How to Help Victims of the Oklahoma Tornado

Donating money to organizations that help victims is quick and easy.

Americans across the country are reacting with shock to the devastation caused by a 2-mile wide Tornado in Oklahoma. Dozens have died, and President Obama has declared the path of the tornado a major disaster area. If you would like to help, you can do so from your computer or mobile device right now. Patch will be posting stories of locals who are working to help victims from afar. If you know of someone local was affected by the tornado or who is working to help the victims, please contact your local editor. 

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Saturday: Hockey Tournament Will Benefit Autism Organization, All Welcome

The three-on-three hockey tournament will benefit Autism Speaks. It's at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Tufts Neighborhood Fund Awards Grants to 12 Somerville Non-Profits

The Tufts Neighborhood Service Fund collects donations from Tufts employees and awards modest grants to charitable organizations. See how the Somerville charities will use the money.

  In Somerville, 12 charitable organizations recently received grants from the Tufts Neighborhood Service Fund, which collects donations from Tufts employees. This announcement from Tufts describes the grants and how the Somerville organizations plan to use the money: Tufts University employees give grants to twelve Somerville organizations MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. – The Tufts Neighborhood Service Fund (TNSF) committee recently awarded grants to twelve organizations in Somerville. TNSF collects donations from university employees throughout the year and then awards grants to community-based, charitable organizations that serve Tufts' host communities (Somerville, Medford, Grafton and Boston's Chinatown) and that actively engage Tufts …

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Giving Tuesday: Give Back During the Holiday Season

Friends of the Somerville Public Library and other Massachusetts non-profits, businesses and institutions are participating in Giving Tuesday.

  We've had Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Will donating to charity ever be as popular as shopping during the holiday season? A partnership of nonprofits hopes so. There's a new campaign asking you to open your wallet for Giving Tuesday. The Giving Tuesday website says the effort, coming on the heels of days devoted to consumerism, is designed "to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations." A number of Massachusetts non-profits, businesses, organizations and institutions are participating, such as Boston Children's Hospital and Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston. Here in Somerville…

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Somerville Lags Somewhat in Charitable Giving

Somervillians gave about 2.9 percent of their discretionary income to charity, according to a study. In Cambridge that number was 4.2 percent; in Boston it was 4.3 percent.

When it comes to charitable giving, Somerville lags behind Cambridge, Boston and the United States as a whole, according to data released by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The data comes from 2008 tax returns, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy used the data to create a map of charitable giving across the entire country. According to the figures, Somerville residents gave on average 2.9 percent of their discretionary income to charity. The median contribution was $1,267, with the median disposable income listed as $44,003, one of the lowest in the region. By comparison, Cambridge residents donated about 4.2 percent of their discretionary incomes to charity. (Cambridge had a median charitable contribution of $2,463 with a median …

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The Family Center in Somerville Names Sue Heilman as New CEO

The non-profit agency that serves at-risk families appointed a new CEO who previously headed Horizons for Homeless Children and once received Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s Women of Justice Award.

The Family Center, located in Union Square, is a non-profit that provides therapy and support services to low-income, at-risk families throughout Greater Boston. The organization recently appointed Sue Heilman as its new CEO. Here's the announcement: SUE HEILMAN APPOINTED CEO OF THE FAMILY CENTER SOMERVILLE, MA (July 24, 2012) — The Family Center, a 30-year-old non-profit agency that serves at-risk families in the Greater Boston area, appointed non-profit leader Sue Heilman as its new Chief Executive Officer. “The Board of Directors is delighted to announce Sue Heilman’s appointment,” said Anne Peretz, founder and board chair. “With more than 25 years of experience growing and leading mission-based organizations, Sue brings a deep …

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Somerville Resident Helps Homeless Children Get Playtime

Amy Gardner was the Horizons for Homeless Children playspace activity leader of the year.

Three years ago, Somerville resident Amy Gardner was riding the T when she saw an advertisement. It depicted a cute kid, and it asked, to paraphrase, if such a child could sell you tires, could she also sell you on the chance to spend a few hours enriching her life? The advertisement spoke to Gardner, and "I just decided it was time to start impacting somebody's life," she said. Since then, Gardner has been volunteering with Horizons for Homeless Children, spending a few hours each week as a playspace activity leader, or PAL, and she recently won the organization's PAL of the Year Award for her efforts. Gardner works at a family shelter in Somerville, where she oversees playtime for the children of five families who live there. She's one …

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Somerville Residents Riding the Pan-Mass Challenge in 2012

The August bicycling event that raises money for cancer research and patient care has drawn 38 Somerville residents this year.

The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, or Pan-Mass Challenge as it's known, will include 38 bicyclists from Somerville this year, according to an announcement sent on behalf of the fundraising event. About 5500 cyclists from 36 states and eight countries will participate in the 2012 bicycling event, which will be held Aug. 4 and 5 throughout the state, according to the announcement. The Pan-Mass Challenge raises money for the Jimmy Fund, which helps fund cancer research and patient care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Last year, Pan-Mass Challenge riders raised $35 million, and this year organizers have set a goal of $36 million. Each rider must raise between $500 and $4300 to participate, depending on their level of participation. See …

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Saturday: A Somerville Marathon in 26 Pieces

The Somerville Road Runners 26x1 Mile Club Challenge Relay will include a team from Back On My Feet, which transforms homeless people's lives through running.

This is my kind of marathon—the kind where you only have to run a mile, there are no road closures and someone brings pizza. Sponsored by Somerville Road Runners and taking place at the Tufts University track Saturday morning, it's called the 26x1 Mile Club Challenge Relay. Almost 400 runners from around Massachusetts are participating, and it works like this: There are 15 relay teams composed of running-club members from places like Lowell, Cambridge, Framingham, Somerville and elsewhere. Each team has 26 members. The first runner on each team will run 595 meters. Then, each person will run 1600 meters, passing the baton off to a teammate at the end of each leg. In the end, it will add up to a marathon. Somerville Road Runners have …

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Somerville Book Sale This Weekend

Friends of the Somerville Public Library holds its spring book sale this weekend. There's a sneak-peek at the collection Thursday night for members of the organization.

The Friends of the Somerville Public Libray's annual spring book sale begins Friday and takes place all weekend. According to a listing for the event, this year's books include a strong collection of history, biography, arts, children's literature, foreign language, audio-video material and fiction. The book sale supports the Friends, a non-profit that helps the library fund and organize things like childrens and cultural programming. This year's book sale takes place at the library's main branch at 79 Highland Ave. These are the book sale's hours: Thusday night there's a special sneak-preview sale for certain members of the Friends of the Somerville Public Library. The event also includes a bake sale.

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