Photo: Chris Coduto
On December 17 at 4:30pm, a group of good Samaritans dressed incognito will descend upon the Primavera Foundation’s downtown office at 702 S. 6th Ave. to deliver much-needed supplies for the holidays.
The group is known as the BENevolent Brigade, and was created by Jeannette Maré of the Ben’s Bells Project, which began as an effort to spread kindness after the tragic death of her son Ben to croupe in 2002.
“We call it a ‘flash mob with a purpose’,” said Maré. “The idea is, we know that people want to help, but they often don’t know how or what to do. This is a way for them to be able to help. It’s a coordinated time and place, and all they do is show up, drop off their donation and leave.”
Each month the BENevolent group chooses a local non-profit to highlight, and donates to their ‘wish-list’ of supplies and goods. The Primavera Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to addressing homelessness and poverty, was chosen as the December charity due to the increased need they have over the holiday season.
“We provide over 700 gifts for our families every year, so every little bit really counts,” said Jenny Cowen, volunteer and in-kind donation supervisor for the Primavera Foundation. “December is probably the most important month for Primavera and for our clients.”
So far, other non-profits have received about $1,000 in supplies through the BENevolent Brigade, Packard said, but individual gifts do not need to be expensive.
For example, the items on Primavera’s wish-list include gifts for children, toiletries, new or gently used towels, twin sheets, bus passes, hats, scarves, gloves and fleece blankets.
“It’s especially fun for families, because they can talk to their kids about what the organization stands for and who they can help, and then they can shop at Target and kids can come and see the place,” Packard said. “It’s also good exposure for people to learn about the non-profits that we serve.”
If you are interested in taking part of the Ben’s Bells BENevolent Brigade, find them on Facebook, call 628-2829, or online at BensBells.org. More information about the Primavera Foundation is at 623-5111 and Primavera.org.
