Boston- The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority’s (MCCA) Conventions C.A.R.E. (Community Assistance by Responsible Events) program donated over 5,500 items left over from past events to St. Patrick’s Church of Roxbury as part of an ongoing effort by the state authority to help its events give back to the Boston community while minimizing their environmental impact. 

The items that were donated include chairs, coffee tables, a sofa, water bottles, boxes of nails, rubber balls, lamps, and 5,200 canvas bags. The church filled their truck to capacity, leaving the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center’s (BCEC) previously-filled storage room empty. In conjunction with the Cape Verde Association of Brockton, the church will disperse these items to needy families in Cape Verde. Notably, the canvas bags will be given to children to use as schoolbags. These items were left by a wide array of exhibitions that recently came to the BCEC and the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center.

The MCCA’s Conventions C.A.R.E. Program, which debuted in 2010, donates non-perishable items from convention center events to nonprofit organizations throughout Boston. Exhibitors are encouraged to place clean, usable, non-perishable donations in designated bins at the end of an exhibition. Many are happy to do so rather than throw them out or pay to ship them elsewhere. The MCCA and its partners then assign and arrange the transport of these items to local non-profits. Common donation items include office products, medical supplies, convention bags, clothing, toiletries, and classroom materials. Since its inception, the Conventions C.A.R.E. program has collected and donated 115 tons of goods to local nonprofits.

“We believe we have a responsibility to give back to the community,” said David Gibbons, Executive Director of the MCCA. “We are proud to work with organizations like St. Patrick’s and the Cape Verde Association of Brockton to make sure our surplus materials reach people in need. Everyone can be happy to know that these items will be given to children, families, and people who can really use them instead of ending up in our local landfills.”

“We are incredibly happy to receive this donation from the MCCA,” said Moises Rodrigues, Councilor at Large from the City of Brockton. “We are so grateful to have been given the chance to put these items to good use and improve the lives of people who need help. For this, we would like to thank the conventions that donated as well as the MCCA for organizing this program.”

St. Patrick’s church is a cornerstone of the Roxbury community, and its coordination with the Cape Verde Association of Brockton and the MCCA’s Conventions C.A.R.E. program shows a dedication to helping those in need. Built in 1836, the church has a history of offering support and care to immigrants who often faced biases in the larger community. Today, it continues that tradition by welcoming new members of the community and immigrants to their parish, providing help to those with hardships.

About the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA)
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority owns and oversees the operations of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA and the Boston Common Parking Garage.  The BCEC and Hynes have earned a rare gold standard from the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC), making Boston only the fourth city in North America and the 12th worldwide to have been awarded this top standard, the highest certification level a convention facility can achieve under strict AIPC guidelines.

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