Category: Do Good

Charities and volunteer opporunities in Newton, MA and Boston.

Newton Family Singers Benefit Concert

Newton Family Singers

Long May You Run

Songs by Neil Young and Friends

A Benefit for the Newton Community Farm

Join the Newton Family Singers for a very special concert on Saturday, May 14^th at 3:30pm at the Newton South High School auditorium. In addition to performing songs by legendary folk rock artist Neil Young, NFS will be singing some well-known and beloved songs by Crosby Stills & Nash, John Fogerty and Buffalo Springfield, as well as a few song surprises. In recognition of Neil Young’s environmentalism and advocacy for small farmers, proceeds from this concert will benefit the educational programs of the Newton Community Farm. The farm’s mission is to teach and model sustainable agricultural and environmental practices in our community, on the historic Angino Farm.

Bring your family to enjoy the Newton Family Singers benefit concert on Saturday May 14^th! We’ll have a fun filled afternoon including great music, concern for our environment, education and community. To purchase tickets online ($10 per adult, $8 per child), please visit our Events Page.

Please consider purchasing a family sponsorship for $100. Family Sponsors will receive four tickets, a mention in our program and our undying gratitude! For a family sponsorship, please email us at newfamilysingers@gmail.com.

The Newton Family Singers is a 65 person intergenerational chorus celebrating family, community and American (and sometimes Canadian) folk music since 2010.

Tickets on sale here.

May 10, 2016
Volunteer Drivers Needed for Newton at Home

NEWTON AT HOME LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER DRIVERS

Are you an empty nester and have some time to give? Are you new to the Newton area and looking to get more involved with your community? Perhaps you are recently retired and looking for just the right volunteer opportunity.

Newton at Home, a nonprofit, membership-based organization for older adults, is looking to add reliable and friendly volunteers to its workforce to transport members to medical appointments, social activities, Logan Airport, and the grocery store. From an hour a day to an hour a month, volunteers can choose their own schedule and select assignments that best suit them.

Interested volunteers will interview with the NAH Volunteer Coordinator and complete a brief training session. Volunteer drivers must provide a copy of their driver’s license, automobile registration, and proof of automobile insurance.

Newton at Home is designed to help Newton residents 60 years of age and older live active, more independent and connected lives in their own homes. Newton at Home members pay an annual fee to gain access to a vast array of services and opportunities to socialize, learn, and have fun. Ninety-five percent of NAH services are provided by volunteers who are fully vetted and trained. For more information, visit www.newtonathome.org.

Interested in volunteering? Contact Julie Plaut Mahoney, Ph.D., Coordinator of Partnerships and Volunteers, Newton at Home, 617-795-2560, partnershipsandvolunteers@newtonathome.org.

May 8, 2016
Registration Open for Newton 10K

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR 2016 NEWTON 10K

City’s Only 10K Race Will Benefit DREAMFAR High School Marathon

Fattman Productions, a strategic planning, marketing and promotions company, today announced that the 2016 Newton 10K will be held on Sunday, June 5, 2016, beginning at 8 AM. The city’s only 10K event will draw more than 600 runners who will race through Newton, covering parts of the Boston Marathon course, and winding through some of the city’s most beautiful and historic areas. The race is a community and family event with both adults and school-aged kids encouraged to participate. Proceeds from the race will benefit DREAMFAR High School Marathon. Runners can sign up here to participate in the race.

Proceeds from the Newton 10K will benefit DREAMFAR High School Marathon, a non-profit organization that challenges kids to reach their full potential – emotionally, socially and physically – through a mentor-supported marathon training program.

Race organizers are encouraging runners from all Newton schools to register and train for the event. The Newton school with the most registered student runners will receive a $750 prize awarded from Fattman Productions to the school’s PTO. For more information on how to register, visit here.

The race starts and finishes at the Horace Mann Elementary School, 687 Watertown Street, Newtonville, MA, and covers many historic and scenic Newton streets. For more information on the course map, visit here. The Newton 10K sponsors include Whole Foods of Newtonville, TrueRunner, First Commons Bank and Marathon Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine.

May 6, 2016
Spring Clean Up: Volunteer Gardening Day in West Newton Hills

Hope you can join us on Tuesday, May 3^rd at 10:00am until about 1:00pm. Come for as much of the time as you can. Please bring a rake and gloves and pruning shears (if you have them). We will provide the yard waste bags and lemonade.

Please meet us at the “Fountain Garden” at Chestnut & Highland Streets. Assuming we get that done, we will move to “Valentine Island” at the end of Lenox Street at Sylvan & Valentine.

Thanks all. Happy Spring. Hope you can join us!

www.newtongardenbuds.com

May 1, 2016
Newton Serves at Day Middle School

Newton Serves At Day: Sunday, May 1st, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Please come and help with the NewtonServes project at Day. Projects will include landscaping, interior painting, window washing, and cleaning and exterior clean-up. You can help for the entire time or for just an hour or two. Rain or shine, we will be working.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER (http://www.n ewtonco mmunitypride.org/NewtonSERVES-volunteer.php )

(or just show up on 5/1 and register then–although we can’t guarantee you’ll get a free t-shirt if you don’t sign up ahead of time)

If you have questions about the event or have ideas for projects we should try to tackle, please contact: Bill Hoch or Jessica Avery.

If you can, bring: a rake, shovels, wheelbarrows, gloves, tarps, paint brushes, and drop cloths. If you can’t help out that day, send in doughnuts, water, coffee, fruit, or cookies to fuel the volunteers!

April 20, 2016
Nationwide T-Shirt Art Contest for Kids

Life is Good® Inspires Optimism in Kids Through Nationwide T-Shirt Art Contest

Kids are invited to draw what makes their life good for a chance to win a college scholarship and have their design join the new Kid’s Tee Collection all to support kids in need.

Positive lifestyle brand Life is Good® announced today the launch of its first t-shirt art contest for kids, encouraging them to focus on the good and spread the power of optimism. Every time kids draw and share “why life is good” they’ll help make life better for kids in need.

“The world today can be an intense, complex and challenging place – but as humans we have a choice to focus on what’s right in our lives rather than what’s wrong,” said John Jacobs Chief Creative Optimist & Life is Good co-founder. “The amazing thing about young kids is this comes naturally to them. Our goal with this contest is to celebrate and inspire that raw sense of optimism, to remind people of the simple things that make life good, while also raising money to help kids overcome poverty, violence and illness.”

Beloved for over 20 years for its fun, positive message apparel, Life is Good is dedicated to inspiring people to choose optimism to positively impact their life and the lives of others.

Now through April 29th, 2016, kids from the ages of 3 through 12 are encouraged to hand draw what makes life good for them, then have their parent (or legal guardian) scan or snap a photo, share on Instagram using #LifeisGoodbecause or submit through www.lifeisgood.com/artcontest. For every entry received, Life is Good will donate $1 to help kids in need. Three grand prize winners will have their drawing featured on Life is Good t-shirts (with net profits donated to support kids in need) and be awarded a $2,000 scholarship as part of the prize package.

All original art submitted will be reviewed by the official Life is Good team, including Bert Jacobs (Chief Executive Optimist & Life is Good co-founder) and John Jacobs (Chief Creative Optimist & Life is Good co-founder). Entrants’ art will be shared in an ever-growing gallery of inspiration at www.lifeisgood.com/artcontest.

The campaign comes on the heels of the release of Life is Good’s new 2016 Kids Collection. Featuring 24 unique styles in sizes ranging from toddler to Kids XL, the line includes original art and messages of empowerment and positivity to help build confidence in kids and spread optimism to all. The tees are made with 100% USA grown cotton, are garment washed for softness and feature double-needle stitching.

April 16, 2016
The Second Step Gala
Celebrating Success, The Second Step’s annual gala

The Second Step helps victims of domestic violence to rebuild their lives. We have two transitional homes that can house up to 17 families and a successful community program where families (300 adults and 500 children annually) receive therapy, legal support, job training, and all else they need to be safe and move forward.

Their largest fundraiser of the year is on Thursday, April 14th at The Westin Waltham. There are two ways you can participate:
1. Sign up for tickets or sponsorships
2. Purchase benefit drawing tickets before the event to win fabulous prize packages.
To learn more about the life-changing work of The Second Step, check out the FY2015 Annual Report.
April 11, 2016
Shop at Portobello Road to help Wondermore!

Save the Date!

Tuesday, April 12th

6 – 9 pm

Shop at Portobello Road to help Wondermore!

Wondermore is a non-profit that brings authors and illustrators into the most underserved Boston Public Schools for presentations, writing workshops, and book discussions.

To kick off the spring season, join us on April 12th for a fun evening of shopping at Portobello Road in Chestnut Hill along with wine and light bites. Portobello Road, A Store with a Soul, has offered to donate 20% of the proceeds to Wondermore.

If you are unable to join us for the evening event from 6-9 pm, you can also shop and support Wondermore during the day on April 12th (10-6). Please be sure bring along the attached coupon so Wondermore can get credited for your purchase.

To learn more about Wondermore, please visit our website.

April 4, 2016
Help raise funds for equipment manager Chris Drakos

Help raise funds for equipment manager Chris Drakos who has been very sick. The fundraiser went well but anyone who wants to make a donation can still do so.

Checks should be made payable to Chris Drakos Health Fund and sent to the following address ONLY:

The Village Bank

332 Walnut St

Newton, Ma 02460

Here are a few photos from the event:

Thanks for letting my 5th grade son join in the soccer fundraiser! He had a great time!

March 26, 2016
Spring Fling at the Library

Spring Fling at the Library

March 24, 2016