This article was adapted from a press release from Acton-Boxborough United Way.
Since the Acton-Boxborough Resource Center (ABRC) opened in 2023, there has been a steady increase in the number of visits to ABRC each month, from five in August, 2023 to almost 45 in February, 2024.
Visitors are coming from both towns: Acton (61%), Boxborough (20%), students with school staff (10%), unknown (9%). English is the most frequent language used for communication at ABRC (58%), followed by Spanish (21%) and Portuguese (18%).
Through AB Exchange, located within ABRC, more than two thousand items donated by the community (mostly clothing, plus other essentials including hygiene products and school supplies) have found new homes. This includes more than three hundred winter coats and 90 backpacks.
Additionally, ABRC has been serving as the centralized coordination for community support of the Emergency Shelter at Acton’s Minuteman Inn. As of this week, twenty-four families (a total of 77 people including 31 school-aged children and 13 younger children) are living at the shelter. ABUW organized training for volunteer English Instructors who are now offering English Lessons five days a week at the shelter. Additional ABUW initiatives to support these residents include pop-up clothing shops, coordination of transportation help, and enriching children’s activities on-site.
Donations that are most needed at ABRC, including specific needs for residents of the emergency shelter, are listed on the AB Exchange Page of the Resource Center Site. There is also a link to an Amazon Wish List, making it easy for people to send key items directly to ABRC.
All Acton and Boxborough residents are invited to drop in to ABRC to discover resources available to them in this community. A-B United Way staff and volunteers are there to provide information and help navigate a network of systems to ensure every family has the opportunity to thrive– everything from local transportation and food security options, to conservation trails and volunteer opportunities. A Community Resources website serves as an ongoing reference point for that information and more.