Friends and family, you know that I am a committed educator, working in both public and now Catholic schools at different positions, currently the Principal of Archbishop Williams in Braintree. I'm actually in the family business as the son of a Catholic educator. My involvement and love for EV Kids is both a cause and reflection of who I am personally and professionally. And we need your support.  

Sometime in the fall of 1997, myself and a few friends went to the student Mass and then accepted the invitation from the Catholic Students Association for a spaghetti supper (and at the time some seemingly heavenly box mix brownies). A representative from Earthen Vessels (the EV in EVKids) encouraged us to apply to be a tutor. We were accepted and what followed was a four-year journey taking the Red Line to Savin Hill to meet weekly with Jonathan, a freshman at Burke High School. We spent the next four years going over homework, but also sharing stories, playing a little basketball, praying, and occasionally meeting off-campus especially when Chilis had all-you-can-eat fajitas. It was enormously spiritually fulfilling and helped became an integral part of my formation in college. When I graduated, I immediately volunteered to be a counselor at the EVKids camp in Vermont.

I'm honored to now be on the Board of EV Kids. The same spirit that I found as an undergraduate exists today. Last year, some students from Mother Caroline Academy, where there's a tutoring center, came and toured my high school. I pulled one student aside to ask her if she knew of the EV Kids program and she proudly responded, "I am an EV Kid" and then described playing Mancala with our foundress, Marie Claude (Jonathan used to humiliate me in Mancala weekly back then). 

The need for EV Kids has never been greater. EV supports 145 tutor-tutee pairs, from third grade through high school -- and now continues their support through its college success program for 25 alumni! EV Kids can make-or-break the college and career paths of our tutees. I've upped my personal goal to $5,000 this year so EV has the funds it needs to grow ever deeper roots in the Boston community. Thank you for your generous support.