Big, Little Sisters Reunite for New School Year

Needham resident is among the Boston area volunteers participating in a school-based mentoring program.

Submitted It’s September and back-to-school season. Returning to school is exciting for more than 600 Little Sisters who will be reuniting with their Big Sisters in the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston's School-Based Mentoring Program. Big and Little Sisters meet once a week at the Little Sister’s school during her lunch period or after-school program. Big Sister Leah McMullin, of Needham Heights, participates in Big Sister’s program at Edison K-8 School (formerly Garfield Elementary) in Brighton, where she meets with her Little Sister Zeinab each week. Jason Gallagher, principal of Harvard/Kent School in Charlestown, recently praised Big Sister’s programs for the positive impact they have on his students. “The Little Sisters at …

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Needham Teens Complete Another Year of Project VAN

Now in its 15th year, the Youth Services program teams up local youth with community groups in need of volunteers.

In July, 31 youth provided more than 450 hours of community service to local organizations over nine days. Service was provided through Needham Youth Services’ Project VAN (Volunteers Around Needham). Project VAN organizes youth ages 13-17 to offer their skills, talents and hard work to others every summer. The program is made possible by generous funding from the Needham Community Council. Locations where the youth lent a helping hand this summer include Needham Parks and Forestry, Needham Housing Authority, Needham Park and Recreation, Needham Community Council, Needham Free Public Library, Charles River Center, Wingate at Needham and the Stephen Palmer Senior Center/Needham Council on Aging.

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Readers' Choice: Nominate the Best Place to Volunteer in Needham

Where's the best place to give back in town? Tell us in the comments, and your favorite may be voted a Patch Readers' Choice later this summer.

If it's near and dear to your heart, Patch wants to know—tell us where you go to volunteer your time and energy here in Needham. Nominate your favorite place in the comments below. Once you do, Patch will officially add them to the running for best of the best—and later this summer, they may beat out the competition to become the No. 1 Readers' Choice. We will take nominations through July 9; voting begins July 23. Nominations have closed for the 2012 Needham Patch Readers' Choice contests.

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Community Council Ready for Big Move [VIDEO]

Hillside Avenue building will offer more space, handicap accessibility.

With the final renovations underway, the Needham Community Council will soon be moving into its new home at 570 Hillside Ave. where there will be more space for meetings and programs, commercial refrigerators to store food pantry items and easier accessibility for all residents. The council has been housed in a building at 51 Lincoln St. for 40 years, renting it for years before purchasing it from the Visiting Nurses Association in the 1980s. “It was a good home for many, many years,” said Sandra Robinson, executive director. “But we outgrew this space and in the last 10 years we’ve been thinking really hard about what to do next.” Creating a space The decision to move was finalized about two years ago. The council purchased the new …

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Whiz Kids

Youth Services Ends 14th Year of Project VAN

Local teens provided 400 hours of community service around town in July.

Throughout the month of July, 30 Needham youth provided 400 hours of community service to local organizations as part of Needham Youth Services’ Project VAN (Volunteers Around Needham). Project VAN organizes youth ages 13-17 to offer their skills, talents and hard work to others every summer. The program is made possible by generous funding from the Needham Community Council. Locations where the youth offered their help this summer include: the Needham Free Public Library, Needham Housing Authority, Needham Community Council, Charles River Center, Wingate at Needham, Stephen Palmer Senior Center (Needham Council on Aging) and Needham Park and Recreation’s Cricketeer Adventure Program. Know a great kid or group of kids? Great kids are …

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