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Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley volunteer & charity news: Service League links up with MassBay; holiday gift drives

December 1, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley volunteer and charity news:

Service League helps at MassBay

The Wellesley Service League is in the midst of a very busy fall, with members back to work in person and providing support to many partners. Here are a couple of photos from MassBay Community College, where Service league members helped students develop a LinkedIn profile to help get them started on the path to a productive career.

Wellesley Service League at MasBay
Wellesley Service League volunteers at MassBay

 

Wellesley Service League at MassBay
Service League members working with students

 

Holiday charity drives from Heroes Fitness, Housing Authority

Heroes Fitness in Wellesley Square is hosting a free workout class on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 9am in honor of its annual toy drive for kids in need through Sojourner House. Everyone is welcome to come by, drop off a gift, enter a raffle and enjoy some treats. You can secure a complimentary workout class as well by registering and dropping off a gift.

The Wellesley Housing Authority is holding its first holiday gift drive for seniors and adults with disabilities. The Virtual Mitten Giving Tree involves sponsoring a resident who has identified an item they would enjoy as a holiday gift. Email contact@wellesleyhousing.org or call 781 235-0223 to take part. All gifts must be delivered by Dec. 16

Filed Under: Fundraising, MassBay, Volunteering

Linden Square, Wellesley
Riverbend, Natick

Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club grants application is available for 2023 award cycle

November 4, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC), an 80-member non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to community service, is accepting applications for the 2023 awards cycle. The deadline for submitting applications is Feb, 1, 2023. You can find a link to the application under the Grants tab at whjwc.org

The goal of the WHJWC grants program is to fully fund concrete programs and make a measurable impact on communities in the MetroWest region. Last year the Club donated $70,500 in grants to 27 Wellesley-area community groups, making it one of the largest grant-making organizations in the area.

If you have any questions, contact the WHJWC at their NEW email address, grants@whjwc.org.

Wellesley Marketplace fundraiser

Help the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) welcome back the 44th annual Wellesley Marketplace holiday fair at Wellesley High School on Saturday, November 19 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). It’s been three years since the WHJWC has been able to bring more than 200 local artists and craftspeople to town, so this year’s Marketplace is a special homecoming of sorts! Artisans are excited to set up their booths with a full range of goods including fine art, gourmet foods, hostess and teacher gifts, jewelry and clothing, home accessories, ornaments and children’s clothes.

Buy tickets here.

About the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Art, Entertainment, Fundraising, Holidays, Shopping, Volunteering

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley
Wellesley Lacrosse

Save the date: Wellesley Mothers Forum Fall Carnival is Sept. 17

September 2, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Mothers Forum will hold its Fall Carnival on Saturday, September 17, 10am-12pm, on the Wellesley Town Green (between Town Hall and the Post Office in Wellesley Square). Join the community organization for a day of family fun including bouncy houses, performances from Walnut Hill, music with Bach to Rock, face painting, fall crafts, magic and more. Don’t forget to wish Wellesley Police community service dog Winnie a very happy birthday.

Wellesley Town Green
Wellesley Town Green looks quiet now, but just wait until Wellesley Mothers Forum Fall Carnival on September 17.

support swellesley greenest news source

Filed Under: Clubs, Entertainment, Kids, Volunteering

Wellesley Friendly Aid

A history of helping: Wellesley Food Pantry seeks summertime donations

July 14, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

There are some who might be surprised to learn that many Wellesley residents need help putting food on the table. After all, the US Census Bureau puts the 2020 median household income in town at $214K, so with numbers like that, where’s the need? The truth wasn’t publicly acknowledged in Wellesley until the late 1980s that many neighbors aren’t quite so flush and might need some help with the groceries. Seems that residents in need were going over to Natick to access the food pantry in that town, since Wellesley was without such a safety net.

Wellesley Food Pantry
Wellesley Food Pantry storage area. The Pantry was renovated a couple of years ago, and safety features such as enhanced lighting and a sprinkler system were added.

That changed in 1989, when the Wellesley Food Pantry opened its doors at Wellesley Hills Congregational Church thanks to the efforts of representatives from local houses of worship, along with Wellesley Friendly Aid board members. Once the ball got rolling, volunteers quickly stepped up to donate needed items, organize the shelves, and provide monetary support. Today the Pantry is supported by special programs like the annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive (which accounts for about 10% of the yearly donated food)  and the Wellesley Scouting for Food Drive (which brings in about 40% of food donations). Given that both those drives were canceled during the pandemic, the spike in monetary donations of $130,854 donated to the Pantry in 2021 was a welcome infusion of resources.

Wellesley Food Pantry
Fresh fruit and produce delivery in the basement kitchen of Wellesley Hills Congregational Church.

In addition, the Wellesley Food Pantry gets donations from area businesses, houses of worship, civic organizations, and everyday people who make room in their grocery carts each week for a few donations to run over to the Pantry. Village Table, a Wellesley-based organization set up during the pandemic to combat food insecurity, is also one of the Pantry’s partners, with the charitable group’s fully prepared, fresh, and nutritious meals a popular item among clients.

“We serve 174 families and 97 children,” said Pantry board of directors president Peter Lull in during an interview at the Pantry. “Usually our breakout is about a third of clients 18 years and younger, and about a third 65 years and older,” with the rest falling somewhere in between.

How to donate

There are two constants in the world of the Wellesley Food Pantry—donations are always needed, and space at the pantry is always limited.

Wellesley Food Pantry
Donations from area vegetable gardens.

“We don’t have a ton of storage space,” says Lull. “We ask that when people want to donate they really stick to the specific wish list we have because we don’t have the room to store a lot of excess inventory.”

Check the Pantry website for the wish list for items most in need at the moment. There are also collection bins at Roche Bros. and Whole Foods. Or you can do a curbside drop-off on Mondays, 2pm-3pm, at the west entrance of Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington St.

Largesse from vegetable gardens is also welcome. Residents can drop fresh produce donations on Tuesdays, 8am-11:30am, in the Wellesley Hills Church kitchen (from the west entrance, down the stairs and to the right before entering the assembly room).

Wellesley Food Pantry
Curbside drop-off of food items are accepted at the west entrance of Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington St., Mondays, 2pm-3pm. Over 70K bags of food were donated to the Pantry in 2021. 

Monetary donations are also welcome. On average the Pantry spends over $2,000 per week to purchase foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, eggbeaters and other perishable items, as well as non-perishables when donations are low. Almost all monetary donations ($130K in 2021) go directly to stocking the Pantry, as administrative expenses are minimal—the staff and management are all volunteers, and the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church provides the Pantry with rent-free space.

You can mail your check, payable to the Wellesley Food Pantry, to:
Wellesley Food Pantry
207 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA 02481

You may also donate using PayPal or a credit card.

How to volunteer

Helping out at the Food Pantry is one of those gigs in town that people tend to hang onto once they secure their spot. Lull has volunteered for over 15 years. “We are always willing to take names, but for the most part we’re pretty well staffed. We don’t get a lot of volunteer turnover,” he said.

He says there are several dozen regular volunteers and dozens of occasional helpers from Wellesley Service League, National Charity League, Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club, and more.

How to register for help from the Pantry

Support from the Wellesley Food Pantry is open to all qualified Wellesley residents. Residents needing Food Pantry assistance can register by email, mail, or in person with an appointment.  More information here.


Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Churches, Food, Volunteering

Volunteers needed for Dressing of the Graves in Wellesley

May 17, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

The Veterans Services department is seeking volunteers to assist with Wellesley Memorial Day preparations. 

On Friday, May 20 at 3:45 p.m. volunteers are needed to help place flags on veterans’ graves at Woodlawn Cemetery (148 Brook Street). Please contact Graves and Ceremonial Officer Joe Oliveri at 774-292-9932 to participate.

“Lest We Forget” Memorial Day Observances

On Monday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. the Town will hold its annual Memorial Day ceremony outdoors at the Wellesley War Memorial in front of Town Hall. The community is invited to attend and honor the service of our military heroes.

This always moving service includes a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, a rifle salute by the Wellesley Police Department, patriotic songs, and more.

MORE:

Meet Wellesley’s Veterans’ Graves and Ceremonial Officer

Filed Under: Military, Obituaries & remembrances, Volunteering

Deland, Gibson, Wellesley
Rick Cram, leader

Letter carriers’ food drive this Saturday to benefit Wellesley Food Pantry

May 12, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Food Pantry
Photo credit: Wellesley Food Pantry

This Saturday, May 14, the Wellesley Post office is supporting the Wellesley Food Pantry as part of the 30th annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Letter carriers will pick up food donations from residents’ homes and deliver them to the pantry at the end of their work day.  Residents are asked to package their donations into sturdy bags and place them near their mailboxes in visible locations in the morning.

While the pantry gratefully accepts donations of all unexpired nonperishable items, the following are among the most needed items:

  • Pasta
  • Raisins
  • Fruit canned in juice
  • Low/no salt canned vegetables
  • Canned salmon and sardines.

Please avoid glass containers for the safety of the letter carriers and pantry volunteers.

Alternatively, residents may bring their donations to the pantry during regular curbside collection hours (Mondays 2-3pm) or to the permanent collection bins inside Whole Foods or Roche Bros. any time during their business hours.


Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Food, Volunteering

Registration is open for Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club Wonder Run

May 6, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The 9th annual Wonder Run 5K & Kid’s Fun Run will take place on Sunday, May 22 as part of Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend. Sponsored by the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club, the Wonder Run will begin at 8am followed by the Kid’s Fun Run and activities led by Sensei Nicco at 9am at the Wellesley High School track.

Wonder Run, Wellesley

The Wonder Run will be hero-themed so break out those capes or scrubs and support the WHJWC. Costumes are encouraged for all ages.

Registration details

Pre-registration fee: $35 for adults, $15 for kids
Pre-registration closes Thursday, May 19 at 11pm
Kids Fun Run registration is capped at 200 registrants.
Same-day registration fee: $40 for adults, $20 for kids
Please register here.


EVENT: Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club Wonder Run
DATE: Sunday, May 22, 2022
START TIME: 8am
LOCATION: Wellesley High School

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clubs, Fundraising, Kids, Sports, Volunteering, Wellesley High School

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