100 People Who Care Tewksbury Names Nonprofits, Sponsors for Sept. 29 Giving Event

After a successful kickoff event in June where about $13,000 was raised for three local nonprofits, Tewksbury’s 100 People Who Care giving circle announced the three organizations randomly selected to present to members at its Q3 event, to be held on Wed., Sept. 29 at Wamesit Lanes

The three nominees were selected using an automated picker wheel. Each has an opportunity to present to the assembled group; one will be selected to receive that quarter’s $10,000 Impact Award.

The nonprofits selected are:

The Friends of the Tewksbury Public Library makes possible the programs residents love from the library, including passes for free admissions to museums and state parks, cultural programs including author visits, children’s and teens’ summer reading and much more. Annually, the FoTPL fund over $20,000 worth of programs and services that are not covered by the Town budget.

Lazarus House has worked to break the cycle of poverty in the Merrimack Valley since opening its doors as an emergency homeless shelter in 1983. The group provides food, clothing, housing and advocacy via St. Martha’s Food Pantry, which supplies emergency groceries to over 1,200 families each week, and the Good Shepherd Soup Kitchen, which provides meals for more than 300 people every day.

Project Home Again’s mission is to “turn houses into homes” for low-income families by providing, free of charge, the new and gently used household goods, furniture and small appliances necessary to live with comfort and dignity. The group uses cash donations to purchase critical items, such as new pots and pans, and to supplement donated household goods.

Sponsors for the Sept. 29 event will be Smitty’s Liquors and the Missions Committee at Tewksbury Congregational Church.

In June, Alternative House, Hidden Battles and Into Action Recovery presented. Alternative House received the $10,000 Impact Award, while Hidden Battles and Into Action received $250 from sponsors Bayberry at Emerald Court and Tewksbury Dental Associates. Many 100 People Tewksbury members also donated to the two runners up, and all three nonprofits were able to network and raise awareness.

Alternative House will return as a guest to the Sept. event to provide an update on its work.

The 100 People movement started in 2006 in Michigan as the brainchild of a warm-hearted and well-connected woman who, in 2006, was presented with an emergency request to raise $10,000 to purchase portable cribs for new mothers living in an underserved community. With such a compelling local need, she wondered what the result might be if she were to ask 100 of her friends to each make a $100 donation. The concept was brilliant. She started to make calls, organized a group of like-minded women, and — in a one-hour meeting — raised $12,800. 

Over the years, nearly 1,000 Care chapters have been established under the “100 Who Care Alliance” banner, sharing ideas and resources that make creating and running this type of giving circle seamless. Tewksbury’s chapter is new this year and the September Impact Award Meeting will be its second.

100 People Tewksbury members may change their nominees after each Impact Award event. The group is on track to donate close to $40,000 to local nonprofits in 2021.