Our round-up of the latest Wellesley MA community and charitable news:

Conversation and book signing event at Italo American Club

The Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR), in partnership with the Wellesley Italo American Educational Club, will present a live conversation with FAIR advisor Steven Pinker on Fri., Nov. 19, 7pm-9pm at the Italo American Club located at 75 Pleasant St., Wellesley.

Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. He will be talking about his new book, Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters and exploring progress, reason and scientific understanding in the 21st century.

A free, signed copy of Rationality will be given to the first 50 registrants. Please register here.

Books donation day

Wellesley Free Library, fall 2020 — Wellesley Library, Wakelin Room entrance side

The Friends of the Wellesley Free Library will hold a books donation day on Sat., Nov. 20, 10am-1pm at the recently reopened Wellesley Main Library. Please use the Wakelin Room side entrance to donate any quantity of items. (The Friends typically limits donations to one bag per day at the Friends Bookshop during Library hours.)

Accepted items

gently-used adult and children’s books books in good condition
cookbooks
textbooks 2016 or newer
antique and collectible books
CDs (music and audiobooks)
DVDs

Unaccepted items

damaged books that are mildewed, stained, yellowed or torn
textbooks published before 2016
travel books published before 2018
encyclopedias
outdated tech, business, current events, or medical books
cassettes
VHS tapes
records

EVENT: Friends Books Donation Day
DATE: Sat., Nov. 20
TIME: 10am – 1pm
LOCATION: Wellesley Main Library, 530 Washington St.
Please use Wakelin Room side entrance.

The Committee for Indigenous Peoples Day Wellesley, World of Wellesley, and other community partners will hold a virtual event: Myth Busting Thanksgiving, on Mon., Nov. 22, at 7pm. Kisha James of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Aquinnah, and Oglala Lakota will discuss popular Thanksgiving day narratives. The presentation will be followed by a live Q&A.

Registration is required.

EVENT: Myth Busting Thanksgiving
DATE: Monday, November 22
TIME: 7pm
LOCATION: Registration link

Junior Womens Club Marketplace to pop up

The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) will host a mini pop-up version of its traditional Marketplace event, December 10-12, in Linden Square (at the former Petco location). The holiday shopping showcase will include 55 vendors of crafts, gifts, specialty items, baked goods, and more.

Due to COVID, the club had to make the difficult decision to cancel their beloved large-scale Marketplace for the second year in a row. WHJWC president Lindsey Crowley said, “The decision was not made lightly, but it was the right one at the time. However, we heard from so many people how Marketplace was their favorite holiday shopping event, so we put our heads together to figure out how we could bridge the gap this year. POP will showcase some of our tried and true vendors while also mixing it up with some new artisans to give the Marketplace experience a vibrant and fresh twist.”

EVENT: Wellesley Hills Junior Womens Club Pop-Up Marketplace
ADMISSION: Free
DATES/TIMES: Fri, Dec. 10, noon-5pm; Sat., Dec. 11, 9am-4pm; Sun., Dec. 12, 9am-4pm.
LOCATION: 165 Linden St., Wellesley, MA

Holiday hack-a-thon at Code Ninjas

Code Ninjas in Linden Square will hold its annual holiday hack-a-thon for kids ages 5-14 on Sunday, Dec. 12, 1pm-4:30pm. While the kids are doing their game building, parents can go shopping or have a bite at a restaurant within the square.

The gaming competition runs in conjunction with a Toys For Tots collection. Bring new, unwrapped toys to Code Ninjas through Dec. 15, and help make the holidays happy kids in need.

MassBay leads dignity initiative

MassBay Community College is partnering with Framingham’s Dignity Matters to provide free period products to students in need. The inability to afford or access menstrual care products is a growing issue among homeless and disadvantaged women and girls, according to the organizations.

Dignity Matters is a non-profit organization that collects, purchases, and supplies menstrual care products, bras, and underwear to women and girls who are homeless or in need.

Free menstrual care products provided by Dignity Matters have been made available in the women’s restrooms on MassBay campuses in Wellesley Hills, Framingham, and Ashland.

This initiative is led by MassBay’s Student Nourishment And Care Committee, which is a group of staff, faculty, students, and community volunteers dedicated to eliminating basic need barriers that are obstacles to student success.