Council Blog

NEW! The can & bottle redemption shack at the RTS is BACK! 

Needham resident, Jeff Dinneen has been collecting and recycling around town…Now his project will be at the Needham RTS and easily available to all who want to donate their can & bottle deposits. Jeff recycles the donated cans & bottles and then uses the funds collected to purchase milk for the Council Food Pantry.  We, in turn, distribute the milk to income-eligible Needham residents….a WIN/WIN!

Thank you to Jeff and to the Town of Needham for supporting this very worthy project!

Thanks to the generous support from the Foundation for MetroWest the Council Food Pantry will be joining the Needham Community Farm with a mobile market at each of the three Needham Housing Authority locations on Tuesday evenings. Non-perishable items will be available along with the Needham Community Farm’s fresh produce to help families with food insecurity throughout the summer and into the fall. 

About the Foundation for MetroWest: Established in 1995, they are the only community foundation serving the 33 cities and town in the region. They promote philanthopy in the region, help donors maximize the impact of their local giving, serve as a resource for local nonprofits and enhance the quality of life for all residents. Since inception, the Foundation has granted $15 million to charitable organizations and currently stewards more than $22 million in charitable assets for current needs and future impact. To learn more, visit www.foundationformetrowest.org or call 508-647-2260.

Monday, September 17th, 7:15 -8 p.m. followed by wine & cheese.

Cyclebar Wellesley

$25 per rider – 100% supports the Council Ride for Food Team

click here to register

clip on shoes available [no charge]

Thursday, August 16, 2018
Always an amazing day here at the Council!

If you are a current Food Pantry customer:
 Click here for more information 
 Click here to download a registration form to participate in this program

If you are not a current Food Pantry customer:
Call us at 781-444-2415 for more information on qualifications

TO DONATE:

NEW! This year…click here for an online direct delivery Amazon wish list

Click here to download a full wish list for this  program.

Top items on the Wish List:
College & Wide Ruled Notebook Paper
Colored Pencils
Ballpoint Pens – blue or black
Index Cards
Post-It Notes
Paper Towels
Ziploc Bags – qt or gallon
Combination Locks
Hand Sanitizer

ITEMS NEEDED: Index cards, back packs, colored pencils, markers, tape, notebooks, flash drives, folders, pens, pencils, crayons,  tissues, baby wipes, hand sanitizer… everything a student needs to be ready for a new school year!

All supplies are donated by Needham residents and local businesses; a group of employees from a Needham consulting firm donates many hours of their time to help us set up and brings hundreds of items purchased with employee funds, matched by a corporate donation…a local family donates gift cards to Staples, worth $25 each, to distribute to EVERY student…boxes of school supplies are sent to us anonymously, and more….

Over 90 students from income-eligible families participated in the 2017 Annual Back to School Supplies Distribution Program. One Mom came with 3 kids and she left in tears and said…“I don’t know how I would manage without your support”…and, we don’t know how we would manage without the support of the entire Needham community.

Thank You!
Let’s do it again……help us make the 2018 distribution program better than ever..donate now!

Tuesday, August 7th
11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m.
Light Refreshments

Kris DeGraw Danna, Needham Community Council Volunteer Coordinator, announces an interactive & innovative workshop designed for local Non-Profit Agencies.

Reservations required, no fee for Needham/Newton NPOs
Click here to register

Some of the topics she will cover include: 

• How to recruit specific types of volunteers
• How to engage volunteers and board members in ways that are meaningful to them/ to your organization
• How to handle students/corporations that need/want community service projects
• How to “fire” a volunteer

Bring your individual volunteer issues to discuss with a professional volunteer manager

The Needham Community Council Spring English as a 2^nd Language [ESL] tutor training is complete and tutors are ready to be matched with new students.

Any Needham-based adult [living and/or working in town] who wants to improve their English can register with the Council ESL Program. Students are matched one-on-one with a tutor. There are also conversation groups and activity groups available where speaking English is the goal.

For more information contact our office at 781-444-2415 or click here to submit an application online.