Blue Bunny Partners with Catching Joy for Good Fun

One thing all small businesses have in common is a connection to their community.  The strength of a brick-and-mortar store, especially in an increasingly online world, increases when we nurture personal relationships.  At The Blue Bunny, one way we have found to connect with our customers and other community organizations is through our long-standing collaboration with Catching Joy, a small non-profit dedicated to providing volunteer opportunities for children and their families (www.catchingjoy.org)

We first met Catching Joy founder Joy Surprenant when she came into the store as a customer many years ago.  After overhearing our staff panicking about the surprise cancellation of an event for the following day, Joy piped up and offered to help us out with a presentation and free craft project to support the National Marine Life Center on Cape Cod instead.  In that way, the children who showed up expecting an activity would not be disappointed.  We readily agreed, and a collaboration was born.

Since then, Joy has joined our weekly Monday morning storytime staff, and sponsored countless events at our store, most including stories and a project along with donations, for organizations including Cambridge’s Solutions at Work, the Jimmy Fund, the National Marine Life Center, One Fund Boston, The Home for Little Wanderers, and many more.  We have collected hats, mittens and scarves (like we are doing this month) for kids in need; books, pajamas, toiletries, and school supplies for the homeless; made trick-or-treat bags and party favors for kids in residential programs, cards for veterans and the homebound, and learned about the need to protect our environment, celebrate differences, and help one another.  

Along the way, we have had the privilege to watch our Blue Bunny families grow as well. Children who started coming as toddlers have grown up with us, meeting up with store friends at each event, and learning that they can have fun while spreading joy to others.  

There are four upcoming Catching Joy events at The Blue Bunny.  All are free of charge, all are welcome, and all are lots of fun. Mark your calendars, tell a friend,  and please consider joining us.  They include:

• Friday, Jan. 31st, 6:30 p.m., Bedtime Storytime to Celebrate Lunar New Year and Multicultural Awareness,  with books, dragon-mask craft and fortune cookies!  Wear your pjs if you want!

• Friday, Feb. 14th, 4:30 to 6 pm., Valentine’s for Veteran’s Workshop, make a valentine for someone you love, and make an extra to be delivered to some local veterans’ programs. All materials provided.
  

• Wed., Feb. 19th (vacation week), 6:30 p.m.,  Snowman-themed Bedtime Storytime with card and goody-bag workshop. Bring small art supplies or toys (pencils, notebooks, crayons, activity books, stickers, playing cards, playdoh, etc., no candy, please.)  Bags and cards will go to  kids at Newton Wellesley Hospital.

• Friday, Feb. 28th, 6:30 p.m. Kids Comedy Night to benefit the Strike 3 Foundation for childhood cancer research. (strike3foundation.org) Children are invited to stand up and share jokes and riddles. Free show, but donations and pledges accepted. Refreshments provided.