By Barbara Allen, Contributing Writer
Southborough – For Southborough residents Lisa and Matt Braccio, volunteering is simply part of their life.
“Volunteering is important to us,” Lisa said. “We live in a wonderful community, and it is good to give back.”
Both Matt and Lisa – “Matt, to the greater extent,” said Lisa – and their 12-year-old son, Robert, have been actively involved with Southborough Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for over five years. And their volunteering extends beyond the community as well. In 2005, Lisa organized a care package drive for U.S. troops, an event which would take place biannually for the next eight years.
The care package drive was the result of Lisa’s reaction to an online link to anysoldier.com. She was moved when she read the words of the soldiers posted on the website, and by their requests for simple items like toothbrushes and toothpaste. She had never considered that military service personnel might be lacking for basics or that in combat zones supplies were not easily replenished.
Lisa was determined to bring “a touch and taste of home” to soldiers stationed far from friends and family. Care packages shipped to military members in need were individualized, based on information provided by the contact person at anysoldier.com, but usually contained personal hygiene items, books, DVDs and snacks. For an October care package, children collected bright autumn leaves, laminated them, and tucked them among the other goodies for a “touch of fall.” Girl Scouts donated 1,500 boxes of cookies in May. School children sent cards and letters with each shipment, some leading to pen pal correspondence between students and soldiers.
“If we could bring [a soldier] home for one minute out of one day by opening a [care package] box, that was our goal,” she explained.
With Matt’s help, and an outpouring of volunteers from Southborough and surrounding towns, as well as churches, schools, civic and community organizations, that goal was met for many service men and women. By May of 2013, volunteers had shipped over 200,000 pounds of donated goods and 9,000 care package boxes. The American Legion of Marlborough helped pay the postage, which started at $7 per box in 2005, and by 2013 had climbed to $19 per box.
“Little kids [even] came in with piggy banks,” Lisa recalled, “wanting to help pay for postage. I was humbled by the response of the community. Everyone wanted to do something; we just made it easy.”
Each year, each drive saw “more and more amazing volunteers.” In fact, Lisa downplayed the role she played in the effort, insisting that she was only “a cog in the wheel.”
The volunteers had such a “fine, oiled machine in place that we could have walked away, and it would have run fine on its own,” she explained.
Although husband Matt’s participation was “mostly behind the scenes” during the care package drives, his role in Southborough’s CERT program has been more visible.
Matt became interested in joining CERT after a major snowstorm several years ago, when he saw how undermanned the police and fire department were.
“I wanted to find a way to help,” he said.
CERT trains volunteers in basic disaster response skills and how to provide assistance and support to professional responders. Volunteers participate in mock disaster drills and attend ongoing safety education.
For Matt, an electrical contractor, safety is always a concern. He recalled a storm that occurred around Halloween of one year, in which downed wires were everywhere in town.
“I was worried about kids being electrocuted,” said Matt, who worked to get wires off the roads and helped maintain non-hazardous access for the public. He acknowledged that his background as an electrician has been useful on several occasions.
“As members of CERT, we really feel welcomed and appreciated by the fire and police departments,” he added. “Really part of the team.”
The Braccios, including son Robert, also volunteer as family team for non-emergency CERT situations, such as directing traffic at road races or local events.
Lisa and Matt said that Robert, whether helping out at the care package drive or with traffic control for CERT, loves to volunteer.
“We want Robert to know that it is good to give back,” Lisa said.
Matt agreed.
“We’re trying to instill in our son that we have to help where we can help,” he said. “And that’s what it’s all about.”