If you have received this email as a forward and wish to subscribe to the Westborough Connects mailing list, please click HERE. For previous newsletters, click HERE.
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Hello Neighbors and Friends -
Happy Spring! This month marks the four year anniversary of this Westborough Connects newsletter. Wow, that flew by. Our first issue (HERE) was sent to our original list of 381 emails. Our mailing list has grown significantly since then! Last month's newsletter was sent to 1,507 subscribers! We love this part of the work of Westborough Connects - sharing good news, events and important resources that connect our community, build strength and promote kindness. Thanks for reading. I also encourage people to reach out with events or items that you think should be included here. It definitely makes our job easier!
April is a busy month with several celebrations and holidays being observed across the community:
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April is Autism Awareness Month.
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Ramadan began on April 2nd and continues until the evening of May 2nd with the celebration of Eid al-fitr.
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For those in the Jewish religion, Passover begins at sundown on April 15th and ends on April 23rd.
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Many Christians will celebrate Easter on April 17th while those in the Christian Orthodox faith will do so on April 24th.
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Earth Day is April 22nd. Celebrate and honor Earth Day by participating in the Westborough Community Land Trust's annual town wide clean-up. Check HERE for more information and to register.
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National Volunteer Week is April 17th-23rd. Read on for a link to some project ideas.
Read on to learn about many upcoming programs and events happening this month.
Yours in community,
Kelley Petralia
Executive Director, Westborough Connects
kelleyconnects1@gmail.com
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Volunteer Opportunities with Westborough Connects |
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Westborough Connects is currently seeking volunteers to help with many immediate needs:
- Volunteering at community events. Upcoming opportunities include our Westborough Unplugs initiative and Connect Over Coffee events
- Planning an event for families and loved ones of adults with dementia or other cognitive impairments
- Fundraising and grant writing
- Marketing
If you have some time and are interested in any of the above volunteer opportunities, please email westboroughconnects@gmail.com.
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We are now on Facebook! @westboroughconnects
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Stay tuned for full details next week... |
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We understand that digital devices are necessary for navigating many parts of life and relationships today. Westborough Unplugs, part of National Screen Free Week, encourages us to "unplug" when and where we can, and discover the incredible local opportunities beyond our screens. Through Westborough Unplugs, Westborough Connects also promotes resources and tips for restoring balance of screen use in our everyday lives.
Join us as we Disconnect to Reconnect - with ourselves, our local resources and each other!
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Community Programs and Events |
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PLEASE NOTE: A goal of this newsletter is to highlight free, community-focused events that are open to all and bring us together. We do our best to keep up with all the great things going on around town, but we need your help! Please reach out and let us know about any events that would be important to include! Email us at westboroughconnects@gmail.com. Thank you.
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All are welcome to attend this fun event on Saturday, April 9th, which is also a Westborough Lions Club fundraiser to support the organization's scholarships to Westborough high school-aged students. For more information on the Westborough Lions Club, including how to purchase a duck and everything else you need to know about the derby, click HERE.
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WHS Mental Health Discussion: The Transition from High School to College
April 12th, 7:30-8:30pm
Westborough High School auditorium, 90 W. Main Street
The Global Health Awareness Club at Westborough High School is hosting a mental health discussion highlighting the transition from high school to college on April 12th in the auditorium from 7:30-8:30 PM. We will have WHS alumni and other college students as panelists, who will briefly introduce themselves and then start answering pre-loaded questions from the google form that is attached in the email sent out last week for this event. The event is for sophomore, junior, and senior students and parents and will look at topics like: how to manage stress, how to make use of the mental health services at college, etc. Freshmen however can still fill out the form on the fliers around the school for topics they want to see discussed. The google form is attached below and is also used to RSVP to the event.
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For more information about this FREE all ages community event, visit the Sustainable Westborough website HERE.
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Between May 2nd and 6th, you may notice beautiful "Gratitude Gardens" sprouting up in front of Westborough Public School locations around town. Be sure to drive or walk by to check them out.
What is a "Gratitude Garden?"
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Westborough Education Foundation (WEF) is hosting a fundraiser whereby parents, caregivers and community members can purchase toy pinwheels as a token of appreciation for the talents and efforts of Westborough educators. Volunteers from the Westborough Education Foundation will be "planting" purchased pinwheel "flowers" at each of the Westborough Public Schools. The initiative will enable WEF to fund grants to teachers and educators for the implementation of innovative educational programs, partnerships and enrichment activities which are outside the funding normally provided in the school budget.
How can you learn more?
Visit the Gratitude Garden page of Westborough Education Foundation website HERE.
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Opportunities for Connection, Civic Engagement, and Helping Others & the Environment |
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Earth Day Town-Wide Cleanup &
Cleanup Volunteers’ Picnic
Advanced signup required
Join the annual town-wide litter clean-up sponsored by WCLT (Westborough Community Land Trust), and enjoy a drop-in Earth Day Volunteers’ picnic lunch afterwards! Come on your own, or rally your family, co-workers, or neighbors and form a team to beautify our town!
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Families and individuals go HERE between April 1st-8th to sign up and choose an area to clean.
- Clean your chosen area any day or time between April 9th & noon on April 16th.
- Join fellow volunteers from 11:30-12:30 on April 16th at Bay State Commons for an appreciation picnic of pizza with all the sides!
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Westborough Recreation has launched a newsletter. Check out their Spring/Summer 2022 issue HERE.
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The Westborough Fine Arts Education Association and Westborough Public Schools Fine Arts Department recently published a special edition "Spotlight" newsletter, featuring the K-12 Visual Arts Department and work of student artists across the district. Find it HERE.
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Noteworthy Reads and Resources |
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The Square One Collaboration (Westborough Connects, Westborough Public Schools, Westborough Youth & Family Services, Rotary Club of Westborough and Westborough Public Library) partnered with SPARK Kindness to host a introductory program in March called Understanding Disordered Eating. If you missed it, you can view the recording HERE.
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National Volunteer Week is April 17-23. Points of Light offers a great list of DIY volunteer projects to do with groups and families of all ages.
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In honor of Autism Awareness Month, we offer this great resource with "5 Ways to Celebrate Autism Awareness All Month Long." (thank you Heena S. for sharing!).
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This Greater Good Science Center article is worth sharing "Is Your Brain Foggy? Here Are Five Ways to Clear It." It offers 5 tips for clearing our minds.
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One of the bright points from the COVID-19 pandemic was highlighted in the World Happiness Report 2022. According to John Helliwell, one of the report editors, "helping strangers, volunteering, and donations in 2021 were strongly up in every part of the world, reaching levels almost 25% above there pre-pandemic prevalence." Helliwell also noted, “This surge of benevolence, which was especially great for the helping of strangers, provides powerful evidence that people respond to help others in need, creating in the process more happiness for the beneficiaries, good examples for others to follow, and better lives for themselves.” You'll find the full report HERE.(thank you to Westborough Connects volunteer Jody H. for bringing these good findings to our attention!).
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"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you."
-Princess Diana
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About Westborough Connects
Westborough Connects is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN # 84-1751472) focused on building a more connected and kind community where everybody feels like they belong. Often in partnership with others, Westborough Connects creates opportunities to support and celebrate the diversity, spirit, and character of Westborough through programs and events that are community-based, strengths-based and dedicated to connecting people to resources and each other.
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2022 Westborough Connects Grant Sponsor |
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westboroughconnects@gmail.com l www.westboroughconnects.org |
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