Category Archives: Other

Winter Food Drive

Tess and Izzy, two juniors at Newton South High School, are collecting food donations for the Centre Street Food Pantry.

Please consider dropping off any of the following items so they can help those at the food pantry! Below is a list of items they are looking for.

Box of granola bars (any kind)
Box of cereal or oatmeal variety pack
Jar of peanut butter
Jar of jam
Package of mini milk or juice boxes
Box of mac n’ cheese
Cans of soup or pasta (spaghetti O’s or similar)
Package of snack pack fruit or applesauce
Snack pack pudding, cookies, or fruit snacks
Pretzels, goldfish, corn chips, crackers

Drop off donations at either 37 Halcyon Road or 15 Bellingham Street. If you are unable to drop off at either location, please contact isabellagloria27@gmail.com to organize a time for them to pick up your items. Thank you for your generosity!

Snow Removal: Winter Walking

Did you know that Newton residents are required to remove the snow and ice from their paved sidewalks within 24 hours? A $50 fine after an initial warning was added for 2019. The Newton Safe Routes to School Task Force asks that residents do their part so students can keep walking to school all winter. The extra bit of exercise and fresh air is particularly important this year before students start their very structured school day.

Residents need to clear the snow and ice from their sidewalks to keep our community safe. Download the “Newton MA 311” app for your mobile phone or use the web portal to report concerns immediately, pinpoint the exact location, and include a photo. You can report anonymously or with contact information so you can track the progress of the report.

In addition to sidewalk repairs, sign and traffic signal problems, and brush covering the sidewalk, there are many categories for reporting snow concerns, including sidewalks that are not cleared and corners that are blocked. You can also call the City at 617-796-1000.

Learn more at www.newtonsaferoutes.org or email NewtonSafeRoutes@gmail.com.

Purchase a Holiday Meal Box for a Newton Housing Authority client!

Thank you for helping the Newton Food Pantry reach their Giving Tuesday goal!

Through the tremendous support of our wonderful community, the Newton Food Pantry is happy to announce that they reached the $10,000.00 goal of fulfilling the initial need for Holiday Meal Boxes for food pantry client families.

A very special shout out to Cheryl Forté, on behalf of the Orvillle W. Forté Charitable Foundation, representing 4 generations of Brae Burn Country Club members, for the incredible generosity in helping supply delicious ham and turkey Holiday Meal boxes to the curbside distribution clients.

Would you still like to HELP?

In a continued partnership with Brae Burn Country Club, the pantry is able to source 260 additional boxes to distribute to clients in 11 Newton Housing Authority facilities across Newton. Please help raise the $9,000.00 needed to purchase senior boxes by making a $35.00 donation today. Thank you so much for helping others this holiday season.

Donate here: www.newtonfoodpantry.org/donate

Love My Local Newton!

For your holiday shopping needs, put your money where your heart is: Right Here in Newton.

Our 13 village centers shape our community. From the coffee shops providing that needed jump start in the morning, to boutiques offering that one-of-a-kind gift, to the corner store that is always open and has exactly what you need. It’s all right here in Newton. But more than that, by putting your money where your heart is you provide necessary jobs and boost our economy. You support business owners. You also help the environment by staying close to home. Additionally, our local businesses are doing so much to keep us safe and when we do our part, wearing a mask, remaining socially distant, and washing our hands, everyone benefits.

So think local first: Right here in Newton! Find out more at https://www.nnchamber.com/shop-local

The Zachary Mandel Memorial Fund

Zachary Mandel’s family feels blessed by the outpouring of compassion and invaluable support since his passing on October 12th (just prior to his 17th birthday). Many of you have asked if you might make a donation in Zachary’s memory.

To honor Zach, they have elected to establish a fund at the Boston Foundation. The Zachary Mandel Memorial Fund will provide annual grants to charitable organizations that help adults and children with physical and/or emotional disabilities. This fund will also grant money to organizations that promote equality, diversity and change through education.

Contributions can be made by check, credit card or securities. Credit card donations are subject to a service charge. As such, checks are preferred. Please click on the link to make a donation. If you would like to share this with others, please send this email with the direct link.

The Boston Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and your donation is fully tax-deductible.

Members of Closed Gyms Invited to Join

The West Suburban YMCA offers incentive for new members seeking fitness and well-being. The closing of several local gyms in Newton and surrounding towns have left many gym-goers without a place to workout. The West Suburban YMCA​ welcomes members of fitness centers that are closed or going out of business.

“To the many members of local gyms that have unexpectedly closed, the Y is here and ready to welcome you,” says Jack Fucci, President and CEO of the West Suburban YMCA. “We’ve put into place excellent systems and protocols and feel confident that gym-life and pandemic-life are not mutually exclusive.”

The West Suburban YMCA, which has been open and operating since July, is offering an extra incentive for new members​​ who join before the end of the year. Anyone age 18 or older who joins the West Suburban YMCA by December 31, 2020 will receive a personalized training program that includes:

A 6-week written training plan based on individual fitness level
Three 30-minute sessions with a certified personal trainer
Weekly check-in email plus healthy recipes
A $450 value free with cost of a membership

In addition to the spacious fitness floor at the West Suburban YMCA, the facility also boasts two indoor swimming pools, an outdoor track and turf field, full-size gymnasium with upper level indoor track, squash/racquetball court, and four dedicated group exercise studios. Fitness classes and personal training are offered indoors, outdoors, and virtually.

During its shutdown, the West Suburban YMCA took steps to ensure a smooth and safe reopening. They invested more than $100,000 in state-of-the-art equipment to mitigate the risk of coronavirus transmission. In addition to the required PPE, the Y added plexiglass shields, installed additional hand washing and sanitizing stations, redesigned spaces to allow for social distancing, revamped its ventilation and air filtration system, purchased electrostatic sprayers for disinfecting, and requires reservations for pool lanes and group exercise classes to reduce congestion.

Those who wish to join the Y or learn more can visit www.wsymca.org/membership​.

The West Suburban YMCA is a charitable non-profit organization that has been a fixture in the Newton community for over 140 years. The Y is committed to strengthening the foundations of the community by supporting youth development, healthy living and social responsibility for all.

ALL are welcome at the Y, and its community brings together people of all abilities, ages, ethnicities, financial circumstances, genders, races, religions, and sexual orientations.

Green Newton Student Group Presents ‘Greening the Holidays’

Green Newton Student Group Presents ‘Greening the Holidays’. Newton student leaders invite you to join this virtual public meeting (for all ages) on how we can make plans to celebrate a more sustainable holiday season. The program will include great gift ideas, trivia questions and easy steps to make an environmental difference. Please register in advance for this webinar here: Greening the Holidays

 

  • Food & Waste, with Kaleigh Yee (NSHS ’19) and Hailey Strickler (Beaver Country Day ‘22) How does food and waste play into the culture of a holiday? How can we make more sustainable choices while maintaining tradition?
  • Fashion, with Ahona Dam (NSHS ’23) and Mia Santangelo (NNHS ‘22) What is fast fashion? How can we consciously avoid supporting it during the holidays?
  • Transportation, with Ava Freeman (NSHS ’22) During a ‘normal’ holiday season, how can we realistically prioritize conscious transportation choices?
  • Gift Giving, with Windley Knowlton (NSHS ‘18) What makes a gift special? What are some meaningful, environmentally conscious gift ideas?
  • Advocacy, with Coral Lin (NNHS ‘21) Why is advocacy important to prioritize during the holidays?
  • Taking Action!, with Clara Dutton (NSHS ‘21) How energy efficiency steps can be considered a gift?
  • The 4C Tree Project, introduced by Elizabeth Sockwell (NSHS ‘16) and Jojo Parks (BC ‘24) What is the ‘Capture Carbon Commemorate COVID-19’ project all about? How can one incorporate volunteering experience into a gift?

December 6th, 4:00 – 5:00 pm

Credit to Esther Zhang (NNHS ’22) for designing the graphic for this Green Newton event

Newton Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Newton Neighbors Helping Neighbors is an all volunteer, incredibly organized group that continues to recruit and harness the energy of Newton volunteers to help people through these difficult times in a wide variety of ways. Consider donating to one of the four drives below or contact them yourself and volunteer your time.

Newton Neighbors Helping Neighbors coordinators have organized four drives to help families obtain food, winter gear, and holiday gifts this holiday season. Please note that Newton Neighbors Helping Neighbors is not an incorporated organization or a 501(c)(3), so your contributions are gifts to neighbors in need and not tax-deductible donations. There are four ways in which you can support your neighbors!

  • Send gift cards for Thanksgiving meals to families in Brockton and Waltham
  • Donate snow boots for children in Waltham
  • Purchase gift cards for Second Step, Inc residents in Newton
  • Support the Newton Village Bank toy drive

Details about each drive are below!

Drive #1: Help families celebrate Thanksgiving in Brockton and Waltham
NNHN has partnered with the Brockton Workers Alliance and Thom Charles River Early Intervention to bring Thanksgiving to families who are struggling to make ends meet. Most of these families commute and work in Newton and neighboring towns and are facing substantial challenges related to unemployment and income. The goal is to raise $3,500 to purchase and distribute 70 gift cards of $50 each to families in Brockton and Waltham during the week of Thanksgiving. If you can support this effort, please Venmo your contributions to Charlotte Dietz: @Charlotte-Dietz-1 noting the contribution is for the Newton Neighbors grocery gift card collection. Charlotte will purchase the cards for our partner organizations to distribute.  If you would like to help but don’t use Venmo, please email newtonneighborshelping@gmail.com .

Drive #2: Donate snow boots to children in Waltham
Eleven children in Waltham whose families are supported by Thom Charles River Early Intervention need snow boots.

Please go to the sign-up here: Snow Boots to see the requested sizes and sign up to donate. If you can donate new boots or gently used hand-me-downs in good condition, please drop them off in a bag or box labeled with the size at 991 Beacon Street, Newton Centre

Drive #3: Holiday gift cards for residents at The Second Step
Help support 15 families (a total of 29 adults and children) at The Second Step, a community of domestic violence survivors, advocates, and volunteers with a holiday gift card drive. The Second Step is a community of survivors, advocates, and volunteers. The goal is to collect gift cards totaling $100 per child and $150 per adult. You can split the total requested among multiple cards or put it on a single card.

Details about the gift cards can be found here: Gift Cards. Please send gift cards (by December 10th) to the address below with a note that they are for the 2020 Holiday Drive to:

The Second Step, Inc. Attn: Mimi Sperl
P.O. Box 600213
Newtonville, MA 02460

Drive #4: Village Bank Holiday Gift Drive
The Village Bank has partnered with the Newton Rotary and the Newton Department of Health and Human Services to sponsor the city’s annual Holiday Gift Drive. Please drop off new and unwrapped gifts until December 15th to any Newton branch of The Village Bank. Gifts should be for children aged newborn to ten years old and may include age-appropriate toys, games, electronics, and sporting goods as well as gift cards from local merchants. Other ways to give include purchasing and shipping online gifts through the Amazon Wish List or making tax-deductible cash donations to the Newton Rotary. Newton Neighbors will also be working with local stores to offer holiday gift kits available to purchase for the toy drive. For more information on the drive and the Amazon Wish List link, go to https://village-bank.com/holidaygiftdrive.

Holiday Drive -Through with Giant Puppets, Frosty, Newton Teddy Bear and more!

Come to the Mayor’s Dazzling Holiday Drive -Through with Giant Puppets, Frosty, Newton Teddy Bear and more! This holiday season, things are a little different, but we can still celebrate with a festive drive-through display of holiday lights, music and surprises!

All are welcome to Mayor Fuller’s Celebration. Bring an unwrapped gift (suitable for ages newborn -10 years old) to support the Newton Police Department’s “stuff a cruiser” for the Village Bank’s Gift Drive. Please consider supporting the Newton food pantries by bringing a grocery gift card.

Mayor Fuller will greet you as volunteers collect your donations in a contact free manner. Look for Frosty and other special friends along the drive-by route. Newton Community Pride volunteers will be handing out a thank you gift for your support. This event is
sponsored by Newton Parks, Recreation and Culture, and Newton Community Pride.

Special thanks to Jerry Reilly for the giant puppets! Please consider purchasing your donations locally and head to dinner (or take out) after your drive-through visit. For more information call 617-796-1540.

December 8th (rain date December 9th),  5:30 – 6:00 pm
Newton City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue