Each Thursday, Danvers Patch runs a new weekly feature called Patch Picks, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off and more.

Patch Picks: Five nonprofits in Danvers making a difference

Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston, 75 Sylvan St., Ste. B-102. 978-774-7566. Hospice helps provide care to individuals and families dealing with life-threatening illnesses. The organization serves more than 2,000 patients annually and volunteers gave nearly 15,000 hours in 2009 alone. In fact, Danvers Patch volunteered during one of the company’s Give 5 volunteer days. We helped them prepare for their annual walk in the fall and we got to meet some of the fine people at Hospice.

Danvers Educational Enrichment Partnership, PO Box 387. 978-777-8925. DEEP offers nearly $8,000 in grants to teachers and administrators. Its programs include funding teacher mini-grant awards for curriculum development, innovative teaching materials and equipment, one-on-one mentorships and field trips and guest speakers.

Danvers Community Access Television, 87 Elm St., second floor. 978-777-2720. Danvers’ public access television station offers hours of programming each day that keeps residents informed about their town. It’s funded partly by Comcast and Verizon gross revenues, but those who run the day-to-day operations are right here in Danvers. Programs include government meetings as well as Topics of the Town and Money Talk.

Scleroderma Foundation, 300 Rosewood Drive, Suite 105. 978-463-5843. The major nonprofit raising money for research for scleroderma, a chronic connective tissue disease that is one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases, is based right here in Danvers. The Rosewood Drive organization raises an average of $1 million annually and has given out more than $14 million for research since 1989.

Special Olympics Massachusetts – North Section 100 Conifer Hill Drive Suite 302. 978-750-1051. The Special Olympics of Massachusetts’ North Section headquarters are located in Danvers. More than 11,000 Special Olympians compete in the state. In fact, the Special Olympics will also host its North Section Candlepin Bowling Tournament at Sunnyside Bowladrome on April 3.