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
Berkshire Drive resident Barry Star was delighted when his daughter wanted to visit him in his office back in 2019. “I thought she just wanted to see me, but it was so she could steal stuff from my company’s supply closet for things she could use in her Newton
The following was submitted by Winchester Hospital: The staff at Winchester Hospital gathered and donated Thanksgiving dinner for families in the area in coordination with the Woburn Council of Social Concern. They are brightening the holidays for 51 families in the community with the baskets and an additional $1,030
Does it seem like Unite with Light has been happening in Winchester for a long time? Well, it’s only been few years and this might be the last year — unless other kids take it on. Winchester High School senior Mairin Norton started it with her brother, Colin, after they
Bobby Atchinson is a bibliophile for sure. At the age of 8, he was wondering what to do with them all. “I wanted to donate them, but then I decided to help kids who don’t have homes,” he says. And on Nov. 9, he set up shop outside Book
Some folks love to run and among them are those who love marathons, but how many of them want to run a marathon in Antarctica? Washington Street resident Georgia McGaughey has done it and she’s determined to run one on every continent. “I love to run,” she says, “and
Wei Han somehow fits his many volunteer positions in with his full-time job in database management. The Amberwood Drive resident was the first Chinese immigrant to be elected to Town Meeting in 2012. “When I learned about Town Meeting,” he says, “and that the town is run entirely by volunteers,
Even Winchester non-residents can be helpers. Take Burlington resident Electra Govoni, who is president of the Winchester Historical Society Board of Directors, and who is looking for volunteers and members. Fewer than 1% of residents are members of the society, although more donate to it. Membership is $50 and in
If there were prizes for volunteering, Allan Eyden would win a gold medal. He’s not only the chair of the town’s Wildwood Cemetery Advisory Committee, but he helped start Town Day and the Pan-Mass Challenge. Eyden has lived in Winchester since he was 5 years old, and decided
If you love books, perhaps you donate the ones you’ve read to a worthy cause. Here’s one you might not have heard of — the Prison Book Program. Winchester resident Judy Doctoroff is a new member of the Prison Book Program board and would be happy to get your
When Fenwick Road resident Gloria Legvold helped create the Civic Leadership Award, she had no idea that one day she’d be the recipient. The Winchester League of Women Voters (WLWV) issues the award each year, with this year’s going to Legvold. “Gloria has provided a tremendous service to
Volunteer jobs can be very satisfying, but the Wright-Locke Farm’s “Flower Ladies” go home with more than satisfaction. “It’s flower therapy,” says Mary Farrell. Edward Drive resident Farrell started creating floral arrangements years ago when one of the original volunteers (99-year-old Lillian Cohen, who’s since moved out
Did you miss the preview the EN KA Society held at its resale shop? Don’t worry, the shop is reopening on Sept. 12. EN KA sells clothing to raise money for its many causes, including giving grants to non-profits in Winchester. The shop was bustling at its recent Saturday
On a bright Saturday morning, Conant Road resident Marianne DiBlasi is scooting around the farmers market, chatting with vendors and customers alike. As president of the Farmers Market Community Hub, DiBlasi makes it her business to find out how the market is doing, and buying herself some of the goods
Caroline Staudt not only talks the talk, but walks (or runs) the walk to help folks in Winchester lower their carbon footprint. It’s obvious the New Meadows Road resident is a runner and sure enough, has run the Boston Marathon several times, but she’s also a volunteer on
