Youth-led, Boston charity brings music lessons, instruments, mentorship to kids in underserved communities

BOSTON, Oct. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Care-to-Share charity in Boston is holding its first online fundraising auction with MaxSold, seeking support for their musical outreach in marginalized and underserved communities. Care-to-Share provides instruments, private music lessons and personal mentorship to students in high-needs schools in Boston and Chelsea.

Founded in 2019 by high school sophomore Michael Farquharson (who plays piano and violin) and his colleague at the New England Conservatory Prep school, Lazar Kaminsky (who plays cello), the pair worked with public school superintendents and principals in areas with the lowest statewide test results, to identify students who would benefit from free music instruction and mentorship.

“My generation has already seen a lot of things,” says Michael Farquharson, referring to the pandemic, climate crisis and the 2016 coup in Turkey that his family experienced first-hand.

“Social justice and social change for a more egalitarian world has been our dream and drive at Care-to-Share. I know that I have access that others do not, that it is a privilege to have music in our lives, and I want to give back to society through music, through spreading the value of art.”

Since 2019 the program has expanded to serve more than 2800 students, bringing in other young musicians from the community and from abroad to provide music instruction over Zoom.

Care-to-Share will use proceeds from this auction to assist with a new partnership with CLIC Preschool in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

In recognition of the difficulties facing charities and non-profits during the pandemic, MaxSold offered a zero-commission online auction for fundraising, helping community groups move online at a time when in-person events have been largely unavailable. Since July 2020, the “charity zero” campaign has helped raise more than $500,000 USD and will continue to assist the sector until at least July 2022.

“MaxSold brings the timeless art of auctions into the twenty-first century digital world. I am thrilled that we’re able to host this fundraiser online, assisting with marketing, registration, bidder support and collections for Care-to-Share,” says Sushee Perumal, chief executive officer of MaxSold. “In the start-up community, we believe in adding social value back into the local community. These kids are teaching us new ways of doing that and showing us that the future is bright.”

At a time when social connection and in-person events have disproportionately impacted children, Care-to-Share’s work has been important.

“The impact of the Care-to-Share program goes so much deeper than offering music lessons. You and your student teachers really focus on developing mentoring relationships with the CLCS students, and this type of connection is crucial and so valuable to a child’s growth. I know that the students who participated in this program will come into the school year with a greater sense of confidence and enthusiasm,” says Tiffany Rice, director of El Sistema at the Conservatory Lab Charter.

The auction opens on October 21, 2021.

About MaxSold.
MaxSold, Online Downsizing and Estate Sales, is the leading online platform for auctioning home contents quickly. MaxSold has been named in the Financial Times 2020 ranking of fastest growing companies in the Americas and The Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Companies. MaxSold handles the technological side of selling used goods, marketing auctions to a large pool of registered bidders, collecting payment, and coordinating pickup days. The company has grown substantially, now serving thousands of clients annually with a strong presence in 35 metropolitan areas across North America.

About Care-to-Share.
Care-to-Share is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (MA SOC Filing Number: 201926193360) with a mission to make a difference in the lives of youth and elderly through music. Care-to-Share leverages youth’s innate talents and ignites their curiosity and creativity while at the same time enriching the lives of the elderly through performances. Founded in 2019 by student Michael Farquharson, it facilitates music education in underprivileged communities by providing instruments, instruction and mentorship.

For further information, interviews, video/audio clips, contact:
Kate Morris
MaxSold Media Relations
kate.morris[@]maxsold.com