Bed for Every Child, an initiative of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.
Contributions from Hanscom FCU employees totaled $8,275, which was matched by an $8,275 gift from the credit union. The donation will provide more than 65 beds for children in need in the Commonwealth.
Hanscom FCU also collects donations throughout the year through branch lobby collection boxes, resulting in an additional donation of $154.38 for the Coalition. In total, the credit union was able to donate $16,704.38 in 2021.
“We’re very proud to be able to present the Coalition with this donation and to continue supporting their mission,” said Paul J. Marotta, Hanscom FCU Charitable Foundation’s chairman. “The holidays are the perfect time to spread some joy, and it’s wonderful to see the Hanscom FCU family come together to support so many children in need to have a warm, comfortable bed to get a good night’s rest.”
Advocates with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, working with public schools to assist families at risk of homelessness, learned that many children struggle in school because they do not get a good night’s sleep.
“For many, the reason is that they do not have their own beds,” the credit union said. “They may be sharing a bed with a sibling, sleeping on an air mattress or couch, or sleeping on a mattress on the floor, and they don’t have their own warm bed to sleep in at night. Knowing how important a good night’s sleep is, the Coalition launched A Bed for Every Child to provide beds for children in need.”