MPF Spring Newsletter

Massachusetts Promise Fellowship | Spring Newsletter 2023

Pass the Wagon

The 12th annual Pass the Wagon fundraising event took place this year for the first time since 2019. The event has been on hiatus due to the pandemic, but we were happy to get back together with many fellows, alumni, and partners. MPF relies on your funds to uphold our five promises to all young people in the Commonwealth by improving our access to skill-building trainings, increasing our capacity to serve organizations across the state, and raise Fellow stipends for the upcoming service year.

Throughout the night, we celebrated our Red Wagon Award winner, Stephanie Hou and heard from current fellow, Dasia Miles-Langaigne, and her youth, Quante Sanders.

In her speech, Dasia spoke about what drove her to initially apply for MPF and what she has gotten out of her year of service:

“I heard talks about a recession and I wanted to find a job that I couldn’t get laid off or fired from.”... MPF has been a year of transformation for me and as I finish ... [my] time within AFH I am ready for whatever the future holds. I felt challenged in all facets of this year and in my attempts at avoiding the downsides of a recession, I found community.

At her host site, Artists for Humanity, Dasia is an integral part of the college advising team getting to know each individual student as she assisted them through every step of the college application process.

Thank you to all those in attendance and especially to the Pass the Wagon Planning Committee including Meghan Jackman, Lauryn Hart, Annie Kelley, Lindsay Nicastro, Sarah Viadero, and Olivia Harris. We could not have done it without your support.

Red Wagon Award Winner: Stephenie Hou

Stephanie Hou (MPF Class 16 and 17) is the recipient of the Red Wagon Award for the 2023 year. The Red Wagon Award is given to a person who embodies the mission of the Mass Promise Fellowship and embodies its five promises. Stephanie was nominated by her former supervisor and colleague, Nikki Shults, Executive Director of Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly where she started her career in service. To this day, Stephanie describes her job at LBFE as her dream job because of the way they foster intergenerational relationships.

Since the first time she worked at LBFE, Stephanie has worked for the YMCA, volunteered with Big Sister Boston, and found her way back to LBFE as an Intergenerational Program Manager. Her enthusiasm for service permeates through all these experiences and has inspired many other young people to pursue careers in service as well. In her nomination of Stephanie, Nikki speaks about her "unique talent of creating spaces that are safe, silly, and enriching" as she continues to embody the mission of MPF. Congratulations Stephanie!

MPF Spring Retreat

The Fellows had the annual spring retreat at the UMass Lowell Hotel and Conference center. In the midst of a very busy year of service, the spring retreat offers a way for the group of fellows to bond together and take a breath from their host sites. Amongst other activities, fellows began their post-service planning by refreshing cover letters and resumes, working on legacy projects, and taking professional headshots. Fellows were able to experience a diversity of interests by participating in skill shares where they learned to make friendship bracelets, paint watercolor paintings, play chess, and learn about the history of Lowell.

Fellows also had the opportunity to throw some axes at the Axe Shack. Thanks to the great coaches, several fellows were able to hit the bullseye! After long training days, some friendly competition helped fellows bond and relax. On the last day, fellows reflected on their goals six months ago, in the present, and six months from now to prepare for post-fellowship life. We ended the retreat with a Pass the Wagon reflection circle and celebrated the end of another successful spring retreat.

MPF Fellow Impact in Numbers

As we near the end of service, fellows are also beginning to reach and surpass the data goals for the year. Fellows keep meticulous track of their hours and activities so that AmeriCorps and the Promise Fellowship can quantify the impact that fellows have on youth.

As of April 30, 2023, Fellows served 562 youth. Fellows spent 27,860+ hours in direct service with youth in activities including:

426 academic engagement workshops/initiatives
924 one-on-one & group academic support sessions
1,292 one-on-one college advising & career coaching sessions
140 group college advising sessions
137 college tours, career panels, and job shadows conducted

With two months left of the service year, these numbers will only go up!

Updates and Announcements

In Other MPF News...

MPF IS STILL RECRUITING for the upcoming Aug 2023-Jul 2024 service year! APPLY HERE

Celebrating Community: An Evening of Gratitude will be hosted by our colleagues at Northeastern's Office of City & Community Engagement. Our partners an neighbors are invited to attend! REGISTER HERE

CALLING ALL MPF ALUMNI! Help us better tell the MPF story by submitting content to our 5 Promises campaign. SUBMIT HERE