Middlesex County
CHAPTER
Middlesex County (MA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated
Boston Marathon Fundraiser
Supporting the Community in Every Turn
The Links, Incorporated is an international, not for profit corporation established in 1946. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. Since 1976, the Middlesex County (MA) Chapter has played a vital role in addressing the needs of our community and enriching the lives of those in the suburban Boston community. As you consider your support for our Marathon Team, we invite you to explore our site to learn more about the work we are doing in the community.
About Our Marathon Campaign
Support the Middlesex County (MA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated’s Marathon Team running at the 128 th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15 th , 2024. Proceeds from this fundraiser will help the Middlesex County (MA) Chapter of The Links Incorporated continue its charitable work and programming efforts.
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Over the past eleven years, we have contributed over 27,000 hours of service to community partners including We Belong, Steppingstone Foundation, and Brookview House; that also comprised creating a computer lab and a children’s library for residents of Brookview House.
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Our contributions extend beyond service hours to include multifaceted programming for local students of color, including a college readiness component and programming designed to address the educational gap of young women in Kenya.
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During COVID-19 we focused on wellness programming, partnering with Boston Medical Center Healthnet for COVID-19 Clinics, and providing Mental Health Awareness programming for youth. This programming was so well received, it is continued today.
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We have funded over $310,000 in scholarship support for African American students enrolled in medical school and high school seniors who have enrolled in an accredited college or university.
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With your help, we can do more. Thanks for your generous support of our runners and our work!
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If you would like to make a donation by check, please make the check payable to The Links Foundation and mail to the attention of Middlesex County Chapter of The Links, Inc., Financial Secretary, 42 Pope Road, Acton, MA. 01720. For those using Charitable Donation Accounts, apply Funds to Taxpayer ID 52-1170830.
Meet Our Marathon Team
An incredible woman is running to raise funds for the Middlesex County (MA) Chapter of The Links Incorporated's programs in the community and scholarships dedicated towards undergraduate students in addition to those who are enrolled in medical school. Thank you for supporting them!
Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo
Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo is a Zimbabwean -American poet, storyteller, educator, and
lifetime runner based in Boston.
She has completed multiple marathons in Boston (2012), as well as the events that make up the BAA Distant Medley (5K,10K, and Half Marathon). She has been an active member of various Boston Running communities including Soletrain Boston Runs Together, Finishers Fit Club, Trailblazers, Black Girls Run, and is a member of the National Black Marathoners Association. Running has always been an essential part of her life in 2014 she was interviewed on “Basic Black “ about Marathon running in the black community and the
need for diversity and accessibility within the sport.
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Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo has previously worked for the Boston Public Health Commission in the Boston Public Schools and received a Certificate of Appreciation for her commitment to the youth of Boston. She was also a recipient of the BIPOC Art Leaders Ripple Grant by the Cultural Equity Leadership (ACI), and Creative Entrepreneurship from the Arts and Business Council of Boston (2021).
Her debut poetry “ Soul Psalms” published in 2016 was praised by the President of the American Psychology Association, Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis as a “ therapeutic collection....beautifully transparent”
In January 2023, Mhlaba-Adebo received a Certification of Recognition from Mayor Wu for her creative work, commitment to health and wellness, and dedication to making Boston more inclusive and equitable.
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Mhlaba-Adebo is an Adjunct Professor of creative writing and a consultant helping support organizational change. Combining art, education, healing, and social impact has always been her vision. To that end, she founded the Maoko Project, an arts+wellness+social impact practice guided by Ndau ( Shona) principles stemming from her vast experience.
Mhlaba-Adebo is a board member for Mass Poetry and Write on the Dot, as well as a member of the New England Poetry Club and the National Writers Union. She holds a Master's in Education from Lesley University focusing on Multicultural Education and Theater Arts and is also an alum of UMASS Boston.
She is deeply loved by her husband and son and is running the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17th, 2023 for The Middlesex County (MA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
For info on her work www.u-meleni.com