Leominster/Fitchburg, MA (March 26, 2020) – Rollstone Bank & Trust today announced it will donate an initial $19,000 to communities it serves to help cope with burdens resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
The money will be earmarked for meeting critical needs of some of the most vulnerable members of the community, including children and the elderly.
“This is a time when we all must pull together, and we at Rollstone are determined to do our part,” said Martin F. Connors Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust, “We are an integral part of the community and we are compelled to support those who need it most.”
Connors reached out to leaders from across the region to identify gaps in critical services and found that the need varies from town to town. Funds for the City of Leominster will help provide internet access to students so they can continue learning remotely, while the Fitchburg Public Schools will use their grant to provide meals to students and families. Additional funding will also be provided to Montachusett Opportunity Council (MOC), Loaves & Fishes, Townsend Ecumenical Outreach (TEO), and the Gardner Community Action Committee (CAC) for food as well as personal care and other essential items. Connors said he hopes Rollstone’s donations will help improve the lives of many people across the area.
The Rollstone Charitable Foundation is also accepting donations from other individuals and organizations that wish to support the community effort. Donations can be sent to Rollstone Charitable Foundation, 24 Monument Square, Leominster, MA 01453. Checks should have “COVID-19 Relief Fund” in the memo line of the check.
“I encourage anyone who can to donate to this effort,” Connors said.
About Rollstone Bank & Trust
At Rollstone Bank & Trust, we deliver personalized service that goes above & beyond. Our dedication to providing our customers with superior bank and wealth management solutions, along with the support they need to prosper at work and at home, has enabled us to build one of the most trusted banks in the region. With branches located throughout central Massachusetts, customers have peace of mind knowing we are FDIC & DIF insured, and never far from home. Rollstone Bank & Trust – it’s where you matter most.
First batch of hand sanitizer produced in Revolutionary Clinics’ Fitchburg-based cultivation facility to be delivered Monday
FITCHBURG, March 27, 2020 — Revolutionary Clinics, one of the state’s leading providers of medical marijuana, has begun producing hand sanitizer at its cultivation facility in Fitchburg to be donated free of charge to Massachusetts hospitals with the initial batch of 35 gallons to be donated Monday, March 30. Regular cannabis operations will continue alongside and separately from the hand sanitizer production. This initiative is being carried out to support local health care clinicians’ ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and is key component of a broader hand sanitizer partnership between the Commonwealth Dispensary Association (CDA), of which Revolutionary Clinics is a member, and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA).
“I am proud of a Fitchburg-based operation making a pivot from its usual activities to support the fight against COVID-19. Revolutionary Clinics is a prime example of how businesses can leverage their resources to help our communities tackle this pandemic together,” said Stephen L. DiNatale, Mayor of Fitchburg. “Efforts like this demonstrate the potential for good that exists when all members of the community band together to face these historic challenges.”
The COVID-19 outbreak has created a shortage in the availability of medical supplies, including hand sanitizer. While the production of hand sanitizer is not overly sophisticated, the materials involved are expensive and it requires specialized equipment. Given the distillation processes that regularly happen at cannabis cultivation facilities, these operations are well-suited to produce hand sanitizer. A public health emergency order issued by Department of Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, on March 23rd officially granted cannabis operators the authority to produce hand sanitizer for clinicians and health facilities. On March 30th, Revolutionary Clinics will deliver its initial batch of 35 gallons of hand sanitizer to be distributed to local hospitals. The next round, 80-90 gallons, will be ready for delivery by the end of the week.
“In a very difficult time for people across the globe, we felt it was incumbent upon us to step up and use our infrastructure and our know-how to support those who are on the front lines of fighting this pandemic, our health care workers,” said Keith Cooper, CEO of Revolutionary Clinics. “I am extremely proud of our employees who have enthusiastically embraced this project in addition to our continued mission of serving our medical patients and I would also like to give credit to my fellow CDA Board Member, John Hillier of Central Ave. Compassionate Care and Gage Cannabis for bringing this initiative to our attention. The cannabis community is passionate about doing good in our neighborhood and we are always looking for opportunities to do so.”
The production of hand sanitizer at Revolutionary Clinics’ Fitchburg-based cultivation facility is being carried out by Lab Team members Stephen Golden, Danielle Desmond, David Nunes, Ryan Corrazini and Evan Lambert under the supervision of lab manager and Vice President of Product Dan Gillan using protocols and standard operating procedures provided by members of MHA. Gillan estimates that the facility can produce upwards of 200 gallons of hand sanitizer per week that can be fully donated to hospitals. To facilitate the production, Revolutionary Clinics applied the World Health Organization’s guidelines to its cannabis machinery and will fill five gallon jugs so that the hand sanitizer can be transported for use in hospitals. All ingredients were sourced and paid for by Revolutionary Clinics. Hand sanitizer inventory will be transported to Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency for distribution to individual hospitals.
“Recognizing the massive and immediate demand for medical supplies, the biggest challenge for us was getting set up to start producing as quickly as possible so that we could get hand sanitizer to hospitals,” said Dan Gillan, Vice President of Product at Revolutionary Clinics. “Securing the necessary raw ingredients required a couple of days and a couple hundred phone calls to suppliers. After accumulating what was needed, we converted our ethanol extraction laboratory from cannabis extraction to hand sanitizer production and created a sanitary work environment. Since our standard operational needs for cannabis extraction meant that we already had about 90 percent of what it took to produce hand sanitizer, it was a no brainer for us to take on this effort once we were given the go-ahead. The entire team is excited and humbled by the ability to step up and do this for our health care system during such a critical time.”
Earlier this month, Revolutionary Clinics announced that it will donate two percent of all sales through April 20 to the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund which was activated to support residents in Cambridge affected by COVID-19. Revolutionary Clinics currently operates three locations in Somerville and Cambridge and has served Massachusetts medical marijuana patients since 2017 and supports the arts and a host of local charities through its corporate social responsibility program, Cannabis with a Conscience.
About Revolutionary Clinics
Revolutionary Clinics is harnessing the positive power of the emerging cannabis industry to raise the standard for alternative care and generate economic opportunity across Massachusetts. At its three registered marijuana dispensaries in Cambridge and Somerville, Revolutionary Clinics provides the highest quality medical marijuana products and the very best in patient care, and was named best medical dispensary in the state by its peers in 2019. Its state-of-the-art cultivation facility in Fitchburg, Mass. is the largest in the state and supplies over 25 retail establishments with sought-after products and flower. Revolutionary Clinics employs more than 170 colleagues across its manufacturing and retail operations and generated tens of thousands of dollars in tax revenue for Massachusetts’ communities in 2019. Through its corporate social responsibility program, Cannabis with a Conscience, Revolutionary Clinics joins with a range of partners in supporting healthy lives and vulnerable populations, advancing community revitalization efforts through philanthropy and public-private partnerships, and promoting diversity within the cannabis industry. Learn more at RevolutionaryClinics.org.
Princeton, MA, March 26, 2020 – To celebrate the release of its new coloring and activity book, Let’s Go with NEADS Service Dogs Arnie and Zara, NEADS will be donating 1 copy for every book purchased to Franciscan Children’s Hospital (up to 200 copies). Written and designed by Lori Barrett, NEADS Creative Media Specialist, this fun and educational “A to Z” activity/coloring book is centered around words and phrases related to Service Dogs and is ideal for children ages 4-10. Let’s Go can be purchased online through the NEADS Shop.
NEADS anticipates great community support for this initiative and will make an advance delivery of books next week.
“While our day-to-day focus is making sure NEADS dogs and staff continue to be safe and healthy, NEADS wanted to do something to bring joy in these uncertain times,” says Cathy Zemaitis, NEADS Director of Development. “We realize that having children at home unexpectedly can be challenging, and we hope Let’s Go will be a welcome diversion. And people who buy the books can feel good that they’re also helping children in need. NEADS Assistance Dog Marcus works at Franciscan Children’s, so the hospital was a logical partner.”
“Like other hospitals, we’ve had to put strict visitor policies in place due to COVID-19,” says Matthew Lynch, Communications Specialist, Franciscan Children’s. “This will certainly help bring a light to our patients’ lives when they may be receiving fewer visitors than normal, and for that we are so grateful.”
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.
About Franciscan Children’s
Since 1949, Franciscan Children’s has served children and adolescents with complex medical, mental health, and special educational needs. As the largest provider of pediatric mental healthcare in Massachusetts and the only solely pediatric post-acute hospital in New England, we are a critical link in the region’s healthcare system.
ECi Stores of Leominster, MA (which includes Cutie Patuties, Cutiques, CP & Company, and Q) have launched an online shopping experience for virtual shoppers at the comfort of your own home. We strongly encourage to support this wonderful community leader.
Let’s give this a try… I’m Barbara. Chef and Owner of Eating In. A personal chef and catering service based here in Leominster. Like so many of my colleagues in the food service industry along with countless others, my business has come to a grinding halt with this situation.
I can still cook and we know you still need to eat.
My proposal is simple, I will open TODAY, Tuesday (March 24) from 3-6pm, for pick up of delicious house made vegetarian chili (gluten free ) with a few toppings and a side of cornbread. Typically I would charge $12.00 per quart for the chili. Instead, I’m asking you pay as you are able. If you’re stuck right now, no questions asked, take what you need. If possible, a little extra to help cover those in more need.
If this experiment works, and I know it will, look for more offerings in the coming weeks.
I believe in my community to make this happen.
See you Tuesday @
Eating In
12A Lindell Ave, Leominster, MA 01453
Knock on the side door, I’ll come to you
Looking forward to meeting all of you, all be it from a distance.
A&E Environmental wants to extend well wishes to our customers during this difficult pandemic our country and world is facing. A&E, with other purposes intended, had purchase Electrostatic sprayers to help eliminate mold in the air of a home or business after remediation to ensure a deeper clean. During this pandemic it was brought to our knowledge that our electrostatic cleaners are also highly used and valued to clean and sanitize surfaces better than traditional cleaning methods. Delta Airlines, Tufts Medical, and Schools are using our electrostatic machines to name a few. We want to provide this information to our valued customers below to inform each and every one of you that we can come to your home or business to help with a deeper clean/ sanitization. We are working right now with larger commercial cleaning companies who do not have access to this equipment. If you are interested please give us a call so we can make your home or business that much healthier.
As always, A&E is making your environment our #1 concern.
Please stay safe and WE ALL WILL get through this difficult time together.
*****Please see these links below for more information about our products*****
Tuesday, March 17th, begins three weeks of the Gardner Ale House & Moon Hill Brewing Co. providing takeout, catering and beer store (cans and growlers to go) only, with our Parking Lot Pickup Option available. Open Monday thru Thursday, 11:00 AM till 7:00 PM and Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 AM till 8:00 PM. On premise dining should begin again on Tuesday, April 7th. Check out our Food, Beer and Specials Menus. Visit our website at gardnerale.com for our Menu, Specials and Beer List. Call us to place your order at 978-669-0122.
Check out our Food, Beer and Specials Menus at gardnerale.com.
