Category Archives: Other

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Newton At Home (NAH) has had a fantastic turnout of volunteers for fall leaf raking for its members. School teams, church/synagogue groups, neighborhood families (moms, dads and kids) are busy these fall weekends all around Newton! The NAH members are so grateful to see this outpouring of help! More groups will be trooping out until all the member requests are filled.

Consider becoming a volunteer driver for Newton at Home – meet some interesting Seniors in our city – and ferry NAH members to appointments/shopping/events/Logan. If you are interested in becoming a part of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” please be in touch with the volunteer coordinator: vo******@**********me.org, call the NAH office at 617-795-2560, or visit the NAH website: www.newtonathome.org

(NAH is a member of the Village to Village Network www.vtvnetwork.org) Thanks!!

Newton Cradles to Crayons Drive

To ensure that 500 local children in-need have the essentials to be safe and warm this winter, Mayor Setti Warren invites Newton community members to join in the Newton Community-wide Collection effort in support of Cradles to Crayons. Something as simple as cleaning out your closets can have an enormous impact. The coat that your daughter has outgrown or the pants that are now too short for your son can bring warmth to the life of a child.

From November 2nd – 17th, you can make a difference by dropping off new and like-new children’s items – clothing, winter coats, shoes, books, toys, and baby gear – in the 24-hour access collection unit brightly marked by Cradles to Crayons banners in the Newton City Hall parking lot across from the Public Library.

At this time of year, non-profit Cradles to Crayons receives hundreds of requests each week for essential items like clothing, shoes and boots, hats and gloves, and coats. The power of working together as a community will enable Cradles to Crayons to fulfill the requests from thousands of children across the Commonwealth who would otherwise be forced to go without these critical winter items.

For more information go to http://www.cradlestocrayons.org/boston .

Sign ups for students interested in snow shoveling

Each year the City of Newton assembles a list of pay-to-shovel and volunteer shovellers for Newton residents.

PAY TO SHOVEL: the student provides contact info and area they are available to shovel, the list provided to the resident includes first names only, phone numbers and people available in their area. NO e-mails are given out. The list is a referral list. The resident and student decide on the price.

VOLUNTEER LIST: the student provides contact info and area they are available to shovel, the student’s info is given to a Senior Center Staff person who matches up residents in need of a volunteer with available students.

Students can sign up on-line:

To be paid to shovel (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/987HSMK)

To Volunteer (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/98QDJF3)

Honor Thy Teacher recipients to be announced

Thank you to all of the families and individuals who supported the Newton Public Schools by honoring Newton’s amazing educators.  The Newton Schools Foundation’s 2013  Honor Thy Teacher campaign raised $37,000 to help support innovation throughout Newton’s schools.  Check out the October 23rd Newton Tab for a listing of the NPS teachers, staff and administrators who were recognized through this year’s Honor Thy Teacher campaign.

To donate to the Newton Schools Foundation or for more information, visit the NSF website at www.Newtonschoolsfoundation.org or call 617-559-6120.

Newton at Home Volunteer Opportunities

Newton at Home (www.newtonathome.org) has volunteer opportunities for youth to engage with Newton seniors in your neighborhood. Newton at Home is a non-profit, members’ driven, neighbor-to-neighbor organization serving our city’s residents 60 years of age and older.

Parents: Consider becoming a volunteer for Newton at Home. Drivers are needed to accompany members to appointments, shopping and trips to Logan Airport. As parents in Newton you know your way around! Be in touch to support a growing community of neighbors-helping-neighbors.  Please call 617-795-2560 or email: vo******@**********me.org

Giving back to Newton Public Schools

From October 21st through November 2nd, SalonCapri in Newton Highlands will donate 10% of the cost of the service to the Newton public school of the client’s choice.

The owners of SalonCapri, Nick and Amy Penna, have been long-time residents of Newton and are raising their children in the Newton Public School System. They take pride in their community and want do what they can to give back.

Waban Area Council Seeks Candidates

In July, the Board of Aldermen voted to approve the formation of a Waban Area Council.Pending the outcome of a September 16 vote by the entire Board, the election of 9 unpaid Waban Area Councilors will be held on November 5. All registered Newton voters living within the Waban catchment area are eligible to run for a two-year term.

Each candidate will need to submit, by October 4, a nomination paper (available at City Hall on 9/17) with 25 verifiable signatures of Waban voters.

A “Candidates’ Night” is scheduled for October 24 at the Waban Library Center.

Visit the Waban Area Council (WAC) website to learn about issues facing Waban and to sign up for email alerts regarding the village.  Informational pamphlets are available at the Waban Library.

Next WAC meeting: Thursday, September 26, 7:30 pm at the Waban Library Center. Open to all.

Centre Street Food Pantry

The Centre Street Food Pantry had a busy summer and is gearing up for the fall. As you do the same for your families, please consider donating school snack items, healthy breakfast foods, and soups for the families on their list. Thank you.

For information about donating or in general, please visit the website, http://www.centrestfoodpantry.org/ or call 617-340-9554.

Hunger never takes a vacation

Summer donations are needed at the Centre Street Food Pantry on Homer Street. Please bring any unexpired shelf-stable canned goods, toiletries, and other items. And they are always in need of brown-handled grocery bags for our shoppers to use.

Drop off Tuesdays from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. or contact ce****************@***il.com.

Thank you for your tremendous support throughout the year!

Newton Beijing Jingshan School exchange seeks host families

If you and your family have ever wanted to know more about China, this is an extraordinary opportunity for you! The Newton Beijing Jingshan School Exchange Program is seeking families to host students and teachers during the fall semester of the 2013-2014 school year.  This is a great chance to learn about Chinese culture while sharing your own family’s culture and traditions.   Participants all speak English and are eager to learn about and take part in American family life.  Beijing Jingshan exchange students and teachers arrive mid-September and depart mid-January.  Students attend regular classes at the high schools. Teachers teach in our schools.

To explore this unique opportunity, please check out the website http://www3.newton.k12.ma.us/jingshanexchange/hosting or contact: Mi************@***********ma.us .