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There are many ways to help

Volunteer

Volunteer

With a group or individually

Care and Share Party

Throw a Party

Invite guests to donate

Backpack drive

Sponsor a Drive

Help collect needed goods

 

Volunteer

We provide a local opportunity to give back. Hundreds of volunteers, from scout groups to senior citizens, carry out the mission to collect and distribute new and gently used goods.

Adult Volunteers

Individuals 

Meet other people who are committed to helping others.

 CORPORATE and Adult Group Volunteer Sessions

Spend time with your colleagues and friends making a difference. 

  • Day, evening, and Saturday volunteer opportunities are available by appointment at our Boxford and Lawrence facilities. Please email Volunteer@CommunityGivingTree.org for times and information.

Youth Volunteers

VolunTEENs: Community Service for Teenagers

Teenagers and tweens can give back to their community by helping local children in need. VolunTEENs sort and package clothing donations, help with building maintenance, and assist social service representatives. We resolve to introduce, encourage and support the spirit of volunteerism in youth and we welcome them to join us for the following times:

Please email Volunteen@CommunityGivingTree.org for more information.

Seeds of Giving: Community Service for youth groups

Community Service opportunities are available for scouts, sports teams, & other youth groups.  Youth actively participate in hands-on activities to learn about families in need.


Care and Share Party

Guests are invited to donate a gift for a child in need

Share the joy of your birthday, bat mitzvah, baby shower or special event by hosting a Care and Share Party. In lieu of gifts, ask guests to donate items for kids in need. Care and Share Birthday kids receive a certificate of appreciation and a tour of our facility when they drop off their donations.

Choose a Theme:

  • Ready to Learn (May-August) school supplies, backpacks

  • Keeping Warm (September-January) hats, mittens, gloves

  • Holiday Joy (October-December) pajamas, fleece blankets, clothes

  • Sleep Tight (February-April) fleece blankets, pajamas, socks, underwear

  • Baby Shower (Year-round) diapers, wipes, rash cream, onesies

Call 978-769-5056 or email us to sign up.


Sponsor a Drive

Community Giving Tree partners with local businesses, places of worship, schools, day camps, town libraries, and social groups to collect seasonal items throughout the year. Make a difference by sponsoring a drive for a two week period. We will provide you with a collection box, specific list of items needed, and all the promotional information you’ll need to make your drive a success.

Back to School Supplies July & August

Without basic tools, school is a struggle for children in need. With your help, hundreds of local students can head back to school with new backpacks, pens, pencils, folders and notebooks when you sponsor a community drive.

Coats for Families October to December

New England winters are brutal without proper outdoor clothing. By sponsoring a winter coat drive, you can help us distribute jackets, hats, mittens, and a little warmth to families in need.

Holiday Gifts November & December

Many low income families do not have the resources to give gifts to their children during the winter holidays. Plan a holiday gift collection of new clothes, socks and underwear, PJs and more, during this special time of year.

Diapers and Wipes Year-round

Some mothers can’t afford to use more than one diaper per day, leading to poor infant health. You can help by collecting packages of disposable diapers, baby wipes, and diaper rash cream. (Click for a printable Diaper Drive Collection Poster.)

For more information call 978-769-5056 or email us.

Sign up to sponsor a drive


 

Adult Volunteer Inquiry

 
 
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Our Mission

Thousands of children are helped each year

We provide low income families with basic necessities such as clothing, diapers, and baby equipment. Your donations help children grow and thrive.

Giving is green

Our earth benefits from keeping gently used baby equipment, toys, and clothing out of the landfill and into the hands of struggling families.

We promote meaningful philanthropy

Community Giving Tree educates student volunteers about local poverty. All volunteers experience the satisfaction of knowing their time will directly help local children.

The community we serve is local

Every year Community Giving Tree distributes basic necessities to more than 15,000 children in northeastern Massachusetts. 

Our History

Community Giving Tree began in 2002 when its founders, Leslie Levenson and Betty Obernesser recognized there were abundant resources to share with families living just a short distance from their community of Boxford, Massachusetts. For seven years, Community Giving Tree volunteers collected and distributed gently used baby equipment and clothing from a donated garage.

In 2009, Community Giving Tree transitioned from a grass roots project to a registered non-profit organization. The garage was torn down, and in June 2010 the organization moved into its 2,400 square foot building in Boxford. 

Since its founding, Community Giving Tree has grown significantly. Today, Community Giving Tree operates from two sites, one in Boxford and the other in the heart of Lawrence.  Every year, over 15,000 children from northeastern Massachusetts are provided with the basic necessities they need to grow and thrive.

Over 15,000 children reached each year

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Our Staff

 

Co-Founder

Leslie Levenson


Community Giving Tree began in 2002 when its founders, Leslie Levenson and Betty Obernesser recognized there were abundant resources to share with families living just a short distance from their community of Boxford, Massachusetts.


Board of Directors

Hilary Bugbee

Ann Dooley

joelle elghoul

henrik friis

michael hough

Chris Healy

Anne Lines

Stephen McGee

Stacey Palovich

jessica phillips

Kathryn Raiz

Luz Rodriguez

Bianca Saul

christina wyman


Agency Advisory Council

Zoveyda Morel,  GLCAC Head Start

Kien Pham Nguyet, MSPCC/Eliott  Healthy Families

Hope Ma, MSPCC/Eliott Healthy Families  

Patricia Webber, Healthy Families

Blanca Duran, Family Services of Merrimack Valley

Christina Guenard, NFI Massachusetts

Liz Gross, Anne Sullivan Center

Sophonnary Pen,  Anne Sulliavan Center

Carla Caraballo, Lowell Community Health Center 

Grace Corporan,  FYI/Patch

Gisel Santana, Healthy Families

Maria Lopez, MVLPPP

Kathy McCabe, Clarendan Early Education

Karen Rubino, Anne Sullivan Center

No child should have to wear two sweatshirts in the winter to stay warm or carry their books to school in a grocery bag.
— Social worker, Eliot Community Health Services
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Agencies Served

Community Giving Tree is proud to work with many agencies and organizations that share our desire to help children and families in northeastern Massachusetts. 

Haverhill

  • Catholic Charities (Healthy Families)
  • Community Action Inc.
  • Community Service Agency
  • Cornerstones
  • Department of Children & Families
  • Dinah's House 
  • Early Intervention
  • Emmaus House
  • Haverhill Public Schools
  • Pregnancy Care Center
  • Safe Harbor
  • Team Coordinating Agency
  • Thom Child
  • Veterans North East Outreach 

LOWELL

  • All Nations Church
  • Ann Sullivan Center
  • The Caleb Group
  • Clarendon Early Education Services, Inc.
  • Community Teamwork
  • Department of Children & Families
  • GRIP: Growing Responsibility and Independence for People (Justice Resource Institute)
  • Hope Dove
  • Institute for Health and Recovery
  • Justice Resource Institute
  • Lifelinks
  • Lowell Community Health Center
  • MSPCC
  • Network Health
  • Thom Child
  • Vinfen

LYNN

    • Catholic Charities (Healthy Families)
    • Center Board
    • Cerebral Palsy Association
    • Children and Family Law Program
    • Department of Children & Families
    • Early Intervention
    • Eliot Community Human Services
    • Fidelity House
    • Gregg Neighborhood House
    • Head Start
    • Institutes for Health and Recovery
    • Lynn Community Health Center
    • Lynn Economic Opportunity
    • Lynn Public Schools
    • Russian Community Association of MA

    Peabody

    • Citizens for Adequate Housing
    • Community Partnership
    • Head Start
    • North American Family Institute
    • North Shore Community Action Programs
    • Northeast Behavioral Health

    Lawrence

    • Arbour Counseling Services
    • Asian Center of Merrimack Valley
    • Beyond Soccer
    • Child Development and Education
    • Coordinated Family-Focused Care
    • Community Day Care
    • Commonwealth Community Care
    • Casa Nueva Vida
    • Catholic Charities
    • Child Care Circuit
    • Christ United Methodist Church
    • Communities Together
    • Compass for Kids
    • Department of Children & Families
    • Department of Youth Services
    • Essex County CASA
    • Family Continuity Program
    • Family Resource Center
    • Family Services of the Merrimack Valley 
    • Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
    • Greater Lawrence Community Action Council – Head Start (GLCAC)
    • Health Quarters
    • Iglesia Cristiana Casa De Restauracion
    • JRI Children's Friend and Family 
    • Lawrence Community Works
    • Lawrence Council on Aging
    • Lawrence Methuen Community Coalition
    • Lawrence Public Schools
    • Lazarus House
    • Legal Justice Access Inc.
    • Merrimack Valley Lead Poisoning Prevention
    • Merrimack Valley People for Peace
    • MSPCC
    • Ministerial Apostolic Church
    • Mentor Net
    • Movement City (Lawrence CommunityWorks)
    • New Hope
    • North American Family Institute
    • Northern Essex Community College
    • Pentucket Medical Associates
    • Phoenix Academy
    • Professional Center for Child Development Andover (Serves Lawrence)
    • Psychological Center
    • SouthBay Community Services 
    • Supportive Care
    • St. Mary’s of the Assumption Pro Life
    • St Vincent DePaul
    • uASPIRE
    • Vinfen
    • YWCA Teen Living Program

    SALEM

    • Children’s Friend
    • Community Service Agency
    • Department of Children & Families
    • Head Start
    • Salem Juvenile Court
    • Salem Public Schools
    • Training Resources of America
    • Youth Parents Program

    ADDITIONAL Towns

    • Addison Gilbert Hospital (Gloucester)
    • Beverly Children’s Learning Center
    • Birth to Three (Ipswich)
    • Boxford Food Pantry
    • Burlington High School
    • Clarendon Family Day Care (Lawrence, Lowell)
    • Connecting Young Moms (Beverly Hospital)
    • Danvers Public Schools
    • DARE Family Services (Newburyport, Danvers)
    • Department of Mental Health (Merrimack Valley)
    • Easter Seals (Merrimack Valley)
    • EMARC (Reading)
    • Early Intervention (Pentucket, Cape Ann, Danvers, Salem)
    • Family Promise (Beverly)
    • Gloucester Housing Authority
    • Gloucester Public Schools
    • Head Start (Beverly, Seacoast)
    • Ipswich Caring
    • Key Program (Methuen)
    • Keys to Degrees (Beverly)
    • Mass. Department of Developmental Services
    • Mass. Family Self-Sufficiency (Methuen)
    • North Shore ARC
    • Northern Essex WIC Program (Beverly)
    • Our Neighbor’s Table (Amesbury)
    • Pathways for Children (Gloucester)
    • Refugee Immigration Ministry (Topsfield)
    • Rotary (North Andover)
    • Shared Living (Merrimac)
    • Solstice Residential Day School (Rowley)
    • Solutions for Living (Medford)
    • St. Ann’s Home (Methuen)
    • Wellspring (Gloucester)
    • Youth Villages North Shore
    With generous support from the community we grew from a small garage-based operation to a thriving organization with two locations serving over 15,000 children annually.
    — Leslie Levenson, Co-Founder
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    Our Supporters

    Thank you to the local businesses and organizations that support
    Community Giving Tree with generous financial and in-kind contributions:

    Financial Support

    • Adobe

    • Alfresca Italian Restorante, Inc.

    • Amazon Smile

    • Artemas W. Stearns Trust

    • Baupost Group

    • Bay State Textile Inc

    • Benjamin Nutter Architects

    • Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation, Inc.

    • Brogna Law

    • Burton's Grill & Bar

    • Clemenzi Plumbing

    • Digital Federal Credit Union

    • EBSCO

    • Edward S. & Winifred Moseley Foundation

    • Flowers by Steve

    • Frank W. & Carl S. Adams Memorial Foundation Fund

    • George P. Bishop Foundation, Inc.

    • Georgetown Flatbread

    • Greater Lawrence Community Fund

    • Josephine G. Russell Trust

    • Ladies Charitable Society

    • Lectric Connection

    • Middleton Congregational Church

    • Masconomet Environmental Club

    • McCarthy Family Foundation

    • Quaker Hill Foundation, Inc.

    • Rogers Family Foundation

    • Second Congregational Church of Boxford, Board of Outreach

    • Smaha Family Charitable Fund

    • Sports Medicine North

    • St. James Episcopal Church

    • St. Patrick's School

    • St. Paul's Episcopal Church

    • State Street Foundation

    • The Allyn Foundation, Inc.

    • The Goddard School

    • The M&T Charitable Foundation

    • The Mother Connection

    • The Savings Bank

    • Today Real Estate

    • Valerie's Gallery

    In-Kind Support

    • Academy Mortgage

    • Andover Memorial Hall Library

    • Benson’s Ice Cream

    • Boba Inc.

    • Boxford Police Department

    • Cafe Sarina

    • Cardinal Health

    • Christ Church Parish Day School

    • Danvers YMCA

    • Dermatology Associates of Danvers

    • E & R - The Campus Laundry

    • First Congregational Church of Georgetown Women’s Guild

    • Golf Country

    • Georgetown Insurance

    • Greater Newburyport Mother’s and Families Club

    • Hamilton/Wenham Mother’s Club

    • IFS/Middleton

    • King’s Dining and Entertainment, Kings Cares

    • Lynnfield Mother’s Group

    • Maggie’s Farm

    • MASCO National Honor Society

    • Mortgage Network, Inc.

    • Middleton Congregational Church

    • Plumb Island Beachcoma

    • Proctor School Topsfield

    • Qiagen

    • Re/Max on the River

    • Richardson’s Farm, Inc.

    • Riverwalk Brewery

    • Roosevelt School in Melrose

    • Saint James Episcopal Church, Rowley

    • Saint Michael’s School, North Andover

    • Second Congregational Church, Boxford

    • Simplify Compliance

    • Starbucks

    • TD Bank

    • The Tower Foundation

    • Topsfield House of Pizza

    • Topsfield Library

    • TSDAndover

    • Veracross

    • West Elementary School, Andover

      We apologize for any errors or omissions. Please notify us at info@CommunityGivingTree.org for corrections.