Five Great Melrose Non-Profits Making a Difference

Patch Picks highlights readers and editors suggestions of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off, and more. This week, we asked for five great Melrose non-profits that are making a difference. Your picks and ours:

1. : The Melrose Alliance Against Violence is known for many programs and initiatives in Melrose, but it's MAAV's mentoring program that matches Melrose middle schoolers with adult mentors that garnered two nominations for this week's column. Ann Marie Roth said her daughter started participating in the program two years ago.

"Socially she has come so far and has meet really nice friends. I believe it is due to the program and the wonderful volunteers," Roth wrote. "I really have to give so much credit to her mentor who the program matched up so well. This person spent quality time from painting at the pond to lunch somewhere local to a whale watch in town with another girl from the program. I always felt comfortable with this person taking my daughter out, I can't say enough, thanks for a great program."

Cindy Casey seconded those remarks, writing, "The Melrose Mentoring program has been great! Patrick has enjoyed doing many group activities and volunteering in the community with this program. He has met many new friends and is happy that he is part of the group."

2. Northeast Youth Ballet: Jennifer Leclerc nominated Northeast Youth Ballet for making a difference not only in Melrose, but on the entire North Shore.

"For 15 years, NYB has provided amateur dancers from elementary school through college the opportunity to perform in a professional environment," Leclerc wrote, "Regardless of their background or level of training, and they enrich our local community with lecture demonstrations, scholarships, mentoring, and outreach programs."

Leclerc cited the NYB's S.T.A.R.S. program, which encourages and educates individuals of all ages who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend a ballet; its mentoring program, which partners professional dancers for one year with NYB's young students; the the organizations cultural exchange program, which exposes students to different artistic directors, choreographers, styles of dance, and cultures.

3. Melrose Family Room: Timothy Donnelly nominated the Melrose Family Room, which he wrote is an "under-appreciated resource" that helps build community by creating a common play space for families with pre-schoolers. His own family, through friends and contacts made through the Family Room, has found help with everything from choosing a school to finding a local dentist.

"They run various activities for the members, but also contribute back to the community by running food drives and sponsoring other volunteer activities," Donnelly wrote. "Most importantly, it creates friendships among children and parents that might not have existed previously. As our family has found, those friendships can be one of the keys to enjoying life here in Melrose, especially if you are not a native ... With over 20 years under it's belt I hope it's here 20 years from now to continue to provide a the starting foundation of community for families in Melrose."

4. : Formerly the Melrose Arts and Cultural Association, its hard to miss everything that MelroseArts does in the community. Each year the organization holds the annual ArtsFest at Memorial Hall, which has become a destination for artists across Massachusetts—but still makes sure to feature Melrose artists.

The group also runs the annual on Main Street and , exposing Melrosians to the talent right here in the city, and partners with the city to offer classes to budding artists.

5. : Like the Melrose Family Room, "the Network," as it's commonly called, offers a wide-range of programs for young parents and their children in Melrose and in neighboring cities and towns, creating a community of support. Among the offerings by the Network include caregiver/child play and learn groups, drop-in play, , , parent workshops and other resources to families in the community.