Spirit of Giving: 5 Nonprofits To Support In Westborough

WESTBOROUGH, MA—It's easy to find a charity. Swing a stick and you'll hit some organization, somewhere, raising money for some cause. But many want to keep it truly local, and help the neighbors around you or the charities that operate right in your community.

The season of giving is upon us. After we smash into people with our carts and knock everyone over at the retail stores for Black Friday, and sit online grabbing red hot deals on Cyber Monday, we turn our thoughts to #GivingTuesday.

Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season on Nov. 28. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources, said the organization.

Here is a list of five nonprofit organizations operating or helping in Westborough. Learn more about them.

1. 15-40 Connection: this growing national organization was founded to improve cancer survival rates through the power of early detection.15-40 Connection was founded in response to a hidden problem. Since 1975, improvements in cancer survival rates for 15 to 40 year-olds have continuously lagged behind all other age groups. Delayed diagnosis is a major culprit of this shocking statistic.
2. Westborough Education Foundation: a private non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial support for projects and programs that expand educational opportunities, foster and stimulate creativity, and enhance the excellence of academic experiences for Westborough students.
3. Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts: A private, nonprofit organization, BIA-MA provides support and resources to brain injury survivors and their families; prevention programs to educate the public on the impact of brain injuries; education and training for brain injury survivors, caregivers and professionals; and legislative advocacy for improved community services and safety laws (seat belts, helmets).
4. Westborough Food Pantry: today, the pantry provides food for more than 130 Westborough families. Each family receives up to 3 bags of groceries depending on the size of the family. Typically we distribute 125-130 bags per week. Estimating that each bag weighs 15-20 pounds averages out to 2,000 pounds of food per week distributed. That's over 50 tons of food per year. In addition to that, families also receive fresh meat, eggs and bread every week. The Food Pantry helps to feed an average of 900 people a month.
5. Shir Joy Chorus of Massachusetts: SJCM is dedicated to learning, sharing and performing Jewish music. Founded in 2011, it is an Independent 501 (c) 3 organization and includes more than o30 members strong, representing a dozen Massachusetts towns and cities.

What nonprofit do you support? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Photo via Shutterstock

Photo via Shutterstock