BCAT News

The holiday season is a time of charity and good will but sometimes it can be hard to know where and how to spread the joy with all the competing organizations, fund drives and appeals for help, especially this year when everything has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have put together a list of charity drives that are vetted and known to actually support people locally and in good faith. These organizations have demonstrated over the years that they put your money and other donations to good use so you can feel confident when supporting them.

Here is where you can make a donation and know that it will go to a good, local, cause:

People Helping People 

Burlington’s premier charity organization operates the Burlington Food Pantry, the Holiday Program & Wish Tree and the Covenant for Basic Needs. These three non-profit and volunteer-supported organizations are striving to meet the basic necessities of Burlington residents who have fallen on hard times.

Currently People Helping People’s Wish Tree is operating at the Burlington Mall. Each year the tree provides over 2,000 gifts to children in need in Burlington. You can find the Wish Tree on the second floor of the mall and choose a gift to purchase to help make the holidays brighter for everyone.

People Helping People is also selling raffle tickets to win a $1,000 meal for six at the Capital Grille. This fundraiser supports all of the organization’s work including the Food Pantry which is serving more Burlington families per month than ever due to the pandemic and also provides meals during the holidays. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by visiting PHP’s website or in person at A Whole Bunch of Flowers, 326 Cambridge Street and Spencer Cleaners, 271 Cambridge Street.

HELPIS

HELPIS (Help Me Help Someone) Inc. is a social network that promotes and encourages kind and charitable deeds. It’s founder, Joyce Deliyiannis started by giving free haircuts to the homeless and the organization has grown with local support to fill a variety of needs including direct donations of clothing and supplies, food drives and more.

HELPIS operates all year, not just around the holidays. Donations to the organization can be made at their website.

Burlington Fire Department Toy Drive 

The Burlington Fire Department holds an annual Holiday Happiness Toy Drive drive to benefit children patients at Children’s Hospital of Boston. Donate new, unused, unwrapped toys for newborns through children of the age of 18. All toy and gift donations go directly to inpatient children Boston Children’s Hospital.

This year, due to the pandemic, the toy drive has moved mostly online, though new toys can be dropped off at the fire department and Station 2. Here is what Fire Department Chief Mike Patterson had to say about the drive in 2020:

“Burlington Fire Department has been collecting toys for the Boston Children’s Hospital for the past several years.  Because of COVID-19 they have shifted to a virtual toy drive in which they are asking for monetary donations in lieu of actual toys.  Every dollar raised goes to the purchase of toys from the hospital’s clean vendor.  You can find the link to the virtual toy drive at BFDtoys.com.  That being said, there is a need for toys year round at BCH so BFD will be accepting toys at Fire Headquarters and Station Two and will be storing them for a later delivery date.  There will be no drop boxes in other Town Offices this year as have been in the past.”

 Toys for Tots 

Toys for Tots is a toy drive run by the  U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in cooperation with other organizations like the Massachusetts State Police to provide toys to children whose families cannot afford to buy them.

“The Toys for Tots program wishes to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable natural resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future,” the organization’s website states.

In Burlington donations to Toys for Tots can be made at:

– Accurate Automotive, 15 Bedford Street.

– Burlington Veterinary Hospital, 64 Middlesex Turnpike.

– East Boston Saving Bank, 50 Summit Drive.

Burlington MA Womenade

Womenade is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families in need.  The idea came from a group of friends in Washington DC who wanted to organize a way to raise funds for families facing adversity without any overhead. Since this first group was created in 2001, many other Womenade groups have been sprouting throughout the United States.

Burlington, MA Womenade was started in 2011. Inspired by a Bedford Womenade event, the Burlington “chapter” was created as a way for women in the Burlington community to work together in order to support local families in crisis as well as to network and socialize with each other.

The group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that donates money and gift cards to local families going through difficult times.

You can find more information about the group and donate to their cause on their website.