...And we’re back! The last 18 months have been quite a whirlwind for Colin’s Joy Project and the entire McGrath family. The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but despite these chaotic times, the McGrath family made sure that Colin’s Joy Project didn’t get put on the back burner. Instead, they used this time as a new opportunity to spread joy in Colin’s name and uplift the Boston community just when it needed it the most, through supporting the Boston Resiliency Fund and developing new community partnerships.

Colin’s Joy Project expanded on their community partners in order to reach more neighborhoods in Boston, including Dorchester. They’ve partnered with Read Boston and First Teacher, two groups dedicated to improving literacy and other educational skills in their local communities. Colin’s Joy Project granted $15,000 between both groups JUST in 2021 alone, allowing them to purchase books and sponsor reading programs, book clubs, and Storymobiles. You can read more about the contributions here.

They also partnered with the Edgerly Boys and Girls Club and granted $7500 towards the purchase of technology and school supplies in order to supplement their back-to-school programming, which has been in greater demand than ever due to the way COVID-19 has impacted working families and school systems.

image credit Edgerley Family South Boston Club

In addition to working with new community partners, Colin’s Joy Project made sure to stay in touch with their existing partners such as Julie’s Family Learning Program, the South Boston Neighborhood House, and Boston Medical Center’s Child Life Program. In all, Colin’s Joy Project granted over $250,000 to all of their community partners between 2019 and the present day. No doubt these organizations were thrilled to have the extra support during the challenging times of the pandemic. For more information on the grants given to the South Boston community, check out the Projects Page on our website.

The generosity of others was remarkable during the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite not being able to hold fundraisers, Colin’s Joy Project received many donations from individuals and companies. The break from active fundraising gave Colin’s Joy Project ample time to plan their ongoing community projects. They’re proud to say that the addition to M Street Park is actively under construction, working hard to implement the fabulous ideas brought forth by Colin’s Creativity Squad, a creative collaborative with neighborhood children and the playground design team. Colin’s Courtyard is projected to begin construction this year, and the largest project, the Marine Park Playground Reconstruction, is set to begin either Fall of 2021 or Spring of 2022. The South Boston community is looking forward to seeing all these incredible projects progress! You can read more about these ongoing projects here.

Despite the hardships the pandemic has placed on people worldwide, Kerri said it truly warmed her heart to see that people still reached out to donate to Colin’s Joy Project. It’s times like these that make you thankful for your community and for those who choose to raise up others even when they’re struggling themselves. One way they’d like to say thank you is by inviting the South Boston community to come out and celebrate Colin’s 6th birthday with a neighborhood pizza party! All they ask is that you bring an item to be donated to one of the community partners. More info to come, but in the meantime check out the event invitation here!

Stay safe, look after one another, and please continue to spread joy in Colin’s memory.