From left: Siani Antoine with event volunteers Izzy Mellor, Alisa Da Silva and Elle Hagan
Despite being called a “yard sale,” every item was given away — for free.
On April 27, staff and volunteers gathered at BCYF Curtis Hall in Jamaica Plain for the second annual free yard sale event organized by the Stronger Generations Initiative (SGI), the maternal and child health wing of the Center for Community Health and Health Equity (CCHHE) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Over 900 books, 528 packs of diapers and pull-ups, 467 clothing packs, 360 hygiene kits and 318 grocery gift cards were distributed to families, among other resources.
“There are so many community events, but there is not that many community events for pregnant women or low-income moms,” said Erika Leon, lead family partner at SGI. Leon helped organize the event with other SGI staff, including Madison Louis, MPH, interim director, Siani Antoine, MPH, IBCLC, program manager, and Yadelyn Acevedo, family partner.
Even one pack of diapers is enough to make a difference for new moms struggling to make ends meet, Leon added. Alleviating that financial stress, she said, contributes to “healthy pregnancies and better birth outcomes.”
For 30 years, Stronger Generations has worked to eliminate racial inequities in maternal and child health by providing expectant and current parents with quality health care and community resources to strengthen their own health, support parenting and give babies the healthiest start possible. Its Young Parent programs support families under the age of 25 with economic mobility, workforce development, leadership exploration and life skills to support their personal, professional and educational goals.
From left: Volunteers Carmen Peña of BWH and Lyv Norris of MGB
“Having a healthy family life is what really sets you up for success in the future,” Antoine said. “I’m a person of color, and most of the people we support out of Stronger Generations are people of color. Being able to see folks who look like me and being able to support them is something that really matters to me.”
Antoine was part of the team responsible for coordinating with community partners and volunteers, sorting donations, setting up, running the event and more.
In addition to CCHHE staff, the event received support from volunteers across BWH, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Brigham (MGB).
While organized by SGI, the event was open to all. Some of the 500 people registered to attend — doubled from last year — included recent refugees from Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, as well as many individuals from local shelters. “There were people who spoke English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and French,” said Antoine.
Leon was the one who had originally brought up the idea. “I actually did a small yard sale for the clients that we serve,” she said. “It was the middle of the pandemic, but we saw other faces instead of seeing our families at home. We were masked up, but people were communicating, moms were sharing stories, kids were playing. My goal is always to serve the community and to serve it bigger.”
Part of what prompted expanding the yard sale was the conclusion of SGI STEPS, an annual event where young families attended workshops and resource fair, in addition to meeting with representatives from over 30 local organizations and agencies. It was adapted into the free yard sale event to expand support for more local families.
This year, organizers reached out to more local businesses to expand the offerings to include more culturally diverse options. In addition to giving away gift cards to Stop & Shop, the team also obtained gift cards for Market Basket, America’s Food Basket and Tropical Foods.
Additionally, hundreds more books were given away this year, thanks to donations from the Boston Public Library and Cradles to Crayons, one of the partner organizations that also provided much of the clothing and other supplies. The MGB Community Care Van was on site to offer blood pressure checks, blood sugar testing and Social Determinant of Health (SDoH) questionnaires. Organizers facilitated connections with community partners where those in need could go to for help with furthering their education, financial planning, breastfeeding and new parent support, employment opportunities and career readiness, food security and more.
By the end of the yard sale, every item had been given away. “We definitely touched a lot of people,” said Antoine. “It was a great day in Jamaica Plain to see so many show up for this event.”
To Leon, one of the most rewarding aspects of her work is seeing how parents build their confidence and learn how to advocate for themselves.
“I have always tried to help the moms I work with on their self-esteem, learning how to love themselves and their mental health,” she said. “You build a relationship with somebody.”
The best part? “The smiles of the moms,” she said.