The chamber is dedicated to providing a range of opportunities for its 2,400 member businesses in Middlesex County. It conducts regular networking events, business referrals, educational programs and services. Programs include monthly member breakfast meetings, a monthly calendar of events, a series of seminars for small businesses, publicity, referrals, grand openings for new businesses, insurance plans for member businesses, special education training and business counseling.
City Year is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students throughout the country who are at risk of dropping out of school. It offers tutoring, mentoring and after-school programs led by recent college graduates who have been trained by the organization. This office is the Boston headquarters for the organization.
Housed in a former fire house on Monmouth Street, the non-profit Brookline Community Arts Center offers a wide range of community art classes for adults, children and families. The center also organizes rotating exhibits of local and internationally renowned artists.
Free and reduced-cost classes are available for elderly residents and low-income children.
Susan Navarre serves as the center's executive director.
Opened in 1994, The Munroe Center for The Arts is a nonprofit organization operated by the Lexington Friends of the Arts. Its goal is to help promote arts education to residents of Lexington. Part of what it does is provide cheap rental space to several businesses that teach dance, music and art to local residents. Check out its Web site for a list of schools and studios offering classes. Donations are accepted.
The Ronald McDonald House provides a home away from home for families with children with cancer. The home is community supported and has more than 100 volunteers along with regular staff. It can accomodate 23 families a night, and many rooms have their own bathrooms, kitchens and living areas. The Ronald McDonald house is close to Longwood Medical Area, and often accomdates patients from Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund Clinic. This Brookline location was the eighth Ronald McDonald House location in the country.
Feed My People was started by John and Carol DeGuire in 1982. They wanted to help impoverished people in South County with a Christian theme. The largest St. Louis charity, Feed My People has an emergency help center, food and home needs pantry and provides several services to people in need. Helping over three million people last year alone, they arranged for heating units in apartments, help with food stamp applications, aid the elderly with taxes and offer free legal counseling. Several area churches serve on the board and offer constant donations.
The Thrift Store opened over 20 years ago and offers clothes, housewares, jewelry and toys at a cheap price. The store is staffed by volunteers and was named the best thrift store in St. Louis by the Riverfront Times.
Conveniently located on Market Street in West Chester, the Salvation Army Family Thrift Stores carries gently used clothing and household items that are donated. Items come from the organization's pick-up service, drop-off bins, community centers and family stores. The proceeds go directly into the charity work that the Salvation Army does, funding adult rehabilitation centers and helping more than 60,000 people every year.
The Gillespie Center is a non-denominational shelter for men and women. Hot meals are provided by volunteers and area churches.
At The Salvation Army Thrift Store you can find used household items, furniture, clothing and more at deeply discounted prices. Donations are welcome.
The Hudson Valley Writers' Center is dedicated to the advancement of the literary arts and serves as an important hub for writers and readers in the region. Since 1988, HVWC has hosted workshops, classes and readings in the community. The non-profit also conducts outreach programs to enrich regional audiences. Each year the group releases at least one book of poetry, published by HVWC's Slapering Hol Press.
