|
2009 NATIONAL
Spring
| 2009
Early Literacy
Campaign
Room to Grow launched
an initiative to promote literacy-enhancing activities among the families we serve.
Many individuals and companies generously donated books to support this focus
of our program. Room to Grow provides ten books at each visit for each family
we serve, as well as parenting support and encouragement of active reading with
children. Over the three-year program, Room to Grow provides 130 books to each
child to develop their home library and nurture an early love of reading. You
can also help by donating books to Room to Grow. Please donate soft and board
books appropriate for children up to age three. To donate books, please call:
New
York | 212.620.7800
Boston | 617.859.4545 Spring
| 2009
Room to Grow Celebrated
Mother's and Father's Day
Mother's
Day and Father's Day are special holidays at Room to Grow because of the many
wonderful and committed mothers and fathers we have the privilege of working with
and who we are supported by. We are so appreciative of our supporters who celebrated
these holidays with us by making a contribution to Room to Grow in honor of a
parent in their own life. As a result, Room to Grow was able to provide families
in need with tools and guidance to baby-proof their home and ensure their child's
safety. December | 2008
Watch
Board member Uma Thurman's November appearance on the Today Show
Click
here to view appearance. [return
to top] BOSTON
February
| 2010
Tummy to Toes Drive
Sponsored
by Boston Cares, The Boston Globe and Building Impact The
recession heightened the urgent needs of our clients this winter. In response
to an unprecedented demand for clothing, food and other life necessities, Boston
Cares, The Boston Globe and Building Impact joined forces to host a month-long
footwear drive benefiting Room to Grow and a food drive benefiting the Greater
Boston Food Bank. Room to Grow will provide
over 2,000 shoes to babies and children in 2010. Thanks to the tremendous support
from Boston Cares, The Boston Globe and numerous partners around the city, over
700 pairs of shoes were collected to help us provide proper footwear for growing
feet! Decenber | 2009
Room
to Grow Online Winter Auction
The
2nd online auction helped raise needed support for Room to Grow in Boston. Click
here to view our auction. Fall | 2009
Room
to Grow Partners with Halo Innovations
Room
to Grow places a high priority on educating our clients about safe sleep practices.
We are proud to partner with the leader in the fight against SIDS, Halo Innovations.
Halo is generously providing every baby at Room to Grow with a SleepSack. Families
will also receive SIDS prevention materials and resources in both English and
Spanish. We are thrilled to announce this new partnership! Fall
| 2009
Room to Grow Teams up
with b.b. bliss
Room to Grow has
launched a partnership with a new innovative company that produces performance
apparel for babies, b.b. bliss. To jump-start this new partnership, b.b. bliss
will donate one bodysuit to a Room to Grow family for every order placed on bbbliss.com
now through the end of the summer. Products
from b.b. bliss are perfect for summer's heat because they're made with ultra-soft
moisture wicking fabrics that are completely breathable, fast-drying and even
resist odor! Please visit bbbliss.com
to pick one up for your baby or as a gift and support a Room to Grow family at
the same time. Fall | 2009
Room
to Grow Expands in Boston
EExpansion
is underway in Boston with plans to increase the size of our physical space, enabling
us to accommodate many more thousands of baby items, and serve nearly twice as
many babies in need. Room to Grow has hired an additional clinician and begun
accepting new referrals from prenatal partners. We are proud to be able to respond
to the increased need in our communities and expand during a time of great adversity
for so many. As we grow to serve hundreds of additional babies, we will need additional
volunteers, financial contributions and in kind donations. Please contact us at
617.859.4545 to learn how you can help. Fall
| 2009
Magic Beans Stroller Drive
Generous Magic Beans customers helped many Room to Grow families stay mobile this
season! Magic Beans offered customers a generous discount off the purchase of
new equipment and toys in exchange for donating a new or used stroller to Room
to Grow. This wonderful locally-owned company was founded in 2004 by husband and
wife team Eli and Sheri Gurock. Since Room to Grow's opening in Boston, Eli and
Sheri Gurock have helped Magic Beans customers learn about the ways they can get
involved in supporting us. Magic Beans has partnered with us on many events, donated
hundreds of toys, made generous financial contributions and encouraged many of
their loyal customers to volunteer at Room to Grow. We are so appreciative of
the ongoing support of Magic Beans and are proud to be affiliated with this imaginative
and industry-leading company.
November
19 | 2009
Mommies Who Shop
The
Seaport Hotel
Room to Grow benefited from the raffle at this wonderful
event. 250 of the hippest moms met the hottest designers featuring the very best
in unique clothing, gear, gifts and accessories for chic-baby and trendy tots.
A carefully edited selection of apparel and accessories including clothing, jewelry,
hand-bags, fine stationary, gifts and more were available to moms eager to shop
and support a good cause. Guests enjoyed complimentary nibbles and wine catered
by Aura Restaurant, a luxurious Spa Lounge by Best of Boston’s Bella Sante,
amazing door prizes and raffle items from Magic Beans and more. Summer
| 2009
Room to Grow Receives
1,000 Books in Boston
Room to Grow
Receives 1,000 Books in Boston
Long-time supporter and Collection Committee
member, Carol Bryant conducted a month long book drive for our program. She collected
1,000 titles in both Spanish and English from her church and her colleagues at
Fidelity. She also enlisted the support of family and friends to scour local books
stores and yard sales. Many thanks to
Carol for her tireless support of Room to Grow’s mission. Click
here to learn more about how you can organize a collection drive. Summer
| 2009
Barefoot Books Drive
Barefoot
Books hosted a summer-long book drive to benefit Room to Grow. The drive culminated
with an in-store shopping event on September 12th. August
31 | 2009
Hot Stove Cool Music
VIP Party
Bank of America Pavilion Guests
enjoyed an exclusive VIP party prior to a fantastic Counting Crows concert. Peter
Gammons and the Hot Stove All-Stars, featuring Bill Janovitz from Buffalo Tom
and Kay Hanley from Letter to Cleo kicked off a great evening. Actor and Comedian
Mike O'Malley brought laughter to the crowd and helped to raise money for Room
to Grow and other beneficiaries of The Foundation To Be Named Later. Click
here to read more. August
13 | 2009
Retail Networking Event
and Social Media Panel
Baby industry
professionals visited Room to Grow for a program tour and a lively discussion
on social media. Guests enjoyed hearing from panelists Sheri and Eli Gurock of
Magic Beans, Christine Koh of Boston Mamas and Kristen Parker and Sandee Tisdale
from Perfecting Expecting and moderator Kim Foley MacKinnon, Editor of DailyCandy
Kids Boston. Follow us on Twitter
and Facebook
as we learn more about social media. To
learn more about how your business can help click
here. June
19 | 2009
La Primavera
Misstropolis.com
helped to raise needed support for Room to Grow by hosting a wonderful fashion
event at District in collaboration with PATCH NYC and sponsored by Rue La La,
Fashion Boston and Boldfacers. Crossing Main, G2O, Matsu, Model Club, Inc., Portobello
Road, SCOUT, Stel's and Stil provided an exciting fashion show with amazing headpieces
designed by PATCH NYC. Henna tattoos and tarot card reading added to the fun atmosphere.
Click
here to view photos from the event or read more. Spring
| 2009
Room
to Grow Publishes its Spring Newsletter in Boston
Please
sign
up to be added to our mailing list.
Read our Boston
newsletter. June 4 | 2009
"Boston
by Night" Tour
Departing from
The Boston Foundation, 75 Arlington Street, Boston Friends and Champion donors*
are invited to join Room to Grow for a unique tour of Boston's neighborhoods with
Robert Lewis Jr. of The Boston Foundation as our tour guide. This is a unique
opportunity to learn more about our city's neighborhoods and to develop a deeper
understanding of the challenges that many of Boston's families face. Space is
limited. *Friends donors make an annual
contribution of $500 or greater. Champions underwrite a year of service for a
family with a donation of $1,800 or more. To learn more or become a Friend or
Champion of Room to Grow, click
here. January | 2009
Room
to Grow began the New Year with a toddler shoe and boot drive.
Supporters donated boots and shoes to help Room to Grow’s toddlers enjoy
the snow while staying warm! Room to Grow is always in need of books, toys, gear
and clothing. Please help by donating new or nearly baby and toddler items. Visit
our online registries to buy a gift for a Room to Grow child. To
Donate Books click
here.
To Donate Toys and Gear click
here [return
to top] 2008
NATIONAL Summer
| 2008
Room to Grow publishes
its first newsletter in New York and Boston.
Room to Grow celebrated its tenth anniversary in New York in 2008 and its third
year of service in Boston. To celebrate these milestones, we sent our first newsletters
to supporters in both cities. Our newsletters include inspirational stories about
our clients, volunteers and donors. Read the New
York or Boston
Newsletter and sign up
to receive future editions. July | 2008
2008 Nickelodeon Parents' Pick
Room to Grow was selected as a 2008 Parents Picks
Nominee for Best Place for Family Community Service. Thank you for voting!
May 1-11 | 2008
Mother’s
Day Stroller Drive
The first annual
Mother’s Day Stroller Drive was a resounding success, beating our goal of
100 strollers purchased. Many donors chose to honor their mothers, who received
a special Mother’s Day card to recognize the gift. The strollers purchased
through the drive will be given to Room to Grow families over the next year, ensuring
that every Room to Grow family has this critical piece of equipment. Thank
you to all of our generous Stroller Drive donors! March
| 2008
Room to Grow and Petit
Bateau Form Exciting Partnership
Room to Grow and Petit Bateau launched a unique collaboration, in which Petit
Bateau's stores in NY, NJ, CT and MA accept donations of baby clothing and other
items for Room to Grow. When customers drop off their new and nearly new items
to be donated to Room to Grow families, Petit Bateau offers a 10% discount on
purchases. In addition, customers receive a 20% discount for items purchased to
donate directly to Room to Grow. Petit Bateau also made a generous donation of
its merchandise to underline its commitment to the organization. Petit Bateau
employees are proud of this partnership, which has inspired many of them to volunteer
at Room to Grow to help sort and organize its many in-kind donations. Click
here to read more.
NEW
YORK December | 2008
Holiday
Party for Room to Grow Families
This annual holiday tradition was held on December
16th. The families were treated to refreshments, music, entertainment such as
face painting and cookie decorating, and of course a visit from Santa himself!
Each child received a special gift of a new educational toy. Thank you to all
of the wonderful contributors to the toy drive for this party. For photos from
this event, click
here. December 2 | 2008
Room to Grow 10th Anniversary
Benefit Gala
Gala Chair Uma Thurman
hosted this celebration of Room to Grow's first decade of service enriching the
lives of babies born into poverty. The event raised nearly $650,000. We are grateful
to our Gala Chair, Steering Committee Chairs, Committee and all the donors who
made this event so successful and the evening so meaningful. The
event featured our first ever honoree program, inaugurated by Uma Thurman. The
Client Inspiration Award was presented by CNN Anchor and Special Correspondant
Soledad O'Brien to recent program graduates Haouali Bakoye and Seybou Hamidou.
Executive Director Lexy Mayers presented the Corporate Leadership Award to our
generous partner, Petit Bateau. And, Uma Thurman presented the Founder's Award
to Julie Burns for her vision in establishing Room to Grow and presiding over
its growth over the last 10 years. A silent and live auction helped to raise the
funds needed to support the continued participation of over 300 enrolled children
and their families in the New York program. For
photos from this event, click
here. May 1 | 2008
Friends
of Room to Grow Spring Mother’s Day Event
Friends of
Room to Grow hosted a cocktail reception and VIP shopping experience at the flagship
Madison Avenue store of Petit Bateau on May 1, 2008. The event provided
an opportunity to celebrate the exciting partnership between Petit Bateau and
Room to Grow, which includes a generous in-kind donation from Petit Bateau, volunteer
support, and drop-off locations for donations of baby items at Petit Bateau boutiques
in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, as well as launch Room
to Grow’s first Mother’s Day Stroller Drive.
For
photos from this event, click
here. [return
to top]
BOSTON
November 15 | 2008
Room
to Grow celebrated its second Fall Gala in Boston on November 15th
Over 350 people joined us at our fall gala in Boston on Saturday, November 15th
at the Westin Boston Waterfront. With the generous help of so many, Room to Grow
raised well over $400,000. The support of our sponsors, guests and auction donors
enabled us to celebrate our first graduates by making a commitment to serve even
more families in need. View photos of the event or read a recent article about
Room to Grow’s fall gala in Misstropolis Magazine.
view
photos | visit
Misstropolis Winter | 2008
Online Winter Auction
Room
to Grow's fist online winter auction was a great success. Thanks to all of our
wonderful bidders!
view
auction
May
8th | 2008
6:00 – 9:30 PM
Models
of Excellence – not just models, role models
It was a night of Fashion, Food and Fun in celebration of Mother’s Day.
The Hotel Commonwealth, Persona Jewelry, girlsoxnation.com, Lola Boston and other
sponsors hosted Models of Excellence to benefit Room to Grow. The evening offered
guests incredible tasting stations with local chefs present including: Antonio
Bettencourt, Sixty2 on Warf, Jeffrey Fornier, 51 Lincoln, Joseph Margate, Clink,
Dan Mathiiew and Neal Balkowitsch, Max Ultimate Food, Jakey Robert, Petit Robert,
John Shaw, Port Tavern and Grill. Guests also enjoyed signature cocktails &
a whimsical fashion show. Walking the runway were local celebrities and community
leaders including Lauren Baker, Cindy Brown, Mindy d’Arbeleff, Margery Eagen,
Saskia Epstein, Robin Falzone, Susan Hassett, Kristina Lyons, Jayme Parker, Dana
Marshall and Elaine Steward. Candy O'Terry of Magic 106.7, hosted the evening
wearing an elegant Daniella Corte dress, only one of many amazing auction items.
Other auction items included front row sox tickets and a behind the scenes tour
of Fenway with Dan Shaughnessy, a semi precious stone and custom jewelry design
by Persona Jewelry and a private dinner for by chef Jim Solomon and owner of the
Fireplace in Brookline, MA. View
photos from this event. April
17th | 2008
5:30 – 8:30 PM
A
celebration of Room to Grow at Fenway Park
Over two hundred
guests welcomed Room to Grow’s new Executive Director, Saskia Epstein at
a cocktail reception at the State Sreeet Paviliion overlooking the field at Fenway
Park. Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein welcomed guests to the park and spoke,
as a new father himself, of his excitement about supporting the important work
of Room to Grow. As a member of the Boston Leadership Committee, Meg Vaillancourt,
Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the Red Sox Foundation hosted
the event with generous support from The Red Sox and Aramark.
View photos
from this event. January &
February | 2008
Room to Grow Blanket
Drive
To help Room to Grow ensure that the babies we serve
were warm and cozy all winter long, we collected warm baby blankets at our office
during the months of January and February. [return
to top]
2007
NEW YORK
December
11 | 2007
Holiday Party for Room to Grow
Families
Each year, Room to Grow’s client families came together
to celebrate the holiday season. This year’s party was held at Manhattan
Penthouse. Guests enjoyed refreshments, music, entertainment such as face painting
and cookie decorating, and of course a visit from Santa himself. For pictures
from this event, click
here. October 21 | 2007
Friends/Family
Day and Book Drive
Friends of Room to Grow, one of our membership
programs for individuals and families interested in supporting our work, held
their annual Family Day and Book Drive at Citibabes. Friends and supporters came
together for activities and refreshments at one of New York’s premier family
lifestyle clubs. The event also collected dozens of board books for Room to Grow
families. For more information about the Friends of Room to Grow membership program,
please click here. August
12 | 2007
Family Day at Victorian Gardens
Room to Grow’s client families were invited to enjoy a day of fun at Victorian
Gardens, an old-fashioned amusement park in Central Park. For pictures from
this event, click
here. January 23 | 2007
Room
to Grow Benefit Auction
Room to Grow celebrated its 2007 benefit
auction at Christie’s, chaired by board member Uma Thurman. The event featured
exciting live and silent auction packages as well as cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
Donna Karan New York and Pirelli were the event’s Title Sponsors. The event
raised over $600,000 for Room to Grow. For pictures from the event, click
here. [return to top] BOSTON
November 26 | 2007
A
Day of Shopping at the South End's Tadpole Store to
Benefit
Room to Grow
Shoppers got a jumpstart on their holidays, enjoying
a special day of discounts at Tadpole, while giving back. Proceeds from this day
went to support Room to Grow. November 15 - 17 | 2007
Magic Beans Partners with Room to Grow to Celebrate
the Opening of Two New Locations
Magic Beans, the Boston-based baby
gear and toy retailer celebrates its two new locations with an exciting grand
opening weekend. Festivities included raffles, giveaways, manufacturer product
demonstrations, kids' activities, concerts and appearances by Elmo. A portion
of the proceeds from these events benefits Room to Grow. November
7 - 8 | 2007
Spring Flowers Trunk Show to
benefit Room to Grow
A great day of shopping for some of the prettiest
clothing at Spring Flowers Spring/Summer 2007 line, supports Room to Grow. June
16 | 2007
Room to Groove
Room
to Grow hosted a family concert featuring live music by David Weinstone’s
Music for Aardvarks and Elizabeth Mitchell at the John Hancock Hall. [return
to top] NATIONAL
Fall | 2007
Room to Grow receives $50,000
grant from
Newman’s Own Foundation
Room to Grow was thrilled to be the recipient of a generous grant from Newman’s
Own Foundation in November 2007 to support the vital work of our program. Thank
you Newman’s Own! [return to top] 2006
NEW YORK
December
15 | 2006
2006 Holiday Party for Room
to Grow Families
Room to Grow families
came together to celebrate the holiday season with gifts, games, refreshments
and a visit from Santa himself. For pictures from the event, click
here. October 21 | 2006
Friends of Room to Grow Family Day and Book Drive
The Friends of Room to Grow hosted a family party and book drive at Citibabes.
For more information about Friends of Room to Grow, click
here. [return to top] BOSTON
November 4 | 2006
Room to Grow Benefit
Room to Grow’s first benefit auction in Boston, chaired by board member
Uma Thurman, featured an exciting live auction and seated dinner and raised over
$500,000 to support our client program. For pictures from the event, click
here. August 13 | 2006
Picnic
in the Park
The Red Sox Wives held their annual Picnic in the Park
this year to benefit Room to Grow and the Red Sox Foundation. Guests enjoyed a
fantastic picnic right on Fenway’s famous outfield and an opportunity to
meet and greet Red Sox players. [return to
top] 2005
NEW YORK
Fall
| 2005
Room to Grow Expands in New
York
Our expansion in New York doubles
the size of our physical space, allowing us to hire our second clinician, accommodate
many more thousands of baby items, and serve twice as many babies in need.
BOSTON
June
19 | 2005
Father’s Day at Fenway Park
Room to Grow is celebrated and supported by the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
For pictures from this special day, click
here. [return to top] 2004
NEW YORK
January
26 | 2004
Room to Grow Benefit Auction
An evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and
an exciting silent and live auction helps us to raise $650,000 dollars for our
client program. BOSTON
December 2 | 2004
Room to Grow
Boston’s Opening Celebration
Friends and supporters join with
Room to Grow board and staff for the inaugural of our Boston location. For pictures
from the evening, click
here. [return to top] 2003
NEW YORK
Room
to Grow’s Board of Directors approves expansion
to
Boston [return to top] 2002
NEW YORK
June
6 | 2002
Giorigio Armani’s Baby
Shower for Alexandra of Greece
A wonderful
evening of cocktails and celebration takes place for board member Alexandra of
Greece at the New York home of Mr. Armani. Summer
| 2002
Picture People Grin and Share It Contest
This contest raises important financial support for Room to Grow and kicks off
a partnership that would result in the Picture People committing to underwrite
the first three years of operations for a proposed second location. [return
to top] 2001
NEW YORK
December
15 | 2001
First Annual Client Holiday
Party
Morgan Stanley hosts our first annual
holiday party at Room to Grow for our client families, including games and treats,
a visit from Santa, and homemade gingerbread houses and gifts for every family
to take home. December 2 | 2001
Uma’s
Baby Shower
Room to Grow board member Uma Thurman hosts a baby shower
and tea for friends and family to celebrate the birth of her second child while
giving to Room to Grow’s expectant mothers. July
13 | 2001
Room to Grow in New York moves
to its current location
Room to Grow moves from its 500 sf location
in East Harlem to its current site in the Flatiron district, quadrupling in size
and significantly increasing the number of families served. [return
to top] 2000
NEW YORK
October
11 | 2000
Room to Grow Benefit Auction
Room to Grow holds its first benefit fundraiser at
Christie’s auction house. The event, a photography auction, raises over
$250,000 for the organization. May | 2000
Kraft raises $100,000 for Room to Grow
Room to Grow receives its first major corporate contribution, as Kraft presents
us with this contribution raised through its sales of Philadelphia Snack Bars. [return
to top] 1999
NEW YORK
Our
First Full Year of Operations
Room to
Grow builds its client program, in this first year serving over 150 children and
families who would combined make over 600 visits for parenting support and material
items. Many thousands of baby items are donated by the community and by corporate
partners, and press coverage pronounces Room to Grow an innovative and important
new organization. [return to top] 1998
NEW YORK
October
| 1998
Room to Grow opens in New York
[return to top]  | 
