Wareham, Massachusetts
Community Organizations
Wareham is served by a network of nonprofits that feed people, protect the water, keep the town’s history and put a boat under a teenager. Every one of them takes volunteers, and several of them will take you before you can vote.
Community Organizations
| Organization | What they do |
|---|---|
| Wareham Free Library | In its own words, the library “provides a comfortable and welcoming place that stimulates people’s imaginations, creates young readers, and connects residents to the world.” A library card also works at libraries across Massachusetts. |
| Wareham Land Trust | Its mission is “to conserve Wareham’s open space and natural resources, unite citizens in a common goal of conservation and responsible land use, and educate the public about the environmental and economic benefits of protected land.” |
| Buzzards Bay Coalition | “A membership-supported nonprofit organization that works to protect clean water in communities of Southeastern New England.” Wareham’s harbor and rivers all drain into the bay it is named for. |
| Onset Bay Center | The Coalition’s waterfront centre in the restored historic Onset Bathhouse, “offering sailing, kayaking, and other programming.” One of the easiest places in town for a teenager to get onto the water. |
| Wareham Historical Society | “Chartered in 1957 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Wareham Historical Society’s purpose is to promote interest in, and preservation of, the history of Wareham.” |
| Damien’s Place Food Pantry | “Damien’s Place food pantry seeks to provide food assistance to all individuals who face food insecurity.” |
| Turning Point of Wareham | “A nonprofit, community-based organization serving as a day resource and referral center for those facing housing instability.” It is run by the Wareham Area Committee for the Homeless. |
| Onset Bay Association | “An all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit bringing community events and village beautification to Onset, Massachusetts.” The summer events on the Onset waterfront are largely its doing. |
| Gleason Family YMCA | Wareham’s branch of YMCA Southcoast, which “has been working to provide health and social services to thousands of youth, families, and individuals throughout the Southcoast region for over 160 years.” |
Descriptions are quoted from each organisation’s own website, read on 2026-08-05.
Where Wareham News Comes From
Knowing who covers your town is a civic skill of its own. If you want to know what the Select Board did on Tuesday, one of these will tell you before the minutes are approved six weeks later.
| Outlet | Notes |
|---|---|
| Wareham Week | The town’s own newsroom, and the one that covers Select Board meetings, Town Meeting and the fire districts week to week. Part of the Week Today network. |
| Wareham Media | Wareham’s public, educational and government access station, formerly Wareham Community Television, at 505 Main Street. Its government channel is Comcast 26 and Verizon 29, which is where you can watch a Select Board meeting or Town Meeting without leaving the house. It takes members and runs classes. |
| The Standard-Times | The New Bedford daily. It covers Wareham as part of the SouthCoast, including school sports. |
| Wareham Patch | A local news aggregator and newsletter for the town. |
Town Services Alongside Them
| Service | Notes |
|---|---|
| Wareham Council on Aging | The town’s senior centre, outreach and programs for older residents. Director Sharon Rice. 508-291-3130. |
| Wareham Housing Authority | Public housing in the town. Administrator and Executive Director Jacqueline Hickey. 508-295-8031. One seat on the Authority is filled at the town election. |
| Veterans’ Services | Benefits, claims and services for Wareham veterans and their families. Veterans’ Services Officer Vinnie Fountaine. 508-291-3100, extension 3135. |
For current hours and a fuller list, see the town’s department pages at wareham.gov.