We take a look back at our biggest and best year of community giving! Join us in supporting our local community and learn more about great initiatives and organizations here in SouthCoast Massachusetts and beyond!
United Way Holiday Wishes
We were so excited to be part of United Way of Greater New Bedford’s Holiday Wishes campaign. UNGNB teamed up with FUN 107 to help hard working families of the SouthCoast who were struggling to make ends meet. Take a peek (and grab a tissue) at the heartwarming video of Amalya, a 6 year-old-girl with Spina Bifida, and her family’s surprise presentation of a specially adapted bike. Care Free donated bikes to her siblings as well as helmets for all three children – we keep watching this video over and over – it’s absolutely beautiful.
Neediest Families Fund Prize-A-Palooza
An inaugural event organized by Kristen Lancaster, Prize-A-Palooza
raised a whopping $21,200 for the Neediest Familes Fund, a Standard Times holiday drive that supports the Salvation Army. Care Free donated a super cool Blue Devil Spirit gift basket. Filled with everything blue and white it featured a Blue Devil pom, pom hat, scarf, drawstring bag, and our exclusive What Up?! What Up?! t-shirt (you’ve gotta bleed blue to know what I’m talking about!) and more! Join the fun next year and help support a worthy cause.
Fairhaven Turkey Trot For Health and Hunger
One of the most beautiful 5k courses in town! This race was started by Fairhaven High School Alumni to help fill the need for local food pantries. We’ve been a proud sponsor of the Trot since the race’s inaugural year in 2010. Since that year they have raised over $50,000 for the Shephard’s Pantry, MoLife, and St. Anthony’s. Our family has been running every year (although this year I flew solo…grrrrr) All in all it’s an easy, flat course with water views of Fort Phoenix. Burn some calories before you stuff your face at Thanksgiving dinner. The race date is already for set for next year so mark your calendar for the Fairhaven Turkey Trot For Health and Hunger on Thursday, November 24, 2016!
We Got Your Backpack
A program that supports our homeless neighbors of the SouthCoast, We Got Your Backpack donate lots of goodies and necessities that will be packed into backpacks and given to local homeless. This year we held a fundraiser on Small Business Saturday and were able to purchase over 200 items! Thanks to the hard work of our children and their friends, this last minute event was a huge success! We can’t wait to do it again next year!
No Roof Left Behind
This was ou
r first year as a No Roof Left Behind contractor. The community nominated homeowners, we selected four finalists, and the community voted online to pick the winner. Thanks to a partnership with No Roof Left Behind, United Way of Greater New Bedford, and GAF roofing we were able to give one Bristol County, MA homeowner a new GAF Timberline Roofing System. Kari Miller, a single mother of four, won the contest with 42% of the vote. See photos and watch our No Roof Left Behind interviews! Are you a local business owner? Join us next year by donating your products or services!
Buttonwood Park Boo at the Zoo 
We want both people and animals to live in a Care Free home! Boo at the Zoo is the biggest and one of the most fun fundraisers of our local zoo, Buttonwood Park in New Bedford. As a treat station sponsor we join the community for some spooky fun while supporting a wonderful, wildlife educational tool of the SouthCoast. (You’ll typically find us there the weekend before Halloween.) As a family company you’ll get to meet our kids, score some tasty treats, and snag a Care Free goodie bag at our treat station every year!
Care Free $25,000 Home Makeover
Whooo weeee!! This was our most amazing exterior transformation of the year! We ran this event sweepstakes style and gave one lucky Fairhaven, MA homeowner new Mastic vinyl siding, GAF Timberline roofing, and Harvey Classic vinyl replacement windows. Our random number generator could not have hand picked a better family! Meet the Roderiques family and watch the transformation of their home in our Care Free $25,000 Home Makeover video series!
Fairhaven Acushnet Little League
We work and play in the SouthCoast! As Fairhaven families, our kiddos play in the Fairhaven Acushnet Little League. Our Care Free Homes instructional t-ball team had a very special player on the roster, Lillian Pickup! She was coached by her dad and Care Free project manager, Dana Pickup, Jr. The goals of the Fairhaven Acushnet Little League are to teach the fundamental skills of baseball, sportsmanship, and teamwork. F.A.L.L. Baseball field tidbit: our guys re-roofed dugouts and hung up the Veteran’s Field and Matthew Rodriguez Memorial signs last spring. Are you a Fairhaven or Acushnet parent? Stay tuned for next year’s baseball sign ups by following the Fairhaven Acushnet Little League Facebook page.
New Bedford
Relay For Life
Many of us in the Care Free family have friends and family who have been affected by cancer. Most of these special people are survivors but some have lost their courageous battle. We have been a team sponsor for the New Bedford Relay for Life and love to support our office manager, Andrea Caruso, and her team, Quest For A Cure. Together we hope to stop this terrible disease and fund programs that promote awareness and research for a cure.
Fairhaven Father’s Day Road Race
One of the oldest 5k and 10k races in the area! We’ve been running this race with our daughters for the past 6 years but this was the first year Care Free Homes was a sponsor. It’s also a big race for the Fairhaven Sole Sisters, a physical and emotional wellness program for girls that promotes healthy lifestyles and a positive self-image through long distance running. (I’m proud to be a coach for this fantastic group of kids!) Started by Allen Days, Fairhaven’s 2014 Man of the Year and owner of Days Sports in Fairhaven, the Father’s Day Road Race celebrated it’s 41st anniversary in 2015. This year they raised $25,000 donating every penny to various organizations in the SouthCoast community. If you are a runner and like race day swag – the Father’s Day Road Race is for you! T-shirts, commemorative mugs and post race food (think fruit, pizza, chowder, donuts, ice cream and more!) that could feed an Army make this race a must run! After the race be sure to stop by our table for some clementines and a Care Free goodie bag!
We Heart Our Troops! Hometown Heroes, Homes for Our Troops, GAF Roofs for Troops & More!
Supporting the military is something that is very important to our family. My husband, Nate Pickup, is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and has deployed to both Bosnia and Afghanistan. We understand and appreciate the service and sacrifice of our nation’s military families. We love military discounts, rebates and community initiatives that honor our local heroes! Learn about our military programs.
Live United 365
If you can’t decide what community organization you would like to support – United Way is the best way to support multiple programs. We are a proud Live United 365 Sponsor of United Way of Greater New Bedford. For just $1 per day, small businesses can help fund initiatives like the Hunger Commission, Summer Fund, Mini-Grants, Volunteer SouthCoast, and more! Get involved and join us as we Live United!
Stay up to date with all of our community initiatives by following us on our community page and social media! Find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram!
