The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Wellesley Connects seeks mentors for college-bound high schoolers

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Wellesley High School, WellesleyWellesley Connects is an all-volunteer mentoring program for primarily first generation, college-bound Wellesley High School students who could benefit from one-on-one advising as they explore post-graduation planning. Wellesley Friendly Aid and the Office of Guidance at Wellesley High join forces on this program, now in its third year.

Students, who are invited to apply to the program in their junior year, are paired with a mentor who provides assistance with the college application process. Programming workshops include college applications, financial aid, scholarship opportunities, essay writing, college visits and individual assistance.

Wellesley Connects seeks mentors to begin in late fall working with WHS juniors (class of 2020) joining the program.   Requirements include a familiarity with the college application process and a strong desire to help a student with post-high school planning.  Responsibilities include a commitment to work with a student for 18 months during the student’s junior and senior years as well as attending training workshops, group meetings and other workshops.  Mentors also meet with their mentees individually outside of group meetings.

If interested, please contact Margot Lansing or Sharon Kiernan , the co-directors, for additional information at [email protected] or call 781-235-3960.  

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Save the date: Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation event, October 18

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Dance the night away at the Wellesley Country Club with Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization that empowers young women and girls in Afghanistan through community-based education in the district of Deh’Subz. Founded on the knowledge that education is key to positive, peaceful change for current and future generations, the foundation’s K-12 school provides free education to 625 girls and is the #1 private school in the district. The adjacent post-secondary midwifery institute provides marketable skills while helping to improve maternal-fetal outcomes. Register here for the event.


Razia's Ray of Hope, Wellesley

More on Wellesley’s charitable and community action groups.

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Wellesley Village Church participates in its fourth Feeding Frenzy

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It was Feeding Frenzy Sunday at Wellesley Village Church, and for the fourth year running parishioners lined up assembly-style to scoop and measure macaroni and cheese and beans and rice ingredients, weigh them, and vacuum seal the healthy meals up, ready to be transported to food pantries across the region.

Wellesley Village Church, End Hunger
End Hunger New England comes in to churches, corporations, and other organizations and sets up the assembly lines. From there, volunteers work together to create nutritious, protein-enriched meals from bulk ingredients. The meals are then brought to food pantries and other charitable organizations in the community and distributed by local volunteers.

 

Wellesley Village Church, End Hunger
Wellesley Village Church parishioners in action on the assembly line. The long tables are equipped with nothing higher-tech than plastic scoops, funnels, and scales. Sanitization is a very big deal with End Hunger NE. The company supplies hairnet, beard nets, gloves and hand sanitizer to packing teams. Team members then scoop raw ingredients, weigh meals for accuracy, seal the meal packs, and box the completed meals.

 

Wellesley Village Church, End Hunger
Matthew Martin, regional manager for End Hunger New England , preaching to the choir. Martin is a former Lutheran minister who has devoted his life to making sure hungry kids get the food they need. “One in six American kids is hungry,” he says. “We will end hunger in the Northeast.” Some of the local places the prepackaged meals go: Neighbors in Need, Hope Food Pantry, A Place to Turn.

 

Wellesley Village Church, End Hunger
I asked Martin the tough question: “Is your family in the rice business?” He says he only wishes, and that his family and the Martin rice company people aren’t related. When an organization signs on for this program, that group pays for the meals: 25 cents feeds a kid, $1 a family of 4. Martin handles all of the details, meaning End Hunger NE brings the materials to the site, sets everything up, trains the groups in how to assemble the meals, provides constant on-site support during the event, then transports the food to local food shelves and schools or regional food banks.

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Nominate candidates now to run for 2 Town Meeting vacancies

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Due to two Town Meeting Member resignations, Precinct C will elect new Town Meeting Members to serve until the next annual election. This special election will take place on October 2, 2018 at the Wellesley Middle School Auditorium Lobby at 6:40pm.

Town Meeting Members, or others, should nominate candidates for this position on or before Tuesday, September 25 so that ballots can be prepared.  Nominations (name, address and email address if available) should be in writing or by email to KC Kato, Town Clerk, Wellesley Town Hall, 525 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482 or [email protected].

Nominee’s permission should be secured in advance. Any resident may propose nominations. A candidate may self-propose for this position.

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Save the date for the Wellesley Spelling Bee, Wednesday, November 14

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Wellesley Spelling BeeThe Wellesley Education Foundation‘s Spelling Bee is an old-school community spelling bee that brings the whole town together for an evening of fun and fundraising. Over 50 teams participate in the Bee representing local businesses, law firms, alumni groups, community organizations, and school PTOs, as well as student teams from Wellesley High School and Wellesley Middle School.

On Wednesday, November 14th, 7pm at the Sprague School Gym our community adult spelling contest and fundraising event is back for the 29th time! This high-spirited community event is right around the corner! How to catch the buzz:

Support the Bee — CLICK HERE to make a donation or sponsor a high school, middle school or community team. Many levels are available for sponsorship from $125 to $2500. The Bee is our biggest fundraiser of the year!  Any amount is appreciated.

Bee a Team — CLICK HERE to register a team of three spellers for $500. Who knows whom you may be spelling against that night? Last year 54 teams participated in the Bee! Deadline for registering a team is October 19.

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