Since it was founded in 2020, the nonprofit Theresa Street, which serves Dartmouth and New Bedford, has raised over $150,000 for local organizations that provide educational opportunities and access to mental health programs to K-12 students . Moving forward, Theresa Street plans to raise $1 million for local charities by 2030. 

To celebrate its efforts and promote some of its upcoming events in 2024, Theresa Street hosted a party at Friendly Pizza on Dec. 28 that featured live music, free pizza and a raffle. Theresa Street President and Dartmouth resident Ray Paul Biron said the need for greater access to mental health services and education are key areas of concern in Dartmouth.

“Any community needs to decide which areas need development and improvement and to take action to address those,” Biron said. 

Theresa Street fundraises much of its money through community sports events from wiffle ball to kickball. The proceeds from these events go to local charities that provide educational and mental health support to low-income students and students with mental and physical disabilities.  

Theresa Street also partners with Dartmouth High School’s Unified Sports, a program that allows students regardless of their physical or mental abilities the chance to play sports in an environment that fosters inclusivity and acceptance. Theresa Street hosts an annual 5k race to raise money for Unified Sports.  

“It builds empathy and a sense of teamwork,” Biron said of the Unified Sports program.

Theresa Street is currently raising money for an accessible school bus to transport students with physical disabilities and wheelchair requirements to special education programs at Dartmouth High School. 

“Everybody should have the right to the same sorts of resources and opportunities as anyone else,” Biron said. “We believe it generally improves mental health in the community.”

Biron said that this bus would allow children who are currently unable due to physical disabilities to attend after school programs to get the education they deserve.  

“We’re trying to fund an opportunity to get kids efficiently to the best place where they can learn,” he said. 

One of Theresa Street’s community partners is the Bishstrong Foundation, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to people with spinal cord injuries and paralysis. That money allows people living with paralysis to purchase specialized wheelchairs and exercise equipment that helps them to live more active lifestyles.  

Dartmouth resident DJ Bishop founded the Bishstrong Foundation after he suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury in 2016, leaving him immediately paralyzed from the upper chest down. As an athlete growing up who played college baseball, Bishop says that “not giving up” is second nature to him. 

Those living with paralysis need equipment and care that insurance doesn’t always cover, Bishop said. He credits his improved quality of life after his injury to his community’s financial and moral support that helped him attend physical therapy.

“It’s inspired me to help people in my situation that don’t have a lot,” he said. “There’s always somebody who has it worse than you.”

In a speech at Friendly Pizza, Biron encouraged everyone in the audience to explore ways that they can impact their communities. 

“I would challenge you in 2024 and beyond to think of your vision of what the South Coast should be,” Biron said. 

This summer, Theresa Street will be hosting several athletic events to raise money for local charities. To learn more about those events, visit theresastreet.org.