The Milton parishes of Saint Agatha, Saint Elizabeth and Saint Mary of the Hills have collaborated to establish The Caring Circle, an online community eager to assist those in need. Residents who live in the Milton Catholic Collaborative area and who need help may call The Caring Circle 24 hours a day at 617-337-3225. Assistance will be provided either directly through Caring Circle members, or by referral to an agency that specializes in dealing with that particular need. All calls and assistance will be treated in a respectful and confidential manner.
Just a few examples of help that members of The Caring Circle hope to provide include transportation to local appointments, physical assistance (shoveling, moving furniture), visitation (well visits), prayer (for special intentions), job skills (including resume preparation and letter writing) and tutoring.
According to Jim Burke, one of the founders of The Caring Circle, the idea for the endeavor came from participants who recently took part in the Catholic Church’s “Arise Together in Christ” Program. Over the past few years, hundreds of Milton and Quincy Catholics have participated in this spiritual renewal program, with participants meeting in small faith communities to discuss Scripture and its meaning in their daily lives. One of the principal goals of “Arise,” putting faith into action, challenged parishioners to accept their responsibility to care for one another in a meaningful and tangible way. “These groups took seriously the Program’s call for social justice” Burke said. “We developed The Caring Circle model as a way to ensure that residents in our own community had someplace to turn if they felt alone, isolated or in need of assistance.”
The organizers of The Caring Circle are actively looking for volunteers and invite anyone interested to visit their website at www.miltoncatholic.org/caring/index.html for more information. They are also making a concerted effort to include the young adult community in this outreach program. Social media outlets, including Facebook (Milton Caring Circle Community Page), are being used to help promote The Caring Circle online. Burke stresses that volunteers of all ages can give as much or as little time as they want. “The individual commitment may be minimal, but together, our impact will be tremendous.”