NEADS Service Dog teams, their friends and families, as well as NEADS staff, volunteer puppy raisers, and supporters come together to recognize these life-changing partnerships

 

What:                   NEADS Fall 2019 Graduation

When:                 Sunday, November 3, 2019, 2pm-4pm

Where:               Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (“Monty Tech”),
1050 Westminster Street (Route 2A), Fitchburg, Mass

Admission:       FREE; suggested donation is $5 per person upon entrance

PRINCETON, Mass., October 28, 2019 – NEADS World Class Service Dogs holds its 78th Graduation Ceremony on Sunday, November 3 at 2pm at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (“Monty Tech”) in Fitchburg, Mass. The public is invited and welcome to join the celebration.

 

Graduating teams share their personal, moving stories of how having a Service Dog has affected their lives. This fall’s graduating class represents a wide range of NEADS Service Dogs, including Service Dogs for Veterans, Service Dogs for individuals with physical disabilities, Service Dogs for Hearing, Service Dogs for Children, and Assistance Dogs for professionals in classroom, courthouse, and hospital settings.

In recognition of our veteran clients and Veterans Day, the program also features a “fireside chat” with three organizations who are integral to the NEADS community: the Blue Star Mothers of Leominster and Worcester, and Quilts of Valor. The Blue Star Mothers have been providing meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – for veteran clients during their training on campus since 2006. The Quilts of Valor have presented beautiful, hand-made quilts to each of our veteran clients since 2010. Together, these organizations have provided more than 3,800 meals and more than 125 quilts for NEADS veteran clients. Ann Marie Slomcheck (Blue Star Mothers Leominster), Karen Belliveau (Blue Star Mothers Worcester), and Darlene Coit (Quilts of Valor) will share their experiences and address the critical role they play in providing veterans with a sense of belonging and community.

NEADS will also have a collection box available for anyone who has an American flag that is ready for retirement. NEADS is collecting these flags so they can be properly retired.

 

The graduating teams come from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, Maryland, North Carolina, and Colorado.

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.

Award recognizes Red Sox’ commitment to offering a welcoming and accessible environment for those with a disability and allowing access for legitimate Service Dog teams.

NEADS World Class Service Dogs announced that the Boston Red Sox will receive the inaugural Gold Vest Award on October 18, 2019 at NEADS’ Get Dressed. Give. Back. fundraising event. The award will be presented by Roseann Sdoia, author of Perfect Strangers. NEADS introduced the Gold Vest Award to recognize an organization that goes above and beyond to offer a welcoming and accessible environment for those with a disability and allows seamless access for legitimate, working Service Dog teams.

 

Accepting the award on behalf of the Boston Red Sox are Stephanie Maneikis, Senior Director of Fan Services & Entertainment, and Sheri Rosenberg, Manager of Alumni and Player Relations. Says Maneikis, “The Red Sox are committed to making Fenway Park as accessible as possible for fans of all abilities. We realize that many of our fans benefit from the assistance of a Service Dog and were excited to launch the ‘Service Dog of the Game’ program this year. Our first honoree was Rescue, NEADS Service Dog extraordinaire to our dear friend Jessica Kensky, and we could not be more honored to receive the inaugural Gold Vest award.”

 

Says Cathy Zemaitis, NEADS Director of Development, “The Red Sox have demonstrated their commitment to accessibility and their understanding of Service Dog access requirements in many ways, from the experiences our clients and Puppy Raisers have when they take Service Dogs and Service Dogs in Training to Fenway Park to their support of the Boston Marathon survivor community to the introduction of the Service Dog of the Game program this season. This award is testament to that commitment.”

 

The Gold Vest Award is part of the recently launched Red Vest Accessible program, presented by NEADS to recognize places that are welcoming and accessible to people with disabilities and are committed to public access rights for legitimate Service Dog teams.

 

About NEADS Inc.

NEADS Inc. has raised, trained and matched more than 1,800 World Class Service Dogs since 1976. Our Service Dogs are matched with children and adults, including veterans, who are deaf or have a physical disability, as well as children with autism and other developmental disabilities. NEADS Dogs are also partnered with professionals in the classroom, ministry, hospital, and courthouse settings. For more information about NEADS, please visit our website at www.neads.org and www.neads.org/GDGB2019.

 

About the Red Vest and Gold Vest Awards

NEADS is adamant about the quality of training of its dogs and client/dog teams, and advocates for making it easier for our teams to get out in the world. The Red Vest and Gold Vest designations were created to recognize those businesses who offer a welcoming and accessible environment for those with a disability and allowing access for legitimate Service Dog teams. Learn more here: https://redvest.neads.org.

FITCHBURG, Ma., September 10, 2019 – Workers Credit Union is pleased to announce its new scholarship program funded in part by retired employee, Herbert White. Herb, who devoted 41 years of his banking career to Workers, donated the funds to the credit union, which will match his donation.

“Years ago, Workers invested in my education by helping with my Bachelors and my Masters in Business Administration from Fitchburg State University. It was important for me to pay it forward and support further investments in education” said Herb. 

The Herbert White Scholarship Fund will launch in early 2020, with applications available for the children of Workers Credit Union and Workers Insurance Group employees. Each year, several students will be selected to receive gifts and the remaining funds will be endowed to ensure scholarships are available for years to come. 

“Investing in not only our employees, but their children as well, is an important element of the Workers Way. We truly believe that education is the cornerstone of a bright future so we were delighted when Herb approached us to propose setting up this scholarship” said Douglas Petersen, President & CEO of Workers Credit Union. The credit union decided to match Mr. White’s donation in order to increase the number of scholarships awarded each year.  

Herb began his employment with Workers Credit Union in 1976 working in personal lending. Through the years, he held various positions at the credit union before retiring as an Assistant Vice President, Business Development Officer in 2017 after 41 years of service.  Herb White currently resides in Fitchburg, MA and volunteers often with the Salvation Army.  

Workers Credit Union, headquartered in Fitchburg, MA, is a member-owned financial institution with full banking services to meet a lifetime of financial needs including the $3 million GiveBack program. With 15 branches in Athol, Chelmsford, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Orange, Townsend and Westford, Workers is proud to offer traditional banking channels as well as the latest technologies to more than 104,000 members.

October 11, 2019 at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner MA from 8am-3:30pm

The New England Workforce Network (NEWN) Conference is a collaborative effort with workforce professionals from all over New England. This year’s theme is Twistin’ and Turnin’: Riding the Roller Coaster of Workforce Development, reflecting the tremendous synergistic value of planning and acting in concert with the various stakeholders in workforce areas. NEWN was conceived in 2001 in response to the desire among workforce development providers to share best practices and network in a larger context that goes beyond state boundaries. Since 2002, NEWN has held a number of day-long conferences that focus on a range of topics that resonate among professionals who are involved in workforce development within community colleges, workforce development boards, economic development agencies and other settings. We hope that you will be able to join us for our exciting 10th NEWN Conference.

This year’s Keynote Speaker is Jane Oates, President, WorkingNation.

Jane is on the Executive Committee of WorkingNation, a non-profit organization that works through film and live events to tell the stories of successful training programs. An education and policy expert, Jane became a national leader in education and workforce programs during her ten years with Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the US Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP). She oversaw the Workforce Investment Act and the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Program while serving as the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training under Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis during the Obama administration.

For more information: mwcc.edu/newn2019

To Register: http://mwcc.3dcartstores.com/NEWN-Conference-2019_p_1653.html