Around Town

Marshall Home Fund Giving Out Nearly $60,000 in Grants to Area Groups

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The Marshall Home Fund (MHF) is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual program grant awards to benefit Watertown residents ages 55 and over. This spring, MHF will have disseminated a half million dollars in program and individual grants to agencies and organizations that serve older adults in the community. Please join MHF in celebration of this new and exciting milestone—the Program Grant Awards Ceremony is Thursday, May 19, 3:30 p.m. at the Watertown Public Library during which MHF will award nearly $60,000 to the following organizations:

Arsenal Center for the Arts: The Open Door Project will encourage a variety of art activities for older adults, including an allotment of concert tickets for the Senior Center and a new intergenerational partnership with the Watertown Children’s Theatre. Care Dimensions: Complementary Therapies for Watertown Hospice Patients will provide aromatherapy, art and music therapy, massage, and Reiki to improve the well-being of Watertown residents who are receiving hospice care. MetroWest Collaborative Development: The Ready Renter Program provides information and referrals to Watertown residents who are seeking affordable housing.

Around Town

Marshall Home Fund Seeks Grant Proposals for Programs for People 55+

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The Marshall Home Fund (MHF) is soliciting program grant proposals for the year 2016-2017 that focus on the needs of older residents in Watertown. Since its inception in 2005, MHF has awarded over $450,000 to both public and private nonprofit agencies that serve Watertown residents ages 55 and over. Last spring, MHF gave more than $55,000 to support nearly 20 projects providing a wide range of program and services to elders in the community. Once again, MHF is looking forward to helping local agencies advance their goals in the coming year. Grant applications should address health, housing, transportation, and other quality of life issues for seniors in the community.

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.

Around Town

Marshall Home Fund Celebrates 10 Years, Awards $50K in Grants

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The Marshall Home Fund celebrated 10 years of supporting the needs of Watertown residents age 55 and older and handed out $50,000 in grants. 

The annual Program Grant Awards Ceremony was held Wednesday, May 20. Over the past decade, MHF has given out $450,000 in program and individual grants to benefit Watertown older adults, according to the announcement from Marshall Home Fund. Co-President Susan Flint expressed appreciation to this year grantees, adding that “the Marshall Home Fund is proud to be able to support the important work that all of you do.”

Outgoing Co-President Will Twombly who ushered the fund into existence in 2005 was duly recognized for his many years of service and leadership by Representative Jonathan Hecht. Rep. Hecht offered congratulatory remarks and presented Citations from the Senate and House of Representatives. Town Councilor Tony Palomba read a proclamation from the Town in honor of the Fund’s 10th Anniversary on behalf of Council President Mark Sideris.

Around Town

Watertown Groups Hosting Healthy Aging Forum at Coolidge Apartments

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The next Watertown Healthy Aging Forum will take place on June 24 at the Apartments at Coolidge School. The event on Wednesday, June 24, 2015 from 7-9 p.m. (6:30 sign-in) at the Auditorium at the Coolidge School Apartments, 319 Arlington St., Watertown. The event is open to the public. Learn lessons from 5 towns where many people live to 100
We’ll view and discuss Blue Zones* videos
What key steps can all of us, youngsters – middle aged – or older, take to live healthier, longer lives? Can Watertown apply these lessons?

Charity

See Which Groups Got Grants from the Marshall Home Fund

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The Marshall Home Fund awarded more than $40,000 in grants to groups providing services to Watertown residents age 55 and over ranging from healthcare to music to transportation. The Board of Directors pledged $42,275 to nine local organizations. A ceremony was held on May 8 at the First Parish Church of Watertown. See what the grants will be used for below:

Arsenal Center for the Arts: The Open Door Project allows many more older residents to enjoy studio art classes, films, music, and theater events that might otherwise be out of their reach financially. Perkins School for the Blind: Thriving with Vision Loss provides older adults with access to the resources of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library.