Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Awards Inaugural Community Engagement Grants

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The recently unveiled Arshile Gorky mural received two years of funding from the Watertown Community Foundation. (Photo by WCF)

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation awarded $53,185 to support 21 programs in the inaugural cycle of the Community Engagement Grant Program. Funded programs will strengthen community connections, increase access to programs and services, and foster intercultural communication and understanding in Watertown. An additional $15,000 was awarded to MetroWest Collaborative Development and Watertown Cable Access TV for operational support in the final grant cycle of the Institutional Grant Program. “This first call for Community Engagement grants was extremely competitive, and the program ideas were top-notch,” said Mary Ann Mulligan, Board Co-President and Grants Committee Chair.

Letters

LETTER: Thank You to the Community for Joining Watertown Helps Out

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Dear Editor,

The Watertown Community Foundation sends a big THANK YOU to the Watertown Community! You are amazing! Thank you to the more than 350 community and corporate volunteers who volunteered during the 11th annual Watertown Helps Out (WHO), a month of community service organized by the Watertown Community Foundation. We got a lot of stuff done this month! Together, we removed invasive plants on the Bike Greenway, picked up trash on the river and the Sculpture Walk, filled potholes and did outdoor spring clean-up at the Watertown Housing Authority.

Around Town

Community Foundation’s Food Drive Delivers Cart Loads of Items to Watertown’s Two Food Pantries

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Tia Tison, Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation and WCF Co-President Lauren Coughlin Unsworth push a cart of food into the Watertown Food Pantry. (Courtesy of the Watertown Community Foundation)

The two food pantries in Watertown received a special delivery of supplies courtesy of donations made by the Watertown community during the Watertown Community Foundation’s Food Drive. The collection took place during May, which is the Foundation’s annual month of volunteering called Watertown Helps Out — or WHO. The food was delivered Thursday afternoon to the Watertown Food Pantry, located in the former United Methodist Church, and the Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry, located the Sacred Heart Church, made Thursday afternoon, said Tia Tilson, Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation. “We delivered food to both pantries, unloading roughly six full grocery carts at each pantry,” Tilson said.

Around Town

Volunteers Lent a Hand at the Watertown Housing Authority During Watertown Helps Out

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The Watertown Housing Authority hostedannual Watertown Helps Out Day and got a hand from volunteers from C4 Therapeutics. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Housing Authority. On May 14th the Watertown Housing Authority participated in this year’s annual Watertown Helps Out Day, put on by the Watertown Community Foundation. The Watertown Housing Authority took part in the 2025 Watertown Helps Out, organized by the Watertown Community Foundation. We’re so grateful for the volunteers from C4 Therapeutics who came out to work alongside WHA staff to pick up trash, recycle used bulk items, dispose of household waste, landscape, make our parking lots safer, and add cosmetic upgrades to our buildings.

Around Town

See Where to Donate to Watertown Helps Out’s City-wide Food Drive

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The City-wide Food Drive to benefit Watertown’s two food pantries will be held from May 12 – 21, 2025. The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation. Drop off non-perishables at local collection sites to stock Watertown’s Food Pantries. FOOD DRIVE COLLECTION SITES

Watertown Parker School Annex (124 Watertown Street)

Watertown Police Department

Watertown Free Public Library

Watertown Fire Station (564 Mt. Auburn Street)

Watertown Public School Students: Look for the collection box at your school

Spread the word.

Around Town

Community Foundation Kicks Off Annual Watertown Helps Out on May 1

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

Would you like to join your neighbors and give back to Watertown? With the support of local company sponsors, their employees, the City of Watertown, and people who live all over Watertown, the Watertown Community Foundation is organizing Watertown Helps Out for the 11th year. During a month of community service all through May, the Watertown Community Foundation will connect hundreds of volunteers to projects our local non-profits need help getting done. “Watertown Helps Out, affectionately called WHO, began in 2014 to bring the Watertown community together after the trauma of the Marathon bombing and the aftermath here in Watertown. What started as a single day of community service has become a month-long event involving hundreds of community and corporate volunteers who work together to help Watertown,” said Tia Tilson, Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Realigns Grant Programs to Focus on Impact

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The Watertown Community Foundation provided the following announcement:

As a result of a year-long strategic planning process, the Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) has realigned their grant program to focus on three key areas: Essential Needs to support Watertown’s most vulnerable residents; Community Engagement to increase access and engagement to community life and programs in Watertown, and Education and Youth Development. “During 2024, the board and staff of the Watertown Community Foundation participated in a year-long strategic planning process to look at how well our grant programs were working for the Watertown community. Where were they strong? How could they be better? What new areas needed our support?” said Lauren Coughlin Unsworth, Board Co-President of the Foundation.

Around Town

Four Honored at Charles River Chamber’s First Watertown Business Awards

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Charles River Regional Chamber President & CEO Greg Reibman (left) and the recpients of the Watertown Business Awards: Archy LaSalle (accepted by Liz Helfer, second from left), Max Ritcey of Ritcey East, Tia Tilson of the Watertown Community Foundation, and O’Some Cafe’s Ricci Cheng. (Courtesy of the Charles River Chamber)

People packed the backroom at Donohue’s Bar & Grill to honor a pair of local businesses, a non-profit and a longtime arts advocate during the first annual Watertown Business Awards. Tickets sales f0r the sold-out Watertown Night raised money for the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. The Chamber presented awards for Customer Service, Business Excellence, Community Leadership, and the Nonprofit Impact Award after receiving nominations from the public. The Customer Service Award went to Max Ritcey.