June 2023 Newsletter

Congratulations to the Graduates of the BIPOC Clinical and Leadership Pathway Program!

The BIPOC Clinical and Leadership Pathway Program is a collaboration between Open Sky and Seven Hills to uplift BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) employees and provide support in career development.

Participants from the two agencies completed 8 weeks of training and mentorship to learn more about advancing in the human services industry. Session topics included team-building, situational leadership, giving and receiving feedback, career visioning, and more.

Thank you to the leaders at Open Sky and Seven Hills who volunteered their time to provide mentorship and participate as guest speakers. Participants of the program shared that the support from their mentors was a key part of the program experience.

Valley Friendship Tour

Saturday, June 3rd

Thank you to everyone who attended the 38th Annual Valley Friendship Tour on June 3rd at the Alternatives' Whitin Mill! Despite the chilly weather, we still had a blast walking, running, and biking through the beautiful Blackstone Valley.

Together we raised over $118,000 to support Open Sky's mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, homelessness, and community support programs. That's amazing!

Teams may continue raising money until July 1st and the top fundraisers will be eligible for prizes! You can learn how to earn an Open Sky Summer Swag Pack, Open Sky Umbrella, or VFT Yeti Rambler here.

Congratulations to our top teams and individual fundraisers 🎉

Top Teams:

1. Wrentham Rascals
2. Green Monsters
3. Sole Riders
4. Enroll Models
5. ValleyCASTers

Top Fundraisers:

1. Teresa Pitaro
2. Leah White
3. Kevin Hunt
4. Roseanna Lamontagne
5. Kristen Pepin

Click the button above and login in the upper right corner to visit your fundraising page and share it with others.

Honoring Mental Health Awareness Month in May

The Green Ribbon Committee - (a sub committee of the Mayor’s Mental Health Task Force working to de-stigmatize mental health) hosted a Hope Day Celebration at the Worcester Senior Center on May 12th.

The tulip garden was planted in October 2022, and members of the Senior Center have worked to nurture and support the garden. The event included peer speakers from Open Sky who shared stories of hope and recovery.

On May 16th, Stephanie Cyr and Mike Pickering represented Open Sky at the May Mental Health Awareness Conversation at the St Francis Xavier Center. Individuals with lived experience in mental health and substance use recovery speakers shared personal stories highlighting hope, strength, and resiliency.

Open Sky and other organizations were present to provide resources.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach out for help:

988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

741741 National Suicide Prevention Textline

1-877-870-4673 Samaritans Statewide Helpline

1-202-304-1200 The Trevor Project (LGBTQ Youth)

Text STEVE to 741-74 Persons of Color Crisis Text Line

1-877-990-8585 Asian LifeNet Hotline

1-866-628-9454 Spanish Language Suicide Prevention Hotline

1-800-799-4889 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Suicide Prevention Hotline

 1-800-273-8255 Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline

NEW! Community Membership Opportunities

The Community Membership Department now has its own webpage! Click the button below to get involved in community events, programs, and volunteer opportunities.

Featured Opportunities:

Summer Creations Workshops

Choose from 12 projects such as mosaics, birdhouses, hydro-dipping, and more! Sign up for multiple workshops to get a discount. Financial aid is available for individuals served by Open Sky. All workshops are held at the Alternatives' Whitin Mill, 60 Douglas Road, Whitinsville, MA. Register here.

Worcester Volleyball Club BLAZERS - Registration Day

Tuesday, June 20th, 6-8pm

4 Mann Street, Worcester, MA

We invite you to join us for registration or to meet the Coach and learn more about the Blazers. Scholarships and financial aid are available for individuals served by Open Sky.

Contact Michelle.Benjamin@openskycs.org or Ashley.Carrion@openskycs.org

Click on the video to take a peek inside the Transgender Resource Center!

Happy Pride Month!

Pride Month is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan.

On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, resulting in six days of rioting in resistance of LGBTQIA+ discrimination, police harassment, and exploitation. 54 years later, the LGBTQIA+ continues to fight for their rights and liberation.

Open Sky's Safe Homes program provides services and support for LGBTQIA+ youth and their allies ages 14-23. In addition to weekly drop-in programming and free behavioral health support, Safe Homes has a Transgender Resource Center at the Worcester location. Youth can access gender-affirming supplies, clothing, peer support, and short-term counseling.

We would appreciate your support throughout Pride Month and beyond to keep the TRC stocked with supplies. By donating at the link below, you can help transgender youth have access to critical resources.

Pride Picnic in the Park Rescheduled to July 12th

The 2nd Annual Pride Picnic has been rescheduled to the rain date on Wednesday, July 12th at the same location, Leominster State Forest, from 12pm-4pm. There will be a cookout, swimming, a tie-dye activity, rock painting, Queer Jeopardy and Queer Bingo with prizes.

Stop by and bring your friends to this fun in-person event to celebrate PRIDE Month and support our Open Sky LGBTQIA+ Community. Allies are welcome and we have some Ally flags as prizes!

Please RSVP to:

ryan.markley@openskycs.org

508-341-5431

jill.evans@openskycs.org

774-239-3478

View more Open Sky and ValleyCAST events here.