Charity

Watertown Middle School Students Collect Items for People Battling Opioid Addiction

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Eighth graders at Watertown Middle School collected cold weather items for people overcoming addiction at a program at Mass. General Hospital. This was the first activity for the group working to help those trying to overcome addiction. In their first effort to help patients trying to overcome addiction, a group of Watertown Middle School students collected clothes and other items to help homeless people in need. Before winter break, a group fo WMS students held an ugly sweater party, to which they were asked to bring a new, cold weather item for a homeless adult in need, such as backpack, new socks, mittens, knit hat, or scarves, according to Watertown School Committee member Amy Donohue.

Charity

Watertown Police, Firefighters Come Together to Distribute Toys to Families in Need

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A table full of toys at the Watertown Police Station, just a fraction of the gifts that were distributed by Watertown Police officers and Firefighters to families in need in town on Thursday. The toy drive was organized by the Sonny Whooley Foundation. Thursday morning, the Community Room at the Watertown Police Station turned into Santa’s Workshop, with toys for children of all ages piled up around the room. These gifts were delivered to families around Watertown, and beyond, who otherwise may not have a very Merry Christmas. All morning, Watertown Police officers, Watertown Firefighters, and others filled large plastic bags with gifts, and delivered them to more than 90 families around town.

Business

Watertown Car Dealership Collecting Gifts for Toys for Tots Drive

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The following information was provided by Toyota of Watertown:

“tis the season for giving”

Please come join our Toyota of Watertown family in our annual Toys for Tots drive, sponsored by the US Marine Corp Reserve. Stop by our Dealership and donate an unwrapped present and bring a smile to a young child’s face. Let’s all take a moment out of our busy lives to make this holiday season a joyful one for all! We are located at 149 Arsenal Street, Watertown MA.

Around Town

See Who Got Health Watertown Grants from the Community Foundation

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The Watertown Community Foundation sent the following announcement:

From indoor gym equipment for Watertown Head Start Program to keep pre-schoolers moving all year long to healthy lunches for vacation camps at the Boys and Girls Club leveling the field for all, The Watertown Community Foundation has announced the recipients of this year’s Healthy Watertown grants.  

“We are THRILLED to have received the Healthy Watertown Grant for the Watertown Boys and Girls Club. We have been hoping to do this initiative for years, and finally we will be able to offer healthy lunches during our vacation camps.” — Mary Kern WBGC

Seniors will have a chance to take Zen Art classes plus attend a summer supper club.  Firefighters will get Mental Health First Aid training through Wayside Youth & Multi Service Center. “Thanks so much for this award. We are very excited to be able to offer MHFA to the firefighters!” — Laura Kurman

Lt. Dan Unsworth will continue to help community members and their families cope with opioid addiction and challenges facing their families with the Free Community Narcan Program. Watertown For All Ages will begin their study on transportation needs for seniors and every senior in town will get a chance to find out how to cook and eat healthy with Seasoned, a new magazine from CHOP CHOP Magazine.

Charity

Some Watertown Organizations to Support on #GivingTuesday

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Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, kicks off the charitable giving season. This year it is Nov. 27, and if you want to give where you live here are a couple of options. A Watertown-based organization aiming to stop child abuse, a program at the Perkins School for the Blind, and the Watertown Boys & Girls Club are seeking donations during #GivingTuesday. Watertown Community Foundation
There is no better way to see the true impact of your donation than to give where you live.

Charity

Watertown Scouts Collected Hundreds of Bags of Groceries for Food Pantry

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What does the generosity of Watertown residents look like when combined with the hard work from scouts? It looks like 200 bags of groceries for families in need in Watertown. This was truly a group effort. Boy Scouts from Troop 30 teamed up with Cub Scouts from Pack 30 to participate in Scouting for Food, a nationwide program of the BSA. Working with Stop & Shop at 171 Watertown St., scouts asked store customers to donate items needed most by clients of the food pantry — peanut butter, rice, beans, jams and cleaning supplies — to fill the pantry’s shelves.

Charity

Grants from Tufts Health Plan Foundation Helps Children & Older Adults

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Twenty-seven local organizations each will receive a grant of up to $10,000 from Tufts Health Plan Foundation’s new Momentum Fund. The fund was established to foster new ideas and support cities and towns in their efforts to make their communities better places to grow up and grow old. 

“We developed the Momentum Fund to help smaller communities and organizations that want to do this work,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, president of Tufts Health Plan Foundation and vice president of corporate citizenship at Tufts Health Plan. “They are adopting more inclusive policies, building accessible parks and public spaces, and integrating age-friendly practices.”

The Momentum Fund is supporting 10 projects in Massachusetts, 10 in Rhode Island and 7 in New Hampshire. Each is community-led, addresses healthy aging and includes older people in the planning and implementation process. “Many New England communities recognize older people as tremendous assets,” said Phillip González, the Foundation’s senior program officer.