As we turn our attention to giving to local charities during the holiday season, the Press is happy to provide the following list of organizations recommended by townspeople and staff as charities that are doing good work in Harvard and nearby communities. Note that most charities in this list are organized as nonprofits, but questions about tax deductibility should be addressed to each organization.
Harvard-based
Ascentria Care Alliance
11 Shattuck Street, Worcester 01605
Attention: Development, ascentria.org
This nonprofit organization is helping to resettle Afghan refugees in the Worcester region, including in Harvard. (Resident Terry Symula is Harvard’s team leader for this effort.) To donate online, go to secure.givelively.org/donate/ascentria-care-alliance/help-afghan-families/terry-symula.
Donations by check are also welcome. Checks should be made out to Ascentria Care Alliance with “Team Harvard” in the memo line.
Clear Path for Veterans
33 Lake George Street, Devens
clearpath4vets.com
This wellness-based community center helps veterans get the help they need to successfully re-integrate into their communities. To donate online, go to the website and click on “Support Us.” To donate by mail, send checks to The Fund Development Department, 8 Chicatabut Road, Norfolk, MA 02056. Call 978-384-8800 with questions.
Elderly and Disabled Taxation Aid Fund
13 Ayer Road, Harvard
978-456-4100 x318
This fund benefits older and disabled Harvard residents who cannot afford to pay their property taxes. It is administered by the town’s Elderly and Disabled Taxation Aid Committee, which consists of town employees and residents. To donate online, go to harvard-ma.gov/elderly-disabled-tax ation-aid-committee and follow the link. Checks should be made out to the fund and sent to Town Hall.
Fanfare for Music
P.O. Box 428, Harvard
fanfareformusic.org
Fanfare supports music education at the Hildreth Elementary School and the Bromfield School. Funds raised are used for requests for items that are not funded through the school budget.
Fivesparks
7 Fairbank Street, Harvard
fivesparks.org
Fivesparks serves Harvard by leading the sponsorship, coordination, and promotion of arts and culture in the community. Located in the old library on Fairbank Street, Fivesparks provides space for dance, movement, art, and other classes for all ages and for individuals or town groups to hold community events.
Friends of the Harvard Council on Aging
P.O. Box 474, Harvard
harvard.ma.us/council-aging/pages/friends-harvard-coa
The Friends of the COA is the nonprofit arm of Harvard’s Council on Aging. It raises funds to enhance the COA’s services, programs, and activities.
Friends of the Harvard Public Library and Harvard Friends of the Arts
P.O. Box 506, Harvard
harvardpubliclibrary.org/friends.html
The Friends spark community interest in the services and needs of the Harvard Public Library, provide volunteer help, and sponsor a variety of educational programs and entertainment.
Fruitlands Museum (property of The Trustees of Reservations)
102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard
978-456-3924, fruitlands.org
Fruitlands features the 1826 farmhouse to which Bronson Alcott brought his family and the first Shaker museum in the world. It has a collection of North American Indian ethnographic materials and an art gallery that contains Hudson River School landscape paintings and 19th-century vernacular portraits. Mail donations directly to Fruitlands, to the attention of Michael Busack.
Harvard Conservation Trust
P.O. Box 31, Harvard
harvardconservationtrust.org
The Conservation Trust is dedicated to the preservation of Harvard’s natural resources and its rural and agricultural character. The trust’s top priority is protecting open space for future generations.
Harvard Historical Society
P.O. Box 542, Harvard
harvardhistory.org
The Harvard Historical Society promotes interest in Harvard’s past by operating a small museum and presenting free programs of historical interest to the public.
Harvard Lions
P.O. Box 268, Harvard
harvardlions.org
In addition to supporting local community needs, the Harvard Lions Club, like all Lions Clubs around the world, is focused on serving the blind and visually impaired and those suffering from hearing impairment and diabetes. The Harvard Lions give 50% of donations received to local charities, and the other 50% goes to the overall missions of the Lions to support sight, hearing, and diabetes research. Members pay dues so that nothing donated goes to overhead.
Harvard Schools Trust
P.O. Box 450, Harvard
harvardschoolstrust.org
The Harvard Schools Trust raises funds and fulfills grant requests for curriculum enhancement, extracurricular experiences, special equipment, and staff development at Hildreth Elementary School and the Bromfield School, none of which would be possible within the regular school budget. Now in its 32nd year, the trust has funded hundreds of grants, including the COVID-Safe Schools program.
J.U.M.P.
P.O. Box 604, Harvard
jumpinc.org
J.U.M.P. (Just Understand My Potential), founded by Harvard resident Bill Spacciapoli, introduces young people to the mountains of New England. Participants receive mountain-skills training, hiking and backpacking experiences, mentoring, and educational support, helping them to achieve and to expect more of themselves.
Sowa Goat Sanctuary
184 Old Littleton Road, Harvard
sowagoatsanctuary.org
The sanctuary provides lifelong homes for abused, abandoned, and unwanted goats and is also home to rescue chickens and turkeys. Online donations are welcome; donors can also sponsor a goat with monthly contributions through Patreon. To donate online, go to the website and click on Ways to Help. Checks are also accepted, payable to Sowa Goat Sanctuary.
Virginia Thurston Healing Garden
145 Bolton Road, Harvard
978-456-3532, healinggardensupport.org
The Healing Garden is dedicated to providing a healing environment for those with cancer. Complementary therapies to standard medical care, psychosocial support, educational programs, and access to nature are available as part of the garden’s mission to help clients regain control of their health. Services are offered regardless of ability to pay.
Beyond Harvard
Many of these organizations accept not only cash donations, but have other ways to give as well. Many shelters have wish lists, some linked to Amazon to make shopping and giving easy. Some charities are part of Amazon Smile, where 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to the charity. Others may also be looking for volunteers. The need is great right now in our neighboring towns, and especially in the larger cities of Worcester, Fitchburg, Leominster, Lowell, and Boston.
Food
Community Harvest Project
37 Wheeler Road, North Grafton 01536
community-harvest.org
The Community Harvest Project is a volunteer-based farming organization that grows crops for distribution to food banks, mainly the Worcester County Food Bank. It operates an apple and peach orchard on Prospect Hill Road in Harvard and grows vegetables and blueberries in Grafton.
Greater Boston Food Bank
70 South Bay Avenue, Boston 02118
617-427-5200, GBFB.org
The Greater Boston Food Bank partners with over 600 food pantries and community meal programs in eastern Massachusetts, including Acton, Hudson, Maynard, and Stow, as well as Harvard’s local food pantry, Loaves & Fishes in Devens.
Growing Places Garden Project
325 Lindell Avenue, Leominster 01453
978-598-3723, growingplaces.org
Harvard residents Cindy Buhner and Kate Deyst created this organization in 2001 with a mission to enhance food security for people with limited economic means in North Central Massachusetts towns. In addition to managing and partnering in community gardens across the area, GPGP also sponsors youth development programs and mobile markets and CSAs that accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and HIP (Healthy Incentives Program) benefits.
Littleton Community Farm
P.O. Box 1186, Littleton 01460
littletoncommunityfarm.org
Littleton Community Farm’s core program produces and provides healthy food for people experiencing food insecurity. In 2020, 100% of the farm’s produce was grown for hunger relief. The farm serves Littleton, Ayer, Devens, Groton, Harvard, Lowell, and Shirley through various organizations such as Loaves & Fishes. They also serve the Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Lowell and Boston Area Gleaners.
Loaves & Fishes
P.O. Box 1, Ayer 01432
978-772-4627, loavesfishespantry.org
Loaves & Fishes serves residents of Ayer, Devens, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Littleton, and Shirley by providing food, emergency shelter, referrals, and other temporary services, helping clients gain independence and self-reliance. Suspension of in-kind donations due to the pandemic continues, so financial donations are crucial to this food pantry’s ability to serve our area.
Merrimack Valley Food Bank
735 Broadway Street, Lowell 01854
978-454-7272, mvfb.org
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank provides nutritious food and personal care items to emergency feeding programs serving the low-income, homeless, and hungry. They are one of four food banks in Massachusetts that serve food pantries, shelters, and meal programs that, in turn, serve individuals and families.
Worcester County Food Bank
474 Boston Turnpike,
Shrewsbury 01545, foodbank.org
Worcester County Food Bank is the region’s leading anti-hunger organization, distributing over six million pounds of donated food to residents of Worcester County. Every dollar donated enables this organization to distribute $4 worth of donated food.
Shelter
Abby’s House
52 High Street, Worcester 01609
508-756-5486, abbyshouse.org
Abby’s House opened in 1976 as one of the first overnight emergency shelters for women in the U.S. It provides shelter, support services, and affordable housing to homeless, battered, and low-income women, with or without children.
Lowell Transitional Living Center
193 Middlesex Street, Lowell 01852
978-458-9888, ltlc.org
Lowell Transitional Living Center is a client-centered emergency shelter for homeless adults, providing shelter, showers, laundry, and meals, as well as case managers to help guests transition from homelessness to housing.
Our Father’s House and Transitions at Devens
P.O. Box 7251, Fitchburg 01420
978-345-2256, ofhshelter.com
Our Father’s House provides emergency and transitional housing shelters for men and women in Fitchburg and for families, many headed by single mothers, in Devens. The shelters provide meals, shelter, housing search assistance, and advocacy services.
Community
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell
657 Middlesex Street, Lowell 01851
978-458-4526, lbgc.org
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell’s vision is to end generational poverty in Lowell by inspiring young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. To that end, the club provides youth members with academic help, sports and recreational programs, meals, and opportunities to volunteer in their communities.
Fresh Start Furniture Bank
16 Brent Drive, Hudson 01749
508-485-2080, freshstartfurniturebank.org
Fresh Start Furniture Bank is a volunteer-run charity that recycles donated furniture and housewares, for free, to people in need, including recent Afghan refugees. Their secondary goal is to keep these items out of the waste stream. Clients obtain a referral from a social service agency and then work with a personal shopper to select the items they need to furnish their households.
Household Goods Inc.
530 Main Street, Acton 01720
978-635-1710, hgrm.org
Household Goods Inc. provides household goods, free of charge, to people in need. It accepts donations of gently used household items that will help people make a home. As of October, the organization accepts donations of goods Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon, without an appointment.
Salvation Army
739 Water Street, Fitchburg 01420
978-342-3300, salvationarmyusa.org
The Salvation Army runs programs that feed hungry families, provide Christmas presents for needy children, and heat the homes of struggling seniors. It runs nearly 1,400 thrift stores, including stores in Fitchburg, Hudson, and Worcester. It operates in-residence adult rehabilitation centers across the country, runs youth camps, and provides disaster relief support.
WHEAT Community Service
P.O. Box 847, Clinton 01510
508-370-4943, uwotc.org/wheat
Since 1982, WHEAT Community Services has served low-to-moderate income residents of Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Lancaster, and Sterling by providing critical services during times of need. Today, WHEAT serves nearly 2,000 people by providing the resources they need to become self-sufficient.
The Wish Project
P.O. Box 8693, Lowell 01853
866-947-4360, thewishproject.org
The Wish Project partners with agencies in Lowell and across the Merrimack Valley to help families in need establish long-term residency by providing furniture, household goods, and clothing. It also provides critical immediate assistance to homeless families and victims of fire or disaster.
Pets
Pat Brody Shelter for Cats
499 Northfield Road, Lunenburg 01462
978-582-6116, catsontheweb.org
A volunteer-run nonprofit shelter dedicated to the rescue, sheltering, and adoption of stray and abandoned cats.
Buddy Dog Humane Society
151 Boston Post Road, Sudbury 01776
978-443-6990, buddydoghs.com
The goal of this nonprofit society is to find responsible, permanent homes for homeless dogs and cats. Besides cash donations, Buddy Dog accepts donations of unexpired, unopened dog and cat food at a contactless drop-off location to the right of the front door.
Great Dog Rescue New England
Woburn, MA gdrne.com
In addition to its primary goal of helping homeless dogs find homes, this nonprofit group supports clinics that spay and neuter pets to help solve overpopulation, helps local schools educate about animal rescue and responsible pet ownership, and sends dogs to agencies for training to assist the physically disabled. Open by appointment only.
Sterling Animal Shelter
17 Laurelwood Road, Sterling 01564
978-422-8585, sterlingshelter.org
This is a no-kill shelter that seeks to find homes for cats and dogs. It is open by appointment only. All animals are vet-checked, are spayed or neutered, and are current on vaccines.
Arts and Culture
Freedom’s Way Heritage Association
94 Jackson Road #311, Devens 01434
978-772-3654, freedomsway.org
The association works to preserve, promote, and protect our cultural, historical, and natural resources and the ideas of American freedom, democracy, conservation, and social justice.
Indian Hill Music
36 King Street, Littleton 01460
978-486-9524, indianhillmusic.org
Indian Hill encompasses a professional symphony orchestra, a music school, and outreach and education programs providing opportunities for all ages to connect through music. Concerts, events, and programs are designed to make music accessible to all.
Museum of Russian Icons
203 Union Street, Clinton 01510
978-598-500, museumofrussianicons.org
Enhancing relations between Russia and the United States through art, the museum houses more than 1,000 Russian icons, artifacts, and paintings. It is the largest collection of its kind in North America.
Environment
Nashua River Watershed Association
592 Main Street, Groton 01450
978-448-0299, nashuariverwatershed.org
The Nashua River Watershed Association’s goals include restoring and protecting water quality for people, fish, and wildlife; conserving open spaces for water quality, wildlife habitat, farms, forests, and recreation; and encouraging careful land use with well-planned development. The work of NWRA has a direct impact on the health of the Nashua River in Devens and Harvard.
Sudbury Valley Trustees
18 Wolbach Road, Sudbury 01776
978-443-5588, svtweb.org
Sudbury Valley Trustees works to protect natural areas and farmland in the 36 communities that surround the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord rivers. Recently, the Harvard Conservation Trust partnered with the trustees on the purchase of Horse Meadows Knoll on Sherry Road.
