ORLEANS — With so many local families focused on making ends meet during the pandemic and the economic crisis, making the holidays bright might be fairly far down on the list of priorities. But as it does each year, the Homeless Prevention Council is working to make sure that, even during COVID-19, holiday wishes can come true. “Those kids are going to come downstairs on Christmas morning hoping for a gift und...

CHATHAM — The holidays might seem pretty distant, but the Chatham Children’s Fund is urging supporters to get in the giving spirit a bit early this year. Thanks to the pandemic and economic emergency, the nonprofit is expecting increased demand from clients seeking help with food, winter coats and holiday gifts. The group is launching its holiday project appeal early, since COVID-19 rules will complicate the o...

CHATHAM – A group of residents hopes to raise $300,000 to provide financial assistance to community members undergoing hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Working with Monomoy Community Services (MCS) and the Lower Cape Outreach Council (LCOC), the Chatham Coronavirus Impact Fund will focus on paying housing, energy, medical and vehicle repair bills for residents who have lost jobs or are otherwise sufferi...

HARWICH — In 1904 Caleb Chase, a West Harwich businessman, provided the town with a $10,000 grant in his will to assist residents in need. More than 100 years later that gift has grown to nearly $500,000, and the trustees who oversee the fund say it is underutilized and its guidelines should be changed so its use can be expanded. Grants to local residents are administered by the board of selectmen after screen...

PLEASANT LAKE — On Sunday, 24-year-old Alison Donovan touched down in Botswana, marking the beginning of a two-year stint with the Peace Corps. It’s an experience she knows will shape her life, along with her future career in government. “I’m a little nervous, but I’m very excited,” she said. Interviewed by The Chronicle just before her departure, Donovan said the previous days had been a swirl of packing an...

CHATHAM — If you were in Chatham in the summertime in the ‘90s, you might remember the antics of Otis Russell and Tim Wood in the annual Art of Charity pro-am charity art auction. Backed by a team of volunteers, they raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children’s charities, producing an evening filled with surprises, fine art, community spirit and frequently off-color humor. “We used to be funny,” Ru...

ORLEANS — Brian Burke and his wife are empty-nesters. But thanks to Brian’s Little Brother from Harwich, he’s got somebody to help him build a new birdhouse. “I had him draw up some plans on a pad of paper,” Burke said with a chuckle. “The last one was about six feet tall and about four feet wide.” Burke has been a Big Brother to nine-year-old Nicolai for almost a year now, and loves the experience. ...

CHATHAM – For the past 18 years, Eldredge Public Library Youth Services Director Tammy DePasquale has reached out to embrace children, from infants to teens, with a goal of fostering in them a love of reading and a passion for libraries. In December the Chatham Rotary Club reached out to her, awarding DePasquale their Person of the Year award for 2018. "It's our way of recognizing a member of the community who...

Now entering its second month, the partial government shutdown has left many federal workers scrambling to meet household expenses. A variety of resources have been made available to help. The town of Chatham has published a list of community resources , with contact information for agencies that can help with food, housing, child care and other expenses.  The volunteers who maintain and operate the hist...

EASTHAM — Three key social service agencies on the Lower Cape have formed an alliance designed to help improve the efficiency of service delivery and to make services more accessible to people in need. The Cape Cod Children's Place, the Community Development Partnership and the Homeless Prevention Council said the partnership offers the possibility of offering new programs together, as well. The three organi...

HARWICH – Robert Perry stared in amazement at his transformed back yard. What had been an area choked with weeds, cluttered with items ready for the dump, and shaded by overgrown saplings just hours before was now weed free, with trash and trees removed, sunlight dappling the freshly raked space. All the work was done by volunteers taking part in the ninth Annual Big Fix, which this year bettered the homes, and l...

HARWICH PORT — The board of directors of WE CAN has chosen a new executive director to lead the women’s advocacy group. Cape native Dianne Gauthier is a development consultant with Lower Cape Outreach who worked previously with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts; she is set to begin work later this month. Gauthier will succeed Andi Genser, who will retire later this year. “I am greatly inspired by W...

CHATHAMPORT — Thanks to the generosity of local philanthropists, 10 Lower Cape organizations are sharing $30,000 in grants to enhance the quality of life in Chatham. The grants were announced at a reception last week held by the Cape Cod Foundation, which manages the Chatham Fund endowment. Recipients gathered at the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center to share their stories. Theresa Malone of Monomoy Communi...

HARWICH ─ The Family Pantry of Cape Cod is typically closed on Sundays, but Dec. 17 was different. It was Toy Day, an annual event that this year will allow more than 600 families to celebrate Christmas with a little something special. Pulling off the feat that is Toy Day requires immense dedication and determination, not to mention planning, the latter of which begins in at the start of September, long befo...

CHATHAM — Having provided a measure of financial stability for local families for decades, the Chatham Children's Fund is now enjoying a little stability of its own – just in time for the holidays. On Monday, resident David Oppenheim said he and his wife, Gail, intend to make the office at 210 Stony Hill Rd. available to the Children's Fund on a permanent basis. It's a boon for the longstanding nonprofit, wh...

HARWICH — The Harwich Employees Association is showing its generosity heading into the holiday season by making donations to four local charities. “Every year we allocate a certain amount of funds to charities,” said Wellesley Marsh, the association's president. “This year we chose four charities.” She said the local union has chosen to give $300 each to the Mitten Giving Tree; The Family Pantry of Cape Cod...