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.
Nearly $900,000 in Funding Supports Organizations Across Central Massachusetts Region
The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts announced it has awarded eight grants totaling $890,455 through its Activation Fund program to support a wide range of organizations serving the region.
The Activation Fund supports organizations in building capacity in sustainable ways as they work to address community-identified health issues. More than 85% of the 2024 Activation Fund grantees had not previously received funding from The Health Foundation.
“We received a record number of applications this year, and our application process was refined and streamlined to be more responsive to the needs of community organizations seeking our support,” said Dr. Amie Shei, President and CEO of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. “We are excited to partner with seven organizations receiving grants for the first time as well as one returning grantee in support of their varied projects aimed to help them move to the next level of capacity or effectiveness in improving health in the region.”
The grant awards are as follows:
African Community Education – $125,000 to renovate and better equip the kitchen at its Worcester facility, expanding the organization’s capacity to serve culturally appropriate meals for youth, offer nutrition classes, and provide space for newly arriving Haitian families to prepare meals.
Center of Hope Foundation – $125,000 to modernize bathrooms and plumbing systems in a Southbridge facility housing its day habilitation program, which serves nearly 120 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin – $86,900 for construction costs associated with establishing an outpatient clinic in Orange, thereby expanding its capacity to provide specialized mental health services for child victims of sexual abuse and their families in the North Quabbin region.
Choices Inc. – $80,250 to purchase a 15-passenger van, equipment and supplies for the organization’s Early Diversion Worcester program, a comprehensive system of care that diverts, intervenes and disrupts the school-to-prison pipeline in collaboration with community partners.
Gardner Community Action Committee – $115,000 to renovate and relocate to a 5,800-square-foot facility made available rent-free by the City of Gardner, significantly enhancing the organization’s capacity to provide food distribution, emergency assistance and other services for those in need throughout the Greater Gardner community.
Growing Places – $109,041 for development of a customized IT solution integrating disparate platforms and new software for inventory management to enhance efficiency, expand service capacity and better support local food consumers, institutional buyers and small farmers in North Central Massachusetts.
Quinsigamond Community College – $124,254 to replace six outdated dental chairs and equipment stations at its Worcester-based dental clinic, which trains an average of 40 dental hygiene students and 20 dental assistant students annually and provides free or deeply discounted oral health care to vulnerable Worcester County populations.
Worcester RISE for Health – $125,000 to build out and equip clinical space and implement an electronic medical record system for the organization to provide maternal child health care services for newly arriving refugees and immigrants in Worcester.
The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts is dedicated to improving the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet needs. Through its unique and impactful approach to grantmaking, The Health Foundation supports community-identified health issues, with health defined broadly to include social determinants of health and with a focus on promoting health equity. As a health conversion foundation launched in 1999 following the sale of the not-for-profit HMO Central Massachusetts Health Care Inc., The Health Foundation’s grants have totaled over $57 million to more than 230 unique organizations over its history. For more information, visit 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.”
The United Way of North Central Massachusetts serves the communities of Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Leominster, Littleton, Pepperell, Lunenburg, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Shirley, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster and Winchendon.
Be part of something meaningful at the North Star Family Services, Inc. Bidding on New Beginnings auction! Bid on incredible items to bring hope to homeless families. Your support creates a significant impact for families in our community.
Thursday July 18 –Monday July 29
6:00 AM – 11:45 PM
North Star Family Services, Inc., 758 Main St, Leominster, MA 01453
Saturday July 13, 2024
12:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT
Downtown…Gardner City Hall, 95 Pleasant Street, Gardner MA 01440
Admission to this event is FREE!
The Gardner Food Truck Festival is an annual community oriented summer kick off celebration. Now in it’s 7th year, this festival includes a multitude of your favorite food trucks, craft beer, live music and carnival style games. Dozens of area artists and makers will be displaying their wares right downtown by the historic City Hall and Post Office buildings. This year the festival is back and bigger than ever. Bring along a folding chair or spread a picnic blanket and enjoy the afternoon’s festivities.
WooTrucks, the trusted name in food truck booking, is a food truck commissary, commercial kitchen, and base of operations for food trucks, caterers, bakers, and food entrepreneurs located at 67 Main Street, Boylston MA. Our fully permitted and approved facility to prepare food was established to foster a transparent, self-policing community of food trucks and food entrepreneurs practicing only the highest standards of customer service while maintaining strict adherence to health, sanitation and food codes. WooTrucks operates food truck festivals throughout the region and supplies food trucks to corporate clients, private businesses, breweries, academic institutions, city and town governments.
Attend NXT Level Studios for a night of storytelling with local author, Matt Landry, Author of: Keep Moving Forward.
FREE PRESENTATION & BOOK SALE
“The healing connection between nature and mental health. How hiking can teach us the lessons we need to learn in order to enjoy the journey, achieve our goals, create structure and discipline, slow down our brains, and to keep moving forward, one small step at a time..”
Date: Tuesday, 7/09/2024
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm EDT
Location: NXT Level Studios
44 Old Princeton Road Suite 101, Fitchburg, MA 01420
ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS
Was your business impacted by the flooding on September 11, 2023?
The Small Business Association (SBA) is in the city of Leominster providing resources for business owners.
SBA and FEMA have representatives available at the Disaster Recovery Center located at City Hall to help answer your questions Monday-Saturday from 9am-7pm until July 15.
The SBA also has a Business Recovery Center located at the Emergency Management Office at 37 Carter Street with someone available to assist you Monday-Friday from 9am-5:30pm.
Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.
Attend NXT Level Studios for a night of storytelling with local author, Matt Landry, Author of: Keep Moving Forward.