Catholic Charities Boston Supports Regional Launch of Family Support Network

When CarePortal, a national technology platform that connects the needs of vulnerable families and children in crisis with local parishes and community groups, was seeking a partner to help pilot its program in the Greater Boston area, who better than one of Massachusetts most comprehensive non-profit providers of social services? 

Led by Michelle Cunningham, Transportation Coordinator for Catholic Charities Family Child Care in Malden, Catholic Charities has worked over the past year connecting families in need of everyday items to care for children, from diapers to strollers to bed sets, with compassionate groups looking to help. 

“CarePortal connects people who need the most with those who want to help the most,” explained Cunningham. “It lets families know that no matter what, we will be there to help them through life.” 

The way the platform works is that Catholic Charities will enter a request on a family’s behalf, and then a parish, community, or business can go on CarePortal and select the needs they want to fulfill. Cunningham and team will then work to get the item to the family. Since Catholic Charities teamed up with CarePortal, Cunningham said she has personally submitted 53 requests, and every single one has been fulfilled. 

“We have had a really high rate of success,” she said. “And once we close out a case, we will send thank-you cards from the office to the volunteers who helped.” 

The Catholic Charities team recently celebrated completing its biggest request to date, a bed set for a family in Dorchester. Cunningham credited the agency’s Healthy Families home visiting staff with helping to identify families’ needs. In one case, a home visitor was working with a family in need of a blender so they could prepare meals for their child with a feeding issue. 

“Unexpected expenses are what people struggle with the most,” Cunningham said. “Our providers see these children every day, and they are the first ones to say, ‘Here is what this child needs.’” 

Catholic Charities annually provides more than 200 young mothers and fathers, 24 years old and younger, with essential parenting skills training and home visiting support services. 

For more information about CarePortal, click here.