Updates

Read on for important information about membership for the 2024-2025 year!

Membership Renewal Offers

Starting in early May, be on the lookout for membership renewal offers! (Please confirm our emails are not going to spam!) Members must have completed both a volunteer requirement and a quarterly cleaning requirement by early May in order to be eligible. Please reach out if you’re not sure about your status – an email is going out soon to members who haven’t completed a volunteer requirement. In June, we begin offering spots to families on the waitlist. It’s a great time to have your friends get on the waitlist; there’s no commitment until they are offered a spot. Please email president@melrosefamilyroom.org for any membership or renewal questions.

Changes to Membership Policies

Based on feedback we received from the member survey and to align more closely with our community values, there will be changes to membership policies. These will take effect September 1st for the 2024-2025 membership year.

• Cost of membership: The cost of a yearly membership ($200 + fees) has not changed in some time despite increases in expenses. The new annual cost will be $225 + fees.
• Membership types: There will no longer be an option for Friend membership; there will just be Full membership.
• Room rentals: Next year, we are limiting room rentals per month as well as offering more time slots in order to increase access for members. There will be two floating (morning or afternoon) Saturday rentals and one Friday evening rental per month.
• Bylaws: We are updating our bylaws which have been in effect since 2007. The board will be confirming the revised bylaws at our meeting in May. Please feel free to review and reach out to president@melrosefamilyroom.org with any questions.

Introducing 2024-2025 Board Members

We are heading into the next membership year with a great team assembled! Welcome to the new board members!

President: Leah Ofsevit

Vice President: Melissa Stopa

Events Coordinators: Rachael Gallagher and Abbey Murray

Supplies & Maintenance Coordinator: Amanda Maher-Keefe

New Member Coordinator: Tessa Davis

Volunteer Coordinator: Cecilia Auditore

Treasurer: Matt Brookner

Tech Coordinator: Nate Gori

Room Improvement Committee

If you’d like to get a jump start on your volunteer commitment for next year, please consider joining the Room Improvement Committee! This group will work on making some long-overdue improvements to our physical space to ensure that we continue to be a destination playspace for our community. If you’re an interior design buff or have thought about how our space could serve your needs better, this is a great opportunity for you. Email president@melrosefamilyroom.org if you’re interested.

Read on for some important updates!

Board Updates

Thank you all for your participation and feedback on our annual member survey. We’d like to congratulate raffle winners Meagan Elam, Whitney Ritz, and Melissa Stopa.

The MFR board had our annual retreat last month, and we’ve been hard at work processing and incorporating what we heard from the membership. Stay tuned for changes and updates to membership policies and structures in the next newsletter, which will come out before membership renewals.

Membership Renewal Timeline

Renewal offers for current members will go out in early May. A reminder that member families must have completed their cleaning and volunteer requirements by May 1 in order to be eligible for renewals. Over the summer we will begin working through the wait list to fill empty spots. It’s a great time to have your friends get on the waitlist; there’s no commitment until they are offered a spot. Please email president@melrosefamilyroom.org for any membership or renewal questions.

Join the Board!

We are actively seeking new board members for the next board year beginning on May 1. If you have ideas for the Family Room, want to build connections, and are interested in giving back to our community, please consider joining! Meetings are once per month (usually the second Tuesday 7:30-9pm) with varying tasks in between related to the office. Board members receive a free MFR membership and are exempt from regular volunteer commitments. Open positions include:

• Vice President
• Communications Coordinator
• Events Coordinator (two co-chairs)
• Volunteer Coordinator

Please email president@melrosefamilyroom.org if you’re interested in learning more about any of the positions.

Events

The last month at the MFR saw a Valentine’s Day Party, a movie night and dance party, playgroups, and the MFR’s 35th anniversary event and fundraiser! (See photos below.) The fundraiser was a wonderful event building community across 35 years of membership and raising money for our wish list of room updates. Thank you to our planning committee, Amanda Maher-Keefe, Leah Ofsevit, and Colleen Conway, and thanks to all who attended and participated in the auction!

Help redesign the Room!

After a very successful fundraiser, we are excited to get to work on room updates like paint, furniture, storage/organization, etc. We are looking for a group of visionaries to spearhead this planning, to make the MFR a great place to play for more decades to come. This would fulfill next year’s volunteer requirement but we’d love to start asap. Please reach out to president@melrosefamilyroom.com to learn more!

The new year has been cold and snowy so far–a great season to spend lots of time at the Family Room playing and making new friends! Read on for some important updates from the MFR Board.

Member Survey

It’s time for our annual member survey, and we need your feedback! As a co-op, we always value member feedback, and the annual survey helps the board plan future offerings, room improvements, and policy changes. Please take a few moments to fill it out by Friday, February 2nd. Members who complete the survey can enter a raffle: three winners will receive $25 off either a room rental or next year’s membership!

Keeping the MFR Green

A few electricity-saving reminders for this chilly and dark season:

• If you turn on the heat, please reset the thermostat to 68 before you leave (if you turned it on but are not the last to leave, check in to make sure it’s on another member’s radar!).
• Please remember to turn off all lights in the room before leaving.
• Please also turn off stairwell lights as you go down (there is a switch on the 2nd floor; no need to make your way in the dark).

MFR’s 35th Anniversary

Did you know that the Melrose Family Room is celebrating its 35th year of serving families in the community? All past and current members are invited to celebrate this milestone on Saturday, March 9 from 7:00-10:00 pm at Temple Beth Shalom, 21 East Foster Street in Melrose. The adult-only event is also a fundraiser for the MFR. You can learn more and register at https://bit.ly/MFR35Years.

We are also looking for sponsor and raffle/auction items! If you work for or know of a local business that would be interested in donating an item, service, or gift card, please reach out to Amanda at amaher09@gmail.com. Sponsors will receive publicity leading up to and at the event, and all proceeds will go towards scholarships and improvements to the room.

Upcoming Events

Bring your kids to the MFR on Saturday, January 20th for a movie night! We’ll be serving up some popcorn and playing a family-friendly movie from 4-6pm. RSVP here!

Friday, February 9th is our Member Appreciation Valentine’s Day Party from 5-7:30 pm! Join us for pizza, snacks, crafts, and excellent company. RSVP here!

We’ve had a busy fall – story times, pop-up playgroups, a Halloween party, a pizza making class, a winter clothing swap, and pottery painting are just a few of the things our members have participated in over the past several weeks. (Photos at the end of the newsletter!) We’re thrilled to have kicked our programming into high gear, and there’s still lots more to look forward to!

Save the Date! MFR Night at Santa Fe – Wed., Nov. 29^th 4-8pm

Santa Fe on Main Street has generously offered to host us for one of its “restaurant nights” where 30% of all non-alcohol sales (dine in or take out) from 4-8pm will be donated back to the MFR. Take the night off from cooking (and get a break from Thanksgiving leftovers!) by joining us next week.

We’ll also have a table set up with various raffles to support the MFR. We’ve got some great items lined up, including:

·       4 tickets to Peppa Pig Live!

·       4 tickets to Charlie Brown’s Christmas show

·       5 tickets to the North Shore Family Museum

·       Craft Beer basket and gift card from Idle Hands Brewery

·       Main Street Melrose retailer gift card tree featuring Petrone’s, Cappa’s Trackside Diner, Kennedy’s Ice Cream, Jitters Café, Paper & Clay, the Melrose YMCA…and potentially more!

Can’t make it? Consider buying raffle tickets in advance! $5/1 ticket or $20/5 tickets. Email amaher09@gmail.com to purchase and select your entries!

This fundraiser is open to the entire community – please tell your friends, classmates, neighbors, and others. The more the merrier!

Quarterly Room Cleanings Resume

We will be hosting the first of our quarterly room cleanings next month. The full schedule of room cleanings will be as follows:

·       Wednesday, December 6^th at 8pm

·       Wednesday, January 24^th at 8pm

·       Wednesday, March 6^th at 8pm

·       Wednesday, May 1^st at 8pm

Each family must participate in at least one room cleaning per year; please plan for one adult in the family to come to one of these cleanings (no sign up required for now). We will have a sign-in sheet at each cleaning to ensure families get credit for their participation.

VOLUNTEERS needed!

We have a few upcoming things where we could use some MFR volunteers:

·       Help “staffing” the Santa Fe restaurant night above (for a portion of the time, not the entire time – divide and conquer!)

·       Assembling two wooden clothing racks (currently stored in the closet) and then sort through and hang costumes.

·       Coordinate the first quarterly room cleaning on December 6^th at 8pm. We will send you all information you need in advance. (Counts as your cleaning AND volunteer requirement!)

·       Planning Committee for 35^th Anniversary Celebration (see below!).

As a reminder, each family must complete their volunteer hours as a condition of their membership. These are great ways to log those hours and fulfill your requirement! To volunteer, please contact Chloe at volunteers@melrosefamilyroom.org.

MFR Celebrates its 35 Anniversary!

Did you know that the Melrose Family Room was founded in the Fall of 1988? To mark this special occasion, we have been working closely with a few of the MFR founding members to plan a 35^th anniversary celebration early next year. A Save the Date will be released shortly – we’re just ironing out a few last details on the date and location.

Sign up here if you’re interested in helping to plan the celebration!

Also, please consider sharing the link with any friends, family, neighbors, etc. who may have been former MFR members. We’re hoping to put this on the radars of all past members and admittedly, our listserv only goes back so far.  🙂

We are thankful for you!

As a volunteer board we are thankful for all of our members, your involvement and participation, meeting new friends, and everything we do together to make the MFR a great place to be. Have a great holiday and we look forward to more fun in December and the new year!

Welcome new and returning members to the 2023-2024 membership year! You are more than just members – you are EVERYTHING to MFR as a co-operatively run space and organization. We are so glad you’re here and know this year will be full of new friendships and fun events, as well as growth and improvements, as we celebrate 35 years of bringing families together.

Melrose Family Room Board

President – Meghan Rosenberg

Vice President – Kristen Kafka

Secretary – Leah Ofsevit

Treasurer – Matt Brookner

Volunteer Coordinator (until Nov. 1) – Kate McGuire

Volunteer Coordinator (after Nov. 1) – Chloe Negron

Event Coordinators – Izabela Hranitz & Dena Kavanagh

Supplies & Maintenance Coordinator – Amanda Maher-Keefe

Tech Coordinator – Alison Gori

New Member Coordinator – Tessa Davis

MFR Events

Summer fun included lots of families, friends, hot dogs, ice cream, splash pads and playgrounds! We loved meeting our community at our two summer events.

At Lincoln Park we were lucky enough to have Kayem Foods sponsor us with donated hot dogs and an ice cream truck come to top off the night as families had a chance to mix, mingle and play on the playground.

The Hall Memorial Splash pad opened early for us so that we could start our Saturday with some water play.  It started out as a cool morning, but the sun came out for fun in the water and playground.

Izabela and Dena are your new event chairs and are listening for any ideas that you have (events@mfr.org).

Upcoming Events

In addition to regular playgroups and movie nights, we have some fun events scheduled for this fall, including:

• a storytime and craft with Loving Little Minds (Sunday, October 1st at 4:00 pm)
• a Halloween party (Sunday, October 29 at 2:00 pm)
• a private pizza-making party at The Kitchen (Sunday, November 5th at 10:00 am)
• Friendsgiving (Sunday, November 19 at 3:00 pm)

Click on the links above to register, and remember you can see all our upcoming events by clicking on the Events tab of our website.

Events are also a great way to build our community while fulfilling your volunteer requirement. Our Events Coordinators are happy to help you plan your own event, or sign up to help with an upcoming event here. Contact Kate at volunteers@melrosefamilyroom.org with any questions.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

In years past MFR members have gotten together to form a team for the Melrose Alliance Against Violence Annual Walk, which this year will be on Sunday, October 22nd at 4:00 pm. It’s a great way to get to know other members while taking a nice walk (we usually do a shorter loop!) and support a local organization. If one or two volunteers would be interested in coordinating the Striding Strollers team this year please sign up or email president@melrosefamilyroom.org.

We are also looking for folks to put together our family photo bulletin board or beautify other bulletin boards around the room! This is a fun volunteer opportunity to do on your own time with a friend – or make a new friend! Contact Leah at secretary@melrosefamilyroom.org to learn more.

Hello Melrose Family Room Families!  We reach you hoping this newsletter finds everyone happy and healthy. It cannot be overstated that these past few years have been unprecedented. When we first closed the space, we kept hope that it would be a matter of “when” not “if” we would be together again. Now over a year since re-opening, we have a lot of exciting information to share with all of you. Regardless if you are new or returning this space, we are thrilled to get together and see you soon.

Important Updates and Information

• The MFR is currently closed for renovations! Although no one wants the room to be closed (again!) this is for good reason. Renovations are well under way to all three (3) floors of 179 Green St and we are fortunate to be receiving a few updates of our own
• After a long hiatus, Volunteer Requirements and Quarterly Cleanings are coming back! Be sure to keep your eyes open for more information in the coming weeks and months
• Want the most current MFR updates? Please make sure you are a member of the MFR private Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/MFRoom/

2022-2023 MFR Board Members

President – Meghan Rosenberg

Vice President – Kristen Kafka

Secretary – Laura Shumate

Treasurer – OPEN POSITION

Volunteer Coordinator – Kate McGuire

Events Coordinators – Katie Ross & Charlie Melia

Supplies & Maintenance Coordinator – Amanda Maher

Tech Coordinator – Alison Gori

New Membership Coordinator – Alicia Pattison

Interested in joining the Board? We’d love to have you! For additional information, please email the President at president@melrosefamilyroom.org

Quarterly Cleanings & Volunteer Requirements are Coming Back!

Please keep an eye out for both the quarterly cleaning schedule and volunteer opportunities! It may be the first time (or first time in a long time!) that you are seeing a cleaning or volunteer notification but won’t worry we are here to help.

Remember – In order to fulfill your annual membership requirements, one (1) representative per family must both attend one (1) cleaning event and volunteer their time in some capacity. Not sure how to volunteer? Don’t worry! Our amazing Volunteer Coordinator and Events Coordinators will have a variety of options from which to choose throughout the year. If you have your own idea, just let the Board know.

Unfortunately, skipping either or both requirements will make your family ineligible to renew for the following year. The MFR at its core is a family co-operative which means it cannot function without all of us pitching in to help.

Exciting Changes Ahead

Best Wishes From the Current MFR President

Like so many others, I joined the MFR shortly after my first child was born in hopes of meeting new families. After a year as a member, I joined the Board and somehow over five (5) years have gone by. While I did not anticipate becoming President, it has been a fun, exciting and at times a little scary. As we entered the pandemic, I worried that the MFR would not be able to survive. A place that brought families together for over three (3) decades might be gone? Not if this Board had anything to say about it. We have had some of the most amazing Board members throughout the years and this incoming Board is no exception. Thank you for the opportunity and I wish the MFR many, many decades more!

Best, Masha

Greetings From the Incoming MFR President

Hi MFR members, I’m humbled to be leading this amazing and resilient Board and organization for the next year. The Melrose Family Room is such a wonderful community resource, and we are excited to bring back all the more social aspects after a tough and isolating couple of years. We have an opportunity for a fresh start as the majority of our membership joined after the COVID shutdown, so please get in touch, jump in, and help us make it what you want it to be!

Best, Meghan

MEMBER APPRECIATION

Has another member done something to go above and beyond? Nominate them for our Quarterly Member Appreciation Award! To submit a nomination, please send an email to president@melrosefamilyroom.org