25 Years of Fifty Families

What ultimately makes the holiday season such a joyful time for many is that it’s the season of giving. That’s something that Tucker Smith always believed, but it became even clearer to her in 1998, when she and a group of friends began an effort that has—25 years later—made an incalculable impact on the lives of thousands of children and their parents served by Bay Cove’s Early Intervention (EI) program.

“They say it’s more blessed to give than it is to receive, and it really absolutely is true,” says Tucker. “If people only knew the joy that comes from giving to people who truly need it.“

This December, for the 25th time, Tucker and a network of dedicated fellow Bay Cove supporters have taken on the heartwarming mission of providing holiday joy for our EI families—children under the age of 3 with developmental delays and/or disabilities, and their families, who receive therapeutic services from our EI staff of teachers, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, speech pathologists and other professionals. Each year, the families in our programs—many of whom also struggle with severe financial hardships—receive holiday presents, grocery gift cards and other items needed to make the holidays bright from Tucker and her ever-growing team.

“Fifty Families started [in 1998] when my husband and I learned that there were unanswered letters to Santa at the postal annex, and we decided to go get a couple of them and fulfill the requests,” Tucker, a longtime resident of Lincoln, recalls. “Not long after that, we were attending church at First Parish, and [fellow parishioner] Dan Boynton got up and began speaking about the agency he had founded—Bay Cove Human Services—and its EI program. I couldn’t wait for him to finish, so that I could run up to him and ask him whether we could supply Christmas for the people in the program!”

The answer, of course, was yes, and Tucker recruited her inaugural group of “elves” to make holiday wishes come true. The EI staff would send the group the names and ages of children in the program, and Tucker’s team would get to work shopping for gifts that could—in her words—feed “the hand, the head, and the heart.” “I always thought that the children should receive a toy, a book, and something soft—like a stuffed animal or blanket,” she explains.

Today, the name “Fifty Families” is a misnomer in every possible way. Originating from a desire to be able to serve 50 EI families, there are currently more than 100 families who participate in the giving of gifts, and this year 193 individuals served by our EI program will receive holiday gifts.

Year after year, the Fifty Families program has grown, as the people who gave recruited their friends to join the effort. As time went by, participants have been able to involve their growing families to be part of the shopping and giving process, teaching valuable lessons about kindness and giving back to a new generation. And each December, a massive caravan of vehicles would make their way from towns throughout MetroWest and beyond to our Child Development Center in Dorchester to drop off carload after carload of brightly-wrapped packages tied up in ribbons and bows.

Amanda Kasica—currently Director of the EI program, and a former Service Coordinator—remembers how she and her fellow staff would watch as the EI facility turned into a faithful recreation of Santa’s Workshop. “We would see our offices filled with these amazing packages,” she says. “We would stop and stare at the sheer magnitude of the generosity—it was overwhelming and emotional. To see this sort of kindness for the people we serve is truly powerful.”

The gifts always came to EI in a burst of color, but were delivered by service coordinators to the recipient families in black trash bags—to help preserve the holiday surprise for the children, and also to offer families the opportunity to give the gifts in the manner of their choosing. “These gifts are never from us,” Tucker says. “There are no tags on them—it’s the parents’ decision whether the gifts are from them, or from Santa, or from whoever they choose.”

Amanda also notes that the Fifty Families generosity extends beyond just the children being served by the program. “Tucker and the group decided pretty much from the start that they would be providing gifts to the parents, as well—and any siblings or other family members living in the home, which is so kind,” she says. “These parents have so many needs throughout the year, that they rarely have much opportunity to focus on what they can give their child for Christmas—and they themselves often get nothing at all. So, when they learn that there’s a gift for them, or for their other kids, it’s so unexpected and exciting. And they’re so grateful that somebody they don’t even know has thought of them this way.”

COVID has changed the Fifty Families process somewhat—over the last few years, precautions about gathering together in large groups and a move away from in-person shopping has translated to Tucker and her team shifting to mostly donating giftcards instead. Tucker and Amanda hope that by the time next December rolls around, the circumstances will be right to once again allow groups of volunteers filled with holiday spirit the opportunity to come together, celebrate, and experience the EI program in person and hear directly from staff about the true impact of this generosity. Until then, though, Tucker says that the messages that she receives from recipient families are reminders of why she and her team continue the effort.

“Over the years, I’ve met some of the families, and had thank-you letters forwarded to us, which are always very heartwarming and special for us to receive,” Tucker says. “This has just become something that’s so special for everyone who gets involved. I have people who’ve moved out of state and still get in touch every year about staying involved and participating. Every year, I hear from members of the group that, for them, Fifty Families time is when the holiday season truly begins.”

To learn more about the Fifty Families program, please contact Bay Cove’s Development Department at 617-371-3047.