During King’s College spring break 2023, Rev. Brogan Ryan, C.S.C., accompanied a SERVE team to Boston, Massachusetts, where they lent a hand at My Brother’s Keeper.
My Brother’s Keeper delivers furniture and food to people who need it as a way of fulfilling their mission to bring the love and hope of Christ to those they serve. It’s a simple mission that involves uncomplicated work and has a profound impact.
“It was a tremendous experience,” Fr. Brogan explains. “So many people welcomed our students and me into their homes. We left the week feeling more loving and hopeful because of our encounters.”
The synergy between the Congregation of Holy Cross and My Brother’s Keeper began in 1988, when co-founders Jim and Terry Orcutt attended a Cursillo Retreat led by Rev. Tom Lawton, C.S.C., and Rev. Dick Sullivan, C.S.C. The Catholic renewal retreat planted the seed for My Brother’s Keeper by rekindling the Orcutt’s faith and giving them the desire to serve others in God’s name. Both Fr. Tom and Fr. Dick were founding board members.
The Christian ministry delivers furniture, food, and Christmas gifts free of charge to local families in need. Its mission is “To bring the Love and Hope of Jesus Christ to those we serve.” The organization, which began in the basement of the Orcutt’s home, has grown to two locations. One facility is in Easton, Massachusetts (adjacent to Stonehill College), and the other is in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
In 2001 the Congregation of Holy Cross sealed its support of My Brother’s Keeper when they agreed to lease an acre of land adjacent to Stonehill College to the organization so it could build a distribution facility in support of the charity’s work. The terms of the lease – 50 years at $10/year – reflect the Congregation’s “preferential option for the poor” and supports the charity’s partnership with Stonehill College to make the world more just and compassionate. In 2018, the Congregation leased My Brother’s Keeper an additional acre under the terms of the original lease, so that the charity could build expanded parking to support its growing volunteer community.
Today, My Brother’s Keeper has 5,000 volunteers, and 15 employees working together from two modern facilities to make 18,500 deliveries yearly. Since its inception, My Brother’s Keeper has made more than 190,000 deliveries to people in need across eastern Massachusetts.
My Brother’s Keeperdepends solely on private charitable donations. Donated goods are never sold, and the organization does not accept government support. Instead, theMy Brother’s Keeper team works hard to be outstanding stewards, with 94% of every dollar going to program services. As a matter of policy, the organization does not accumulate funds and works hard to ensure that donations pass through quickly.
