Severe thunderstorms can produce dangerous lightning, hail, flash flooding and tornadoes.
To make sure you are prepared and protect what matters most, we’ve developed and gathered tips, guides, checklists and other resources to help you before, during and after a severe weather event.
Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc. is excited to announce Dr. Stove Sobel as the keynote speaker for the 16th Annual Executive Leadership Breakfast on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 from 7:30 am – 9:15am at the Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg. Sponsorships and individual tickets are still available. For more details, please reach out to Kristin Mattson at .
The City of Fitchburg Health Department invites the public to attend an Overdose Awareness Vigil to be held on Thursday, August 22, 2024 at the Upper Common, Main Street, Fitchburg. A variety of resource tables will be available at 6:15pm and the Vigil will begin at 7pm.
This is a time to join together and remember lives lost to overdose while giving hope to those struggling. Once again, the gazebo will be lit up purple representing overdose awareness. Several speakers will reflect on the impact overdose has had on their lives. This is always a powerful program and enables the community to gather in an atmosphere of fellowship and support. Inspirational music will be featured and food will be available. Residents are welcome to bring a chair to the event which traditionally ends around 8pm with the raising of purple glow sticks in memory of those who have passed from overdose, reminding us that there is help and there is hope.
Narcan training and distribution will be available throughout the evening. Luminary Bags will be available for remembrance and Purple ribbons will be distributed for residents to wear on International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31.
To honor a loved one lost overdose, please email a photograph to . Luminary memorial bags will be available for decoration that evening or can be picked up at the Outreach & Prevention Office, 2nd Floor, 14 Wallace Ave, Fitchburg. The luminary bags will be lit and displayed throughout the event.
Infused Innovations presents Responsible AI: Navigating the Ethical Landscape
[Framework for C-Suite Leadership]
This white paper provides an essential guide for business leaders and C-suite executives on the adoption and implementation of Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI). As AI technologies rapidly evolve, understanding the strategic implications, ethical considerations, and governance frameworks becomes imperative for sustainable and ethical business growth.
What to Expect from this White Paper
This white paper serves as a strategic resource, equipping business leaders with the knowledge and steps needed to
navigate the complexities of AI with a focus on ethical integrity and responsible governance.
Background on AI
AI Adoption & Barriers
Ethical and Responsible AI
Responsible AI Framework
The paper begins with an overview of AI, tracing its evolution and highlighting its transformative potential across various industries. It emphasizes the critical role AI plays in driving innovation, efficiency, and competitive advantage.
We explore the current landscape of AI adoption, examining key drivers such as improved decision-making, cost savings, and enhanced customer experiences. Simultaneously, we address significant barriers, including technical challenges, regulatory compliance, and ethical concerns.
A detailed discussion on ethical and responsible AI is presented, outlining the necessity of aligning AI initiatives with core business values and societal expectations. Key data and case studies illustrate the impact of responsible AI practices on brand reputation, customer trust, and long-term success.
The centerpiece of the paper is the Responsible AI Governance framework, designed specifically for C-suite leadership. This section offers a comprehensive roadmap for establishing robust governance structures, encompassing policy development, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
Global insurance brokerage Hub International out of Massachusetts has developed a presentation on how clinical informatics can optimize your company’s benefits plan.
Tools like clinical informatics are revolutionizing the way organizations approach health plan management. By leveraging advanced data analytics and clinical expertise, you can move beyond reactive strategies and proactively anticipate and mitigate risks before they escalate, which helps you make better informed decisions for better outcomes.
Do you have any old technology lying around (tech, batteries, printer, phone, Smart Watch and more)? Bring them to Staples in Leominster and recycle them for FREE with the Staples Recycle Every Day Program! Visit Staples on 114 Water Tower Plaza in Leominster today to take advantage of this free service.
Here’s what you can recycle at Staples in Leominster, MA
Please mark your calendar for Shriver Job Corps next CRC ( Community Relations Council ) meeting. It will be on Thursday, August 1, 2024. From 9:30 -10:30 AM. Your input is very important to Shriver Job Corps. We will also recognize Job Corps 60th year anniversary.
Rollstone Bank & Trust, through its Charitable Foundation, has pledged $15,000 to the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center (MVOC) in Gardner, a nonprofit organization that supports military veterans and their families in need of services. The donation will help support MVOC’s housing expansion project in Winchendon, which will provide 44 new apartments for veterans.
“RBT has a long history of supporting organizations who fight against housing insecurity in our area,” said Martin F. Connors, Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust. “Those who served our country should never have to worry about having a roof over their heads. Rollstone is proud to help MVOC in their efforts to improve the lives of our nation’s heroes.”
MVOC helps over 700 veterans annually. In addition to housing, services include mental health support, veterans benefits, food and clothing assistance, and more.
“MVOC is grateful for the strong relationship we have with Rollstone Bank, who has been a supporter of our efforts for many years,” said Stephanie Marchetti, Executive Director of MVOC. “This donation will help ensure that our housing expansion project gets pushed over the finish line- that we’ll be able to not just construct the property, but furnish apartments for veterans who may come with nothing.”
Pictured left to right: Cathy Stallings McWilliams, President and MVOC Founder; Stephanie Marchetti, Executive Director of MVOC; Martin F. Connors, Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust.
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.
Casi $900,000 en fondos apoyan a organizaciones de toda la región central de Massachusetts
El Fundación de Salud del centro de Massachusettsha anunciado que ha otorgado ocho subvenciones por un total de $890,455 a través de su programa «Fondo de Activación» para apoyar a una amplia gama de organizaciones que prestan servicios en la región.
El Fondo de Activación apoya a las organizaciones para que desarrollen su capacidad de manera sostenible mientras trabajan para abordar los problemas de salud identificados por la comunidad. Más del 85% de los beneficiarios del Fondo de Activación de 2024 no habían recibido anteriormente financiamiento de The Health Foundation.
“Recibimos un número récord de solicitudes este año, y nuestro proceso de solicitud fue refinado y optimizado para ser más receptivo a las necesidades de las organizaciones comunitarias que buscan nuestro apoyo”, dijo la Dra. Amie Shei, Presidenta y CEO de The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. “Estamos entusiasmados de asociarnos con siete organizaciones que reciben subvenciones por primera vez, así como con una entidad beneficiaria que regresa, para apoyar sus diversos proyectos destinados a ayudarlas a alcanzar el siguiente nivel de capacidad o efectividad en la mejora de la salud en la región”.”
Las subvenciones otorgadas son las siguientes:
African Community Education – $125,000 para renovar y equipar mejor la cocina de sus instalaciones en Worcester, ampliando así la capacidad de la organización para servir comidas culturalmente apropiadas a los jóvenes, ofrecer clases de nutrición y proporcionar un espacio para que las familias haitianas recién llegadas puedan preparar sus comidas.
Fundación Center of Hope – $125,000 para modernizar los baños y los sistemas de plomería en un centro de Southbridge donde se lleva a cabo su programa de habilitación diurna, que atiende a casi 120 personas con discapacidades intelectuales y del desarrollo.
Centro de Defensa de los Niños del Condado de Franklin y North Quabbin – $86,900 para cubrir los costos de construcción relacionados con la creación de una clínica ambulatoria en Orange, lo que permitirá ampliar su capacidad para brindar servicios especializados de salud mental a los niños víctimas de abuso sexual y a sus familias en la región de North Quabbin.
Choices Inc. – $80,250 para la compra de una camioneta de 15 pasajeros, equipo y suministros para el programa «Early Diversion Worcester» de la organización, un sistema integral de atención que desvía, interviene y rompe el ciclo de «de la escuela a la cárcel» en colaboración con socios comunitarios.
Comité de Acción Comunitaria de Gardner – $115,000 para renovar y trasladarse a unas instalaciones de 5,800 pies cuadrados que el Ayuntamiento de Gardner ha puesto a disposición de manera gratuita, lo que mejorará significativamente la capacidad de la organización para brindar distribución de alimentos, asistencia de emergencia y otros servicios a quienes lo necesitan en toda la comunidad del Gran Gardner.
Growing Places – $109,041 para el desarrollo de una solución de TI personalizada que integre plataformas dispares y un nuevo software de gestión de inventario, con el fin de mejorar la eficiencia, ampliar la capacidad de servicio y brindar un mejor apoyo a los consumidores locales de alimentos, los compradores institucionales y los pequeños agricultores del centro-norte de Massachusetts.
Quinsigamond Community College – $124,254 para reemplazar seis sillones dentales y estaciones de equipo obsoletos en su clínica dental con sede en Worcester, la cual capacita en promedio a 40 estudiantes de higiene dental y a 20 de asistente dental cada año, y brinda atención de salud bucal gratuita o con grandes descuentos a las poblaciones vulnerables del condado de Worcester.
Worcester RISE for Health – $125,000 para ampliar y equipar un espacio clínico e implementar un sistema de expedientes médicos electrónicos que permita a la organización brindar servicios de salud materno-infantil a los refugiados e inmigrantes recién llegados a Worcester.
La Fundación para la Salud de Massachusetts Central se dedica a mejorar la salud de quienes viven o trabajan en la región central de Massachusetts, con especial énfasis en las poblaciones vulnerables y las necesidades no atendidas. A través de su enfoque único y de gran impacto en la concesión de subvenciones, la Fundación para la Salud apoya las cuestiones de salud identificadas por la comunidad, entendiendo la salud en un sentido amplio que incluye los determinantes sociales de la salud y con un enfoque en la promoción de la equidad en la salud. Como fundación de conversión en el ámbito de la salud, creada en 1999 tras la venta de la organización sin fines de lucro HMO Central Massachusetts Health Care Inc., las subvenciones de la Fundación para la Salud han sumado más de $57 millones a más de 230 organizaciones distintas a lo largo de su historia. Para obtener más información, visite www.thfcm.org.
The Fitchburg Parks and Rec Summer Playground Program, supported by a DESE grant, offers a variety of fun and educational activities for children ages 6-12.
United Way of North Central Massachusetts (UWNCM) recently distributed $874,325 in grants to 45 agencies across the community. These funds were allocated through two grant programs aimed at tackling regional challenges and providing after-school and out-of-school time opportunities for local children and youth.
In the 2024-25 cycle, UWNCM’s Community Impact Fund awarded $588,335 to 29 agencies, supporting 37 programs in areas such as Early Education, Youth Development, Basic Needs, Economic Opportunity, and Financial Literacy. This funding, distributed in the third year of a four-year cycle, is expected to benefit over 97,000 households, building on a 32% increase in households served from the previous year.
Pathways for Change, Inc received funds for their Sexual Assault Youth Education (SAYE) Program. Kim L. Dawkins, President & CEO, expressed gratitude, stating, “As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!’ We are incredibly grateful to the United Way of North Central Massachusetts for funding the Sexual Assault Youth Education (SAYE) Program. The goal of the SAYE Program is to raise adolescents’ awareness of the incidence and myths about sexual violence and to have a role in building and expanding the resiliency factors and strengths of communities. By working in positive ways toward shared goals with the community, we can have an impact on the root causes of sexual violence.”
UWNCM also recently distributed $285,990 to 16 agencies through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) After School and Out-of-School Time (ASOST) Program. Funds were made available through a $1 million grant awarded by DESE to a regional effort of United Ways located in Central, North Central, and South-Central Massachusetts with the goal of helping after school and out-of-school time programs.
This seventh round of grants will support summer programming, providing diverse experiences from camp to museum visits for youth. In total, UWNCM has distributed nearly $1.6 million in DESE grants to local non-profit organizations, public school systems and towns and municipalities, with an additional round to come.
The City of Fitchburg received a DESE grant to support their Summer Playground Program. James Bunnell, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Fitchburg, says, “The city of Fitchburg Parks and Recreation department is thrilled to be working with the United Way of North Central Massachusetts and the DESE summer grant opportunity for the second year in a row. The summer playground program allows children to attend events and visit various places like the Worcester Bravehearts baseball game, the EcoTarium, and Southwick’s Zoo. Bunnell adds, “We take pride in offering diverse events and opportunities to the community at a nominal or no cost, made possible by the support from the United Way of North Central Massachusetts and DESE.”
“Judy Tomlinson, UWNCM Director of Community Impact, highlighted the significance of the grant programs, saying, ‘These initiatives allow us to empower agencies addressing vital community issues with both tested and novel approaches. Our heartfelt thanks go to our donors, community partners, and volunteers for their unwavering support in offering immediate assistance to those in need and fostering a better future for everyone.”
United Way de North Central Massachusetts presta servicios a las comunidades de Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Leominster, Littleton, Pepperell, Lunenburg, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Shirley, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster y Winchendon.
