As I was going through all the student information from last year, I was pleasantly surprised at the numbers. Here’s some fast facts:

• 242 students from middle schools and high schools volunteered with us in 2011 (not including our Christmas program)
• that’s a 25% increase from 2010
• They represented 48 different schools spread acrossMassachusetts,New Hampshire, and Rhode Island
• Students contributed 6,000 volunteer hours – the equivalent of three additional full-time employees for the entire year!

These students make an incredible impact on our Furniture and Food programs during the course of the year. With their help, we have increased the number of families served AND decreased the average amount of time families spend on our furniture waiting list.

At My Brother’s Keeper, in addition to being a ministry of loving service, we are a ministry of education. We work hard to provide students with important learning experiences and opportunities for personal growth as you can read in one student’s reflection:

“Volunteering at My Brother’s Keeper has taught me to never take anything for granted. I wake up every morning in my bed with heat and electricity, food and water and, right there, I’m better off than 95% of the people in the world. I realize we may never solve world hunger or help every single homeless person in the world but ‘One on one is how it’s done.’ Although I am only one person, I CAN make a difference.”

As we get underway in 2012, we are already ahead of last years numbers. Our heartfelt thanks to the many students whose hard work allows us to accomplish our mission for more families each year!