Dodging raindrops has become the norm for the South Shore this fall, but Thursday, September 28 brought nothing but bright, clear sunshine to the South Shore YMCA Family Farm in Hanover, just in time to welcome the “Blue Crew” from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for their annual Service Day.
A team of 30 volunteers, all employees of BCBSMA, donned gloves, picked up shovels, filled wheelbarrows, and completed fall cleanup tasks in record time. After an hour and a half, SSYMCA Farmer Kate Smith had to rewrite the whiteboard of tasks she had prepared for the day.
“We are always amazed at what the team from BCBSMA accomplishes,” said Paul Gorman, President and CEO of the South Shore YMCA. “They arrive and they get right to work, and do it with smiles on their faces. They are inspiring.”
The South Shore YMCA Family Farm produces more than 3,000 pounds of vegetables each year for local food pantries. “We’ve got a dream of getting to 5,000 pounds in the years to come,” said Dan Berry, Branch Executive of the Emilson YMCA. “With help from teams like the Blue Crew, there is no doubt that we will get there.”
The volunteers planted a new pollinator garden, weeded, harvested, pruned and generally brought the garden beds, both in-ground and raised, closer to their winter state. They even delivered freshly-picked pumpkins to the South Shore YMCA Early Learning Center. One task in particular will lead to a greater yield in future years. “The Farm suffered from disuse during 2020, the COVID year,” said Berry. “While we were all quarantined, the fields grew back to turf and weeds. We’ve been recovering them, bit-by-bit, ever since. The Blue Crew made a major advance for us in spreading several yards of loam that will help us replant vast areas that have been lost to us for years.” The end result will be positive strides toward that goal of 5,000 pounds of produce.
“The Farm is always in such a better place after they leave,” said Smith. “We love having them here.”
Service Day 2023 ended with a communal lunch and a visit from Sarah Iselin, President and CEO of BCBSMA, and Jeff Bellows, Vice President for Corporate Citizenship and Public Affairs. Iselin and Bellows met with Paul Gorman to discuss the impact of the Blue Crew and what the two organizations can do together in the future to positively impact the lives of South Shore residents.
“Whether it’s here at the Farm or at the Germantown Neighborhood Center and our food pantry, BCBSMA has been a wonderful partner,” said Gorman. “We look forward to continued collaboration well into the future.”
###
About the South Shore YMCA
The South Shore YMCA is a not-for-profit association of individuals dedicated to improving the quality of life for all through programs that promote healthy spirit, mind, and body. Serving the communities of Quincy, Randolph, Holbrook, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover and beyond, the South Shore Y provides the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive through its services and programs. Financial Assistance is a Y community benefit available to all families in need, applicable to all Y programs and services. To learn more about the South Shore YMCA, visit www.ssymca.org. The South Shore YMCA. The Better You Belongs Here.
###
