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NEEDHAM COMMUNITY COUNCIL
"People Helping People"
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The Needham Community Council is a private 501(C)3 non-profit organization which supports people in Needham who have under-met health, educational or social needs, and promotes volunteerism, community and a sense of shared responsibility. |
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December 2020 Newsletter
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GIVING TUESDAY
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TODAY ISGIVING TUESDAYJoin this global day of giving right here at home. Make a gift today and you will improve the lives of Needham residents who turn to us for support, including so many that have been directly impacted by the pandemic. A gift of $35 will feed a Needham household for over a week; $50 will provide a month of transportation to a weekly medical appointment and more.... Together we are StrongerGIVE TODAY
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THANKSGIVING OUTREACH
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Over 150 bags of Thanksgiving food ingredients were distributed to food pantry customers last week along with a gift card to Roche Bros. In addition, staff and volunteers delivered over 300 fully prepared Thanksgiving Dinners to the homes of Needham residents this holiday.
The Council saw a significant increase in Thanksgiving Day needs due to the ongoing pandemic. With your help we were able to provide for more households than ever before. It is a constant reminder that we are in this together and together we are stronger.
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A very special thank you to the Rotary Club of Needham, Needham Golf Club, and Chef Mike's for their partnership and for all the financial donations that made it possible to provide these meals. From food preparation to loading, unloading and delivering hundreds of meals, an army of volunteers answered the call this holiday.
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HOLIDAY HEARTS
Helping both Needham Families and Local Businesses |
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Open your holiday hearts to income-eligible families of Needham this season. The Holiday Hearts program will distribute age-appropriate gift cards to local businesses. Our families will have the joy of shopping for holiday presents while supporting our community...a WIN/WIN. No matter how they celebrate, our goal is to bring a smile to all our neighbors.
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You may purchase Holiday Hearts at either Learning Express or Michelson's or directly through our website. Each family in our Food Pantry program has been invited to participate and your donations will increase the value of those gifts. We will be giving gift certificates from Learning Express, Michelson's, TJX Companies and CVS.
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Christmas Dinner Delivery Available
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For the past three decades, Temple Beth Shalom and the Needham Community Council have joined together to deliver Christmas Dinners to Needham residents. Last year, over 100 Needham households received Christmas Dinner deliveries, and this year we expect the need will be much more. We are grateful to Lois Sockol and Temple congregants for their efforts to provide delicious holiday meals to Needham residents. If you, or someone you know, would like to have a dinner delivered on Christmas Eve, please call us at 781-444-2415 Please sign up early, there will be a limit of 250 meals available.
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Amazon Smile
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Shop with Amazon Smile and make every click count!
Same prices, same selection, same PRIME benefits, and 0.5 % of your purchase goes directly to the Council. This past quarter we received over $250 back from Amazon, every little bit helps! ...and, if more of us use smile donations will increase! |
Make
.smile.amazon.com
your browser default | Set
Needham Community Council
as your favorite Non-Profit |
If you're like us, you may not remember to go to Amazon Smile instead of Amazon. By adding an extension to your favorite internet browser it will automatically send you to smile.amazon.com every time you type Amazon in that browser. It's super easy and safe!
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Doll House Raffle
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| Kelly Hale of Vintage Finds in Needham, will raffle off a delightful Victorian Dollhouse with all proceeds to benefit our Food Pantry.
The dollhouse was purchased in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s from Real Good Toys, Inc., a Vermont woodworking manufacturing company that has handcrafted dollhouses and dollhouse kits since 1972.
Raffle tickets will be sold at Vintage Finds, 283 Chestnut St., Needham, MA from Saturday, November 14, 2020 to Friday, December 18, 2020. The raffle will be randomly drawn on Saturday, December 19, 2020 with the winner being contacted by phone on Saturday, December 19, 2020.
Ticket prices are $6.00 per ticket or two for $10.00.
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CAP Program News
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Addressing
Cyberbullying
in an Online World
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It may come as no surprise that increased time online in the age of COVID-19 has increased concerns about cyberbullying. Sometimes kids feel powerful by putting another person down, and it’s even easier to do now when our children aren’t face to face.
Click on the link below to continue reading this article about how bullying and cyberbullying can negatively impact children, and to get resources to recognize signs, prevent the bullying, and help all the children involved.
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| Holiday House Tour |
Get Ready for the
Outdoor Holiday
House Tour
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For 22 years, the Needham Women's Club has hosted the annual Holiday House Tour to raise funds to support the Club and its charitable giving activities. This year's tour will be an outdoor, drive by event! NWC invites neighbors to decorate their homes, porches, or yards to highlight the spirit of the season. Funds will be raised through online voting for the best decorations; suggested donation is $20
The Holiday House Tour begins Saturday, December 5, 2020 and voting closes on Sunday, December 27, 2020 at midnight. Winners will be announced on Monday, December 28, 2020.
For more information, please visit www.needhamwomensclub.org |
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Board Position |
 | Join our Team - we have an opportunity to welcome new Board members. Our Board represents a broad group of community members with a wide range of professional and community–based experiences and expertise.
They are responsible to ensure the Council has the resources it needs to meet its mission and they provide leadership and direction to staff and volunteers to carry it out.
For details please check the posting on our website:
Board Position Opening
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Other Council Programs
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Medical Equipment Loan | English Language Learning [ELL] |
We are loaning out what we have in our inventory. Call us, M-F, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 781-444-2415, to check on availability and make arrangements for a contact-free pickup. We will leave the equipment on our front porch for you to pick up at your convenience.
As of now, we are not accepting any returns of loaned equipment.
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ESL is now ELL....tutoring is still going on, just a little differently! Using all kinds of teleconferencing software, over 30 pairs of tutors and learners are staying connected and improving their English skills.
Do you know someone who could use a connection and work on their language? Please email us. |
Transportation |
Having trouble getting to a medical appointment? You do not need to be income-eligible to benefit from this program. We are available to help you get where you need to go: - Call the office to set up your ride at least 24 hours prior to your appointment
or polling time. - Rides are offered M-F from 9 am to 3 pm
- All COVID safety protocol is in place - masks must be worn
- You must be able to get to and from and in and out of the car independently.
Thanks to BID-Needham for their support of the Council transportation program.  |
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December Holidays Hours |
Thursday, December 24th - closing at noon
Friday, December 25th - closed
Thursday, December 31st - closing at noon
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Your Donations Make a Difference
Stay up on all the news by following us on social media
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Officers & Board of Directors 2020-21
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President
Robert Dermody
Vice President
Lynn Alberding
Secretary
Kathleen Berner
Treasurer
John Frantz
Past President
Margie Margolis |
Priscilla Dasse
Diane DerMarderosian
Linda Farley
Lynn Gotwals
PJ Haskell
Jonathan Kappel |
Eilene Kleiman
Andrew McCollum
Alrie McNiff Daniels
Carrie Reddish
Diane Retzky
Mary Richman |
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