My Brother's Keeper Rises to the Challenge

By Jordyn Forte

Published in South Shore Community magazine, Spring 2021

2020 was a year of hardship that no one could have possibly predicted. That, however, did not stop those at My Brother’s Keeper – a local Christian ministry dedicated to service – from, “bring[ing] the love and hope of Jesus Christ to those [they] serve.” 

According to their website, My Brother’s Keeper, “helped more people in 2020 than at any other time in [their] 33-year history,” assisting 62,947 people, valued at approximately $4,122,547. 

 

Founded in 1988 by Jim and Terry Orcutt, My Brother’s Keeper was born out of the Orcutt’s basement in Taunton, Orcutt said.

The Orcutt’s began helping others by collecting and donating clothing to those in need. However, Orcutt said, they quickly realized their community – particularly young individuals in challenging situations – would be better served if they received assistance in obtaining furniture. 

And so, My Brother’s Keeper shifted gears and their furniture program was born, Orcutt said. 

Over the years, both My Brother’s Keeper’s food and furniture programs have grown and expanded.

 

In 2020, My Brother’s Keeper adapted their ministry to succeed, even despite facing pandemic-imposed challenges, by re-imagining the service model they had followed for decades. 

Erich Miller, the president of My Brother’s Keeper, said that much of the ministry’s success, particularly in this past year, can be attributed to the organization’s flexibility.

“To adapt to the needs of the pandemic, we shifted our programs around,” Miller said.

 

Where My Brother’s Keeper normally dedicates 75% of its manpower to its furniture program and 25% of its manpower to its food program, Miller said these figured changed drastically throughout the course of the pandemic. 

Eventually, when COVID-19 case numbers rose, My Brother’s Keeper temporarily suspended their furniture pick-up and delivery program, instead pouring all of their manpower and efforts into their food program, Miller said. 

 

Though critically important, the reallocation of resources within the ministry was not the sole cause of the success My Brother’s Keeper saw in 2020. 

 

For safety reasons, My Brother’s Keeper had to limit the number of individuals it opened its doors to on a weekly basis. 

While the ministry typically worked with around 300 volunteers per week, this number was reduced down to 30 volunteers per week throughout 2020, Miller said. 

This also impacted the number of vendors that My Brother’s Keeper worked with, which was ultimately reduced down to just three primary companies, Miller said. 

 

And thus, this is where kindness and generosity greatly assisted My Brother’s Keeper. 

Though My Brother’s Keeper had less physical volunteers in 2020 than in years past, there were a number of other ways in which the community still assisted the ministry, Miller said, noting that many of those who were unable to physically volunteer instead opted to donate money, food, or other helpful resources to the organization. 

Furthermore, My Brother’s Keeper was generously offered assistance from Red Line Freight Systems, Inc., who transported food from the Greater Boston Food Bank back to the ministry’s Dartmouth and Easton facilities five times a week using commercial trucks, Miller said.

The frequency of these pick-ups and the size of the trucks that the ministry was able to utilize thus greatly aided My Brother’s Keeper in helping out as many individuals in need as possible, Miller said.

“People always step up,” Miller said, “[and] people have been especially generous during COVID-19.”