Fidelity Bank  announced it has granted $15,000 to three local non-profits focused on food insecurity, personal hygiene and veterans outreach programs and services. The grants stem from an annual opportunity through the endowment fund for Fidelity Bank colleagues to nominate and vote for local nonprofits that are making a difference in the regions the Bank serves.

The donations were awarded to the following organizations:

Hope and Comfort (Needham) received a $5,000 donation to support the organization’s Hygiene Hub, the largest known hygiene bank in the country. The hub provides sustained access to hygiene essentials such as soap, toothpaste, deodorant, and menstrual products.

“Hygiene insecurity is tied to economic hardship, and individuals and families often prioritize other necessities like food and shelter over hygiene products,” said Kerry Carter, CEO, Hope and Comfort. “Through the generosity of Fidelity Bank, we will be able to purchase thousands of products which will provide people across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut with improved health, self-esteem, dignity and confidence.”

7^th Annual PFC Keely Walsh Ride for Veterans (Clinton) received a $5,000 donation to support the memorial motorcycle ride with proceeds benefiting Clear Path for Veterans. The organization is a wellness-based Veteran’s Community Center to reconnect veterans to their communities upon their return home from deployment.

“Every year, the PFC Keely Walsh Ride for Veterans selects a local organization assisting veterans with wellness services, housing, food and other needs,” said Wanda Walsh, Keely’s mother. “This memorial ride honors all veterans, including my daughter, Keely. A member of the Army National Guard, she was killed in a single vehicle accident on her way to National Guard Drill in Belchertown on December 14, 2014. Through the generosity of Fidelity Bank, we are able to ensure all our veterans have access to the services they need and deserve now and in the future.”

Spanish American Center (Leominster) received a $5,000 donation to support the Center’s programs and services, such as afterschool activities, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, domestic violence support and counseling, legal advocacy clinics, online voter registration, elder referrals and advocacy, and a food pantry.

“We are in a crisis right now with our funding, especially in our food pantry,” said Neddy Latimer, executive director, Spanish American Center. “As our overall funding has decreased due to budget cuts across the country, this donation comes at such an important time and will allow us to continue offering meals and food to our clients. We are grateful to Fidelity Bank and their employees for selecting our organization with this generous donation as it will go a long way toward helping those who need it most.”

“As part of our LifeDesign brand promise, it’s our mission to provide care for our communities, and through our new Charitable Endowment Fund we can live our values and make a meaningful difference in the communities we serve,” said Towma Rastad, community engagement manager, Fidelity Bank. “The Spanish American Center, Hope for Comfort and PFC Keely Walsh Ride for Veterans are all pivotal to our community. We hope these donations will help them respond to the social, health, housing, and hunger needs of the communities we serve.”

We’re excited to announce that Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) Corporate Training will be hosting a brand-new interactive Spanish course this January, designed specifically for supervisors and managers.

This hands-on class equips leaders with the tools to communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking employees. Using real workplace examples and targeted vocabulary, participants will gain the confidence to connect, collaborate, and foster a more inclusive work environment.

Companies are encouraged to send one employee or an entire team—this is a great opportunity to strengthen communication and teamwork across your organization.

Funding Opportunity:
This course has been approved through the Workforce Training Fund Express Program, which may cover the cost for eligible companies. If you’re interested in pursuing this option, arrangements for grant funding should begin at least four weeks prior to the class start date.

Registration:
Register today using this link: https://forms.office.com/r/CNPWRphsVr

Growing Places, in partnership with the City of Gardner, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the new Waterford Street Regional Food Center, located at 62 Waterford Street, Gardner, MA.

The ceremony featured remarks from Representative Jonathan Zlotnik, Mayor Mike Nicholson of Gardner, Steve Adams, President of the North Central Massachusetts Community Foundation, Farmer John Gove, and Ayn Yeagle, Executive Director of Growing Places. Together, they marked this significant milestone in strengthening the regional food system, supporting local farmers, and expanding equitable food access across North Central Massachusetts. All speakers emphasized the project’s importance for Gardner and the North Central MA’s region’s economic and community health.

“This center is more than a facility—it’s a bridge,” said Ayn Yeagle during her remarks. “A bridge between our farms, families, and providers that feed our community – between opportunity and equity – between health and economic growth. It strengthens our regional food system, a hidden gem of North Central MA, and ensures that the food grown here in North Central Massachusetts feeds the people who live here.”

“This has really been a labor of love on the part of Growing Places but a labor of love for the people of our region,” said Gardner Mayor Mike Nicholson. “Growing Places providing the food for several of our students in the schools, expanding their programming now with our after-school program about different ways that food can be prepared. This really is something that’s very positive for this region, positive for the city and I’m very excited to see the great work that’s happening.”

“Just about three years ago exactly, the mayor, Ayn and I stood in the corner just over there and announced what our vision was for repurposing the former Waterford Street School,” remarked State Representative Jon Zlotnik recalling the steps taken to get to the opening of the new Food Center. “Then last year at the other end of this room, we signed a lease with Growing Places to really kick off this adventure in earnest and now that the processing center for Growing Places is fully operational, we are so proud to be here celebrating another milestone and cutting a ribbon. This is a major benefit to our residents and our region as a whole, and I am glad that we were all able to work together to get us to this point today to connect our local agriculture economy directly to people’s tables right here in Gardner.”

About the Regional Food Center

The Waterford Street Regional Food Center was developed through the Local Food Works Coalition, coordinated by Growing Places, with support from local farmers, the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), and numerous community partners and funders.

Designed to address barriers that have historically limited small and underserved local farmers and community members from fully benefiting from the region’s agricultural potential, the new center purchases produce at fair prices from farmers and provide light processing such as peeling, chopping, freezing, and dehydrating local fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Food from the center is distributed to community members across the region’s 27 cities and towns through Growing Places’ home delivery program, as well as to schools, colleges, hospitals, restaurants, and grocery stores across the state. The center currently supports 30+ farmers through purchasing programs that ensure fair compensation and consistent demand.

About Growing Places

About Growing Places Established in 2001, Growing Places is a regional nonprofit food system organization based in North Central Massachusetts, serving 27 cities and towns that are home to over 180 small and underserved farms and more than 275,000 residents. Our mission is to actively engage in the North Central MA regional food system and strengthen community capacity to transform that system into one that promotes equity, fosters collective well-being, nurtures economic resilience, and sustains the environment.

For more information, visit www.growingplaces.org or contact Ayn Yeagle at

LUK, Inc. was recently awarded $25,000 in funding from the Amelia Peabody Foundation to support their Mentoring program.

LUK Mentoring pairs caring, responsible adults with youth age 6-17 in the community who would benefit from having an additional trusted adult in their life. Mentors serve as positive role models for the youth, encouraging healthy behavioral and social development.

The organization has received funding from the Amelia Peabody Foundation for Mentoring since 2013. These funds will directly support providing site-based and community-based mentors for new youth in the program.

“We have been fortunate to be a recipient of Amelia Peabody Foundation funds for several years and they are instrumental for us to help sustain our programming,” said Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Support Services, Shawn Fleurie. “We have a waitlist of 75 or more youth seeking a mentor, and these funds will help us to recruit, onboard, train, and match mentors to 13 of those youth throughout Worcester County.”

LUK is grateful for the ongoing support of the Amelia Peabody Foundation in helping them build stronger communities.