NORTHBOROUGH – When a family faces a crisis, the Neighbor Brigade steps in, providing help when it’s needed most.
The Neighbor Brigade is a nonprofit organization designed to supply families in need with a robust network of resources and volunteers. Marcy Eckel, the executive director, manages fundraising efforts and oversees the activities of more than 3,000 registered volunteers.
“All of us actually work other jobs. We do this part time because we feel really connected to the mission. Whether it’s a personal circumstance or something that we’re going through or knowing someone that was touched by the Neighbor Brigade,” Eckel said.
The origin
The organization was founded in 2003 after Pam Washek and her friend Jean Seiden were both diagnosed with cancer. They were struck by the incredible amount of community aid they were provided and decided to form the Wayland Angels.
It was later renamed the Neighbor Brigade after the organization became an official nonprofit and spread across the MetroWest Boston area. Although Washek and Seiden have passed away, their legacy continues through the dedicated volunteers of the Neighbor Brigade.
Judy Boyle, the chapter leader for Northborough and Southborough, is one of the founding leaders of the organization and has been involved since 2003.
“[Washek] was so inspired by the outpouring of support from her neighbors and community members that she said, ‘I want to take this and turn it into something formal and have a chapter in every community everywhere.’ That was her dying wish,” Boyle said.
Boyle joined and decided to represent her community in Northborough in an effort to uphold the words that she lives by: “I don’t volunteer because I have an easy life. To the contrary, I’ve had a difficult life. Adversity has made me the strong person that I am today. I draw strength from helping others, and if I can ease the burden of someone in crisis, then I’m going to take that opportunity and run with it.”
The mission
The group is able to aid people during short-term crises, typically ones that are under 12 weeks. This can include delivering meals, providing rides and helping kids with homework.
“It’s really a wrap-around service designed to help the family and not overwhelm them,” Boyle said. “That’s really the message: We fill in where your family and neighbors and community members cannot.”
Boyle understands the difficulties families can face, and she aims for the Northborough Neighbor Brigade to be an aid that people can rely on when they need help or when they know someone else who does.
“We are just another resource, another layer of support. We understand that with a death everybody in the days after are bringing meals. The family with the crisis is often overwhelmed. They have 16 lasagnas that are going to go to waste. The goal for me is to know if a family is experiencing a sudden crisis and they can reach out to me and I will be the liaison to the family. I’ll find out what they need and then disseminate the needs out to the volunteers,” Boyle said.
Neighbor Brigade gives back
Throughout the years, the Northborough chapter of the Neighbor Brigade has touched the lives of many.
Boyle shared a story about a family that faced significant challenges. Although the usual policy was to help for 12 weeks, the family’s special circumstances led to them receiving assistance for over three years.
“The Neighbor Brigade took that journey with the family,” Boyle said. “It was tiring for all of us because we had so much empathy for the family we just couldn’t do enough to ease the burden that they were facing.”
When she was delivering meals, Boyle noticed that the lawn had grown long, and the brigade reached out to a local landscaper to get the house on his regular schedule.
“He has been going over and doing it on his own for years,” Boyle said.
Recently, in 2023, roughly 30 migrant families arrived in Northborough seeking asylum. The Neighbor Brigade stepped in to bring people to doctor and dentist appointments as well as driving the kids to sports and concerts.
“We had this big pool of resources, and we made sure that these migrant families could get to appointments,” Boyle said.
How to get involved
Northborough Neighbor Brigade has 100 registered volunteers. The group is always looking for more people to sign up and get involved.
Going to the webpage www.neighborbrigade.org and pressing the volunteer heading will lead you to a list of all the locations where the organization runs. From there, the volunteer application is easily accessible.
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization. They’re so important to us,” Eckel said “We really try to honor everything they do for the organization and the people that they serve.”
The group hopes to gain more volunteers and sponsors who carry the dedication and desire to help the community. Furthermore, Boyle hopes to connect the community in even more ways through town offices and agencies in order to better provide services to clients.
“That’s one message I want to pass on,” Boyle said. “The Neighbor Brigade wants to work with the churches and schools and streamline the pool of resources.”
Additionally, an annual event called Pam’s Run, which honors Washek, will be hosted in Wayland on Oct. 20 at 8:15 a.m. The event is open to everyone and includes a 10k, 5k, walk and a kid’s run for children ages 2-9.
“Lots and lots of people run that, and they’ve been running it for all twelve years,” Eckel said. “The same sponsors come back every year. It’s a feel-good, wonderful event that works to see people connected.”
