For Derrick White, it’s always been a no-brainer. He’s been a Curbside Care constant for years now. So, when the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, Tufts Health Plan (a Point23Health company), and Boston Medical Center hosted the event this year, he was there.
White sat amongst BMC patient families as they celebrated the program’s success over the years. They split off into tables, creating different school lunches based on a variety of prompts.
Peanut allergy — no peanuts allowed. At least two fruits or vegetables. Each table had its own challenge, and by the end of the night, there was only one winner. It was not White’s group.
“It was fun,” White said. “Those are always fun. A little competition, a little bit of educational, a little bit everything. So,. I always have fun with that, and I think I got I got gipped on the judges there at the end. But it's just motivation for next time.”
Though he would have loved to get the win, White’s night was still a success. There’s a reason he’s always been involved with Curbside Care.
At his core, White is a family man. He has two kids. And when Curbside Care was first blossoming, his wife, Hannah, was pregnant. It was a perfect match.
Curbside Care is a mobile health program, designed to provide care to mothers and families at their doorsteps. It provides an array of services, including postpartum depression screening, newborn care, lactation support, and blood pressure monitoring.
Brianna Robinson
Derrick White at the Curbside Care event
The goal is to eliminate barriers — such as transportation or childcare — that may prevent mothers from getting the care they need. Since 2023, Curbside Care has made more than 1,500 visits to postpartum patients. And the growth since the program’s launch has been incredible.
“Obviously, the first time I did it, it was brand new,” White said. “And so, I think now, they kind of have their feet underneath them. They know how to impact the community. More workers, more cars, and so, it's been great to see the growth.”
Many of those 1,500 patients made the trip to the Auerbach Center on Sunday night. They received food, clothes, and other items they may need to support their growing families.
And some lucky families even won some raffle items. By the time the last ticket was drawn, the well of prizes had dried up. But the Celtics still had one left to give — two tickets to Boston’s home opener against the New York Knicks.
The night was a raving success, yet it was merely a drop in the bucket of the work Curbside Care has been doing for the past three years.
“It's been cool,” White said. “Obviously, when you do something for a while now, you get to know some of the people. But it's also just getting to know about Curbside Care and why it's important.
“And I mean, obviously, I have two kids, and just understand that, [for] some families it might not be easy for the mom or the family to get the help and care that they need. And so, for Curbside Care to come to their house and make it easy for them, it's pretty cool.”