South Shore Stars, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive early education and youth development programs through a family-support approach and has served as a resource for working parents on the South Shore since 1970, announced recently that the organization raised $110,000 from corporate sponsors and individuals for its Five Decades of Impact Virtual Celebration, streamed live on Facebook on Wednesday, October 14, surpassing the $100,000 goal the organization set for itself.
Throughout the Five Decades of Impact Celebration, South Shore Stars celebrated a half-century of providing the highest quality programs to thousands of families and the South Shore’s most vulnerable children. The event started with images of children celebrating South Shore Stars’ birthday at parties held throughout the schools this fall. Stars Music Director Steve MacDonald also led numerous South Shore Stars students in singing “This Little Light of Mine.”
Emcee and meteorologist Michael Page then welcomed viewers to the special streaming celebration, and introduced South Shore Stars’ Executive Director Sheri Adlin.
“Turning 50 is a very big deal, and I am so happy to be celebrating South Shore Stars’ very important milestone with all of our family and friends,” said Adlin, who, after 26 years at the helm will be retiring at the end of this year. She discussed the origins of South Shore Stars, which she saw as a product of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. “Poverty is still pervasive and seemingly intractable throughout the South Shore,” she added. “Stars was founded on the belief (which a multitude of research has since backed up) that the availability of affordable, quality childcare is key to breaking the cycle of multigenerational poverty.”
The 50th Anniversary Celebration also honored the five facets of Stars: the visionary founder, government leaders, corporate supporters, community partners, and phenomenal staff. Adlin introduced special guest speakers who represented each facet: the husband (Archie Wahlberg) and son (Dan Wahlberg) of founder Rosemary Wahlberg, who passed away two years ago; Ronald Mariano, Majority Leader, Massachusetts House of Representatives; Doug Briggs, Chairman and CEO of Quincy Mutual Group; Sarah Link, Vice President of Community Impact for United Way; and Stars’ “dedicated and talented staff.”
“We are thrilled to be able to celebrate five decades of South Shore Stars, and to revisit stories and accounts of the positive impact we have had on so many of our community’s young people, as well as share what we continue to do to help children and families throughout the South Shore, when our services are needed now more than ever,” said Adlin. “The evening was also a wonderful testament of gratitude, as we would never have been able to achieve all we have without the vision of our founder and support of government leaders, corporate sponsors, community partnerships, and amazing staff.
“We are also incredibly grateful that we were able to reach our fundraising goal, especially in these challenging times, and are so appreciative of everyone who gave during the celebration, and those who continue to give in honor of our 50th anniversary.”
For 50 years, South Shore Stars has provided comprehensive early education and youth development programs that enhance the optimal growth of children from economically and culturally diverse families, using a family-support approach in collaboration with schools and other service providers. Four core goals form the foundation of their work: enable parents to work; help each child reach their full developmental potential; facilitate positive youth development; and improve academic achievement for students at-risk of academic failure.
Quincy Mutual Group was the Five Decades of Impact Celebration Presenting Sponsor. Additional sponsors included Galaxy Sponsors Eastern Bank and Electro Switch; Comet Sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley; Starlight Sponsors State Street Corporation and M&T Bank; and Stargazer Sponsors Duncan MacKellar Insurance Agency and AAFCPAs.
For more information about the celebration, or to make a gift to the Constellation Fund, please visit www.southshorestars.org/50thgala, contact Kristen White at kwhite@southshorestars.org or text STARS50 to 41444 for a mobile link.
About South Shore Stars
South Shore Stars is a not-for-profit organization that has been a resource for working parents on the South Shore since 1970. The organization’s two interconnected goals are to enable parents to work, and support each child to thrive. Stars’ mission is to provide comprehensive early education and youth programs through a family-support approach. They strive to enhance the development of children from economically and culturally diverse families through collaboration with parents, schools, and local communities.
South Shore Stars has embraced and nurtured thousands of South Shore families and children since their first center-based pre-school childcare center located in Quincy Center. Today, they annually serve over 1,200 children and youth age newborn through 18 years in a family child care system, Early Head Start, preschool centers, school age centers, middle school programs, a high school program, and summer camp, throughout the communities of Braintree (family child care system only), Holbrook (Early Head Start and family child care system only), Quincy, Randolph, Weymouth, and Westwood (summer camp), and surrounding cities and towns. Stars’ core goals are to enable parents to work, help each child reach their full development potential, improve academic achievement for students at-risk of academic failure, and facilitate positive youth development. Stars recognizes the importance of supporting and partnering with parents for children to be the best versions of themselves.
South Shore Stars’ main office is located at 200 Middle Street, East Weymouth, MA. For more information, please call 781-331-8505 or visit www.southshorestars.org.
