Ellis Early Learning 2nd Annual Spring Social
On May 4th, Ellis Early Learning invited neighbors and friends to help us usher in spring at our 2nd Annual Ellis Spring Social event at The Revolution Hotel. Ellis parents Carreau Ryder and Lauren Toth hosted and co-chaired the event which featured Ellis team member Cherish Casey, who shared an inspiring personal story of her journey to becoming one of the first Ellis Early Learning Family Navigators and now a Social Worker.
Cherish is an important part of Ellis’s model for providing both inclusive and equitable quality education for children and essential support for their families. Prior to Ellis, Cherish was a classroom teacher whose empathy for the families she served often left her frustrated. Without time to be both a successful teacher and to support struggling families in the ways they needed, Cherish sought a new path that led her to a family support role, and that brought her to Ellis.
Ellis is one of very few early education centers that have both teachers and family support workers on staff. Cherish was thrilled to come to Ellis, where she could directly support families and support classrooms in need of extra help. Throughout her time at Ellis, Cherish has helped families transition from homelessness, obtain mental health support, find specialty formula during scary shortages, and provide food and rental assistance. Cherish feels challenged and fulfilled, and she knows she’s making an impact.
The event, sponsored by Needham Bank, The Geraghty Group at Morgan Stanley, and PNC, featured drawings for prizes and a Wine Grab that showcased the wonderful bottles donated by Ruby Wines. In one of the evening’s highlights, a bottle of premiere wine was won by a recently engaged couple who were thrilled with the win. The evening was a perfect way to celebrate spring and all the possibilities it provides.
With over 75 guests enjoying an opportunity to come together, this year’s event set records in welcoming more people, including more first-time donors, and raising more funds in support of the Ellis mission than last year, making the Spring Social a tradition Ellis plans to continue. It was, as promised, a perfect combination of good company, good food, and a great opportunity for neighbors to get to know Ellis’s powerful and meaningful work.
