Volunteer musician(s) to perform at fundraiser in Brookline, 1 Oct 2017

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Sitters Without Borders needs one or two musicians to perform at our intimate fundraiser this Oct 1 in Brookline.

Sitters Without Borders, a first of its kind non-profit organization offers free weekly babysitting services to low-income parents, with a focus on single mothers, attending college in the Greater Boston area.

What we do and why we do it:
Our volunteer sitters are committed to assisting low-income parents with childcare responsibilities, allowing them to pursue higher education and elevate their economic positions. Our collaboration with many universities and organisations such as the Northeastern University, University of Massachusetts, Womenade Boston, TUGG, the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement and Community Giving at MIT has allowed us to grow rapidly recently. The organization, founded 3 years ago, has now successfully served over 50 families in the Greater Boston area, with a long waiting list of families in need and volunteers ready to serve.

The lack of quality, affordable, childcare services poses a significant barrier for many families and is particularly critical in the late afternoon and evening when classes are held for working students but congregate daycare is not available. Childcare costs in Massachusetts is among the highest in the country, averaging around $15 per hour and even higher in the Boston metro area. A study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research revealed that student parents juggle classes and coursework on top of providing family care and, often, working part- or full-time, and experience substantial demands on their time and finances. Since they are more likely to enroll on a part-time basis (66% work full-time and attend school part-time) and also have a heavy workload, they are more susceptible to leaving school before receiving credentials. For student parents, who, on average, leave college with more debt than their nonparent peers, dropping out early means they are faced with repaying hefty student loans without the credential they need to get a job with family-sustaining wages and are therefore pushed further down the economic ladder. Our service allows these parents to attend classes, devote their full attention to studying, and for many, hold a job, so that they can progress successfully through their educational programs while providing for their family.

The fundraiser will help us continue to serve these student parents and your involvement will be meaningful to the organization and the families we serve.

To volunteer, please email yasminsoraya@outlook.com with information on the type of instruments you will perform with.

To find out more about us, visit https://www.sitterswithoutborders.com/