Christmas is about giving, and this year, more than ever, Nantucket non-profits need some extra help. The organizations that enhance our island experience with classes, workshops, theatre, music, art, and education are struggling to keep offering their programs. Here are six island organizations who give back to our community and who would be grateful for some extra help this holiday season.
Nantucket Historical Association just ended their annual Festival of Wreaths and the fundraising auction that is a part of that fun annual event. Their mission is to preserve and share Nantucket history, and the NHA has done an excellent job keeping the Nantucket Whaling Museum open and safe for visitors. Their Festival of Trees opens to the public on November 27, and will be one of the few in-person activities this holiday season. There’s still time to give to the NHA’s Annual Fund. Donations to this fund support every aspect of the NHA and will help them keep their doors open to visitors and the community.
For more than a century, the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association has educated and inspired the next generation of scientists and environmental stewards. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for children, students, and adults, and their motto of “Explore, Educate, Enjoy” expresses the dedication and passion of their staff. A holiday donation to their Annual Fund will help MMA continue to connect learners of all ages to the natural world.
Egan Maritime Institute cultivates Nantucket’s maritime leaders of tomorrow while ensuring the island’s seafaring and lifesaving heritage are preserved and celebrated. They strive to inspire residents and visitors by telling the dramatic tales of selfless acts by the heroic men and women who have and continue to safeguard Nantucket’s waters. A donation to their Annual Fund will help Egan Maritime to expand its offerings and engage a larger audience while continuing to seek maritime experiences and opportunities to enrich the island’s coastal community.
The spirit of theatre on Nantucket has been kept alive by White Heron Theatre with their dramatic and entertaining podcasts The Ghost Light Series. Tickets are available now for Fezziwig’s Virtual Holiday Bash: a watch party of A Nantucket Christmas Carol, adapted by Mark Shanahan from the Charles Dickens classic. This special event at 7 pm on December 14 will feature a video celebration of the holidays on Nantucket with White Heron’s acting company, featuring more than a dozen veterans of stage and screen. Despite the challenges of 2020, White Heron continued to create. By purchasing a ticket to the December event and, if you can, making a contribution to support the theatre, so that they can reopen stronger than ever!
Thanksgiving Weekend, November 26, 27, 28, and 29, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket is presenting a Holiday Special you can watch from home. This free holiday offering is sure to warm the hearts of audiences of all ages. Producing Artistic Director Justin Cerne tells us, “We are so grateful for the support we’ve received this year and extremely pleased to have been able to offer this level of virtual programming free to our Nantucket community throughout 2020 and this holiday season.” Theatre Workshop of Nantucket is Nantucket’s longest-running professional theatre, creating exciting and vibrant productions since 1956. Many Nantucket families make it part of their annual tradition to kick off the holiday season with a show at Theatre Workshop of Nantucket and TWN is grateful to have been able to offer our community exceptional holiday programming over the last several years.
The Community Foundation for Nantucket has established the Nantucket Fund for Emergency Relief. This COVID-19 response fund is awarding grants on a rolling basis to Nantucket nonprofits addressing the most important community needs during the health crisis. Grants focus on providing operational assistance to our Island’s nonprofit human service providers. The goal of this fund is to sustain critical care and services during this pandemic, including access to food, housing support, services for seniors, and more. With a challenge grant in place from the McCausland Foundation, your gift can go even further to help your neighbors.