April 2016 - North Quabbin Community Coalition

The Common Thread
A North Quabbin Community Coalition Publication
Heather’s Highlights
Dear Readers,
It is officially Spring! Please continue to check out all the cool things
happening in North Quabbin on our comprehensive calendar at
www.nqcc.org/events.html! Spring means loads to do, and many are
FREE and family friendly!
The River Rat Race is around the corner and we are pleased to once
again have a presence of marchers in the parade to support healthy
choices and prevent substance abuse in the North Quabbin. So far
we have 20 volunteers and our fingers are crossed for great
weather. Look for us on race day,
and feel free to throw on purple
and march with us! The NQCC is
again sponsoring Priscilla
Reinertsen and Cheyenn Voudren’s
canoe (right) in the race. They
placed last year and we’ll be
cheering them on this year!
Our March forum was a presentation by the North Quabbin System
of Care subcommittee focused on Trauma Informed Care. This
group is made up of Jennifer Desjardins (Heywood Healthcare
CHART), Sandi Walters (Clinical and Support Options), and Jeff
Ferranti (ARRSD). These presenters were wonderful in engaging the
crowd and starting to set the stage for true culture change in our
area regarding trauma competency. There were some great takeaways from the presentation and an open invitation was given to
anyone interested in being part of these discussions by joining the
NQ System of Care. Please contact me at 978-249-3703 or Sandi
Walters at Clinical and Support Options at 413-774-1000 to learn
more!
If you have the time, please pay our location a visit and check out
our new signage! Thank you Lyman Signs!
Heather Bialecki-Canning, Executive Director
April 2016 ~ Volume 32, Issue 9
Next Coalition
Forum:
April 15, 2016
9:00 -10:30 am
Children’s Advocacy
Center Presentation
Athol-Orange Elks Club
92 New Athol Road
Orange, MA
(Driving directions at
www.nqcc.org)
Next newsletter
submission deadline is
April 20, 2016.
Email details to
[email protected]
Visit our comprehensive
North Quabbin
Community Calendar at
nqcc.org/events.html
Like us on
Facebook
for regular
updates!
NQCC
251 Exchange Street
Athol, MA 01331
978-249-3703
www.nqcc.org
[email protected]
Our FY16 Donors
Board of Directors
Chief Tim Anderson, President
Athol Police Department
Sharon Tracy, Vice President
Quabbin Mediation
Steve Raymond, Treasurer
Athol Select Board
Lucinda Brown
Franklin County Trial Court
John Bruinsma
Community Representative
Lt. Michael Buzzard
Salvation Army
Chief R. Dana Cooley, Jr.
Petersham Police Department
Glenn Eaton
Montachusett Regional Planning
Commission
Lynne Feldman
Franklin County Home Care Corp.
Michael Grimmer
Heywood Healthcare
Pat Moore
Community Representative
Jeanette Robichaud
Athol Area YMCA
Sandi Walters
Clinical Support Options
Charlie Winters
Community Representative
Staff
Heather Bialecki-Canning
Executive Director
Katrina Burton
Project Assistant
251 Exchange Street, Athol, MA 01331
978-249-3703 ~ [email protected]
Platinum Plus Sponsors
Anonymous in Orange
Athol-Orange Rotary Club
Baldwinville Skilled Nursing &
Rehabilitation Center
Supporting Sponsors
Community Action
Clinical Support Options (CSO) Karl Bittenbender
Lucinda Brown
LUK, Inc.
Community Health Center of
Franklin County
Platinum Sponsors
Mary Kenney
Athol Savings Bank
Kimball-Cooke Insurance
MBA Mortgage – Team
Patricia Larson
Hunton
Philip Rabinowitz
Stephen Raymond
Seeds of Solidarity Education
Rebecca & Dave Bialecki
Center, Inc.
Sharon Tracy
Gold Sponsors
Town of Athol
Individual Sponsors
Hometown Bank
Barbara Corey
Hometown Realtors
Greenfield Community College
LifePath
Foundation
David Runyan
Joseph Hawkins
TrueNorth Transit Group LLC/ Roberta Meehan
MAX Bus
Mount Grace Land
Valuing Our Children
Conservation Trust, Inc.
Rep. Susannah Whipps Lee
Diane Nassif
Witty's Funeral Homes
Vicente Sanabria
Silver Sponsors
Ben Feldman
GAAMHA Inc.
GVNA HealthCare, Inc.
Quabbin Mediation
Bronze Sponsors
Bethany Lutheran
Mr. & Mrs. Winfield Brown
Lynne Feldman
Diane Lincoln
Montachusett Regional
Planning Commission
North Quabbin Citizen
Advocacy (NQCA)
Susan Paju & Heidi Strickland
Quabbin Valley Healthcare
Sen. Stan Rosenberg
TD Bank
Charles O. Winters
Sandi Walters
Other Support
Timothy Anderson
John Bruinsma
Bill & Aiden Burton
Athol Credit Union
Athol-Orange Elks
Fisher Hill School
Sue Frankewicz
Mahar Key Club
McDonalds
Pioneer Jr. Women’s Club
WJDF 97.3FM
Donations can be made via
PayPal with the link on the
cover of this publication, at
www.nqcc.org, or by check
to the address at left.
Need a job? Want to get off assistance?
Career Connections can help!
Career Connections is a free program from Corporation for Public
Management (CPM). The program helps parents find and keep work
and teaches interviewing, cover letters, how to spot a scam ad, how
to keep a job, financial literacy, and more. Those who need HiSET (formerly the GED) or literacy
classes can do so through a partnership with the Literacy Project. There are also field trips and guest
speakers to help familiarize participants with the many resources available in the North Quabbin
area. Eligible participants must be receiving TAFDC and enrollment in the program is through referral
by DTA. However, anyone interested in the program can call Crystal Parent at 978-544-3033 for more
information.
The full-time program meets ESP work requirements and a full-time daycare voucher through DTA is
available. You may also be able to get up to $80 per month for transportation reimbursement.
Career Connections is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Corporation for
Public Management (CPM), 7L East Main Street, Orange, MA.
Children’s Advocacy Center Happenings
To celebrate Child Abuse Awareness Month in April, the Children's
Advocacy Center (CAC) of Franklin County and North Quabbin and the
Greenfield Domestic Violence Task Force are co-sponsoring a flag
raising event to honor our children on April 4 at 12:00 noon on the
Greenfield Common in Greenfield. There will be a flag raising, proclamation read by Mayor Bill Martin,
and children from the Federal Street School will sing with guest speakers that include District Attorney
David E Sullivan. For more information, visit their Facebook page here.
On April 29, CAC will be holding an Open House from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at 56 Wisdom Street in
Greenfield. Community members are invited to stop in to meet the staff and take a tour of their new
house.
Save the date of June 3 from 7:30 to 9:00 am for CAC’s 3rd Annual Healing & Hope Breakfast at
Terrazza Restaurant at Greenfield Country Club, 224 Country Club Road in Greenfield. Learn how the
newly opened Advocacy Center transforms lives of children they serve and why they need your
support. There is no cost to attend the breakfast, but you will be asked to make a donation to support
the Center. If you are interested in attending or becoming a sponsor, please contact Irene Woods at
508-843-7306 or [email protected]. For more information, visit their website at cacfranklinnq.org.
Parent Connection: SNAP Benefits
Learn about how to use SNAP Benefits to receive a box of healthy produce every week at a low price
at Valuing Our Children, 217 Walnut Street, Athol, on April 8 from 10:15 to 11:45 am. Childcare is
available. Call Charlene at 978-249-8467 to RSVP.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Fundraisers
Big Brothers Big Sisters serves all 26 towns in Franklin County
as well as the towns of Athol, Phillipston, Royalston and
Petersham in the North Quabbin. They will be holding their Annual Bowlathon, “Bowl for Kids’
Sake” on April 16 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm at the French King Bowling Alley, 55 French King
Highway, Erving . This year’s theme is Alice in Wonderland! Visit http://bbbs-fc.org/fundraisingevents/bowl-for-kids-sake
Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of several beneficiaries of the Future Begins Here Gala at the
Holyoke Mall, 50 Holyoke Street, Holyoke, on May 1 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Franklin County area
items will be featured in their silent and live auction. For more information, visit
http://futurebeginshere.org.
Erving Police Participating in the Massachusetts
DPH-Funded Sharps Box Program
The Erving Police Department has announced that a secure sharps (needle
or lancet) disposal box is now available in the Erving Police Department
lobby at 71 French King Highway, Erving .
The prescription drug drop off box is also available in the lobby for your
medications. Please do not put needles or lancets in the green box. This
box is for dry medications only (no liquid.)
Proper disposal of medication and sharps (needles and lancets) is an important part of keeping
our community safe. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call the station at
413-423-3310.
Literacy Volunteers of Orange/Athol Meet & Greet
Literacy Volunteers of Orange/Athol (LVOA) is proud to announce their grand reopening with a public Meet-and-Greet on April 19 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in the
conference room of the Athol Public Library, 568 Main Street, Athol. The event
will be hosted by Catherine King, the newly hired Program Coordinator. Light
refreshments will be served.
After a brief hiatus in services, the agency is actively seeking potential Board Members, tutors and
students, whether or not they have been involved with the program in the past. LVOA presents
opportunities for one-to-one tutoring for individuals in the area.
Office hours will be held at the Athol Library, 568 Main Street, on Tuesdays from 4:00 to 7:00 pm,
Wednesdays from 3:00 to 5:00 pm and on Thursdays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, or by appointment.
For more information, call 978-249-5381 or email Ms. King at [email protected].
Opioid Task Force Events
Spirituality and Addiction Workshop
A workshop for faith-based leaders, treatment providers and
professionals who work with the addiction and recovery community will take place on April 15 from
9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Second Congregational Church, 16 Court Square, Greenfield. This
workshop will include discussions about what addiction is, how to recognize it, and how faith can
inform the way we interact with those suffering with addiction; presentations from featured
speaker Rev. Janice Ford, RN, MS, CNS; information from local service providers about resources
available in Franklin County and the surrounding area and much more. For more information or to
register, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1706972822917955.
Section 35: What You Need to Know
The Franklin County Bar Association, with support from the Opioid Task Force, is hosting an
informational session for the community about Section 35 on April 20 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at
Greenfield Community College Downtown, 270 Main Street, Greenfield. This event is free and open
to the public. Healthcare and treatment providers, family members, law enforcement officials,
school staff and community members are encouraged to attend. Click here to RSVP.
The United Arc Presents Two Free Workshops
Creating Effective Parent-School Partnerships Workshop
A free workshop for parents and professionals will be held on April 7 from
6:00 to 8:00 pm at The United Arc/GAAAFSN, 294 Avenue A, Turners Falls.
Guest Presenter, Laurel Peltier, a parent and educator, will discuss how to create effective parentschool partnerships. Come learn what parents, educators and advocates can do. Educating children
requires a partnership—friends, family members, professionals, and support persons are
encouraged to attend.
For more information or to register, contact Melissa Davis at 413-774-5558 x1042, email
[email protected], or register on the web at www.unitedarc.org.
An IEP for My Child Workshop
A free workshop for parents and professionals will be held on April 28 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at
The United Arc/GAAAFSN, 361 Main Street, Athol, MA. The Federation for Children with Special
Needs is presenting this workshop to educate parents step by step on how to develop an IEP and
articulate a vision. Friends, family members, professionals, and support persons are encouraged to
attend.
For more information or to register, contact Melissa Davis at 413-774-5558 x1042, email
[email protected] or register on the web at www.unitedarc.org.
Seeds of Solidarity’s April Offerings
April 16 : Wendell Full Moon Coffeehouse, in Wendell Town Hall, 6 Center
Street, Wendell, will present a performance by Slik Picker and the Green
Sisters at 7:30 pm to benefit Seeds of Solidarity’s youth and community
programs! The band offers folk, blue grass, farm-raised acoustics and great
harmonies. The famous dessert-o-rama will also be available! For more
information, visit www.wendellfullmoon.org.
April 30: Seeds of Solidarity founder and 3-decade farmer Ricky Baruc will teach several ways of
building soil and nourishing soil life for low maintenance, highly productive gardens in a No-Till
Gardening for Life workshop from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Seeds of Solidarity Education Center,
165 Chestnut Hill Road, Orange. Treating the soil as sacred results in the most nourishing food,
ways of growing that mitigate the impacts of climate change, and promotes a deeper relationship
with that which sustains us. Baruc is one of eleven farmers across the nation sharing their
techniques with Cornell University to advance research and practice in sustainable no-till farming
methods. Sliding scale of $35-$50. Pre-registration requested by emailing
[email protected].
Athol Bird &
Nature Club
Events
Literacy Volunteers of
Orange/Athol Grand
Reopening Meet & Greet
Unless otherwise
noted, programs are
free and open to all and meet at
the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main
Street, Athol. Full information at
http://atholbirdclub.org/abnc-events.
After a brief hiatus in services, Literacy
Volunteers of Athol/Orange (LVOA) is
reopening with a Meet & Greet on April 19
from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Athol Public
Library Conference Room, 568 Main Street,
Athol. Catherine King, the newly hired Program
Coordinator will host and light refreshments
will be served.
Accessible Birding with Joe—April 12 @ 10am
Diabase Rock: CT River Valley
and ABNC Monthly Meeting—April 13 @ 7pm
“Early Bird” Birding w/Jeff—April 15 @ 7am
“Early Bird” Birding w/Jeff—April 22 @ 7am
“Early Bird” Birding w/Ernie—April 24 @ 7am
“Early Bird” Birding w/Jeff—April 29 @ 7am
Early Dragonflies & More—April 30 @ 9am
“Early Bird” Birding w/Ernie—May 1 @ 7am
“Early Bird” Birding w/Jeff—May 6 @ 7am
Accessible Birding with Joe—May 10 @ 10am
American Turtle Observatory—May 11 @ 7pm
“Early Bird” Birding w/Jeff—May 13 @ 7am
Montague Plains for Nighthars—May 14 @ 7am
“Early Bird” Birding w/Jeff—May 20 @ 7am
Quabbin for Birds—May 21 @ 7am
LVOA is actively seeking potential Board
Members, tutors and students, whether they
have been involved with the program in the
past or are interested in developing a new
relationship with the program.
Office hours will be held at the Athol Library,
568 Main Street, on Tuesdays (4:00 – 7:00 pm),
Wednesdays (3:00 – 5:00 pm and on Thursdays
(11:00 am – 4:00 pm, or by appointment. For
more information, call 978- 249-5381 or email
Ms. King at [email protected].
Barbara Corey Award Nominations Sought
The 19th Annual Barbara Corey Award will be presented at the North Quabbin Community Coalition
Annual Luncheon on June 17, 2016 and we are asking for nominations for this important award. The
award is named for Barbara Corey, the first coordinator of the Coalition from 1984 until her
retirement in 1997. Barbara embodies the spirit of the Coalition because of her passion, her values,
her commitment to humanity and her love of the North Quabbin region. The award is presented to
someone in the North Quabbin Community who has gone above and beyond in their commitment
to improving the quality of life for those living and working in the region. To nominate someone,
send us your name and contact information, their name and a description of why you nominate
them to: [email protected] (please put Barbara Corey Nomination in the Subject line), NQCC, Barbara
Corey Award, 251 Exchange Street, Athol, MA 01331, or fax to 978-575-0474. Visit
www.nqcc.org/pdfs/corey.pdf for an online form.
North Quabbin Community Coalition
251 Exchange Street, Athol MA 01331
www.nqcc.org
Mission Statement: The North Quabbin Community Coalition is a community-wide alliance committed to improving the
quality of life for all those living and working in the North Quabbin since 1984.
How You Can Help the
Coalition!
Become a Member! Visit www.nqcc.org.
Add our website address to your website.
Our site is full of beneficial resources and it
would help people find us and them.
Send your events and job listings to us at
[email protected] to be added to our
comprehensive North Quabbin Community
Calendar or Employment Opportunity pages.
Contribute stories, announcements and
events to our newsletter. Our readership
grows each week and you will reach many.
Like us on Facebook.
Open an account at TD Bank and ask to join
their Affinity Membership Program. It costs
you nothing and TD Bank will make an
annual contribution to the NQCC based on
members’ balances.
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