February 9, 2026 By Carol Britton Meyer
During the hard-hitting Jan. 25 and 26 storm – the worst in recent years – dozens of HinghamLink volunteers assisted 26 senior households — clearing walkways and driveways, cleaning off cars, and shoveling some out in apartment building parking lots. Parts of Hingham were hit with 14 inches of snow or more.
“This is the first large snow event we’ve had since HinghamLink started,” Rory Earley told the Hingham Anchor. She and Rosemary Luciano serve as the volunteer coordinators for the program. “In the past, a few avid volunteers shoveled a few inches, but during this storm, each house took hours. The snow was non-stop, and we called it our Super Bowl two-day event!”
The community “really came through for us,” she said. Adults, kids who had those days off from school, the golf and hockey teams, Boy Scouts, Hingham High and BC High students – some looking to put in community service hours — a Cohasset mother who saw their social media posts asking for volunteers, people with snowblowers, and others all pitched in and were a big help. “We reached out to every contact we had to form an army of volunteers. We had great feedback from the seniors we helped.”
Earley was happy to write letters for a number of students confirming their volunteer community service by helping to clear out Hingham seniors.
Luciano noted that HinghamLink got a lot of calls from seniors who thought they had a plowing service lined up but they never showed up due to the high volume of requests.
“Rosemary and I felt like New York City taxi dispatchers, matching volunteers with people needing help from morning to night,” Earley said good-naturedly.
More volunteers needed year-round
While many people rallied around to help due to the particularly challenging nature of that snowstorm, more volunteers are needed year-round to assist in many different ways – from rides to the grocery store and doctors appointments and taking trash to the landfill to running errands and leaf raking.
“We’re not asking for a long-term commitment; volunteers can donate their time according to their own schedules,” Rosemary said.
One of her favorite parts of volunteering is hearing back from seniors who have benefited from the services Hingham Link provides. “Some are feeling isolated, and when they reach out to us, they can breathe a sign of relieve knowing that someone out there cares. There’s a nice relationship between the volunteers and seniors.”
Earley first became involved when Luciano recruited her to help seniors through HinghamLink three or four years ago. “I was connected with a woman who I drove to an appointment every week, and we developed a wonderful friendship,” she said. “After awhile I discovered that her husband had been my math teacher at Cohasset High School. My kids refer to her as their second grandmother, and she introduces me as her best friend. It’s because of this experience that I became more involved with HinghamLink. I’ve found my little niche.”
Working harmoniously with different services for seniors
In addition to her role as co-volunteer coordinator, Earley drives the senior van and teaches a basic introduction to social media class at Hingham’s Center for Active Living. “HinghamLink works harmoniously with different services for the 60-plus population, including our senior center.”
She is also looking ahead with the hopes of coordinating more multigenerational activities through Hingham Link involving young kids and teens. “It’s important for Hingham kids to give back and to be involved in community service from the beginning,” she said.
HinghamLink was created during COVID to connect people in an immediate and useful way and has been going strong ever since.
For more information about HinghamLink, including the services offered to seniors, to request assistance, or to volunteer, go to https://www.hinghamlink.com/.