News from our members

Wachusett Brewing Company launches new beer for the holidays to support Trees For Soldiers Project

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“Holiday” Double IPA features 2020 Veterans Hop Blend by Yakima Chief Hops

Just in time for its release on Veteran’s Day, Wachusett Brewing Company is launching a special new beer for a very special cause.  “Holiday” Double IPA features a limited-edition hop blend by Yakima Chief Hops that raises money annually for veteran causes.  To help add to the holiday spirit, Wachusett has partnered with Trees for Soldiers out of Leominster, MA that donates Christmas trees to veterans and military families in need.

“We are so honored to be a part of this project”, said Valerie Brock, Director of Fermentation at Wachusett Brewing Company and a former Sargent in the Army National Guard.  “The 2020 blend features five different hops from the Pacific Northwest including Idaho 7, HBC 692, Sabra, Mosaic, and HBC 630 that will give this Double IPA great tropical fruit aromatics and a wonderful citrus profile”.

“Since 2010, it has been our privilege to show our support toward our local US Servicemen, women, and their families by providing Christmas trees at no charge, and to be a conduit for others in our community to show their appreciation as well, for our hero’s.  We are honored to have been chosen to participate in the roll out of the Wachusett Brewing Company’s new IPA, and grateful for their support toward our program.  We could not ask for a better way to kick off our 10th year of giving!” said Joe Firmani, Operation Service Director.”

Holiday Double IPA will be released the week of November 9th on tap at all 3 Wachusett Brew Yards in Westminster, Worcester, and the newly opened Cambridge location and in 16oz cans in Westminster only. A portion of the proceeds at every location will go directly to the Trees For Soldiers Project.

For more information about Wachusett Brewing Company, visit www.wachusettbrew.com

About Wachusett Brewing Company

WBC produces a diverse, award-winning line of beers ranging from their best-selling Blueberry Ale to their highly-rated Wally New England IPA series.

John W. Reedy, appointed to Leominster Credit Union Board of Directors

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LEOMINSTER, MA – The Board of Directors of Leominster Credit Union (LCU) voted to appoint John W. Reedy, as a director.

Prior to his appointment to the board, Reedy has served on the LCU Advisory Committee and also as an LCU Board member from 1999 to 2011.

“John will be a great addition to the Leominster Credit Union Board of Directors. His skills, involvement with the Advisory Board and his experience as a prior Board Member will be a valuable asset to our community and our members,” stated Chairman of the Board Giulio Greco.

Reedy is a Certified Public Accountant in Harvard, MA and a graduate of University of Scranton, PA. He is involved with the Woodlands Homeowners Association as part of their Finance Committee and the Treasurer of the Clinton Republican Town Committee. Reedy currently resides in Clinton, MA with his wife Helen.          

Fidelity Bank Allocates $45,000 over 3 years to Partnership with EforAll

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EforAll-Winter-cohort-scaledLeominster, MASS – Fidelity Bank , a community bank headquartered in Leominster with 14 full-service offices in central Massachusetts has committed $45,000 over three years to Its partnership with EforAll (Entrepreneurship for All ).  EforAll Greater Worcester was launched on October 1. It is EforAll’s ninth location in Massachusetts. “We strongly believe that this partnership will provide ongoing support to a diverse group of entrepreneurs in the region that we serve. ” says Fidelity Bank Senior Vice President and Chief Community  Banking Officer Sheila King Goodwin, who is also Chair of the Fidelity Bank Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Board.

EforAll is a nonprofit that focuses on helping all individuals start a business with an emphasis on women, people of color, immigrants, and people who were previously unemployed. “Fidelity Bank is a leader in the business community in Worcester, Fitchburg and North Central Massachusetts,” says John Esler, Founding Committee Chair for E for All’s Greater Worcester program. “With their help, we will be able to reach and mentor a larger group of entrepreneurs who want to start a business.” Applications for the first Greater Worcester Business Accelerator program are due November 12 and the first class will start in January of 2021. Entrepreneurs selected for the 12-month free program receive immersive business training, dedicated mentorship, and access to a professional network. In addition to providing financial support, selected Fidelity Bank colleagues will serve as mentors.

Since it was founded ten years ago, EforAll has helped launch more than 500 startup businesses that have created more than 700 local jobs. Among the businesses started by EforAll participants, 74 percent are owned by women, 58 percent are owned by people of color, 46 percent are owned by immigrants and 39 percent are owned by people who were previously unemployed. They are on track to help start 240 new businesses in the next year including 30 in Greater Worcester.

Fidelity Bank’s financial support for EforAll comes from the Fidelity Bank LifeDesign Community Dividend, which donated more than $330,000 to more than 250 worthy organizations in Central Massachusetts last year. Fidelity Bank has given out more than $2 million since the dividend program was formally named in 2013.

About Fidelity Bank:

Founded in 1888, Fidelity Bank is one of the strongest independent community banks in Central and Eastern Massachusetts. Fidelity Bank’s unique LifeDesign approach to banking provides the care and clarity needed to make informed decisions with confidence. The Bank offers a range of personal and business banking solutions to clients in 14 full-service offices in Leominster, Worcester, Fitchburg, Needham, Gardner, Stow, Shirley, Barre, Millbury, Paxton, Princeton, and Winchendon. Fidelity Bank has been voted Worcester Telegram & Gazette Best Bank in Central Massachusetts and Best Financial Services, Best Bank by both Leominster Champion and Baystate Parent, and it has been recognized by the Worcester Business Journal as a Top Workplace. In 2019 Fidelity Bank was named to the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work list for the fifth time. As of September 30, 2020, the bank had total assets of approximately $1.15 billion. For more information, visit www.fidelitybankonline.com or www.facebook.com/fidelitybankma

About EforAll

Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) is a nonprofit organization that partners with communities nationwide to help under-represented individuals successfully start and grow a business through intensive business training, mentorship, and an extended professional support network. To date, EforAll alumni have launched more than 500 businesses and created more than 700 local jobs. Programs are available in both English and Spanish. EforAll is currently available in the following MA communities: Berkshire County, Cape Cod, Fall River/New Bedford, Worcester, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, and Roxbury as well as Longmont CO. To learn more about EforAll, please visit eforall.org.

NEADS Launches Virtual Marketplace – a One-Stop Shop for Goods that Give Back

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Princeton, MA, November 5, 2020 – NEADS World Class Service Dogs launched its virtual NEADS Market for the holidays. The NEADS Market is a one-stop shop that features a curated mix of creative and unique products from local makers, artists, and designers including:

  • Handmade gifts and designer wares,
  • Candles, soaps, throws, pillows, and other home goods
  • Bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry,
  • Dog treats, toys, leashes, collars, and other accessories
  • Men’s and women’s clothes and accessories

Thanks to the generosity of participating vendors, 15% of all purchases go to support NEADS World Class Service Dogs.

“Since 2015, NEADS has hosted Get Dressed. Give Back, a cocktail reception fundraiser that included pop up shops offering a unique and varied selection of clothing, jewelry, and items for the home from local designers and boutiques. Although it looks a little different this year, we’ve brought the same concept to our online market – a unique, curated mix of products from local businesses and other specialty vendors,” says Cathy Zemaitis, NEADS Director of Development. “By moving the market online, we can expand our reach to people across the country, showcase local businesses and specialty vendors, and support our mission of changing lives, one World Class Service Dog at a time.”

Visit the NEADS Market at https://market.neads.org.

About NEADS Inc.        

NEADS Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Princeton, Massachusetts. Established in 1976, NEADS offers the widest array of Service Dog programs in the industry, including Service Dogs for adults and children with a physical disability, Service Dogs for veterans, Service Dogs for Hearing, and Service Dogs for children with autism or other developmental disabilities. NEADS dogs are also partnered with professionals in classroom, therapy, hospital, ministry, and courthouse settings. For more information, please visit neads.org.

QB1 Mentality partnership helps quarterbacks in Africa

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Local company QB1 Mentality and American Football for African Mission (AFFAM) are excited to announce a partnership that will be pivotal for quarterback development in Africa. This venture will give opportunities to deserving youth athletes that were not possible prior.

Technology is playing an increasingly critical role in every aspect of business in the current landscape. This partnership brings together deep skills in quarterback development and technology in hopes to create a new avenue of success for our friends in Africa.

“Partnering with AFFAM to help expand the game of football and develop quarterback play in Africa is a dream come true,” said Christian Lopez, CEO of QB1 Mentality and quarterback/defensive back coach at Leominster High School. “Together, working as one team, we will unlock the full potential of as many quarterbacks as possible, while assisting them on the best path for their success.”

QB1 Mentality and the AFFAM are both very excited for this new journey and to expand more opportunities to young athletes.

Golden Girl Receives International Granola Flavor Award

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Flavor-Award-Winner-Forest-Maple-Granola.Shirley, MA (October 14, 2020) – Golden Girl Granola’s Forest Maple granola took second

place in the “Granola” category at the 2020 Artisan Flave Awards. Organized by the International Flavor Awards LLC, the competition included specialty, craft-made artisan granola

companies from around the world. Golden Girl Granola’s Forest Maple flavor received excellent reviews on an international stage to become a Flave Award winner. Last year Golden Girl Granola’s Chocolate Decadence was the third-place winner among the world’s best.

The Flave Awards is an annual premiere culinary competition providing small to medium sized businesses an opportunity to showcase their original products and be recognized for their talents. As an organization, the International Flavor Awards provides impartial and knowledgeable judging of food and beverage products throughout a variety of genres and themes. Businesses from Europe, Australia, North and South America submitted their products in the international competition. Those who receive awards set themselves apart by being known as a “Flave Award Winner.”

“We are honored to receive this award and recognition for our Forest Maple granola.” said Deborah O’Kelly, owner of Golden Girl Granola. “The Flave Awards is a great competition that features some of the best artisan food products in the world. We are thrilled that our granola is once again recognized for its quality.”

About Golden Girl Granola:

Golden Girl Granola™ is a family-owned and -operated business located in Shirley, Massachusetts that produces a branded line of gourmet granola products superior in taste and made from the highest-quality ingredients. Golden Girl Granola is a “Healthy Snack” alternative for health-conscious consumers who appreciate good taste. Flavors include Forest Maple, Creative Cranberry, Bluesberry, Chocolate Decadence, Original, Home Sweet Honey, and Truly Tropical. Golden Girl Granola offers the complete line nationwide for chain supermarkets, independent supermarkets, gourmet food stores, club stores and convenience stores.

Fidelity Bank – Being Smart about Cyber Security

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 COVID-themed phishing attacks are up 3,000% from early March to early June 2020 

 

Join us for a FREE webinar via Cisco Webex. 

 

Thursday, October 29 | 8:30am 

Am I at risk? The short answer is yes, no one is safe from attackers. Cyber threats are on the rise. Small businesses 

are at just as much risk as large organizations. We will have a conversation about why small businesses are at risk and what you can do to help reduce the risk of a cyber-attack. 

 

Topics will include: 

Current Trends 

Phishing 

Office 365 & Associated Risks 

Technology Vendor Selections 

Importance of Internal Policy & Procedures 

 

Moderated by Brad Kirlin, SVP Chief Technology Officer 

Registration Link: fidelitybankonline.com/cyber

For questions, contact Sherri Pitcher: spitcher@fidelitybankonline.com Banking LifeDesign® 

Core Communication Center: Office Space available for Lease!

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Office Space available for Lease!  Fitchburg.  Second floor office space available for lease.  1,498.00/month.  This includes heat/electric, lot maintenance.  Bright, window lit offices, glass walls separating office areas, high ceiling, private bathroom, kitchenette area, onsite parking.  Main entrance as well as private staircase entrance.  Conveniently located 1-mile off of Rte. 2.  Recently renovated in 2019.  Please contact Kim for more details or a walk through to see the unit!  978-833-1887.  CoreCommunicationCenter@gmail.com.   See link for more details.  https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/619-South-St-Fitchburg-MA/21235415/

 

Available office space

Heywood Hospital Nationally Recognized as a Best Maternity Care Hospital by Newsweek

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Gardner, MA – Heywood Hospital was named to Newsweek’s 2020 list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals. This distinction recognizes facilities that have excelled in providing care to mothers, newborns and their families, as verified by the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Best Maternity Care Hospitals is part of Newsweek’s Best Health Care series, powered by data from The Leapfrog Group.

“We are honored to receive this recognition, which is the product of the hard work and dedication shown by our physicians and nurses at the LaChance Maternity Center. We are very fortunate to have such a compassionate, talented and driven team of providers within our community.” said Win Brown, President & CEO of Heywood Healthcare.

“Best Maternity Care Hospitals showcases an elite group of hospitals from across the country” said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief of Newsweek. “These facilities stand out for the care they provide to women and families, and for giving babies a strong start to life. Particularly in these uncertain times, we are honored to share this list of top-ranked facilities with Newsweek’s readership.”

Hospitals named as a Best Maternity Care Hospital have fully met The Leapfrog Group’s standards for maternity care on evidence-based, nationally standardized metrics. This includes lower rates of early elective delivery, NTSV C-section, and episiotomy, as well as compliance with process measures including newborn bilirubin screening prior to discharge and blood clot prevention techniques for mothers delivering via C-section.

Heywood Hospital was one of fewer than 250 to receive the prestigious accolade. The full list of recipients appears in the July 24 edition of Newsweek, available online and at newsstands nationwide. 

About Heywood Healthcare

Heywood Healthcare is an independent, community-owned healthcare system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. It is comprised of Heywood Hospital; Athol Hospital, a 25-bed not-for-profit, Critical Access Hospital in Athol, MA; Heywood Medical Group, with primary care physicians and specialists located throughout the region; and the Quabbin Retreat, our premier destination for treatment of mental health and substance misuse.

The organization includes six satellite facilities in MA: Heywood Rehabilitation Center & Heywood Urgent Care in Gardner, Winchendon Health Center & Murdock School-based Health Center in Winchendon, Tully Family Medicine and Walk-In in Athol; and West River Health Center in Orange. The organization also includes the Heywood Healthcare Charitable Foundation. For more information, visit www.heywood.org.  

About Heywood Hospital

A member of the Heywood Healthcare system, Heywood Hospital is a 134-bed acute care community-owned non-profit hospital in Gardner, MA, providing a broad range of high quality medical, orthopedic, bariatric, surgical, obstetrical, pediatric and behavioral health services on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The hospital’s Centers of Excellence include the Watkins Center for Emergency and Acute Care; the LaChance Maternity Center; the Diabetes Center and the Heywood Heart and Vascular Center.