Babson College
PAE-19: Community Sustainability Partnerships

Community partnerships through the Bernon Center include: 1. Cradles to Crayons - their mission is to put new and gently-used children's essentials into the hands of Massachusetts families who need them most. From strollers and car seats to books and clothing, we hold drives to recycle items that enrich the lives of children and the people who love them. 2. The Natick Community Organic Farm is a non-profit, certified organic farm providing productive open space, food to the public, and hands-on education for all ages, year-round. Babson helps to connect volunteers with the farm. During the summer we have students that work at the farm and then students help with the harvest in the fall. We also help to raise awareness of the farm. 3. Waltham Fields Community Farm (WFCF) supports local hunger relief efforts by providing fresh produce to local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. Since its germination in the fertile minds of an idealistic crew of gleaners in 1995, WFCF has donated approximately 120,000 pounds of produce. During the summer we have students that work at the farm and then students help with the harvest in the fall. We have not worked with them since 2008, however. 4. Boston Food Bank - We hold food drives, first year student businesses partner with them, and we send volunteers to their location in Boston. The Food Bank annually distributes nearly 20 million pounds of food, for a total wholesale value of over $41 million. The food is distributed to a network of more than 800 member feeding programs (including soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters) throughout the nine counties in eastern Massachusetts. Volunteers work to sort incoming donations and package them for delivery. 5. Needham/Wellesley Housing Authority/Barton Road: Babson supports local low-income families living in public housing in these areas through a variety of programs. Some past programs have included holiday gift donations, tutoring and mentoring for children, family togetherness events, and computer classes. Babson helps to connect to mentors and/or program coordinators as well. 6. Habitat for Humanity: There is a dedicated Habitat organization on campus and we hold four alternative break trips to support the organization.