Katie Seavey-Walker uses an interactive whiteboard funded by the Harvard Schools Trust. The Trust funds curriculum enhancement and extracurricular activities for the public schools. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

As people turn their attention to giving to local charities during the holiday season, the Press is happy to provide the following list of organizations, recommended by townspeople and staff as charities that are doing good work in the community. All are organized as not-for-profit, but questions about tax deductibility should be addressed to each organization. Many of them originate in Harvard; a number of them also serve a wider area that includes Harvard.

Buddy Dog Humane Society, Inc., 151 Boston Post Road (Route 20), Sudbury, MA 01776.
Laurie Lincoln, executive director. Founded in 1961, Buddy Dog is a nonprofit animal welfare organization dedicated to finding new homes for dogs and cats. The goal of Buddy Dog is to find responsible and permanent homes for all the animals in its care. For a list of animals awaiting adoption or for more information visit the website at www.buddydoghs.com.

Dharma Harvest, 204 Bolton Road, Harvard, MA 01451. Sarah Tracey, founding director.
Dharma Harvest, a nonprofit organization founded in June 2008, has as its mission to “educate the community for sustainable living, mentally, spiritually, and physically.” The organization’s goal is to sustain its mission through produce sales, courses, lectures, demonstrations, and events. Among its goals are providing greens for Harvard schools, building an edible garden at the Oak Meadow Montessori School in Littleton, and, within the next two years, starting a sliding-scale CSA, a community-supported agriculture operation that gives its members a share in the crops for a yearly fee. For more information contact Sarah Tracey at 978-502-8290 or stracey@dharmaharvest.org.

The Food Project, P.O. Box 705, Lincoln, MA 01773; P.O. Box 256141, Dorchester, MA 02125; 84 Lewis St., second floor, Lynn, MA 01902. Pat Gray, executive director.
The Food Project is a launching pad for new ideas about youth and adults partnering to create social change through sustainable agriculture. The goal of the organization is sustainable, local food systems that bridge race, class, age, and more, to ensure food security for all.

For Art’s Sake, P.O. Box 116, Still River, MA 01467. Pam Cochrane, president.
For Art’s Sake is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community art association dedicated to encouraging imaginative and creative thinking in children and adults, while involving people in the process and appreciation of the visual, literary, and performing arts. The For Art’s Sake Community Association offers opportunities to bring together members of the community through exhibitions, workshops, readings, performances, and a directory connecting artists with residents to explore artistic expression. For more information send e-mail to pccochrane@gmail.com, besshaire@charter.net or melissayahia@gmail.com.

Friends of the Council on Aging, P.O. Box 474, Harvard. Marie LeBlanc, chairwoman.
The Friends of the COA has a mission to support senior services in Harvard. Funds from the Friends help cover some hours for the COA’s outreach coordinator and support special refurbishment projects at Hildreth House. The Friends also pays for the printing and mailing of the COA newsletter.

Friends of the Harvard Public Library, P.O. Box 506, Harvard. Chris and Susan Frechette, co-presidents.
The purpose of this organization is to stimulate community interest in the services and needs of the Harvard Public Library, to provide a program of assistance through volunteer help, and to sponsor programs that enable the library to keep pace with the growth of Harvard.

Growing Places Garden Project, Inc., P.O. Box 237, Harvard.
Cindy Buhner and Kate Deyst created the Growing Places Garden Project in 2001 with a mission to enhance food security for people with limited economic means. For the past six years they have donated raised vegetable gardens to clients and helped them grow, harvest, use, and store their fresh produce. The GPGP serves a number of towns in the area, including Harvard. More information about this organization is available at www.growingplaces.org.

Harvard Conservation Trust, P.O. Box 31, Harvard. The Conservation Trust is dedicated to the preservation of Harvard’s unique character and valuable resources, and seeks to preserve Harvard’s rural and agricultural character. The Trust’s top priority is protecting town land from unwanted development so that open space can be preserved for future generations. Detailed information on how the organization serves this mission is available at www.harvardtrust.org.

Harvard Help, P.O. Box 259, Harvard. Dianne Carter, treasurer.
Harvard Help was organized many years ago as a way to let townspeople help each other with transportation needs, family help in emergencies, visiting the homebound or elderly, and occasional delivery of Minuteman meals. Assistance from Harvard Help is available to anyone in town.

The Harvard Schools Trust, P.O. Box 450, Harvard. Molly Cutler and Debbie Kaegebein, co-presidents.
The Harvard Schools Trust raises funds and fulfills grant requests for curriculum enhancement, extra-curricular experiences, special equipment, and staff development, none of which would be possible within the regular school budget. Since its formation in 1989, the Trust has awarded nearly $400,000 to the elementary school and Bromfield. The Trust is governed by a 15-member board of directors made up of parents and community leaders. The website for the Harvard Schools Trust, which includes a list of funded grants, is www.harvardschoolstrust.org.

Loaves and Fishes, P.O. Box 1, Ayer, MA 01432. Kathy Stamski, director.
Loaves & Fishes exists as a mission of love and faith to serve people of Ayer, Devens, Groton, Harvard, Littleton, and Shirley by providing food, emergency shelter, resource referral, other temporary services, and by advocating for changes by its clients that will promote independence and self-reliance.

The Museum of Russian Icons, 203 Union St., Clinton.Kent Russell, CEO and curator.
The museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational museum featuring a collection of more than 300 icons from the 15th to the late 20th century, collected by museum founder Gordon Lankton. The museum supports education through a noncirculating research library, which includes written materials as well as audio and video resources (available by appointment) and can meet many student curriculum standards through its alignment with the Massachusetts visual arts, history and social science, and English language arts curriculum frameworks. It also offers educational scavenger hunts, one for visitors in sixth grade and under and the other for more advanced students. www.museumofrussianicons.org.

Nashua River Watershed Association, 592 Main St., Groton, MA 01450. Elizabeth Ainsley Campbell, executive director.
Founded in 1969, the Nashua River Watershed Association’s mission is to work for a healthy ecosystem with clean water and open spaces for human and wildlife communities. In addition, goals include restoring and protecting water quality for people, fish, and wildlife; conserving open spaces for water quality, wildlife habitat, farms, forests, and recreation; and encouraging careful land use with well-planned development.

Our Father’s House, P.O. Box 7251, Fitchburg, MA 01420. Barbara Garneau, executive director.
Our Father’s House provides emergency and transitional housing to homeless men and women in three different shelters in Fitchburg. Incorporated in 1983, the shelters provide meals, shelter, housing search, and advocacy services in the spirit of hospitality. Rooted in Judeo-Christian values emphasizing the dignity of the individual, its programs encourage and assist each guest to become self-sufficient.

The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden, P.O. Box 145, Harvard. Executive Director Betsy Tyson-Smith.
Incorporated in 2000, the Healing Garden is an educational nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a healing environment for women with breast cancer. Complementary therapies to standard medical care, psychosocial support, educational programs, and access to nature are provided as part of the Garden’s mission to offer women a way to regain control of their health. Services are offered regardless of a woman’s ability to pay. Donations can be mailed to the address listed above or online at www.healinggarden.net.

Volunteer Humane Society, 505 Center Bridge Road, Lancaster, MA 01523. Christina Brodeur, volunteer coordinator.
This is a 32-year-old cat-only humane society that has operated a no-kill shelter in Lancaster for 17 years, since its move from Harvard. The shelter can accommodate 30 to 40 cats at any time; all are vet checked and are current on vaccines. The shelter is open to the public three days a week, but is staffed every day. Its mission is to find responsible and permanent homes for all the animals in its care, and to promote the spaying and neutering of cats. Website: www.vhscatshelter.org.

Is there an organization that should be listed here next year? Please assist us by sending contact information to editor@harvardpress.com.