Neighbors helping neighbors

Westborough - The Westborough Lions Club is a sponsoring partner of the Lions Club International Foundation’s Youth Camp Exchange (YCE) Program for the summer...

Marlborough - Joy Wilson is a familiar face at Price Chopper market in Marlborough where she has been bagging groceries for more than 20 years. Although visually impaired since birth, she has maintained an active existence. To help her vision, the Marlborough Lions Club presented her with a Galaxy barcode reader at a recent meeting. The reader not only identifies the item but provides information on the contents – ingredient by ingredient, according to Lions President Mark Gibbs. It also lists everything from a calorie count to grams of sugar, salt, and complete cooking instructions.

Northborough - Northborough Helping Hands Association, Inc., (NHHA) will be collecting new and gently used winter coats, snow pants and boots through Monday, Nov. 13, to benefit Northborough families in need.

Southborough/Marlborough - Nurse Leslie Chamberlain, of Marlborough, has her finger on the pulse of both Southborough and Marlborough. She is the resident nurse at the Southborough Senior Center, the public health nurse for the Southborough Board of Health and has worked in the emergency room of Marlborough Hospital for the past 26 years.

Marlborough - Churches, civic organizations, businesses, social service organizations and community volunteers in Marlborough are pooling their collective resources for "Convoy of Hope," an event to serve people in need. On Saturday, Oct. 12, they will gather at Stevens Park, off Broad Street, to offer food, practical resources, entertainment, and friendship to people who could use a helping hand.

Hudson – Friends and family of Sue Charbonneau Beane will host a benefit, "Songs for Sue," Saturday July 12 from 12-6 p.m. at the...

Region - The American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program is in need of volunteers from Central Massachusetts communities to drive local cancer patients...

Southborough - For Stephen Coldwell, 74, receiving a brain tumor diagnosis in July has done little to slow him down. Recently, the Pilgrim Church bell ringer, avid (vegetable) gardener and Southborough Food Pantry volunteer has been spotted moving split logs in his yard (to fuel his wood stove) and helping at the pantry's "Scouting for Food" event Nov. 2. Coldwell grew up in Framingham. In 1964, while he was attending the University of Rhode Island, his father purchased 35 acres of land adjacent to the Sudbury Reservoir between Middle Road and Parkerville Road in Southborough. Six family homes have since been built on the land, sharing a mailbox and a common drive.

Shrewsbury - Gina Tiberio Hamilton of Shrewsbury will participate in the Alzheimer’s Association Worcester Walk to End Alzheimer’s Sunday, Sept. 24, at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester.

Shrewsbury –The Shrewsbury Stop & Shop, located at 539 Boston Turnpike, presented a donation of $3,424.80 to the St. Anne’s Human Services food pantry Feb. 3.

Region - A new group of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers culminated their training with a swearing-in ceremony at the Worcester District Courthouse April 14. Their backgrounds and life experiences may differ from one another but they hold a common goal - to advocate for children in the foster care and child welfare system, who, otherwise, would not have a voice.

Westborough – Shoppers found bargains recently when the Siloam Lodge of Masons hosted its 13th annual Snowbound Yard Sale to benefit the Masonic Angel Fund. The benefiting charity provides immediate assistance to children in need who don's fit the criteria for the usual social service programs. Locally, the project helps children in Westborough, Northborough and Upton.

Hudson – The Hudson AMVETS Post 208 made special deliveries Dec. 25. Volunteers, including families and members of Boy Scout Troop 77, prepared and...

Shrewsbury – First-grade students from St. Mary's Parish gave back to the community by creating Easter-themed bookmarks with senior citizens at Shrewsbury Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (SNRC) March 16. Shrewsbury High School students and sisters Erin, 14, and Meghan Kean, 17, also helped make crafts as part of the "Adopt a Grandparent" club. The children and seniors decorated the felt bookmarks with pastel-colored doves, stars, and crosses. Trish Cook, their religious education teacher, explained why she picked Easter-themed bookmarks instead of St. Patrick's Day crafts.

Westborough - Award-winning artist Sandra McCaw, who resides in Westborough, has dreamed of being an artist ever since she can remember.

Marlborough – Billy Richards of Marlborough is preparing to ride in his seventh Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), an annual bike-a-thon that raises funds for life-saving cancer research. This year, he’s particularly determined to fundraise for the cause.

Shrewsbury - On a designated day every September, a small group gathers at the starting line of the Boston Marathon. It's 5:30 a.m. They start to walk. The beginning is dark; there aren's many people cheering at the first checkpoint. Gradually, though, the sun starts to come up. More people join in at the halfway mark. The cheering sections become bigger, and louder. By the end, it's hard to maneuver because of the hordes of people making their way to the finish line.

Westborough - Ryann Smith, 14, a freshman at Westborough High School, is working hard to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award. On Sept. 9, she installed two benches, which she assembled, at the Haskell Street Park playground, off of Lyman Street, in Westborough.

Northborough – Lincoln Street School fourth-grader Hannah Donley decided that instead of the usual 10th birthday party celebration and gifts, she wanted to gather 10 of her friends to celebrate while giving back to the community.

Westborough - In an effort to enable all incoming students to begin the school year on even ground, several local organizations are spearheading a...