Max Julien announced as the First Impact Free Jack presented by Mass Lottery Honoree! The Free Jacks are still looking for more Community Heroes,  Nominate Your Community Hero to Become an Impact Free Jack Honoree today!

For the past decade, Maxine ‘Max’ Julien has been one of the busiest women in Boston during the holiday season. After she finishes her day job as a paralegal, Max starts her work for Christmas in the City, a 100% volunteer based non-profit that is dedicated to helping relieve the impact of homelessness and poverty. 

Most of her free time between the months of November and December is spent bringing Christmas magic to children and families across Greater Boston and preparing for the ‘big party.’ All throughout that time, Max runs the toy donation. Dubbed ‘Jake’s Toy Mania’ after the late founder, Julien spends the weeks before Christmas working nearly round the clock to distribute donated toys to Boston parents who pre-register and demonstrate financial need.

Image Featuring: Max Julien (left) | Image Credit: Bill Brett of  billbrettboston.com

While the holiday season is a time of joy and celebration for many, it can be a particularly difficult time for those facing financial hardship. Every parent and family member loves seeing a smile on their loved ones faces during the holidays. But with the rising cost of living, it can be difficult to cross off presents on the kid’s Christmas list.

 Max, who grew up in Haiti, understands the adversity families face this time of the year all too well. “I know what it’s like to have nothing,” said Julian to LifeZette in 2016. “I know what it’s like to wake up on Christmas and think, ‘What’s Christmas? There’s nothing in the house.”

“I know what it’s like to wake up on Christmas and think, ‘What’s Christmas? There’s nothing in the house.”

In 1989, local MIT rugby legend Jake Kennedy and his wife Sparky started organizing the Christmas in the City parties that invited families from Boston homeless shelters to celebrate the holidays. The non-profit coordinates festive decorations, games, a holiday meal for all in attendance, and gifts selected for each child based on what they told Santa Claus to bring them earlier on in the month. 

Max’s volunteer work with Christmas in the City began in 2013. The organization’s annual holiday party provides a day of festivities and self-care for those living in homeless shelters. Attendees are welcomed on a red carpet and treated to a banquet, while children enjoy a winter wonderland carnival with rides and activities. 30 years after the inaugural festivities, at the party’s pre-COVID peak, 16,000 guests packed the biggest event space in the city, the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. And after the biggest event in organizational history, Max spent the next few days handing out leftover toys from the main party for even more impoverished families. 

Image Featuring: Christmas in the City Events | Image Credit Christmas In The City

“I wish you could see these kids’ faces when they open up a toy,” Julien recalls. “It’s the best thing in the world” (LifeZette, 2016).

 

Christmas in the City also holds other events throughout the year such as Halloween in the City, Thanksgiving in the City, Winter Wonderland, and the Job Fair, where job-seekers can network in a plethora of industries and practice their professional interview skills. 

The following year, Christmas in the City faced unforeseen challenges during the pandemic. The organization’s founder, Jake Kennedy, tragically passed away from ALS, leaving a void in leadership and a sense of uncertainty about the future. Additionally, the pandemic restrictions on large gatherings posed a significant obstacle to the organization’s traditional events and activities.

 Despite these challenges, Max was resolute in her determination to continue the charity in Jake’s memory. Max believed that Christmas in the City embodied Jake’s unwavering spirit and commitment to spreading joy during the holiday season. 

 “When he was alive, there was no amount of snow, nothing [that] stopped him,” she said in an interview with WBUR in 2022.

 Fueled by belief and the memory of Jake, Max and a group of like-minded individuals rallied together, vowing to carry on Christmas in the City’s mission and ensure that its impact would continue to be felt in the community.

 “So we decided, ‘Okay, what do we do?” says Max (WBUR, 2022).

 Volunteers came up with what they called “CITC: Delivered.” During December of 2020, that meant “delivering it like FedEx,” Julien said to WBUR. The team of volunteers set out on contactless deliveries of gifts, essential supplies, and hot meals at shelters around Greater Boston, waving at kids through the windows.

 The spirit of giving that drives initiatives like Christmas in the City doesn’t have to be confined to the holiday season. Max exemplifies this by extending her compassion and generosity throughout the year, particularly in response to the recent political turmoil in Haiti and the subsequent influx of immigrants across Massachusetts.

 Max’s efforts have been instrumental in easing the transition for these families. She has taken on a multitude of roles, from delivering essential baby formula to families arriving at Logan Airport, to providing translation services in both Spanish and Haitian Creole, to securing housing for those in need. When she found out a child wasn’t eating enough because their refrigerator was broken, she delivered a fridge to the family herself. 

 Through acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness, neighbors can uplift those in need, foster a sense of belonging, and create a more compassionate and equitable society. The spirit of giving represents the quintessential Impact Free Jack, as exemplified by Max.

 The Free Jacks are looking for Impact Free Jack nominees from all walks of life and every corner of New England who have the power to transcend boundaries and create a lasting, positive impact on the lives of others. Honorees will be celebrated at each of the Free Jacks’ home games. 

 This partnership with Massachusetts State Lottery aims to highlight and reward everyday heroes who embody the values of service and community, aligning with the Free Jacks’ mission of making a positive impact both on and off the field.

 Be sure to buy your tickets for the Free Jack’s 2024 season so that the Free Jacks’ faithful can honor these Impact Free Jacks! The home opener at Veterans Memorial Stadium will be on Saturday, March 15th at 2:00 p.m. EST versus NOLA Gold.

For more opportunities to engage with the Free Jacks community, stay updated on future Free Jacks matches, festivals, and announcements through the Free Jacks’ news page: www.freejacks.com/news

 Get Involved Today

If you know someone who has made a lasting difference in your community, now is the perfect time to share their story. Help the Free Jacks celebrate the unsung heroes who make New England a better place for us all. Submit your nominations and let’s celebrate the power of kindness, generosity, and community spirit!

To nominate someone or learn more about the Impact Free Jack Honoree Awards, click here.

For more opportunities to engage with the Free Jacks community, stay updated on future Free Jacks matches, festivals, and announcements through the Free Jacks’ news page: www.freejacks.com/news