Wellesley charity news: Town’s Boston Marathon bib app opens; Donate household items at Dana Hall; Catholic Charities Boston names Gibson to board

September 14, 2026 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., nonprofit and charity news:

Town’s Boston Marathon bib application opens

The 131st Boston Marathon will take place next year on Monday, April 19. Because the town is on the route, Wellesley gets a handful of invitational entries to dole out to public safety personnel and local nonprofits (including the War Memorial Scholarship Fund).

The application period to apply for these entries runs through Thursday, Oct. 15. The Select Board will designate the
organizations and War Memorial Scholarship Fund runners who will receive invitational entries for the 2027 race at a regular meeting in early November.

Organizations should complete the 2027 Town of Wellesley Boston Marathon Nonprofit Application.
Individual runners seeking an invitational entry should complete the 2027 Town of Wellesley. Boston Marathon Individual Application and indicate interest in running for the War Memorial Scholarship Fund or connect with a nonprofit organization recruiting runners.

Completed applications must be received by 4pm on Oct. 15 to be eligible for consideration. Return applications via email to Stephanie Hawkinson (shawkinson@wellesleyma.gov), or deliver them to the Select Board Office, Floor 3, at Wellesley Town Hall (525 Washington Street).

All runners receiving an invitational entry are expected to raise a minimum of $5,000.

Household item donation event at Dana Hall School

Household Goods will be on campus at Dana Hall School in Wellesley on Saturday, September 26, from 9 am to 12 pm collecting items people need to set up homes. Household Goods provides a full range of donated furniture and household items, free of charge, to help people in need make a home.

Catholic Charities Boston names Wellesley’s Gibson to board

Catholic Charities Boston has announced the appointment of Peter Gibson, former co-CEO of Knowledgent Group, advisor and investor, as one of three new members to its board of trustees.

Gibson is currently a board member of the Catholic School Foundation of Boston and leads the Catholic Charities Greater Boston Advisory Council.

Catholic Charities Boston serves vulnerable individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds. Its focus areas include basic needs, family and youth services, refugee and immigrant services, and adult education and workforce development.

You can support Swellesley work with a tax-deductible donation via our fiscal sponsor, nonprofit Tiny News Collective

2026 Wellesley Turkey Trot registration opens

August 18, 2026 by admin

Registration has opened for the 2026 Wellesley Turkey Trot, scheduled for Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 26. Sign up before Oct. 1 to get the lowest price.

The 5k race, which starts and ends in Linden Square and hits Wellesley Square and Wellesley College in between, is managed by the Wellesley Turkey Trot Foundation, which supports local charities and organizations with proceeds from the event.

The day also includes the Hannah Randolph Fun Run, a 1 mile race for kids 10 and under. This is limited to 300 participants and takes place in the parking near CVS.

Sign up for Swellesley’s weekday email newsletter to stay in the loop on Wellesley news.

Wellesley cyclists, volunteers coming out in big numbers for Pan-Mass Challenge charity event

July 27, 2026 by Bob Brown

PMC from Babson — Photo by Stephen Keep Photography

The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the cycling event that raises tens of millions per year for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is set for Aug. 1 and 2, and dozens of Wellesley, Mass. residents are among the riders and volunteers.

Cyclists have a number of routes to choose from, some of which start and end at Babson College in Wellesley.

List of Wellesley riders & volunteers shared by the PMC:

Riders

Volunteers

Conrad Balejko
Maurice Blaustein
Ian Blasco
Jesse Boehm
Stephan Braun
Grant Brown
Barbara Gross
Sarah Bua
Cecily Bua
Michael Bueker
John Bueker
Steve CarlsonJohn Carney
George Churchill
Jarrett Collins
Lily Coughlan
Stephanie Coughlan
Broghan CullyKit Cunningham
James DeCaprio
John DiCola
Bob Dolan
Jonathan Ettinger
Paul Enderle
Timothy Ernst
Eric Scharmer
Abigail Furdak
Wendy Fischman
Thomas Goemaat
Rachel Gubbay
Chris Harding
Meredith Hanson
Ian Hendrix
Jake Hixon
Fred Hoff
Anne Rickard Jackowitz
Sara Johnson
Lori Johnston
Brian Kavoogian
Duncan Kirby
Daniel Kramer
Enrique Laso Sanz
Paul Laviolette

Baylee DaCosta
Karen Buckley
Emily Breedis
John Breedis
John Breedis
Karin Breedis
Lee Collins
Tim Gover
Jennifer Hansford
Stephen Keep
Reina Mercado
Mary Ryan
Lynne Brady Wagner
Warren Fowler
Kirk Williamson

Stephen Leonard
Bob Leonhardt
Susan Levine
Katherine Macdonald
Kevin Macdonald
Gregory Majno
Glen Magpiong
Ben Masselink
Mike Mordas
Gerard Mulrooney
Ian O’Neal
James O’Leary
Jennifer O’Neill
Kevin O’Neill
Matthew Olton
Laura Olton
John Power
Patti Quigley
Roger Randall
Stephen Rosen
Justin Rucci
Elizabeth Rucci
Samuel Schaefer
Hilbert Schenck
Andrew Schiller
Randall Schneider
Peter Segall
Billy StarrGeorge Stathis
Garrick Stewart
Katie Stewart
Rebecca Tidmarsh
James Truitt
Ashley Tye
Andrew Tye
Theodore Tye
Andrew Wagner
Mike Weimer
Elizabeth Willey
Nancy Williamson
Kathleen Woodward
Xi Zhang
Adaline Zhang
Eleanor Zhang

Wellesley nonprofit news: Ride & Stride for Food coming up; New Centers for Women leader tapped

July 21, 2026 by Deborah Brown

The latest Wellesley, Mass. nonprofit news:

Save the date: Support Wellesley Food Pantry at Ride & Stride for Food on Sept. 27

Join the Wellesley Food Pantry in the 15^th Annual Ride & Stride for Food on Sunday, Sept. 27. Captained by the Pantry’s own Terry Moy and hosted by Three Squares New England, the event will be held at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham.

Sign up to walk or ride while raising funds to help stock the Pantry. All donations raised by the Team goes directly to the Pantry, with just a fundraising minimum of $350.

Wellesley Centers for Women appoints executive director

Laura Mamo, Wellesley College

Wellesley College has announced the appointment of Laura Mamo, Ph.D., as the next executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW), one of the nation’s largest research institutes focused on women. Mamo, currently the director and a professor of public health at the Health Equity Institute at San Francisco State University, will join the College in September.

“I’m excited to build on WCW’s work and continue contributing theoretically grounded, empirical research that can drive solutions for women, gender equity, and communities,” Mamo said in a statement.

The Swellesley Report is not a nonprofit, but we have a nonprofit fiscal sponsor in The Tiny News Collective through which you can support us with a tax-deductible donation.

National Charity League to run summer food drives for Wellesley Food Pantry

July 15, 2026 by admin

The National Charity League is hosting its annual summer food drives at Roche Bros. to benefit the Wellesley Food Pantry:

DATES: July 25, August 8, August 22
TIME: 10am–2pm
LOCATION: Roche Bros., 184 Linden St, Wellesley

Food Pantry priority needs

Unsweetened applesauce cups
Canned fruit in fruit juice
Pasta sauce
Coffee & herbal teas
Dinty Moore beef stew
Cookies & crackers
Honey & nuts

Every item helps a Wellesley family put food on the table. If you’re shopping at Roche Bros on these dates, please consider picking up a few extra items and dropping them off with volunteers at the National Charity League’s table on your way out.

You can also make a cash donation to the Food Pantry by using this link or by mailing a check payable to the Wellesley Food Pantry to Wellesley Food Pantry, 207 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02481. The Pantry is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations/contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Tax ID number is 45-0941804.

About the National Charity League

NCL, Inc., Wellesley Chapter is a group of mothers and daughters who come together in a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences. The Wellesley chapter has a membership of over 325 moms and daughters. The chapter works with up to 26 local philanthropies, contributing almost 4,000 hours of community service and philanthropic work per year. This considerable charitable effort instills compassion and civic responsibility in our young women.

Interested in joining the chapter? More information here.

Season of giving: Wellesley organizations recognized with local grants

July 6, 2026 by Deborah Brown

Wellesley-based organizations have been the recipients of much generosity this spring from local grant-giving organizations. The Swellesley Report is proud to be among the groups recognized as being worthy of support. Here’s a list of other groups that are doing the work for the good of the community.

Community Fund for Wellesley grants

The Swellesley Report is thrilled to announce that the Community Fund for Wellesley has supported our local news efforts with a grant. Thank you to the members of the Community Board for prioritizing local, reliable news coverage.

Swellesley is proud to be counted among the following organizations, which also received grants:

Art Wellesley
Boston Summer Opera
Charles River Watershed Association
Community Investors
Dignity Matters, Inc.
Gratis Healthcare, Inc.
Jane Does Well Org
Land’s Sake, Inc.
Massachusetts Horticultural Society
Minding Your Mind
OUT MetroWest
Walker Inc.
Wellesley A Better Chance
Wellesley Community Children’s Center
Wellesley Food Pantry
Wellesley Society of Artists, Inc.
Wellesley Symphony Orchestra
Wellesley Theatre Project
Wildflower, Inc.
The Human Relations Service

$500,000 for climate resilience in Wellesley and Charles River Watershed

charles river kayak trip — Charles River, Wellesley/Natick line

Wellesley town officials were joined by U.S. Representative Katherine Clark to celebrate the $500,000 federal earmark she secured to improve the Town of Wellesley’s tree canopy and bolster natural stormwater management throughout the Charles River Watershed. This funding will support implementation of the Charles River Climate Compact’s Regional Tree Protection and Planting Plan.

Cummings Foundation grants

The Cummings Foundation has awarded over $600 million in grants to nonprofits based in greater Boston.

Nearly all grants awarded through Cummings Foundation’s annual grant program are treated as general operating support, regardless of what was requested in the application. That means grantees may use funds wherever they are needed most—and do not need to report back on specific expenditures.

Elizabeth Seton has been awarded a $150k grant, spread over 3 years.

Metrowest Women’s Fund received $75,000 to provide resources to and build community among nonprofit organizations addressing the needs of women and girls in 34 Metrowest cities/towns, including Wellesley.

Haskins Automotive refurbishes a ride

Haskins Automotive in Wellesley has awarded a low mileage Mitsubishi Lancer donated by Peter and Catherine Fuller and refurbished by Robert Haskins and the great Haskins Automotive crew. Sabira, the car’s recipient, is a refugee from Afghanistan who arrived in the US three years ago and is now resettling other refugees working for Jewish Family Services.

Haskins Automotive, car donation — From left: Haskins representative; Sabira, and friend.

Wellesley College hires new VP

Wellesley College, VP finance — Heidi Vanderbilt-Brown

Wellesley College President Paula A. Johnson announced the appointment of Heidi Vanderbilt-Brown as the College’s next vice president for finance and administration and treasurer.

Vanderbilt-Brown, a senior executive with more than 15 years’ experience in leadership roles in both secondary and higher education, will oversee financial management of the College’s $289 million budget beginning September 1.

Vanderbilt-Brown currently serves as the chief financial and operating officer at Milton Academy and was previously associate director in the Office of Financial Strategy and Planning at Harvard University.

Firefighter safety grant awarded

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Department of Fire Services earlier this spring announced a $19k Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Awards for Wellesley. Thank you to our local fire departments for all the work they do everyday to keep our communities safe.

Wellesley charity news: Middle School ‘Reading Rally’ raises $22k for Jimmy Fund; 8th graders’ school supplies drive a success; Doctor wins New England Emmy

June 18, 2026 by admin

The latest Wellesley charity & nonprofit news:

Middle School ‘Reading Rally’ raises $22k for Jimmy Fund

Recently, around 125 sixth graders from the Wellesley Middle School raised and donated over $22,000 to the Jimmy Fund. The Jimmy Fund is connected to Dana Farber, and any money it raises is used to help fight cancer. This important organization received a large sum from WMS 6th graders through an event called the Reading Rally, spearheaded by Ms. Kenerson’s advisory. Participating 6th graders found sponsors, then read books for a two-week period, raising money to donate based on the amount read or from a flat donation. The donation will surely help the Jimmy Fund, which uses near 80% of money gained from donations to conduct research. (Write-up shared by a WMS student. Thank you.)

8th graders’ school supplies drive a success

Wellesley 8th graders earlier this month organized a Surplus School Supply Donation Drive at Wellesley Middle School and Wellesley High, and the effort was a success.

Student Caroline Jaffe followed up to let us know that the effort netted more than 325 donations, which in turn will be distributed to schools in Lawrence and Lowell.

Wellesley doctor and team win New England Emmy

Dr. Robyn Riseberg (of Wellesley,) Rebecca Powell, and Amy Kingman of Boston Community Pediatrics have received a New England Emmy Award in the Health/Medical Long Form Content category for the documentary Beyond Medicine: The Story of Boston Community Pediatrics.

Boston Community Pediatrics is first nonprofit, pediatric private practice of its kind in Massachusetts.

You can now make tax-deductible donations to support Swellesley’s work. Thank you…

Big thanks for big fun—Hunnewell Fun Fair Committee celebrates sponsors

June 6, 2026 by admin

SPONSORED CONTENT: The Hunnewell Fun Fair Committee extends a big THANK YOU to all the Fun Fair sponsors. A little rain couldn’t stop the community from getting out there and enjoying the games, food, fun, and rides. Fun Fair success truly takes a village, and the Committee is grateful to all chairs, volunteers, and sponsors for their generosity of time and spirit.