Business

See Which Groups Received Grants from Watertown Savings Bank

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Watertown Savings Bank recently handed out $75,000 in grants to 28 local community organizations as chosen by customers of the bank in the annual Customer Choice Awards. During the awards ceremony, a representative from each of the winning organizations had the opportunity to speak about the work they do and how they will use the funds. It is a unique event that celebrates the efforts of the hard-working people who do so much to add to the quality of life in the local communities. “Letting our customers’ votes determine how the funds are distributed creates a wonderfully diverse group of winners each year,” said vice president Carole Katz, emcee for the event. For further information about WSB’s Customer Choice awards program, contact the coordinator at (617) 928-2336.

Charity

Change of Date for the Hibernians’ Ham-O-Rama!

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The date of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians annual Ham-O-Rama, has been moved! The event, featuring raffles, food and the chance to win all the fixings for your Easter meal, will be held Friday, March 27 at Hibernian Hall, 151 Watertown St. in Watertown. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the event is open to the public. Ham-O-Rama is the primary fund-raiser for the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians 2015 charitable program.

Business

Watertown Restaurant Donating Portion of Checks to Help Veterans

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On Tuesday, March 24, all Halfway Cafe locations – including Watertown – will take part in a fundraiser for Thanks to Yanks. During that evening, diners who present a donation ticket for Thanks to Yanks will have 15 percent of their checks donated to the non-profit group that supports military members, veterans and their families. To get the donation ticket, visit www.Thankstoyanks.org, the Thanks To Yanks Facebook page, or email info@thankstoyanks.org and a ticket will be sent to you. Halfway Cafe is located at 394 Main Street in Watertown.

Charity

See Photos from This Year’s Watertown MusicFest

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Dozens of musicians, young and old, performed at the fourth-annual MusicFest, which benefited the Friends of Watertown Music. The event was held on March 6 at Watertown Middle School and featured multiple stages. MusicFest is organized by the Friends of Watertown Music. All donations go directly to the Music Department of the WPS. Donations are tax-deductible and gratefully accepted year-round.

Charity

LETTER: Group Struggling to Keep Up with Needs of Watertown’s Most Vulnerable

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It’s no secret that this has been a brutal winter, with record snow and cold temperatures. For those who are fortunate to live in warm homes, the weather may be inconvenient and annoying, but still manageable. However, for many other Watertown residents, the weather has put their lives in crisis. No one knows this better than Nancy Dutton, Administrator of the Helen Robinson Wright Charitable Fund, and the Rev. Mark Harris, minister of the First Parish of Watertown, where the fund is based. It’s Monday morning, and Nancy and Mark have just begun their workday.

Business

Tufts Health Plan Collects Items to Help Older Homeless Settle Into New Homes

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Tufts Health Plan recently wrapped up a household supply drive for Hearth, a local nonprofit that helps homeless older adults find secure, stable housing. Many of the supplies (though by no means all of them – there were lots of extras!) were assembled into baskets that will be given to the newly settled clients to help them establish their homes. Baskets contained toilet paper, paper towels, a bath towel and washcloths, dish towels, dish soap, kitchen sponges, latex gloves, all purpose cleaner, shampoo, soap, body lotion, a toothbrush and toothpaste, laundry detergent and a reusable shopping bag. The Tufts Health Plan Foundation currently also supports Hearth with a grant to fund outreach case managers, who actually help individuals find the housing.

Charity

Young Boy’s Effort to Help Women Dress for Success Just His Latest Effort

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Zack Gosselin has already established a legacy of giving, and the 8-year-old’s latest effort is to help women be dressed and ready for the professional world. During this campaign to help Worcester-based Dress for Success, Gosselin collected enough items to clothe about 50 women and raised $1,300 for the group, as well. One of the major sponsors of the drive was Watertown’s Monique’s Bath Showroom and MedeasHomes.com, run by Watertown’s Medea Palandjian. “I just want to help people that are feeling down in the world and make them feel better,” Gosselin said. Gosselin lives in Billerica, and enlisted the help of some members of the Shawseen Tech baseball team to help his drive.

Business

Donate Items to Send to Troops Overseas at Watertown Savings Bank

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Watertown Savings Bank will collect items to send to American servicemen and service women around the world through locally-based Operation American Soldier. The bank will collect food, snacks, toiletries and other comforts of home  in each of its nine branch locations through Wednesday, March 18. WSB employees will soon participate in a cheer box packing night at the Marine Corps. League in Watertown. “Our goal is to ship as many boxes of cheer as possible,” says OAS co-founder Wendy Rocca.