Mayor Siddiqui Announces 2nd Annual Winter Gift Card Drive

Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui today announced the launch of the Mayor’s Winter Gift Card Drive to provide gift cards to Cambridge residents in need.

For the second year in a row, the Mayor’s Office has raised close to $50,000 in donations to purchase gift cards from local stores that will be delivered with the help of non-profits to Cambridge residents and families in need. Harvard and MIT are lead sponsors of the initiative, and are joined by Lesley University and other community members who have stepped up to provide relief for their neighbors this holiday season. The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce is also helping to facilitate the Mayor’s Winter Gift Card Drive.

“Winter is a difficult time of year for our most vulnerable residents and this small but meaningful gesture of providing gift cards will help alleviate some of the pressure this holiday season and allow them to purchase gifts, groceries, or household items they need,” said Mayor Siddiqui. “Once again, I am grateful for the overwhelming support we have received thus far and am hopeful that even more community members will join in the giving.”

The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce will use the donations to purchase gift cards and distribute them to Cambridge nonprofits that work with vulnerable residents.
“We are pleased to once again help support Mayor Siddiqui’s gift card initiative and, by extension, the many residents who will benefit from this program,” said Tom Lucey, Harvard’s Director of Government and Community Relations, and Paul Parravano, MIT’s Co-Director of Government and Community Relations. “Harvard and MIT are proud of our ongoing work with the City and its partners to address critical challenges facing our community, and we join the Mayor in hoping that this modest deed will bring some joy to our neighbors this holiday season.”

Those who wish to participate still have time to do so until Monday, December 19. Please donate online here or email Mike Hoff at mhoff@cambridgechamber.org if you would like to support the drive. The Mayor’s office will be working with nonprofit partners throughout Cambridge to get the gift cards directly to families in need. For more information, please contact the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Michael Scarlett (mscarlett@cambridgema.gov).