August 2010 Archives
A question about the Community Preservation Act will appear on Marlborough's Nov 2nd ballot. Here is a synopsis from the city's website: http://www.marlborough-ma.gov/gen/MarlboroughMA_Announcemt/015E9292-000F8513
September is the perfect time to join the Marlborough Junior Woman's Club. Some of the projects we will be working on this year include:
Princess Boutique - collecting used formal dresses and distributing them during prom season (with shoes and accessories) to local girls who would not be able to afford to buy them.
Trivia Night - our yearly fundraiser. A good time with food, laughs, raffles, and teams competing in a test of knowledge
Daffodil Days - selling daffodils to raise money for cancer research
Adopt-a-space - watering and weeding our flower plot on Main Street
Adopted family - creating gift baskets for a local family with children with special needs
9/11 baskets - creating baskets of goodies to distribute to local police and fire stations to say thank you
Volunteering at Second Saturday, Furnishing Options, and much more!
We are hoping to increase our membership. Help us help Marlborough. Join us at our season kick-off meeting on Tuesday September 7th at 7:30 pm at the Applebriar Clubhouse. Email Jodi at join@marlboroughjuniors.org to RSVP or for more info.
People with disabilities who want to make the most of what is left of the summer should check out the MA Dept of Conservation and Recreation's Universal Access Program.
For example, on August 31, the UAP is offering accessible canoeing at Hampton Ponds State Park, 1048 North Road, in Westfield. That program, from 9:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., is being co-sponsored with All-Out Adventures. It costs $5 a person, and preregistration is required: 413-527-8980.
Then, on Sept. 2 (squeeze this one in before Labor Day), UAP is offering accessible kayaking at Regatta Point in Quinsigamond State Park, 10 North Lake Avenue in Worcester. The program, which also is cosponsored with All-Out Adventures, is $5 per person and will run 9:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Please call ahead to pre-register: 413-527-8980. UAP provides all the equipment needed to enjoy each activity safely and comfortably.
For more info on the program and upcoming events, visit: www.mass.gov/dcr/universal_access
If you are interested in making children's mental health care better, you might be interested in attending Marlborough Children's Mental Health Focus Group on Thursday September 23 from 5:30-7 pm at the the Assabet Valley Collaborative at 57 Orchard Street in Marlborough. Dinner will be served.
Come and share your story, talk about policy changes and learn about the Children's Mental Health Campaign. For more info or to RSVP, contact Matt Noyes at mnoyes@hcfama.org. www.ChildrensMentalHealthCampaign.org
9/11 has been officially designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance. In 2002, President George W. Bush declared September 11 "Patriot Day" to honor both the victims and heroes of the September 11 attacks and later put forth volunteering as an appropriate remembrance activity. President Obama amended the Patriot Day proclamation to officially and permanently make 9/11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
The 9/11 National Day of Service initiative is organized annually by MyGoodDeed Inc., in close partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service, HandsOn Network, and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum (“9/11 Memorial”). Learn more: http://911dayofservice.org/
More than 20 million Pakistanis have been affected by the worst natural disaster in Pakistan’s history. You can help:
A relief fund has been set up by the US Department of State. To donate to the Pakistan Relief Fund, please go to www.state.gov or send $10 through your mobile phone by texting the word FLOOD, F-L-O-O-D, to 27722
Donate through the Red Cross: http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ggl_main&s_subsrc=Pakistan&s_src=F7FWE001&gclid=CKvi_9vIz6MCFUmA5QodV1g7vQ
Doctors Without Borders is operating in Pakistan and could use your help: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=4638&cat=field-news
When I was considering joining the Marlborough Junior Woman's Club, the tipping point came when Jodi described the Juniors as "like Girl Scouts for grown-ups." Not that we are hiking or singing all the time! But we are a group whose members agree to put aside a few hours each month to put our values into practice. We are an organization that is member-directed and focused on community service (while having a good time). You can be involved in a leadership position or part of the gang of enthusiastic doers. Another way we resemble the Girl Scouts is our ability to form a cohesive group composed of a cross-section of Marlborough's population, and enjoy each other's company (and at times, much silliness).
September is a great time to come to a meeting of the Marlborough Junior Woman's club and see if you want to join our group. We are now accepting applications for members and welcome anyone who wants to see what the Juniors are up to at our September meeting.
Join us Tuesday, September 7th at 7:30 pm at the Applebriar clubhouse in Marlborough for our monthly meeting. Contact Jodi at member services for more info: join@marlboroughjuniors.org.
The Assabet Valley Collaborative's Family Success Partnership presents a workshop on Understanding Social Security Income Benefits.
Thursday Sept 9th in Marlborough The fee is $5 and includes dinner.
For more information and to RSVP please contact Nicki Logan at 508-481-3611 or by email at nlogan@assabet.org
A new service for Marlborough residents hopes to open this fall - FISH, or Friends in Service Helping, which provides rides to medical and dental appointments to Marlborough residents when friends and family are not available. The Marlborough Council on Aging, the Senior Center, and a group of local volunteers are coordinating this effort.
The Marlborough program's founders are looking for volunteer drivers.Volunteers can specify which days and hours they are available, as well as the distances they prefer to drive, and can accept or reject any appointments.Volunteers use their own vehicles and pick up the gas. Riders typically pay for tolls and parking. The senior center will offer a phone number for riders to call for the service.
For more information, contact the city's senior housing at 508-485-6492, ext. 11.
The final reason we will explore here for volunteering/joining the Marlborough Juniors is to satisfy your desire to serve your country.
Perhaps in the same way people might join a church, joining a volunteer organization facilitates the putting into practice of our values. While the members of the Marlborough Junior Woman's Club hold a wide range of political and religious beliefs, what we all have in common is "a dedication to community improvement through volunteer service." This can entail fundraising for worthy causes, hands-on service work (i.e. preparing meals for the homeless), beautifying our community, or raising awareness of important issues.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday September 7, 2010 at Applebriar in Marlborough at 7:30pm. If you are a new or interested member who would like to attend or need more information, email join@marlboroughjuniors.org.
And of course, there are the reasons that volunteering benefits the volunteer!
- Develop your network and improve your skills. Case in point – I ended up with a terrific recommendation as a result of volunteering work while I was unemployed. This reference also provided me with an introduction to someone in my new company.
- Improve your self-confidence and feel valued. During an extended period of unemployment, I found myself better able to cope with some of the less pleasant feelings by throwing myself into a volunteering project I loved. Several of the volunteers I worked with were also looking for paid employment, so it became another source of support, as we shared job leads and commiserated.
- Try something new. Maybe your current job doesn’t afford you as many opportunities to provide direct help to people as you’d like. Maybe you’ve always wondered how a food pantry works, or how a fundraising is organized. Joining the Marlborough Juniors is a way to experience something new in an atmosphere of support and fun!
Volunteers are needed on Sunday, September 26, at the UMass Medical School Campus, for the 12th Annual Walk to Cure Cancer. Many positions are available, including Operations Assistants, Course Monitors, and Greeters. Assistance is also needed at water stops and in the registration tent.
The Walk to Cure Cancer is a five mile walk-a-thon that benefits cancer research, equipment, facilities and world-renowned medical professionals at the UMass Memorial Cancer Center of Excellence.
- Share your skills and gain new ones.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the most rewarding parts of being part of a volunteer organization is being able to work collaboratively with other women, each contributing her own unique qualities. The Marlborough Junior Woman’s Club is set up to foster leadership skills with training opportunities, conferences, and club offices. Members come from diverse backgrounds and present with a wide range of interests, experiences, and expertise. Not everyone has the skill set to sew Cool Ties for soldiers, but with a little help from our friends, we all can contribute to this great project. Don’t know much about web development? Someone else in the group can take the lead and help those interested learn to blog and maintain the club’s website. Do you know how to garden or bake? You can use your talents to help local charities and our community through our fundraisers .
We are always looking for new members to assist with our projects. Find out more: join@marlboroughjuniors.org.
For 27 years, the National Association of Town Watch, has sponsored a National Night Out, an event to promote community safety. National Night Out has proven to be an effective, inexpensive and enjoyable program to promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership. For more information, logon to www.NationalNightOut.org.
Tuesday, August 3rd from 5-8 PM Marlborough Police Department, 355 Bolton St, Marlborough, MA
