First Parish member cuts the ribbon at the new center for the Children of Ng'ob
First Parish member cuts the ribbon at the new center for the Children of Ng’ob

Twenty years ago two First Parish members working with members of another church co-founded Communities Without Borders, a non-profit, charitable organization.  The organization is dedicated to providing schooling, school uniforms and shoes, midday meals, teacher training, and psychosocial & medical support for HIV/AIDS orphans.  This year, CWB is supporting 264 AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in a secondary school that CWB funds built in Lusaka, Zambia. SAM sponsors an annual appeal to support the Zambia Project:  joining with other religious organizations in the Boston area, members of our congregation contributed $13,000 last year.  In 2007 First Parish was awarded the prestigious UU Red Ribbon award for our work with Zambian Aids orphans. The Red Ribbon award is given to congregations which have been recognized by UUGAC as providing leadership in addressing global AIDS issues in each of our three goal areas: education/outreach, direct service, and political advocacy.