Spirit of Giving: 5 Nonprofits to Support in Natick

NATICK, MA—It's easy to find a charity. Throw a dart and you'll hit some group, somewhere, raising money for some cause. But perhaps you want to keep it truly local, and help the neighbors around you or the organizations that operate right in your community.

The season of giving is just around the corner. As our jack o'lanterns start to rot on the front steps, thoughts of Thanksgiving, winter, helping, kicks in to our thoughts.

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

1. A Place to Turn: A Place To Turn was established in 1979. The founders were among the first to recognize that economic hardship exists in the suburbs and is not exclusively an urban problem. The food pantry began as a fledgling entity in the basement of a private home, moved briefly to St. Patrick Church in Natick, and in 1981 settled at its present location in a small cape on the grounds of the Hartford Street Presbyterian Church in Natick.
2. Angels of Hope: the mission at Angels of Hope has always been to provide the best possible medical, psychological, and social care to as many of the millions of orphans in Uganda as is possible. Clinics are staffed by nurses with excellent skills and experience who work, not just to care for the immediate needs of the patient, but to understand their psychological needs, keep watch for signs of physical abuse/ and or long term illnesses and to keep accurate files on each patient.
3. Natick Service Council: an independent, non-profit organization that connects, engages and collaborates with the community to support Natick neighbors who are experiencing hardship or economic uncertainty by promoting self-sufficiency.
4. BINA Farm Center:BINA Farm Center (BFC) brings together individuals with and without special needs by offering a variety of inclusive enrichment programs that help them to both thrive personally and make their best contribution towards the communities in which they live. BFC provides a comprehensive therapeutic and recreational environment utilizing Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies, Vocational Training Programs and Creative and Complementary Therapies for children and adults with physical, developmental and emotional challenges.
5. Thom Child and Family Services: offers an array of services to families, children and other professionals. Research findings continue to demonstrate that comprehensive, high-quality early intervention services are able to minimize the effects of medical and environmental risks, diagnosed disabilities and developmental delays. The intervention teams deliver these services within the context of families and communities.

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

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