by LaMara HunterKelly | Feb 17, 2020 | In The News
By BERA DUNAU
Staff Writer
Published: 2/17/2020 12:05:46 AM
NORTHAMPTON — A local nonprofit that helps people struggling with addiction is set to move into the former La Fiorentina pastry shop on Armory Street.
“We anticipate being able to move in in May,” said Lynn Ferro, director of the Northampton Recovery Center.
She said the nonprofit has signed a lease to occupy the former bakery, which will require extensive renovation. The recovery center has accepted a bid for the work, which will begin as soon as all permits are obtained, Ferro said.
La Fiorentina, which opened in Northampton in 1991, closed last summer.
The Northampton Recovery Center helps people recovering from addiction and offers support for the loved ones of those in recovery or struggling with addiction. Founded in the fall of 2016, it provides a safe space, programming and social events for those it serves.
“Community and connection are key antidotes to addiction,” Ferro said.
The organization is mostly run by volunteers and uses a peer participatory process. This means that those who use and are most affected by the programming have a primary role in how programming at the rehab center is developed and participate in the organization on every level.
“We are not a top-down agency,” she said.
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by LaMara HunterKelly | Feb 14, 2020 | In The News
Athol Daily News – Staff Report
Published: 2/13/2020 10:04:13 PM
ATHOL — The Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, in collaboration with the North Quabbin Recovery Center, the North Quabbin Community Coalition and the RECOVER Project, is hosting Loving Your Recovery — a free, fun, and family-friendly event to celebrate the positive aspects of recovery — Saturday, Feb. 15.The event will be held 1-4 p.m. at the Athol Town Hall, 584 Main St. A light buffet will be provided as well as crafts, and entertainment. Everyone is welcome, not just those directly impacted by addiction.
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![Welcome New Salasin Director, Becky Lockwood]()
by LaMara HunterKelly | Jan 27, 2020 | In The News
We are thrilled to announce that Becky Lockwood has accepted the position as the Consortium’s new Salasin Project Director beginning on Monday January 27, 2020!
Becky Lockwood comes to Salasin Project with nearly three decades of social services experience. In her most recent position, she worked with survivors of interpersonal violence providing support, counseling and systems advocacy. As the Co-Director she helped significantly expand services by securing increased funding. She managed a large budget and coordinated a community response team that focused on survivor centered best practices.
Becky is looking forward to working with and learning from the experienced staff and participants of the Salasin Project. The Project’s mission of mutual empowerment and community building with survivors is exciting and hopeful. Becky believes in the power of relationships to promote healing and positive change. She is also enthusiastic about returning to Franklin County and participating in the community networks and coalitions.
Nature, creativity and family are the sustaining fundamentals in Becky’s life. You can frequently find her in the woods walking her dog, Mattie and bird watching. She hails from Northampton, MA and loves to cook, sew, crochet and craft gifts for her family and beloved friends.
by LaMara HunterKelly | Nov 30, 2019 | In The News
By MAUREEN O’REILLY and MAX MARCUS
Staff Writers
Published: 11/30/2019 11:00:52 AM
After a recent service at the First Congregational Church in Ashfield, some of the churchgoers gathered upstairs to make herbal medicines and thank-you cards for migrant agricultural workers throughout Pioneer Valley.
The church has partnered with the People’s Medicine Project, an organization that first began as a community garden and has since added additional educational pieces, said the project’s director, Leslie Chaison, who is also a congregant at First Congregational Church.
“We try to bridge wellness resources in our community with community need,” Chaison said, of the goal of People’s Medicine Project…
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by LaMara HunterKelly | Nov 26, 2019 | In The News
November 26, 2019
Contact: Abby Ferla, People’s Medicine Project
(413) 523-3791 ; [email protected]
People’s Medicine Project’s long-time client and friend Peter Hadley is launching a new catering company BASH, making its Pioneer Valley debut with an elaborate locally-sourced Tapas Style Dinner at Greenfield’s Hawks and Reed on Wednesday December 4th from 6-8PM! BASH emphasizes quality above convenience in both service and food preparation, with custom services to fit each client’s needs while focusing on supporting local resources and remaining environmentally mindful!
Please join People’s Medicine for an innovative and delicious spin on the Spanish tapas tradition of small portions, using organic, local, and sustainably-sourced ingredients. Enjoy live jazz piano by the masterful Khaliff Neville (of the Neville Brothers) while you eat and sample a signature non-alcoholic botanical drink at the full service bar. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the People’s Medicine Project, a Health Justice organization and free alternative health clinic. Members of the Project will be present to speak about their organization’s community-sustaining work. Tickets can be purchased through the Hawks and Reed website at:
https://hawksandreed.ticketfly.com/e/bash-a-tapas-style-dinner-raising-funds-for-the-people-s-medicine-project-81549995231/
Or, save the ticket fee, by calling Hawks and Reed directly at (413) 774-0150 – leave your name, your phone number and that you’re interested in tickets to BASH and they will call you back!
Finally, be sure to ACT QUICKLY, because People’s Medicine is giving away **FREE TICKETS** to the first FIVE people who sign up to be sustaining donors before the event. Sustaining donors are the backbone of PMP. Becoming a sustaining donor means YOU support the vitally important work of increasing access to alternative and complementary medicine, and YOUR bold ongoing commitment promotes heath justice in our community. Visit peoplesmedicineproject.com/donate TODAY to become a sustaining donor! And don’t worry, even if you’re not one of the lucky first five to sign up, anyone who pledges to be a sustaining donor during PMP’s Giving Tuesday campaign, will receive a fabulous PMP t-shirt designed by Carol at Taproot Threads!
by LaMara HunterKelly | Nov 26, 2019 | In The News
By KRISTEL APPLEBEE, Consortium Executive Director
For the Gazette
Published: 11/26/2019 12:01:19 AM
The term “opioid epidemic” has become as American as apple pie in our nation’s lexicon. Here in western Massachusetts, communities have been hit hard by the crisis, with families grieving unthinkable losses. It seems most people know someone impacted. As a result, funding for opioid education, treatment, and prevention has increased; this concentrated community focus on solutions has also brought support for the peer recovery movement, specifically through recovery support centers funded by the state.
Treatment is a critical piece of the recovery continuum of care, offering a foothold to those in the deep throes of addiction. But treatment alone is not enough. Having a welcoming place for folks in early recovery to connect, heal and grow by participating and sharing with one another, can provide a solid foundation for lifelong recovery. Many people in recovery find they need support throughout their lives. Though recovery is an inside job, a supportive community is the key to success…
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