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Art, Connectivity, and Community Bring ‘aWAREness’ to Recovery

by | Sep 8, 2022 | In The News

Terri Thompson of The Consortium and Abaigeal Duda, Peer Recovery Project Coordinator for the Ware Regional Recovery Center (Recovery Center of H.O.P.E.).[/caption]

By Marcella Comerford, Reporter
mcomerford@turley.com 

September 8, 2022

WARE, MA – A show solely catering to the artworks of those in recovery does not show up often, yet the community impact of such a show can be enormous, bringing out the faces of addiction in ways unusual and profoundly human, opening channels of communication and understanding through art. Workshop13 and ArtWorks Gallery partnered with the new, soon to be opened, Ware Regional Recovery Center to present “Bringing aWAREness to Recovery Art Exhibition,” featuring artists in recovery from drugs and alcohol.

The opening was held on National Overdose Awareness Day, August 31, 2022, coinciding with the start of National Recovery Month in September. [CONTINUE READING] (more…)

Greenfield resident explores topics ranging from racism to mental health in poetry reading

Greenfield resident explores topics ranging from racism to mental health in poetry reading

by | Jul 28, 2022 | In The News

By BELLA LEVAVI
Staff Writer
Published: 7/24/2022 3:03:34 PM
Modified: 7/24/2022 3:00:32 PM

GREENFIELD — Kimberly “Kemah” Wilson started her poetry reading by keeping the mood light with a song about meatballs.

From this song, the Greenfield resident transported listeners across a variety of topics including LGBTQ pride, racism and America’s future.

Wilson presented her reading at The LAVA Center on Saturday afternoon. Most people in the crowd knew Wilson personally and said they were touched by her work.

“The pieces had such a span of thought and insight,” commented Wilson’s friend, Mindy Bragon.

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Baystate Wing Hospital Awards $30,000 In Grants

Baystate Wing Hospital Awards $30,000 In Grants

by | Jun 21, 2022 | In The News

By 
June 17, 2022

PALMER —  Baystate Wing Hospital has announced an investment of $30,000 in grants to benefit local community-based nonprofit organizations. The grant awards were given to the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation, the Quaboag Connector to support local transportation in the region, the Ware Fire Department to support Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and paramedic training, and to the Ware Regional Recovery Center to increased access to support and expand knowledge about recovery support services and resources in the region.

“Everyone is strengthened when we work together to build and sustain a culture of health and wellness within our communities,” said Molly Gray, president and chief administrative officer for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region, which includes Baystate Wing Hospital and Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Center. “We are very happy to support the work with our community partners with these grant investments.”

[…]

Growing Strong: Ware Regional Recovery Center’s Next Chapter

The $3500 grant to the Ware Regional Recovery Center, a program of the Western Massachusetts Training Consortium, will support their work in the Quaboag Hills Region to respond with increased momentum in raising community awareness about local access to recovery support and resources, to decrease stigma and to encourage people to seek out recovery support services in a time of critical need.

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Agency Receives Funding to Support Survivors of Violence

by | Jun 10, 2022 | In The News

Montague Reporter
By Christina Trinchero
June 2, 2022

FRANKLIN COUNTY – The Salasin Project, a program of the Western Massachusetts Training Consortium, recently received a $127,000 grant from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Survivor Trust Fund to expand its work with Franklin and Hampshire County residents who have experienced the multiple and complex issues related to domestic violence.

Through partnerships with area social service agencies, the grant funding will be used to implement a support group in Spanish and to hire an advocate to increase access to housing and economic empowerment for individuals experiencing domestic violence.

[…]

The Salasin Project will collaborate with Alianza DV Services, a domestic violence program in Holyoke, to support Hampden County participants interested in moving to Hampshire or Franklin counties.

“Searching for housing can be overwhelming,” says Alianza executive director Carmen Nieves, “especially when someone has experienced violence.” The programs will join forces to help survivors relocate.

“With this funding, we will be able to hire a full-time housing advocate who can work with participants to find safe housing and move,” Lockwood says, noting the lack of affordable housing can be a “significant barrier” to someone leaving an abusive relationship. […]

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Human Service Forum’s Community Builders Celebration Recognizes Consortium Community Leaders

by | Jun 1, 2022 | In The News

Thank you to Human Service Forum for recognizing some of our amazing community leaders at Home and Community Connection, Northampton Recovery Center and the Support Network during their Community Builder Celebration event on May 25th! According to the Human Service Forum, these are people who make all feel welcome, working collaboratively for the good of the community while helping others to be their best. We are SO proud of you all!

Honored as Community Builders in Western Massachusetts:
  • Home and Community Connections employees: Anita Cross, Sharna Pearson and Renee Marshal
  • Northampton Recovery Center employees: John Sullivan, Trevor Dayton and Dan Bickford
  • Support Network employees: Jan Lamberg and Shawna Osman

Learn more about their work in creating conditions for innovation, growth, and connection at their pages below!

Home and Community Connections

Northampton Recovery Center

Support Network

 

Data shows local opioid deaths soaring amid pandemic

Data shows local opioid deaths soaring amid pandemic

by | May 31, 2022 | In The News

By CHRIS LARABEE
Staff Writer
Published: 5/24/2022 5:15:26

[…]

The Community Opportunity, Network, Navigation, Exploration and Connection Team (CONNECT) is a 24/7 rapid response team created by the Opioid Task Force and a partnership that includes The RECOVER Project, Tapestry, law enforcement from 30 area communities, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin, and the North Quabbin Recovery Center, among others.

Sarah Ahern, also a peer recovery coach with The RECOVER Project, emphasized that numbers are more than just data — each point on a graph represents the end of a human life and the unquantifiable grief that shrouds families and communities in the wake of an overdose.

“You can look at data numbers — those are human beings, those are people, those are somebody’s brother, sister, mother, father, cousin, aunt, uncle, grandfather,” Ahern said sitting next to Daignault in The RECOVER Project’s office. “Those people were loved by their family and we talk about these losses. They’re human lives and the weight of that is heavy.” […]

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