We are passing along this story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It is a true reflection of community, caring and action. Please take a moment to read and support our neighbors in need.
(A personal note from Erika Pereira of The Home Advantage Team)
As many of you know, my mother is the Executive Director of The Harvard Square Business Association and connected to many people in the square – everyone from bank presidents to the unhoused. As you will read below, she has taken a pregnant woman under her wing and feels a special connection to the baby girl to be named Charlotte, which you may know, holds a special place in her heart as it is also my daughter’s name.
Baby Charlotte has nothing and needs everything. If you can find it in your heart to donate anything, please know you will be making a great difference to both of their lives.
Thank you for your kindness,
Erika
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <djillson@harvardsquare.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 2, 2021 at 12:49 PM
Subject: Our Harvard Square Baby is coming soon.
To: <djillson@harvardsquare.com>
My dearest friends,
This past summer, I had the opportunity to meet an “unhoused” young woman whose name is Cheyanne. It was a hot, humid day this past July and she was hanging out with a group of kids on Palmer Street. I offered to buy her and her friends an ice cream at Lizzy’s and as you can imagine, they readily accepted.
When Cheyanne thanked me, she mentioned that she was pregnant. I was immediately concerned for her and the health of her baby but did not want to pry too hard, lest I scare her away. But I felt like she was searching for help…otherwise, she would have remained quiet. I found out she was sleeping every night in a car parked by Longfellow Park. She was hot, tired, hungry and her feet were beginning to swell. She also told me her baby girl was due in December and she was naming the baby Charlotte. (As you all know, I have my darling little Charlotte who will be 2 very soon…when she told me that, my heart nearly broke.)
The following day, I mentioned Cheyanne’s predicament to Lt. Anthony Bongiorno and Officer Buckowe Yam. They immediately went to work and miracles of miracles, found her emergency shelter at the newly opened Transition Wellness Center on that very day. Please click here to read about the shelter…it really is quite a story! https://www.harvardsquare.com/it-takes-a-community-a-new-shelter-for-the-unhoused/
I continue to work closely with Cheyanne to get her and her baby’s dad in permanent housing…in the meantime, I asked her to create a registry.
I know it is a lot to ask, but if you have the means and the inclination to buy a gift and send it to the Malden address on the registry, it will mean a lot to this struggling family.
Here is Cheyanne’s Amazon baby registry…
https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/daniel-lisi-december-2021-malden/2XKALM6XUYSCH?ref=cm_sw_em_r_px_MOBILE_WGgXmwthaYgLt
With thanks and appreciation for your good thoughts for this young family…and Harvard Square’s soon-to-be born, baby Charlotte.
Denise
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