Community Service and Giving

The main goal of Lincoln Laboratory Community Outreach (LLCO) Community Service and Giving is to engage Lincoln Laboratory employees in activities to support worthy causes and contribute to the overall quality of life within and outside of our community. We strive to raise awareness to local needs by organizing fundraising and outreach events that support selected charity organizations. The LLCO endeavors to provide a diverse range of opportunities for employees to volunteer their time and resources.

  • Support Our Troops program
  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Bike & Hike the Berkshires
  • 5K Fun Run for Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA)
  • Community Giving Used Book/Clothing Drives

Current Events

Giving Tree
24 November through 19 December 2008

giving tree 2007Giving trees will be placed in the Library Atrium and Main Cafeteria the week of 24 November and will be decorated with tags, each representing a person in need. Each tag will describe an item that would be greatly appreciated by that person.  If you would like to participate, please select a tag, purchase and wrap the donation, securely attach the tag to the outside of the wrapped gift, and return the tagged gift to the tree along with a non-perishable food item by the date specified on the tag.

Community Outreach volunteers will distribute the gifts to the needy in our community through "Somebody Cares," an organization that distributes donations to many local charities. The recipients fall into several categories, including young children and teenagers, single parents, veterans, elderly, and those affected by the failing economy.  If you have any questions, please contact ext. 7391.

Recent Event

Iraqi Children's Clothing Drive
24 October through 30 November 2008

Chplain Harding with Iraqi childrenDonations for the Iraqi Children's Clothing Drive were sent at the end of November so children can receive the much-needed warm items by mid-December. See the letter from our Marine contact in Iraq with details about this service project. Thanks go out to all who shared their abundance with those who have so little.

The Marine Chaplain also sent an update about their Thanksgiving activities—a strong reminder of all we have to be thankful for. In support of a service project that delivered shoes and jackets to the children of Iraq, Lincoln Laboratory Troop Support mailed 32 care packages to Iraq, filled with donations from the Laboratory community. Thank you to everyone who donated to the drive! This drive ended on 30 November so children were able to receive the items before winter. Enjoy the photo gallery of our troops delivering the donations and know that we all made a difference. 

National Multiple Sclerosis Society "Bike and Hike the Berkshires"
27 September 2008

The annual "Bike and Hike the Berkshires" event to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society was held on 27 September 2008.

Hike and Bike Team Hikers 2008The MIT/Lincoln Laboratory team exceeded their $10,000 fundraising goal by $570, making them the second highest fundraising team of this event. The team had 1 volunteer, 12 cyclists, and 6 hikers. Three cycling routes of 25, 50, and 100 miles were offered at Bousquet Ski Area in Pittsfield and two hiking routes of 4–6 and 7–9 miles were at Mount Greylock.

 

Hike and Bike Team Bikers 2008The MIT LL team hikers selected the 'strenuous' hike up Mount Greylock and MIT LL team cyclists, sporting matching jerseys with the Lincoln Laboratory logo, participated in the 100, 50 & 25 mile events.  

Ron Hersey and Matthew Brown earned the highest amount of donations for the team, raising over 2K and 1K, respectively, which also placed them on the list of top individual earners for this event.

Hike and Bike Team bikers prepare for 100 mi rideShaun Berry and Mark Padula (shown at left in blue and white jerseys) rode in the 100 mile event. Johanna Murphy helped as a volunteer, checking people in for this event.

LLCO is already setting its sights on next year's event, planning to increase the number of participants from the Laboratory and to again, exceed its fundrasing goal in order to help find a cure.

Photo credit: National MS Society, New England Chapter

Ongoing Event

Support Our Troops

The "Support Our Troops" program accepts a variety of donated items (PDF) which are packaged and sent each Friday to military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Names and APO addresses of soldiers associated with the Laboratory community or Hanscom AFB are given to the program coordinator by Lincoln Laboratory personnel, many of whom have family members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Care packages are also sent to Lincoln Laboratory employees who are serving an active duty commitment as part of a guard or reserve unit. There are currently over 50 military personnel on the care package list. Packages are sent on a rotating basis so that everyone receives a care package every few weeks. If you would like to provide addresses of military service members to receive packages, please send the information to troopsupport@ll.mit.edu.

Each care package contains a letter from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a variety of donated items, and a note from the person who put together the package. Military personnel new to the program's address list receive a note explaining how we received their address, and we always tell them how proud we are of them for serving our country.

Donation boxes are located in the Main Cafeteria. Recently requested items for care packages are:

  • Dunkin Donuts coffee, microwave popcorn, and Quaker oatmeal (unsweetened)
  • Boston Herald newspapers, books, and magazines
  • Games, CDs, and DVDs (new or used)
  • Q-tips, foot powder, and aftershave lotion
  • Envelopes, paper, and pens

In October 2008, LLLCO assisted Cub Scout Pack 194 in their "Support Our Troops" Drive by shipping all their donated goods. Dens competed against each other to have the highest tally of items weighed in prior to shipping. Scouts fulfilled a community service requirement and earned a citizenship pin. A personal note of thanks was written by each scout and enclosed in the boxes shipped by LLCO.

Past Events

Community Giving—Used Books/DVDs/CDs Drive and Sale of Used Books/DVDs/CDs

Books of all types, including text books, paperbacks, coffee table books, cookbooks, fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books, as well as DVDs and CDs were donated during the MIT/Lincoln Laboratory Community Giving Campaign. After the drive, all donated items were for sale in the Main Cafeteria. Proceeds from the sale were given to the MIT Community Service Fund (CSF) and Community Giving at MIT.

5K Fun Run

This 5K race was sponsored by MIT LL Fitness Center and Lincoln Laboratory Community Outreach. The optional cash registration donation benefitted Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) which contributes to the physical, social, and psychological development of people with intellectual disabilities.

LLCO packed 81 boxes of donations to soldiers as part of the Support Our Troops ProgramSupport Our Troops Drive

The LLCO program held their most successful Support Our Troops drive, packaging 81 large boxes of items donated by Laboratory personnel. The packages were shipped to military service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks to all who donated items and packed boxes. Your generosity was overwhelming!

Community Giving—Clothing Drive

New and used clothing was donated to Shelter, Inc. (an emergency and family shelter), Salvation Army, CASPAR (an alcohol and substance abuse program for homeless men and women), and On The Rise (a shelter for domestic violence survivors and homeless women).

Thanks to LLCO

Soldiers' Thank You—November 17, 2008

Message from the 1st Battalion 3rd Marines:
"We would like to extend our deepest gratitude for the Christmas decorations that we recently received from you. With Christmas coming up and so many Marines and Sailors away from home, any type of holiday decorations help us remember home and the spirit of the season. With our mission of winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people still going strong, we can only ask for your continued support and love from back home. Thank you again and God Bless."

RP3 Green Peter A
1st BN 3rd MAR

Certificate of Appreciation—November 13, 2008

The 332d Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron based in Balad, Iraq sent two certificates to Lincoln Laboratory. One certifcate thanked Lincoln Laboratory for sending contributions. The second certificate was sent to Shawn Daley, Department Head of Security Services, in appreciation for his patience and support while Security Services' own Julie Novak is deployed in Iraq. Novak is a Senior Airman (SrA) with the Logistics Readiness Squadron where she serves as an Information Manager in charge of records, but in Iraq, she has many additional duties that fall into her job category. She provides primary client support, monitors mail and radio, serves as assistant equipment custodian, and briefs all Distinguished Visotrs at the base. She volunteers her free time at the Air Force Theater Hospital.

MS Society Award Ceremony—May 18, 2007

The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society presented an award to Lincoln Laboratory for its support in the MS "Bike the Berkshires" charity ride held in the fall of 2006. This team's fundraising was so successful that the Laboratory won the "Top Corporate Fundraising Team – Rookie" award.

In 2007, LLCO expanded its involvement in the Multiple Sclerosis Society's "Bike and Hike the Berkshires" event to include both hiking and cycling teams, which totaled 24 members. The hiking and biking teams were able to raise $5415 to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Central New England Chapter and was awarded "Top Corporate Team."

Bike and Hike Team 2007

Soldier's Thank You—May 18, 2007

Kyle McHugh of the 10th Mountain Division expressed his thanks to MIT Lincoln Laboratory for sending him care packages through the Support the Troops program. Kyle visited Lincoln Laboratory while on leave and returned to Iraq soon thereafter for another six-month deployment.

Thank You from Military Clinic

Support Our Troops Care Packages at clinicHeather Bassett CPT, SP, was one of the military personnel who received care packages from LLCO's "Support Our Troops" Drive. She has completed her tour of duty and has safely returned to the United States.

Message from CPT Heather Bassett:
"Thank you so very much for the care packages that you sent to me for my unit!  My name is Heather Bassett and I am a physical therapist working for the 134 BCT (brigade combat team) out of MN. I am attached to this unit from the Army Reserve. I have been deployed since March 2006 and I am working in a troop medical clinic in Tallil, Iraq. This base has over 9000 soldiers and you helped to support them through your generous donations!  I set up a table in our clinic so that when soldiers came in to the clinic, they take what they needed or wanted.  Thank you so very much for all of your support!  Your kindness touched a lot of soldiers!"

 

Certificate of Appreciation

MIT Lincoln Laboratory received a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. military's "Operation Iraqi Children," "Operation Iraqi School Supplies," and "Operation Help a Village" programs. In addition to the certificate, this 15-page PDF includes photos from an Iraqi village and the children there who have benefitted from donations through this program.

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