Perhaps Lyra should be the Winchester News Pet of the Week — she’s a therapy dog and she shares the Helpers Among Us category with her owner, Frank Siteman. He says he knew Lyra would make a good therapy dog. “Lyra’s behaviors are consistent with what a therapy animal
Last month three students who participate in Winchester’s A Better Chance program decided to go to Guatemala as part of a School of the World program. Joel Aryee, Danry Njawa and Eyitayo (Tayo) Owolabi mixed cement, painted the outside of a school building and created two murals. “Last year
When Maureen Conway and Mai Harrison were asked to be the chairs of this year’s En Ka Fair, they readily agreed. Harrison says, “Every year En Ka asks for chairs and I’ve always wanted to help bring joy to the town. Plus, it works for my schedule.” The
When Wendell Street resident Meg Mehn was looking for ways to give back to the community, she decided to join The Friends of Winchester Library. When asked why, Mehm says, “I used to take my kids to the library every week — it was an important place for them.” They found
When High School Junior Jacob Lieberman was stuck at home during COVID, he enjoyed baking with his mother. “It was a new thing for me,” he says. “We’d bake something different every day.” Five years later, he and his twin sister Mason and their friend Rachel Dunlap had a
If your shoes don’t get messy when you’re at Manchester Field, it might be thanks to Connie. The 4-year-old border collie runs around and chases the geese away several times a day. “I checked with the town’s Recreation Department and they said it’s OK,” says Manchester
When Gerry Dunleavy was growing up near the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland, he probably never thought he’d be a successful builder in America. But he came to Winchester in 1978 because his job for an electrical engineering company transferred him to the U.S. for work. While visiting
When Maaike Biemans was 4 years old, she had open heart surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital. Now she’s giving back with entertainment bags for young patients. The Brookside Avenue resident is a Northeastern University student and for her senior project, she’s creating these bags for the hospital’
Every Sunday, six or seven Winchester High School students conduct English language classes at Vinson-Owen Elementary School. They call their program, “Teaching English to Elderly Immigrants.” Amberwood Drive resident Nicole Han started the program during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Social isolation was a big problem then,” says Han. “There was no
If you’ve ever had a pen pal, you know how much fun it can be, and Karen Fullerton is helping Winchester seniors get them. They’re McCall students, and Fullerton’s project is called Letters Trellis. “We’ve got 15 pairs,” Fullerton says. “These letters feed the spirit and
This past holiday season, downtown trees were covered in lights and many residents might have thought the town pays for them. But in fact, Squire Road resident Lucille Murray raised funds and bought them in 2004 to cheer up Winchester’s children. “My 10-year-old daughter Marie Camille died from cystic
Cupcakes for fire victims? Yes! Doing it as a fundraiser? Yes! That’s right, Winchester High School junior Alanna Lee is making Valentine’s Day cupcakes and donating the money to the World Central Kitchen to help those dealing with the effects of the California wildfires. Lee has been baking
Emi Kazak loves animals and she loves baking. She also loves combining both those loves into a way to help charities. In December, she made pies and fancy cookies to sell on Facebook and Instagram to raise money for the Animal Rescue League of Boston and made over $300. Last
If you’ve ever been a patient or visitor at Winchester Hospital, you’ve probably run into a Winton Club volunteer. They staff the gift shop and give every newborn a book. Meg Pickelhaupt helps the club raise money, which they use to run A Caring Place at 620 Washington
Perhaps the most senior and most experienced helper in Winchester is Jenks volunteer Marge Labedz. She’s been helping out since 1978 when the Jenks Center opened, and has stayed through 10 directors’ terms. The Olive Street resident is almost 99, sharp as a tack and very active. “I walk
Pilgrim Drive resident Lulu Tian is building a library in a Ugandan refugee camp. The Winchester High School graduate got involved when she was an MIT undergraduate. She went to Uganda as part of an MIT project, MIT-D lab, and saw for herself how hungry residents are for books — and
