Spreading Smiles Through Acts of Kindness
Established in 2012, the Mary Jo Brown Foundation in Wilmington, MA honors the memory of a woman whose drive and passion for life were unmistakable and who truly cared for those she mentored, managed, or helped.
Mary Jo’s compassion touched the hearts and lives of many in both her personal and professional life. Some of the things Mary Jo loved most represent the focus of our programs. Our tagline of “spreading smiles through acts of kindness” serves as an umbrella for our diverse works.
Our Initiatives
Our initiatives include, but are not limited to, supporting children, families, and the military, as well as rewarding selflessness in children through our Kindness Campaign.
• Children
From our beginning, the Foundation provided support to Child Life Services at the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. This was accomplished through activities and socials for inpatients and their siblings, and via direct financial support where needed.
In 2023, we began directly providing for the tiniest patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit by helping to keep their "Caring Closet" stocked with needed clothing, blankets, and supplies.
• Families
Each holiday season, we adopt between two and four families for Christmas. Whether families are transitioning from a shelter into their own home or are struggling because of illnesses or other hardships, we provide clothing, groceries, and as many items as possible from the wish list of each family member.
• Military
Each month, two members of our armed forces receive a package from us via HeroBox, containing items they have requested through the HeroBox website.
Additionally, larger shipments were sent three times per year to a deployed platoon/regiment that has a local individual among its ranks. During the pandemic, these funds were re-directed to support residents at the Chelsea Soldiers Home, providing social activities for these Veterans.
• Kindness Campaign
Our largest initiative was established to encourage young people to join us in spreading smiles. The public is invited to submit nominations of children who have selflessly gone above and beyond to help others. From its inception through 2019, this program has formally recognized 23 nominees - and nine of them received our highest honor, the Spreading Smiles Award with a trip to Disney World!
These programs are made possible by the generous donations of sponsors to our fundraising events, combined with financial contributions received throughout the year.
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