Lexington Nonprofits and Charities

It's a wonderful non-profit that supports so many causes.

Had a bad experience working with Bio 4 Climate as a consultant. Unfortunately, they were very unprofessional. They acted more like we were working for them. When given criticism they were very defensive and blamed us.

I worked with a young boy with diabetes whose dad died. He could not go to a regular camp because of the severity of his diabetes and needed a specialized camp. Through a scholarship from Wildflower he was able to attend the right camp for him, giving him and his mom a wonderful summer.

I have witnessed the success of the Children's Dyslexia Center-Madison. Children are learning to read using highly structured phonics based instruction. first they decode sound by sound, then syllable by syllable and then use morphology to read fluently. It is amazing.

My students thrived with the work from this organization that develops their own Executive Functioning curriculum, webinars, tutorials and support.<br>I am a fan and I would welcome any work opportunities or further use of their materials when I am at the schools.

Our family was looking to adopt kittens early on during the pandemic and we were having trouble finding any available. Then REAL Cruzan Cats was recommended to us. I was amazed that this nonprofit found a way to transport kittens and cats that needed homes from St Croix to Massachusetts - it seemed too good to be true! After looking into their organization I felt good about working with them - they do amazing TNR work on St. Croix in addition to the fostering and adoptions they oversee. We filled out an application and chatted with the foster mom of the kittens we were interested in to make sure we were a good fit for each other. When they were old enough to be separated from their mom and safely transported, they hopped a flight with some generous volunteers and we welcomed littermates Sambuca, Truffle, and Rotini into our lives. Their mom and other two littermates were adopted by another family in Mass. They arrived fully vetted and socialized and have been a joy to our family. We love that we kept some of the family together, and they just celebrated their 2nd birthdays and are enjoying being spoiled. And I like knowing we can reach out to REAL Cruzan Cats for support and guidance if we ever need it. I am excited about the cat sanctuary they have plans to build on the island, and hope to have the opportunity to visit and volunteer to help make it a reality.

Project Chacocente's mission is to move families from the city dump in Managua, Nicaragua to a rural site a few miles outside the city. Families built their own simple houses and each work a small plot of land. Children attend the on-site Chacocente Christian school. Parents must also work toward basic literacy, as well as working to support themselves & the community. I believe there were 10 families in the initial project, and with some changes along the way, I think 8 have successfully completed their 5-year agreement. Which means they now own their houses & land! Nicaragua is a rough place to live and try to support a family, and it hasn't been easy. Chaco still depends a lot on American support but our money has been well used: they have a good sized school with a paid Nicaraguan teaching staff (which some children from the surrounding area also attend), a library, a new large capacity kitchen building, and are completing a building for a high school. I've supported Chacocente for almost 10 years, and have visited them twice. A trip to see the many people who still live on the dump turned my stomach. I've had the good fortune to get to know the founder, Cheryl Avery, and Omar Hernandez. They are both down-to earth people who devote themselves to the project and people. They are now raising funds to buy another plot of farmland and move more families. This is a simple grass-roots organization which doesn't spend much at all for fund raising or administration. All the supporters pay their own way. The reason for not giving them 5 stars is I don't think they do the best job communicating and publicizing their work. I think they could raise more money and help more families if better information were widely available (my thoughts). People who get to know Chacocente often become enthusiastic supporters. You can visit their website at OutOfTheDump.org

I was an intern at COMPASS for kids for four years. Initially it was just a job but after seeing change occur in the lives of the homeless clients, and even the early childhood educators. This program has inspired me and as it grows I see myself informing those in need about it. The organization is located in Lexington but serves clients in Great Boston and the Greater Lawrence area (and will some day span across Massachusetts). I can see this program being piloted in other states as well. I hope I can continue to make a difference with the company despite no longer working there.

As a current Board Member, I know, from my involvement with SPIN USA internally, how dedicated the staff members of SPIN are to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families. Through their training, SPIN USA helps struggling parents see their potential to be loving, nurturing primary caregivers to their children. The unique and invaluable service that SPIN USA provides and their commitment to nurture, empower and transform vulnerable children and families makes SPIN USA a Great Nonprofit. SPIN USA is an amazing, effective, innovative organization. By integrating current research and theory, SPIN USA is impacting educational and social service agencies at multiple levels. Their work is so exciting because it effectively improves outcomes for struggling children and families at the direct service level, but it also impacts the ability of an organization to successfully achieve its mission. By helping parents, staff and leaders recognize their strengths and capabilities, SPIN nurtures, empowers and transforms human performance so that everyone succeeds