Every holiday season, Fun 107 dedicates a week of airtime to five families that are struggling on the SouthCoast. Thanks to the help of the United Way of Greater New Bedford, we are able to share their stories and provide assistance to families that need it most.

The Martin family, the Mignault family, the Arruda family, and the Taveras family have dealt with hardship this past year, and thanks to the generosity of Fun 107 listeners, we have been able to provide them with a brighter holiday season. Today, we hope to extend a helping hand to the Bumpus family in Dartmouth.

In June of 2021, the Bumpus family lost their home and all of their belongings to a devastating fire. The fire took everything, but luckily no one was home at the time.

The family now lives in a trailer in the driveway of their property as they focus on rebuilding their home and their lives. The biggest struggle is the size of the family, with 16 people trying to live in this trailer.

It is an intergenerational household held together by the love and care of Christine Bumpus, who is trying to be strong for her parents, nieces, and nephews, despite the hardships that have developed.

Every Sunday, Christine will retrieve the children’s clothes outside of the trailer and sort them in separate plastic bags for each child for the week.

When it comes to space, there is none, and they were forced to put a tarp up outside to give them privacy.

“We’re right on the main road, and the kids kept saying ‘people are staring,’ so we put up a tarp to give us some privacy and some space,” Christine said.

The goal is to keep this family together and raise their spirits while they rebuild, and here is how you can help.

Text to Donate to Holiday Wish

Text WISHES21 to 243725. You will be sent a United Way e-link that allows you to make a donation via credit card to this family when you select the day and date of which family you wish to help from the drop-down menu.

Donate By Check to Holiday Wish

Make checks payable to the United Way of Greater New Bedford and in the memo line, write HOLIDAY WISH and the day and date of the family you wish to help. Checks can be mailed to United Way of Greater New Bedford, 128 Union Street, Suite 105, New Bedford, MA 02740.

Donate by Credit Card to Holiday Wish

You can make a secure donation to the United Way via credit card HERE. Select the day and date of the family you wish to help from the "Please Select a Family" drop-down menu.

All of our families are pre-selected through the United Way of Greater New Bedford. If you are in need of assistance, please contact the United Way directly.

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