Charity

Group Makes Valentine’s Cards for Operation American Soldier to Send to Troops

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Watertown’s Operation American Soldier received a big helping hand from a Cambridge group that made more than 300 Valentine’s Day cards to send to the troops. OAS co-founder Wendy Rocca welcomed the cards, which were made by Many Helping Hands 365. Operation American Soldier sends care packages to servicemen and servicewomen around the world, and the Valentine’s Day cards will go with them, Rocca said. “They made 3400+ cards for Valentine’s. Almost 300 for our Veterans and our troops,” Rocca said. “OAS will be sending a bunch with our packages.”

Around Town

Watertown Group Continuing Its Collection for Syrian Refugees

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Throughout the month of February, Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group will continue its donation program for essential items to be sent to refugees trapped in camps in Syria and surrounding countries. DONATION INFORMATION:

When: Sundays Feb. 10, 14, 21, 28 from 8:30am-10am; Tuesdays Feb. 2, 9, 16 , 23 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thursdays Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25 from 1-5 p.m.

Where: Church of the Good Shepherd, 9 Russell Ave.

Cancer

Watertown Family Receives Money from Cops for Kids with Cancer

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Three-year-old Max Heiniluoma was diagnosed with cancer in October, and has been given a two-year treatment program. While his family’s health insurance covers most of the cost, there are many co-payments and lost wages when Max is in hospital. That’s where Cops for Kids with Cancer steps in. Last week, Robert Faherty, chairman of the board for the non-profit group, came to the Watertown Police Station to present Max’s father Andrew with a $5,000 check to help pay for the costs that insurance doesn’t cover. Andrew heard about Cops for Kids with Cancer and was told to contact his local police department.

Charity

Watertown Hair Salon Raising Money to Help the Homeless

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Hair Cuttery will host Share-A-Haircut for the homeless Feb. 1-2. Every time anyone receives a haircut at any of the Hair Cuttery salons in New England, including the salon in Watertown, a free haircut certificate will be donated to a homeless person in the community. By partnering with local shelters and community organizations, Hair Cuttery will work to distribute certificates. Since 1999, the Share-A-Haircut program has donated more than 1.26 million free haircut certificates valued at nearly $25.2 million.

Charity

LETTER: Wayside Thanks Sacred Heart Parish for Its Generosity

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Dear Editor,

On behalf of Wayside Multi-Service Center’s Social Services Resource Specialist program for the Town of Watertown, I am writing to express how moved we were by the generosity of the Parish of the Sacred Heart this Christmas season. As the Social Services Resource Specialist for the Town of Watertown, I work with many families in the community that need extra support and resources, and for these families, as for many of us, this time of year can be very difficult. The generosity of gift donations the Parishioners contributed helped over 30 families have a very special holiday! I often think of the quote from Mahatma Gandhi that says, “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” Rev. Curran and the Parish of the Sacred Heart have shown compassion, friendship and the best form of community through their generous donations. On behalf of all the families, and the staff of Wayside Multi-Service Center, we thank the Parish of The Sacred Heart so much again and we wish you all a wonderful 2016!  

Sincerely,
Danielle DeMoss, LICSW
Watertown Social Services Resource Specialist
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network /Multi-Service Center
127 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA.

Around Town

Grant Creates Programs for Residents 55+ on Mental Health First Aid, Financial Literacy

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The Marshall Home Fund (MHF) is pleased to announce financial support for two new training programs to benefit Watertown residents ages 55 and over. The trainings to be provided by Wayside Youth & Family Support Multi Service Center this spring will offer older adult residents important skills and information related to 1) “Mental Health First Aid” and 2) financial literacy for retirees and those interested in retirement planning. “We are glad to see a grant like this especially as we look to issues that are arising in our community. The two most prevalent are elder money management and how to assess mental health concerns in a loved one,” stated Seda Aghamianz, Chair of MHF’s Allocations Committee, which awarded this off-cycle grant to Wayside at the end of 2015. National training program teaches about crisis management, resilience, and recovery Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a national training certification program where members of the general public learn the signs and symptoms of mental illness, how to de-escalate crisis situations and provide comfort, and when and where to refer someone for services. It also teaches about recovery and resiliency — “the belief that individuals experiencing these challenges can and do get better, and use their strengths to stay well.”

Wayside already has MHFA certified many individuals from a variety of groups in town, and is eager to extend this opportunity to older adults who have adult children with mental health and substance use disorders, as well as those who are raising grandchildren and need information and resources to help them better manage challenges their family members may experience.

Charity

Watertown Group Sends Food, Clothing and Diapers to Syrian Refugees

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Over the past month, a Watertown group collected a wide range of items to send to refugees in Syria, and last week they took what they collected filled up an SUV to ship it off. Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment collected non-perishable food, diapers, sanitary products of all kinds, clothing and winter coats at First Parish Church. The items barely fit into the SUV. The items were delivered to NuDaySyria in New Hampshire, where they will be packed, shipped and delivered directly to refugees. For more information about NuDaySyria’s support operation and activities, visit www.nudaysyria.net.

Charity

Tufts Health Plan Foundation Awards More than $1.5 Million in Grants

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The Tufts Health Plan Foundation announced investments of more than $1.5 million to move communities toward achieving age-friendly policies and practices that are relevant, focus on the most vulnerable, and include older adults in the process.  The investments represent collaborative work among more than 200 organizations. “Advocating for public policy or systems change is critical to achieving social change at scale,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, president of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and vice president, corporate citizenship for Tufts Health Plan.  “We are investing in initiatives that promote coalitions and advance strategies that bring government, community organizations, and older adults together to create a vision for the future of their communities.  And we are supporting the development of policy recommendations that will make communities more vibrant and livable for everyone.”

Fourteen organizations, including Watertown-based Home Care Aide Foundation, were funded this cycle.