Charity

More Than 400 Volunteer Opportunities During 12th Annual Watertown Helps Out

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Watertown Helps Out starts soon and there are hundreds of ways to give back to the community. See more information in the announcement provided by the Watertown Community Foundation, below. The Watertown Community Foundation, with the support of local company sponsors and the City of Watertown, is kicking off the 12th Annual Watertown Helps Out (WHO), a month of community service, taking place throughout the month of May. This year’s corporate sponsors include ButcherBox and Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Arsenal Yards Life Sciences, C4 Therapeutics, Kymera Therapeutics and Watertown Savings Bank. From May 2 through May 31, the Watertown Community Foundation invites residents, businesses, schools and neighborhoods to come together and volunteer to make a positive impact across the city.

Charity

Watertown Refugee Support Group Receives Essential Needs Grant from Watertown Community Foundation

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group:

The Watertown Citizens Refugee Support Group (WCRSG), a working group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment (WCPJE), is pleased to announce the receipt of a 2026 Essential Needs Grant from the Watertown Community Foundation. This $6,500 grant will fund Emergent Essential Needs for Watertown Immigrant and Refugee Families, providing direct financial assistance to Watertown residents facing hardships paying for rent, utilities, other housing expenses, or transportation. To be eligible, individuals must live in Watertown. To apply for funds, please complete this Google form: https://forms.gle/S97iikL3G45vj9nq9. Contact RefugeeSupport@watertowncitizens.org for more information.

Charity

May is Full of Volunteer Opportunities During Watertown Helps Out

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Watertown Helps Out, a chance for people to give back to the community where they live and/or work, returns in May. The Watertown Community Foundation has a list of places to make a difference throughout the months. See more details in the announcement from the Foundation, below. Would you like to give back to the community you love? The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF), along with local sponsors and dozens of neighbors, will be out in the community again during the Month of May 2026, volunteering to make Watertown a nicer place to live and work. 

If you would like to volunteer please take a peek at all of the opportunities available in the month of May. More volunteer opportunities are still to be added, so check back in from time to time. We’re looking forward to a fantastic community Month in Watertown!

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation’s Education and Youth Development Grant Cycle Opens March 2

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

Starting March 2, the Watertown Community Foundation will launch the inaugural grant cycle for its Education and Youth Development Grant Program. It will fund programs that contribute to the overall well-being of Watertown’s youth — academically, socially, emotionally and physically. The Foundation seeks to fund initiatives and create access to opportunities that foster skill-building, creativity, leadership, confidence and resilience, while creating pathways for all young people to thrive. Eligible non-profits and public entities that serve Watertown’s youth are invited to apply from March 2 – March 23, 2026. For more information, visit here.

Around Town

$24K in School Grants Awarded by Watertown Community Foundation

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

For the concluding year of the School Program Grants, the Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) awarded $24,500 to the Watertown Public Schools (WPS) to support education programs in every school that will enhance learning beyond the classroom. Grants will support programs across multiple disciplines, including STEM programs, Literacy Week and the arts, to serve 2,700 students of all ages across the district. The list of grantees is here. A new grant portfolio, Education and Youth Development, will launch this March. This award includes support for STEM initiatives for K-3 students district wide, giving elementary students inquiry-based learning experiences that bring science to life.

Around Town

Watertown Non-Profits Award $50K for Residents Needing Emergency Assistance

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

To help Watertown residents who need urgent help with rent, utilities or other emergency needs, the Watertown Community Foundation, the Marshall Home Fund, and the Helen Robinson Wright Fund at the First Parish of Watertown, came together in December to create a one-time Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund of $50,000. Grant awards from The Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund, in collaboration with local social service organizations, have provided immediate relief for rental assistance, help with utilities, and other short term emergency needs. Grant recipients have included The Watertown Housing Authority to provide rental assistance, Springwell will help older adults with rental assistance and other needs, and the Watertown Senior Center. Seeded by the Watertown Community Foundation, the Marshall Home Fund and the Helen Robinson Wright Fund quickly pledged their support to create the Watertown Emergency Assistance Fund to help individuals and families get back on their feet during a very difficult time. “When the SNAP program was suddenly cut off in November, we could see this was the tip of the iceberg and families were struggling.

Around Town

City of Watertown Thanks All for Successful Community Food Drive

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Food collected from multiple locations across the City during the Community Food Drive in November and December. The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City of Watertown would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the entire Watertown community – residents, businesses, volunteers, and more – for supporting the community food drive hosted through November and December 2025. Thanks to everyone’s efforts together, thousands of food items were collected to support our pantries, community fridge, and directly to families in need. This community food drive was organized by the City of Watertown, with support from the Watertown Community Foundation, in early November when federal SNAP benefits were delayed and over 1,600 Watertown households were unsure if the assistance they rely on each month would come through. Jenna Bancroft, Watertown’s Director of Human Services, was amazed by the way the community stepped up and supported their neighbors.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Distributes $43,000 in Donations to Food Pantries

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Food collected from multiple locations across the City during theCommunity Food Drive, running through December 31, 2025. The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation received $43,000 in donations to support Watertown’s food pantries since the City of Watertown’s Community Food Drive began on October 31. These funds have been distributed to the Watertown Food Pantry and Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry to purchase and distribute food at each pantry. Residents from Watertown, Belmont and nearby communities also continue to contribute shelf-stable pantry goods at multiple drop off locations in our schools and across the city during the Community Food Drive. An estimated one to two tons of food each week have been distributed among the food pantries, the Watertown Community Fridge, and, as needed, to the city’s social service providers since November 10.