Three Ways to Give Back this #GivingTuesday
In this season of giving, Melrose residents have several great ways to make a big difference for those in need right here in our community:
Contribute to the Melrose Emergency Fund
The Emergency Fund provides one-time help to Melrose residents experiencing financial emergencies. Most of the help the fund provides is basic needs—food, fuel, and utilities. The fund depends entirely on donations from the public, and every penny goes directly to aid Melrose residents. There is no overhead, because city staff administer the fund as part of their regular duties. All applications are confidential.
Donations to the Emergency Fund are accepted throughout the year, but are especially welcome during the holiday season. To make a donation, send a check to Melrose Emergency Fund, Mayor’s Office, 562 Main St., Melrose, MA 02176 or bring it directly to the Mayor’s Office on the second floor of City Hall. Checks should be made out to the City of Melrose, with “Melrose Emergency Fund” in the memo line. Contributions may also be made through the City of Melrose Online Bill Payments webpage. For questions regarding the Emergency Fund, call (781) 979-4440.
Donate Diapers and Wipes to the Mayor’s Diaper Drive
This holiday season, Mayor Brodeur also invites residents to consider donating diapers or wipes to benefit community programs at MelroseWakefield Healthcare. Diapers are as essential to a child's well-being as food and shelter, but are often the last thing families can afford when they are struggling financially. Diaper need is when a family lacks a sufficient supply of diapers to keep an infant or child clean, dry, and healthy. Providing clean and dry diapers promotes physical and emotional health in babies, and lets babies and toddlers participate in early childhood education. Programs like SNAP and WIC do not cover diapers, and with an increase in families struggling to afford the basics at the holidays, your help to reduce diaper need is more important than ever.
Diapers and wipes may be dropped off between December 1 – 17 at the Mayor’s Office, Melrose City Hall, 562 Main Street, or at the Melrose Public Library, 69 West Emerson Street. All sizes and brands accepted, and there is a special need for sizes 4-6.
Become a “Snow Angel”
The Melrose Council on Aging is seeking adult and high school volunteers for the “Snow Angels” program. Snow Angels are volunteers who “adopt” an older adult for the upcoming winter season and shovel them out when it snows. Volunteers are matched to the greatest extent possible with neighbors in need who live nearby. By becoming a Snow Angel, you’re helping to combat social isolation for elders in our community by making it safe and convenient for them to leave their homes during the winter months.
If you are interested in becoming a Snow Angel, please call Rachael at the Council on Aging at 781-665-4304.