Community Investments

The Community Investment Committee is pleased to announce the 2020 Community Grant Recipients!
 
     Holliston Public Library - Museum Passes
     Holliston Parks & Recreation - Summer Concerts in the Park
     Holliston Fire Department - Ice Commander Rescue Suit
     Holliston Police Department - Contributed to Flex-Safe Barriers
     Holliston Community Farm - Contributed to Electrical Upgrades
     Marigold Project - Contributed to Bulbs for Fall Planting
     A donation was also made to the Holliston Pantry Shelf
 
These recipients really appreciate our efforts, which help them give that extra back to our community. Remember that the Community Grant money is raised during the various fundraising activities held throughout the year, and why it is so important for the Newcomers & Neighbors membership to volunteer at and support these events.  The 2019 fundraising events that contributed to the 2020 Grant fund were Princess & Superhero Party, Rock & Roll Bingo, Touch-A-Truck, The Great Pumpkin Trail, and Gingerbread House Decorating. Thanks to all those who organized and volunteered at these events.
 
Thanks also to fellow committee members Christel DiPippo, Sue Hatton, Lisa Mancuso, and Beth Welch for the time and effort that they put into the review and selection process.
 
Debbie
Community Investments Chair
Community Investment Committee 
HNNCommunityInvestments@gmail.com

Book Club

With so many cancellations lately, it was wonderful that book club successfully held our April meeting.  Eleven people joined in on Zoom to enjoy catching up with other members and discussion of our past two books, Where the Crawdads Sing, and A Gentleman in Moscow.  Both titles got a thumbs up by participants, so if you are looking for a good read, check them out! Many thanks go to Cindy for coordination and hosting our first Zoom meeting.
 
Please save the date for our next virtual Book Club meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:30pm when we will again meet up, catch up, and discuss this month’s book, Olive, Again, by Elizabeth Strout. Registration will be required, so please check out our Facebook page, and/or the reminder email that is sent out a day or two before the meeting.
 
Libraries remain closed, yet digital access to collections is readily available.  Allow extra time to request titles as there may be a wait.  Check out hollistonlibrary.org for instructions on using the Minuteman network to borrow digital and audio versions.  While there, find instructions for expanding your online borrowing options by creating a Boston Public Library account. 
 

"Olive Kitteridge has returned, as indomitable as ever, this time as a person getting older, navigating her next decade as she comes to terms with the changes--sometimes welcome, sometimes not--in her own life. Here is Olive, strangely content in her second marriage, still in an evolving relationship with her son and his family, encountering a cast of memorable characters in the seaside town of Crosby, Maine. Whether it's a young girl coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth at a baby shower, or a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, the irascible Olive improbably touches the lives of others."--Provided by publisher.

Upcoming selection:
June: The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica

Cindy and Sue
Book Club Co-Chairs 
Cindy Carr   carr.cynthiad@gmail.com
Sue Hatton   hncbookclub@outlook.com

Join the Ladies of HNN for a virtual get together on Friday, May 1, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Just send us an email, hncladiesescape@gmail.com, and we'll reply before May 1st with the Zoom link to join! (And feel free to join us any time between 8 & 8:30 p.m. based on your schedule.) Grab a glass of wine, a hot cup of tea, or a bowl of ice cream and snuggle down for a chat with friends. Please come with a favorite activity, recipe, drink, book or whatever has brought you joy or peace while at home, to share with the group. We look forward to seeing you!

I know that this has been a difficult month for everyone. I would like to thank those in the membership who are part of the ‘essential’ workers who are taking care of us and those around us.  Medical professionals and support staff, first responders, store and restaurant workers, IT professionals, volunteers for organizations, or just someone making meals, or trips for those who need help - the list goes on.  Know that we appreciate your efforts and dedication.
 
In our little world, all HNN social events were canceled as well as one of our great fundraisers - Princess & Superhero Party - scheduled for April 4th and our Easter Basket partnership with the Holliston Pantry Shelf. With a hopeful look into the future, though, we are moving forward planning Touch-A-Truck scheduled for June 14th.  But for now, the new ‘Prize A Day for the Month of May’ fundraiser was created just in the nick of time!
 
Stay healthy, enjoy your family and we look forward to seeing you around town in the not too distant future.

Debbie
President
Debbie Colburn   president.hnn@gmail.com

Announcing HNN’s new fundraiser!  And you already have a front row seat - right in your own home!
 
This fundraiser works by selling a Month of May calendar where every day is filled with different give-aways from businesses in Holliston and the surrounding communities. Every calendar will have a unique number associated with it. Then each day in May, a calendar number will be selected and the person who has that number will win that day’s prize. You can buy as many calendars as you want and you can win multiple times on the same calendar - how fun is that?

How can you and your friends be winners?  Just purchase one or more calendars at hollistonnewcomers.org ($15 for 1 calendar with discounted prices for multiples), receive your unique calendar number(s) through email, and wait to see if your name is picked.
 
Good Luck!
 
Beth, Bo, Pamela & Debbie
Prize A Day Co-Chairs
Beth Ng   bethng99@gmail.com
Bo Yai   mareournyai@gmail.com
Pamela Pinter Parsons   newpamela@comcast.net
Debbie Colburn   cd.mp@verizon.net

One of the many wonderful pleasures of reading is that a great book can be enjoyed just about anywhere, and these days there are so many ways to get a copy of a great book. Let’s join together this month in reading the very timely selection, A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles.
 
Our April gathering date is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30pm We will be putting our heads together to explore the possibility of meeting virtually. If you happen to be tech savvy or master of collaborative options, we’d love to have you host, or consult on the process, so please reach out if you can help.
 
Libraries are currently closed, yet there are still several ways to read the book.  Please check out the Holliston library website for instructions on using the Minuteman network to borrow digital and audio versions.  You can also expand your online borrowing options by creating a Boston Public Library account.  An update regarding the April meeting will be emailed to book club members as decisions are made. If you have questions and ideas, please reach the co-chairs through Facebook or email; we’d love to hear from you! 
 
 

"A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel's doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery..."-- Provided by publisher.
 
Upcoming selections:
May: Olive, Again, by Elizabeth Strout
June: The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica

Cindy and Sue
Book Club Co-Chairs 
Cindy Carr   carr.cynthiad@gmail.com
Sue Hatton   hncbookclub@outlook.com

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current State of Emergency, we regret that the following social, fundraising, and civic events have been canceled.  We thank the committees for the time and effort that they put into planning these events and look forward to getting together and helping our community in the future.
 
    Ladies’ Escape (4/3) – Jennifer Mott, Timea Kovacs, Erica Long 
     Princess & SuperHero Party (4/4) - Christel DiPippo & Donna Goyette
     Children's Activities (4/27) - Julianne Catlin  
     Easter Baskets - Mary Kinsella & Tricia Benson

Easter is Coming-April 12, 2020
 
Holliston Newcomers & Neighbors is once again sponsoring a drive for Easter Baskets for the children of the Holliston Pantry Shelf's patrons. We would like to enlist your help to have the children receive Easter Baskets. The way that this works is that family members sign up with the Pantry Shelf, and provide the child's age and gender and some ideas of what the child likes or specific interests. Once matched with a child or family, volunteers could make their own baskets or visit or call Fiske's where they will make a basket for you and the recipient. You will receive a 20 percent discount on all of the items, and Fiske's will assemble the basket for you.
 
Some further details are:
Children ages 0-3 receive a $25 gift card to Target
Children ages 4-13 receive a $25 - $30 Easter Basket
Children ages 14-18 receive a $25 gift card to Fiske's or Target
 
If you would like to participate or have some questions you can email Mary Kinsella at mlkinsella@verizon.net, and I will let you know what we need donated. Or if you prefer, you can mail or drop off a check or a $25 gift card to Target or Fiske’s. Once you have been assigned a child or family, I will email you the location for drop off, which will take place April 3 and April 4.

Your generosity is much appreciated.
Tricia and Mary
Easter Baskets Co-Chairs
Mary Kinsella   mlkinsella@verizon.net
Tricia Benson   tbens@comcast.net

We have two Ladies' Escapes coming up.

1.  Ladies' Escape: Mixology Basics
Join the HNN Ladies at the Wine House in Holliston on March 19 at 6:30 pm for "Shaken or Stirred: Mixology Basics."  Learn the basics of being a great home bartender! Victoria and Rochelle of the Wine House will be mixing up cocktails and showing us the tricks of the trade. We'll discuss spirits, mixology terms, techniques and glassware! The cost is $25, and tickets can be purchased in advance at the Wine House or over the phone at 508-429-4637.  After class, we can wander over to Casey's for a drink or bite to eat and chat.  Please note that this class is open to the public and may sell out, so purchase your tickets and let us know if you plan to join us at timusch@yahoo.com or hncladiesescape@gmail.com!
 
2. Ladies' Escape: Spring Floral Arrangements
Please join us on Friday, April 3 at 7:30 pm for a floral class!  Erica Long will be teaching us how to create a fun basket arrangement using colorful spring flowers!  The cost will be $30 per person, and all supplies will be provided - along with delicious snacks and beverages.  No need to pre-pay, just bring either cash or check with you to the event.  You can use your new floral skills (and reuse the basket!) to make a beautiful Spring centerpiece!  Erica's address will be provided upon RSVP to either timusch@yahoo.com or hncladiesescape@gmail.com.  

Jennifer and Timea
Ladies Escapes Co-Chairs
Jennifer Mott   hncladiesescape@gmail.com
Timea Kovacs   timusch@yahoo.com

Join us on April 27th at 4:00 pm at Willow Brook Farm in Holliston for snacks, petting zoo, and horse rides.  This is a favorite activity with our members each year; I hope you can make it.

The cost is $10 per child.  We must have a count before the event, so please RSVP to juliannecatlin@gmail.com with the number of children who will be attending.

See you there!
Julie
Children's Activities Chair
Julianne Catlin   juliannecatlin@gmail.com