Honor the Season with Giving
Yankees may be thrifty and proud of it, but Nantucketers have long been generous in taking care of each other. In good times and in bad, islanders rally to the aid of friends and neighbors who need help. The challenging economic times most of us have experienced this year have left many more local residents and organizations who serve them in situations where some extra assistance can help keep them going this winter.
The following is a wish list gathered from island organizations whose goals are to help Nantucket residents. The list is far from all-inclusive: we are happy to add to it in our online edition. Send your organization’s wish list to us at holiday@nantucket.net.
The Food Pantry is open from 4 to 6 pm Tuesday and Thursday in the basement at 20 Fair Street. They accept donations of food items (please check dated codes and do not give expired items) and they welcome market gift cards in any denomination. Manager Kevin Dugan would also like to add: “please, if you need to eat, don’t be ashamed to go there or to call us at 508-228-7438.”
A Safe Place at 24 Amelia Drive (508-228-0561) offers services to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault and to assist the survivors. On their wish list for this holiday season are diapers, baby wipes, non-expired and non-perishable food, cab or taxi vouchers, dental cleanings, haircuts, gas gift cards, airline and ferry commuter books, and supermarket gift cards. Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.
Nantucket Ice at One Backus Lane (508-228-2516) includes on their wish list a digital camera, an industrial strength vacuum cleaner, and flat screen tv for their lounge.
Strong Wings at 9 Nobadeer Farm Road (508-228-1769) includes on their wish list kayaks, life vests, bicycles and bike helmets, water bottles, binoculars, nets, soft-top surfboards, and gardening supplies.
The Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, 61 Sparks Avenue (508-228-0158), would appreciate donations of game room supplies such as pool sticks, ping pong balls, foosballs, and air hockey pucks; art supplies including paint, paint containers, paint brushes, drawing paper, drawing pencils, and markers; fresh fruit and healthy snacks for club members for one year; Teen Room renovation, wireless internet access; a commercial size gas grill and cooking supplies; flower bulbs, perennials, and garden tools; a megaphone; balls for soccer, volleyball, and dodgeball; a bingo game set for 30 plus players; small toys or gift certificates to award to members as prizes; and a trophy case.
If you’d like to give, but find yourself a bit short this season, think out of the box. Perhaps your telephone service or your credit card offers “points” you never use but could trade in for items to give. Or give your time and talent—many organizations also put Volunteers on their wish lists. Saltmarsh Senior Center is specifically seeking volunteers to teach arts, crafts, and other activities, as well as volunteers to help with their gardening and maintenance, with their monthly newsletter production, with events and activities, and with decorating the building for the holidays. Nantucket Ice is looking for volunteers for their Public Skate Window and DJs and community volunteers as support staff for Kids on Ice Weekend events. They’d also welcome assistance with website updates and redesign. Nantucket Literacy Volunteers, based in the Nantucket Atheneum, is frequently seeking new tutors.
Giving during this season can be a memorable way to honor and add meaning to the holidays.
Here are the complete wish lists submitted by island organizations. If you have any questions about the items listed or would like to make a cash donation, please contact the organization directly:
ADULT EDUCATION: 508 228 7257 ext 1817
- Affordable Rental Space for the Early Childhood Center
- 2 Free Standing Whiteboards
- New flooring for the Community Pool
- Stop ‘n Shop Cards
A SAFE PLACE, INC.: 508-228-0561
24 Amelia Drive - Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
Items can be mailed to us or dropped off during business hours at the above address.
- Stop & Shop Gift Cards
- Grand Union Gift Cards
- Gas Gift Cards
- Hair Cut Gift Cards
- Dental Cleaning Gift Cards
- Ferry Commuter Books
- Airplane Commuter Books
- Cab/Taxi Vouchers
- Non-expired, non-perishable food
- Diapers
- Baby wipes
- Toys/Games to be given as prizes for our 3rd Annual, Children Against Child Abuse Art Project
- NRTA Passes
THE SALTMARSH SENIOR CENTER: 508-228-4490
Nantucket Center for Elder Affairs, Inc.
81 Washington Street, Nantucket, MA 02554
- $360 for a carton of four chairs with high backs for our participants to sit in. (We could use 24 more chairs!)
- $300 to buy a digital camera to take photos of our seniors.
- $250 to buy a photo printer to print quality copies of photographs.
- $900 to buy a video camera to film our activities and special presentations.
- $500 to buy a machine to make DVD's of our exercise classes for seniors to take for home use
- $1,000 toward the purchase of a flat screen TV so our seniors can better watch movies and play the Nintendo Wii system we have.
- $1,000 toward the purchase of a lap top computer
- (Any amount) used to purchase exercise equipment
- (Any amount) used to assist us with the costs to provide programs and activities for our seniors
- SKILLS, TIME AND TALENT........
- Volunteers to teach arts and crafts and other activities.
- Volunteers to help us with events and activities.
- Volunteers to help us decorate the building for any of the seasons or holidays.
- Volunteers to help us with our monthly newsletter production.
- Volunteers to help us with our gardening and maintenance.
STRONG WINGS: 508-228-1769
Items can be dropped off at Strong Wings: 9 Nobadeer Farm Road.
- Kayaks
- Life vests
- Bicycles
- Bicycle helmets
- Climbing rope
- Bicycle tire pumps
- Bicycle inner tubes
- Tire repair kits
- First aid supplies
- Water bottles
- Binoculars
- Dry bags
- Masks and snorkels
- Nets
- Soft-top surfboards
- Gardening supplies
NANTUCKET ICE: Call Lynn Fiedler to arrange donation 508-228-2516
- Merchandise in the form of decorations, door prizes, food and refreshments for KIDS ON ICE After School Skate and KIDS ON ICE Pre-Teen and Teen Weekend Skate events.
- Community Volunteers for Public Skate Window and Community Volunteers as support staff for Kids on Ice Weekend Events.
- DJ Services for KIDS ON ICE Pre-Teen and Teen Weekend events
- Digital Camera
- Industrial Strength Vacuum Cleaner
- Website Update and/or re-design
- Flat Screen TV for lounge
- Monetary contribution to add new Rental Skates to our shelves ($100 per pair)
- Skate Trainer walkers for new skaters
NANTUCKET ATHENEUM: 508-228-1110
1 India Street
- DVD resurfacing machine
- Coin sorter
NANTUCKET BOYS & GIRLS CLUB: 508-228-0158
61 Sparks Avenue
- Art supplies, paint, paint containers, paint brushes, drawing paper, drawing pencils, markers, etc.
- Craft tables for art room
- Air hockey table
- Megaphone
- Art program computer software, internet access
- Legos
- Board games
- Small toys or gift certificates to award members as prizes
- Games room supplies: pool sticks, ping pong balls, foosballs, air hockey pucks
- Outdoor Basketball Court complete with lights
- 8 – 10 new wooden picnic tables, recycle bins and trash cans for outdoors
- Fresh fruit and healthy snacks for our members for one year
- Xbox 360 video games for teen program: Madden 2009, Skate 2, Rockband 2, Need for Speed Undercover, MK vs DC Universer
- 10 2 way radios for staff
- Balls for sports: soccer, volleyball, dodgeball, etc.
- 1 or 2 disc golf goals and disc golf Frisbees
- Wooden trash bin container
- Karaoke cd’s with graphics
- an ipod
- Small greenhouse
- Teen Room renovation and wireless internet access
- Trophy Case
- Portable art display stations
- A commercial size gas grill
- Flower bulbs, perennials, garden tools
- Bingo game set for 30+ players
- Cooking supplies
