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.