LOCAL CHARITIES DESCRIPTIONS

Helps women and girls who are homeless or living in poverty by providing a reliable supply of monthly menstrual care products and underwear.  We help 10,000 women in Massachusetts safely manage their monthly periods each month through a network of 154 homeless and domestic violence shelters, public schools, clinics, and food pantries.  

Lack of access to menstrual care is a  “deal breaker” for women in need; without it, they can not stay healthy, care for their families, work or attend school.  If you are food insecure, you are hygiene insecure, and SNAP and WIC benefits can’t be used to purchase menstrual care.  Most organizations can’t afford these products, and they are rarely donated.

We have pioneered a manufacturing contract that lets us purchase menstrual care for 20% of average retail cost, so we can serve 5 times as many women and girls with the funds we have.  We distribute through organizations that already know the needs and have earned the trust of the women and girls.  

Learn to Cope, founded in 2004, is a peer-led support network that offers FREE education, resources, and HOPE for family members and friends who have loved ones affected by substance use disorder. Virtual and in-person meetings are conducted by both experienced volunteers and staff members that have had formalized Learn to Cope facilitator training. 

Meetings are a safe place for families to share their experiences, ask questions, learn about addiction, and listen to Guest Speakers who are either in long-term recovery or professionals who work in the field. Overdose education and Narcan training is available at every meeting. Narcan is provided free of charge to Massachusetts residents.

• Currently LTC is hosting (12) weekly Zoom Meetings, including one for Spanish speaking individuals.
• LTC serves approximately 1,000 individuals per month.
• LTC is the first family support network in the United States authorized to provide the overdose reversal antidote nasal Naloxone (Narcan) to families.
• LTC hosts a 24/7 Online Family Support Forum / Discussion Board online which has over 11,000 registered members.

Minds Matter Boston connects driven and determined low-income high school students with the people,  preparation and possibilities to succeed in college and create their future.  We prepare students not only  to gain acceptance to the college of their choice, but also to persist through college and into successful   careers that offer economic mobility.

Our program supports students starting in their sophomore year by providing:

* 2-1 mentoring in high school

* Professional ACT and writing instruction

* Tuition and board to college immersion summer programs

* Personalized college counseling and financial aid advising

* Continued mentorship in college

* Exclusive internships, job opportunities and workshops

* Access to Alumni Hardship Fund

Our impact is well established in our 17 year history. 100% of high school seniors have gained admission to a four year college and 97% are either still enrolled or have graduated.

More than Words, based in Boston and Waltham,  is a non-profit social enterprise that empowers young adults who are system involved to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.  We serve youth, ages 16-24 who have been court involved, homeless, in foster care, or out of school.  66% have current or previous involvement with the Department of Children and Families and/or the court system, and 20% experience homelessness.

We believe that when system involved youth are empowered with authentic and increasing responsibility in a business setting and are given high expectations and a culture of support, they will achieve long-lasting success.  Immersed in a culture of support, they can and will address personal barriers to success, create concrete action plans, and become contributing members of society who live, love, and own their futures. 

Tommy’s Place is a home away form home for kids fighting cancer.  One family at a time along with their extended family and friends visit the home for up to one week free of charge. 

 The home is located at the former Elm Arch Inn in Falmouth.  The house is stocked with basic supplies for a family’s stay.  They also receive a gift certificate towards an evening out at a local restaurant. 

Vacations are available year round to 50+ families and thousands of their family members.  

About Fresh is on a mission to strengthen communities by celebrating neighborhood culture and getting healthy food to households that need it most. Our programs address both the immediate needs of households struggling to access healthy food close to home and the achievement of positive health outcomes by integrating healthcare and food supply systems to address health disparities.

Our flagship program, the Boston-based Fresh Truck mobile market, brings fresh and affordable healthy food to communities, and hosts pop-up events focusing on food, nutrition, and community health. There are 20 year-round market sites around Boston.

Our Fresh Connect technology was developed to enable health care providers to prescribe food as medicine, using our prepaid debit card to cover the cost of healthy food for patients at any grocery retailer, restaurant or Ecommerce platform.

Together, we are working towards a future where all people have the food they need to be happy, healthy, and hopeful.    

The mission of Falmouth Water Stewards (FWS) is to protect, preserve, and restore Falmouth’s bays, estuaries, salt ponds, and fresh waters through education, advocacy and citizen science. Falmouth has more miles of coastline than any other town in Massachusetts, abundant fresh and salt water ponds, streams and rivers, and the only surface groundwater, and aquifer on the Cape.  Water is the social, environmental and economic lifeblood of Falmouth. 

FWS, a science-based advocacy and education organization, is the only group solely dedicated to protecting and restoring Falmouth’s precious fresh and coastal waters. FWS informs the public about the most pressing water quality issues of the day, engages citizens as stewards and caretakers of our waters, and is a voice at Town Meeting. With a board of directors comprised of scientists, policy-makers, educators and concerned citizens and a broad grassroots membership base, FWS is recognized for leadership in the preservation of Falmouth’s water resources.

As thousands of Afghan families and individuals arrive in the United States after a perilous journey from Kabul, many will join us here in Greater Boston. They are leaving their homeland behind, some with virtually no possessions as they begin new lives as immigrants and as our neighbors in our communities.

Combined Jewish Philanthropies (the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston and Jewish Families Services of MetroWest)  in partnership with Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston, are working together to build Neighborhood Support teams to welcome them. Community Sponsorship Teams are being created through faith communities to provide support for Afghan individuals and families who settle in the greater Boston area.  These teams will work in concert with the Massachusetts resettlement agencies who will be providing critical services to the Afghans. 

We have established The  Fund for Afghan Immigrants and Refugees to receive donations to support our reettlement efforts.  The Fund will channel the donations directly to the  resettlement agencies. This will ensure their ability to provide the critical services that the families will need.