This holiday season, 37 homeless families with 53 children received customized gifts at an event hosted by New England’s top professional poker player and media personality, Bernard Lee, and FamilyAid Boston at the Dorchester YMCA on Saturday, Dec. 17.
The gifts came from Lee’s Full House Charity Program, which donates to organizations across New England that focus on children in need. The program is in its sixth year. This year, the Wayland resident has upped the ante by also sending all of the families to a Disney on Ice performance in Boston.
“We are so grateful for the gifts that Bernard and his family are providing for families in our programs,” says Annie Gordon, FamilyAid Boston’s director of Development and External Affairs. “For many families we serve, the holidays are a difficult time when the stresses of being without a home and having limited financial resources can be overwhelming. Bernard is giving families items they need, but he is also giving them the chance to enjoy the spirit of the holidays.”
Lee and his family met with parents and children from FamilyAid Boston’s Community Based Shelter program. Following pizza and games, children were presented with gifts from their personalized wish lists. Lee honored specific requests from each child and family and provided a range of gifts. They included winter clothing, hats and gloves, books, Sports Illustrated for Kids magazines, toys, games, sports balls, art supplies, backpacks, diapers and stuffed animals. In addition, Lee also provided every mother with a winter coat and personalized duffle bag.
“It’s a privilege to link up with FamilyAid Boston during the organization’s 100th anniversary,” Lee said. “My program has become a family tradition, especially for my own two children, who are a huge reason for the program’s success. Our goal has always been to bring joy to New England families during the holiday season. More than anything, I love seeing the children smile when they receive the specific gifts they wished for.”
Lee’s Full House Charity Program was launched in February 2011 and has since provided more than $60,000 worth of goods and fundraising to children-focused organizations in the New England 170 families and 350 children. Additionally, Lee has provided meals to the homeless during the holiday season in Cambridge, Mass. and Las Vegas, Nevada.
About FamilyAid Boston
FamilyAid Boston provides shelter, housing, and hope to more than 800 families in Massachusetts each year, including more than 1,500 children. The agency helps families at every stage of the journey from homelessness to housing by providing homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, and permanent affordable housing, along with support services to help families become stable and self-sufficient. For more information, please visit www.familyaidboston.org
