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.

Charity

Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Hosting Annual Ham-O-Rama

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{Please Note the change of date to Friday, March 27!}

The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians will hold the annual Ham-O-Rama, featuring tons of raffles and food with proceeds going to local charities. The event will be held Friday, March 27 (rescheduled from Saturday March 28) at Hibernian Hall, 151 Watertown St. in Watertown. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the event is open to the public. Hot dogs, chips and cold drinks will be available at reasonable prices, and you could go home with your complete Easter Meal. There will be over 160 chances to win prizes.

Charity

WMS Looking for Items for Rummage Sale to Benefit Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

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The third annual Rummage Sale for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patients Drive will be held this weekend, and Watertown Middle School seeks donations. The Rummage Sale takes place Saturday, March 7 in the Watertown Middle School cafeteria from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.

Proceeds benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patients Drive. “We will have great items for sale, as well as raffles, a silent auction, and bake sale as well.” said WMS teacher Jane Evans. Entry is free and parking is available in the front and rear of the school with entrances at both locations.

Charity

Watertown Middle School Kicks Off Pennies for Patients Drive

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Last year, Watertown Middle School students collected more than $30,000 in donations to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and they hope to beat it in this year’s Pennies for Patients drive, which begins March 2. The middle school sent out the following announcement about their drive:

This year, the Watertown Middle School will again be participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s School & Youth Program, Pennies for Patients — a three-week coin, cash, and check drive to raise funds to find cures for blood cancers. Our drive will run from March 2 through March 23. As you may know, leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20. Mr. Johnson, our physical education teacher, is a lymphoma survivor.

Charity

Join the Lowell School PTO for a ZumbaThon Fundraiser

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The Lowell School PTO invites the public to join in a ZumbaThon on March 15. Zumbathon will be run by Lowell’s own Lindsay Jacobson, Amy Peca and Veronica Castillo. The event runs from 2-4 p.m. in the Lowell School Gym on Sunday, March 15. Both adults and children are welcome. The event cost $10 per person. Plus there will be a 50/50 raffle and bake sale.