Charity

Watertown Community Foundation Awards $14.5K in Health Grants

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The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) is pleased to announce the awarding of the Fall 2019 Healthy Watertown Grants.  A total of $14,500 will be distributed in support of organizations that work to create new or existing programs to keep our community healthy.    

Five of this year’s grantees address the growing challenge of food insecurity among all ages within our community.  These include support of preschoolers and their families with Communities United: Cooking with Kids and Families Program, helping the Watertown Boys and Girls Club provide Healthy Lunch and Snacks during School Vacations, a Summer Supper Club for Seniors and funds for the SNAP Match Program at the Watertown Farmers Market. 

Grantees include: 

Watertown Police Free Community Narcan Program  

Communities United: Cooking with Kids and Families  

Boys and Girls Club – School Vacation Healthy Lunch and Snack Program  

Watertown for All Ages: Travel Resources for Older Residents  

Watertown Council on Aging: Summer Supper Club for Seniors 

Watertown Council on Aging: Food Pantry New Shelving 

Zen Art II For Mind-Body Wellness for Seniors  

Watertown Farmers Market SNAP Match Program  

W.A.T.E.R  Erase the Stigma: Recovery is Possible (Education) Event 

For questions, please contact Jan Singer at jan.singer@watertownfoundation.org.   

The Watertown Community Foundation works to build and sustain a vibrant, close-knit community in Watertown – now, and for future generations. To accomplish this, WCF raises funds from people and partner institutions, awards grants to non-profits and community projects, and builds networks of donors, grantees, program participants and stakeholders. 

Since its inception in 2003, WCF has awarded over $1,000,000 in grants to programs and organizations serving Watertown.  

WCF Board of Directors  

David Siegel and Darshna Varia, Co-Presidents; Robert Airasian; Albrik Avanessian; Emily Barclay;  Lauren Coughlin Unsworth; Eleanor Donato; William B. Ford; Antonia O’Hara; Maria Panaggio-Phillips; Ashley Morris; Mary Ann Mulligan; Tony Paolillo; Lora Sabin; Robert Shay;  Elaina Themistos; and Kathryn White. 

Charity

See How to Donate to Watertown Organizations on #GivingTuesday

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Tuesday, Dec. 3 is Giving Tuesday, and if you would like to give locally, here are a few opportunities. The following came from the donation information provided by these Watertown-based groups:

Watertown Community Foundation

There is no better way to see the true impact of your donation than to give where you live. We hope you’ll think of the Watertown Community Foundation on #GivingTuesday. Make a local impact every single day of the year.

Around Town

Watertown Scouts Collect $10K in Items for Food Pantry

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Den leader Stephen Lipscomb works with Bear Scouts from Pack 30 to purchase $200 in shampoo and soap for clients of the Watertown Food Pantry. The following piece was provided by Watertown Boy Scout Troop 30 and Cub Scout Pack 30:

In what may be the largest-ever one-day event to benefit the Watertown Food Pantry, scouts on Saturday collected $10,000 worth of food at the Watertown Street Stop & Shop. 

That’s twice what was collected last year in the annual event called Scouting for Food. “I’m overwhelmed by the effort of all the boys and girls in the scouts,” said Kathleen Cunningham, Watertown Food Pantry Coordinator. “It’s amazing that all those parents and leaders make this work possible.”

Pack 30, with scouts age 5-10, and Troop 30, with scouts age 10-17, come together every year to collect donations for the Watertown Food Pantry. Last year, 200 bags of groceries were collected from Stop & Shop customers at 171 Watertown Street. The this year, the response from Stop & Shop customers was so great, scouts needed to change how they collect goods.

Charity

Three Watertown Groups Get Mini-Grants from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation

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The following announcement was provided by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation:

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation has announced that three Watertown non-profit organizations were awarded a total of $1,500 from the Foundation’s Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. The organizations receiving funds are:

Alzheimer Association ($500)Armenian Library and Museum of America ($500)Families First Parenting Program, Inc. ($500)

To commemorate those Harvard Pilgrim members who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, Harvard Pilgrim and the Foundation created the Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. This program allows each Harvard Pilgrim employee to award a $500 grant, completely funded by the Foundation, to the local charity of his or her choice each calendar year. Since this community grants program began in 2002, Harvard Pilgrim employees have directed more than $6.5 million to thousands of organizations throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

Charity

Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts Collecting Food for Watertown Food Pantry

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Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts announced they are holding their biggest joint service project of the year this Saturday, Nov. 23. Scouts from Troop 30 and Pack 30 will be at Stop & Shop, 171 Watertown Street, from 9-3 p.m. collecting food and personal items for the Watertown Food Pantry. Scouts have traditionally collected items that are eventually measured in tons — We filled 200 paper bags full of groceries last year. This year we’re bringing bins so extra resources are not used during this effort to feed our community.

Charity

Watertown Mall’s Giving Tree Benefits Boys & Girls Club

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The Watertown Mall’s Giving Tree. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Mall:

The Watertown Mall’s giving tree is filled with ornaments for this Holiday season and will benefit the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. The Giving Tree is located in the common area of the mall, near Miss Maria’s School of Dance. If you would like to make a child’s holiday wish come true, simply take an ornament off the tree, buy the gift listed on the tag, and return it to mall staff unwrapped (Management Team, Maintenance Staff, Security Officers). Gifts must be dropped off by Monday, Dec.

Around Town

Watertown Food Drive Provided Food for Hundreds of Residents

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The Watertown Community Foundation’s food drive held in October brought in hundreds of bags of donation. Here are just some of them. A food drive organized by the Watertown Community Foundation this October, in conjunction with Watertown schools and businesses provided hundreds of bags of food for the two local food pantries. The directors of the food pantries thanked the organizers and people who donated to the drive. “Just want to say that we are so grateful for everyone’s help, we have very well stocked shelves which is wonderful with winter coming,” said Beverly Concannon, director of the St.

Around Town

Giving Tree Full of Children’s Gift Wishes Up at the Watertown Mall

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The Watertown mall Giving Tree is up and filled with wishes from children who are members at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. Brighten the holidays for these children by taking an ornament from the tree and purchasing their wish. The Watertown Mall’s giving tree is adorned with ornaments for this Holiday season and will benefit the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. The Giving Tree is located in the common area of the mall, near Miss Maria’s School of Dance. All are invited to simply take an ornament off the tree, buy the gift listed on the tag, and return it to mall staff unwrapped (Management Team, Maintenance Staff, Security Officers).