Rivers Givers Grant $12,000 to Non-Profits
Rivers Givers held their annual check presentation assembly on Friday, April 20, distributing grants worth $12,000 to four local non-profits: the Living Assistance Fund, Boston Youth Sanctuary, WATCH CDC, and Waltham Family School. The organizations were recommended by members of the Rivers community in the fall, and selected by the student-run philanthropy group after an extensive review process. Students spoke about the mission and program offerings of each organization before introducing the spokespersons and presenting the checks.
This year’s Rivers Givers members are: Thomas Benjes ’18, Nora Brown ’19, Emma Chowdhury ’18, Abby Deneen ’19, Thomas Fischman ’18, Emma Foley ’19, Gigi Goldaber ’18, Benjamin Joiner ’18, Matthew Jones ’19, Callie Kamanitz ’19, Dylan Keusch ’19, Nothando Khumalo ’19, Nicholas LaPlante ’19, Tully Mahoney ’19, Natasha McMillan ’19, Henry Muller ’19, Sophia Pacific ’18, Charlotte Paul ’19, Andrew Sanderson ’19, Ashley Shegog ’19, Riya Shukla ’19, Hunter Taylor-Black ’19, Isabel Teixeira ’18, Grace Wade ’19, and Maya Wasserman ’18.
“I’ve had the opportunity to intern at WATCH this spring,” said Charlotte Paul during her presentation. “I have been amazed by the knowledge that they have about their community, and their passion for social change.”
The grant to WATCH CDC was directed toward their English Language Program and Housing Clinic. Founded in 1988, WATCH is the only organization in Waltham that focuses on increasing affordable housing development to create a more equitable community in the Waltham area. Watch provides GED and English classes for English language learners and immigrants, and works to empower underrepresented residents through civic engagement.
Waltham Family School, a family literacy program that integrates language learning, parenting skills, and childhood education, is also familiar to Rivers students. While the main goal of the preschool is to prepare children for kindergarten, they also offer a multi-level adult ESL program that gives parents the ability to advocate for their children.
“I’ve had the opportunity to intern there this spring,” said Ashley Shegog. “The minute I walked into the school I knew it was something special. They give adults the opportunity to learn side-by-side with their children.”
Monica Luke, mother of faculty member Lisa Townley ’01 and co-founder of the Living Assistance Fund, spoke passionately about the organization’s mission to eliminate the financial barriers that prevent people with severe mental illnesses from accessing the care and support they need. The students specifically chose to support their Program of Assertive Community Treatment [PACT], based out of McLean Hospital, which incorporates patient-centered care and Open Dialogue principles to benefit the sick and their families. The Rivers Givers grant will support scholarships that provide free health insurance support for patients 365 days a year.
Boston Youth Sanctuary is an after-school program that offers a safe and nurturing environment for youth ages 6 through 11 who have experienced traumatic events or circumstances in their lives. At BYS at-risk youth are encouraged to express themselves positively and are offered clinical programming to help them develop coping skills to improve their functioning at home, and in their school and community. The grant will support BYS’s clinical programs.
Rivers Givers is comprised of juniors and seniors who complete four training sessions about philanthropy and the non-profit world to become eligible to research local organizations that address community issues, review their qualifications on-site, and vote on grants. During the past 16 years, Rivers Givers made grants to 37 organizations and raised approximately $140,000 by hosting homecoming dances, selling Fanzone t-shirts and food at the holiday tournament, organizing dress down days, and holding other fundraising events. The Parents’ League matches their funds every year, effectively doubling the size of their grants.
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