Around Town

Watertown Non-Profits Award $50K for Residents Needing Emergency Assistance

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

To help Watertown residents who need urgent help with rent, utilities or other emergency needs, the Watertown Community Foundation, the Marshall Home Fund, and the Helen Robinson Wright Fund at the First Parish of Watertown, came together in December to create a one-time Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund of $50,000. Grant awards from The Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund, in collaboration with local social service organizations, have provided immediate relief for rental assistance, help with utilities, and other short term emergency needs. Grant recipients have included The Watertown Housing Authority to provide rental assistance, Springwell will help older adults with rental assistance and other needs, and the Watertown Senior Center. Seeded by the Watertown Community Foundation, the Marshall Home Fund and the Helen Robinson Wright Fund quickly pledged their support to create the Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund to help individuals and families get back on their feet during a very difficult time. “When the SNAP program was suddenly cut off in November, we could see this was the tip of the iceberg and families were struggling.

Around Town

Marshall Home Fund Holding Grant Info Session for Organizations Working with Older Adults

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Marshall Home Fund will hold a Grant Information Session on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 1 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library. See more information provided by Marshall Home Fund, below. The Marshall Home Fund (MHF) awards modest grants to organizations that serve older Watertown residents. MHF also provides limited financial assistance grants to Watertown seniors with urgent needs, referred through a local service agency.

Around Town

LETTER: Willow Park Needs Community Support to Win State Funding

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Can you imagine sleeping with your children in your car tonight? Or bedding down beneath an overpass, hoping that layers of tarp and wool blankets can stave off the cold and snow? Housing is a human right. Public housing fills a crucial need in our community, ensuring that every person has a roof over their head and a decent place to call home, regardless of their circumstances. That’s why we support the proposed redevelopment of the Willow Park public housing complex in Watertown. 

Now we’re asking you to join us by signing a letter of support.

Around Town

Road Construction Continues This Week on Mt. Auburn Street

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Crews will be out on Mt. Auburn Street installing drainage and making test pits along the thoroughfare this week. See exactly where in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. The Mount Auburn Street Complete Street Project is a MassDOT funded and managed initiative to fully reconstruct State Route 16, creating a safer, more accessible street for all users, whether traveling by car, bicycle, transit, or on foot. Below, you’ll find this week’s project update, including upcoming construction activities, anticipated traffic impacts, a look at the project’s final design in the area of work, and access to view more info on the projects history and details.

Around Town

Learn Tips for Living Longer, Join the Winter Biking Basics Webinar

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Live Well Watertown has an in-person event about the Blue Zones, places in the world where people live longest, as well as an online info session about bicycling in the winter. See more information provided by the City of Watertown, below. Join us as we partner with the City of Watertown’s Live Well program to screen and discuss the Blue Zone Netflix Documentary. The film highlights five unique communities where people live longer better. The evening will include discussion, resources, and tips about longevity shared by five areas around the world.

Around Town

Watertown’s Wayside Multi-Service Center Had a Scare with Threatened Cut of Federal Grant

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The Wayside Multi-Service Center is located on North Beacon Street in Watertown. (Courtesy of Wayside)

The Wayside Multi-Service Center momentarily saw one-third of its budget disappear, with the removal of a federal grant. While the grant was restored within days, Sophia Suarez-Friedman, Program Director for Wayside Multi-Service Center, said it was both a stark reminder and a heartening response. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) grant accounts for a large portion of the Wayside’s program in Watertown. It is used to support youth with trauma in Watertown and Waltham, and their families.

Around Town

Watertown Group Announces First 2 Films in Monthly Palestinian Film Series

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The following announcement was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment:

The Palestine-Gaza Committee of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment is launching a series of documentary and feature films that will explore the history and culture of the Palestinian people and provide a picture of their life under Israeli occupation. The series gets underway at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 9 Russell Ave., Watertown, with the showing of “1948: Creation and Catastrophe.” A discussion will follow the presentation. Admission is free.