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July 11, 2025: Issue 13
Offering hope and help to those impacted by opioid misuse in
Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.
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Keep Swinging: A Message for the Front Line
Hello, beautiful readers!
July is here, and the rainy weekends of June finally got the memo and packed their bags for a much-needed vacation. Today, I come to you with a special message for our frontline workers - our law enforcement partners, healthcare professionals, peer recovery coaches, and direct care providers.
It is summer, and the warmer weather brings with it an increase in substance use and overdose events. This makes the work we do at the Opioid Task Force and CONNECT more crucial than ever.
Whenever there’s an uptick in overdoses or substance use, we often see burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma rise among our frontline partners. It’s not just about being witness to someone overdosing or encountering someone who has lost their life—it’s about being asked to keep showing up with empathy, compassion, and without judgment, even when it feels like nothing is changing. Some of our partners encounter the same person over and over in the same situation, not knowing if what they are doing has any impact at all.
We rely on first responders to be the first person someone sees when they regain consciousness after an overdose—often revived by naloxone—and for that interaction to leave a lasting impression of care, support, and dignity. Our peer recovery coaches are responsible for supporting people through the complex intersections of substance use and trauma, knowing the journey towards recovery is not linear and is often fragile. At times, they are asked to visit family members and friends with messages of condolences and grief support, while holding the losses they have endured in their own lives. We know it is not easy to dig this deep. Yet, there is always hope for recovery if we can keep showing up for people and keep them alive. Our outreach team knows this all too well, from our own personal experiences.
I ask you to let this quote sit in your mind for a minute: “The last stroke of the hammer breaks the stone. This doesn't mean the first strokes are useless. Success is the result of continuous effort” -A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
This concept of persistence resonates so strongly with me as I do this work. Yet in this world of quick fixes and immediate gratification, we can forget why we are swinging the hammer in the first place. So, I ask us all, especially our frontline partners responding to overdoses and working in the field of addiction, to remember this and breathe life into your efforts. Showing up is hard, but every swing of the hammer matters. Any one of them could be the one to break the cycle. If the first swing doesn’t work, swing again. If the twentieth doesn’t, maybe the twenty-first will. Remember, most of us give up, not realizing how close we are to success. Keep swinging.
In my work, I often get to hear stories from people in recovery—stories filled with unimaginable pain, trauma, and grief. Most say they pushed people away, even those who were trying to help. Until one day one person says the right thing, offers a moment of support, a little grace, or simply shows up as the kind of human they might want to become someday—and it clicks. Something shifts. Their lives change. And years later, they come back and tell you about all of the incredible things they are doing.
If you haven’t heard enough of these stories to inspire you, just ask. We’ll connect you with people whose journeys will keep you swinging that hammer—and reaching for the naloxone—again and again.
Meeting people where they are at is not always easy, and we know we ask a lot from our frontline workers, who are genuinely amazing human beings. We are profoundly grateful to you for sticking with us, supporting our community, and persevering during uncertain times. So, thank you. And if no one has told you lately, what you are doing matters.
Until next time,
Nicole St. Hilaire, Outreach Manager, CONNECT
Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region
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UPCOMING EVENTS
See what's happening at OTF this month.
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COVID-19 RESOURCES
Explore OTF's COVID-19 Resource Guide.
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Franklin County/North Quabbin 2024-2025 Winter Response Resources for Unhoused Individuals
Click here
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MASSACHUSETTS SUBSTANCE USE HELPLINE
Hope is here. Get help.
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413Cares
Resources for Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region. Click here.
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NQCC'S Newsletter
Resources and upcoming events in the North Quabbin Region.
Click here.
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CONNECTIONS #90
Find local resources in this issue.
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Emergency Services Resources for Unhoused Individuals
Click here.
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The PACES CONNECTION
Click here for resources
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Grayken Center for Addiction Training & Technical Assistance
Click here to view and/or register for trainings.
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GCC Community Engagement and Workshop Events
Click here to view and/or register for trainings.
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Rural SUD Info Center
Click here for resources.
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A Primary Care Office on Wheels
Greenfield Recorder 6.23.25
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The Community Health Center of Franklin County is getting ready to hit the road.
The nonprofit health center serving Franklin County and the North Quabbin region received its Mobile Health Unit earlier this month, which will help it bring full primary care services to patients at farms, rural areas and others who can’t get to the office.
As the Community Health Center of Franklin County gets the vehicle ready to serve patients across the region, it is looking to raise $70,000 to cover the rest of the capital costs of the project. The agency received a $200,000 grant from the Connecticut River Valley Farmworker Health Program to purchase the vehicle and is seeking the community’s help to make up the difference.
“We can do anything in here that we can do in the office. It is a primary care office on wheels,” said Dr. Allison van der Velden, CEO of the Community Health Center of Franklin County. “With the grant funding, which we’re grateful for, it’s sort of the catalyst for us to be able to do it now, to kind of get us over the hump.”
The Community Health Center of Franklin County’s services include primary and medical care, behavioral health services, pediatric care, reproductive care, addiction treatment services and dental care, among others. Van der Velden said the main goal of the Mobile Health Unit is to cast the center’s net wider by providing even more opportunities for people to access important primary care services.
“If we can ease the way a little bit, make the introduction, connect people to the health center, that will also be a benefit. … This will be great for connecting folks to care,” van der Velden said, noting that the center has a few other transportation options for people, too.
That goal also ties into the Franklin Regional Council of Gover nments’ Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), an effort to bring together resources and community members to improve policies, systems and the environment where people live.
Specifically, a main focus of the 2024-2028 CHIP is to expand access to clinical health care in the region, especially to those with limiting factors, such as a lack of transportation.
“If you don’t have a car or you’re not able to drive your own car … whatever it is, it means you don’t get care,” van der Velden said, adding that patients often have a better experience with care when they receive it in a familiar location. “If we’re able to bring this to other places, we’ll be able to help bridge that gap.”
Phoebe Walker, FRCOG’s director of community services, said launching the Mobile Health Unit will make a big difference in the region. “The health center’s new mobile primary care unit meets an urgent need for better access to health care in our region,” said Walker, who is also vice president of the health center ’s board of directors. “Increasing access to medical providers for people who live in our most rural areas — like those in the hilltowns or working on farms — is a priority of the 2024-28 Community Health Improvement Plan for our region, so this development is a great step forward.”
The GoFundMe can be found at bit.ly/45Ac5od. The Community Health Center also plans to explore more grant opportunities and getting help from private foundations for additional funding. For more information about the Community Health Center of Franklin County, visit chcfc.org. The center has locations at 102 Main St. in Greenfield, 8 Burnham St. in Turners Falls and 119 New Athol Road in Orange.
As congressional discussions about Medicaid cuts and other services continue, van der Velden emphasized that the Community Health Center is here for residents. It is accepting new primary care patients and folks can learn more on the website.
“We’re dedicated to doing everything that we can to maintain access and hopefully improve it because it i s n’t good enough now,” van der Velden said. “We’re paying close attention to developments that could impact funding streams, like Medicaid.”
Staff Photo/Paul Franz
| | | | UPCOMING OTF COMMITTEE & WORKGROUP MEETINGS | | |
Virtual: Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force
July 14, 2025
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Zoom details here.
Hybrid: Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Workgroup
July 14, 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Franklin County Reentry Center
106 Main Street, Greenfield
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Joint Treatment & Recovery and Healthcare Solutions Committee
July 18, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Zoom details here.
Hybrid: Public Safety & Justice Committee
August 4, 2025
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Franklin County Reentry Center
106 Main Street, Greenfield
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Harm Reduction Workgroup
August 6, 2025
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Zoom details here.
**CANCELED** Virtual: Housing & Workforce Development Committee
August 8, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Zoom details here.
Virtual: CAM Workgroup
August 12, 2025
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Zoom details here.
**CANCELED** Virtual: Methadone Workgroup
August 14, 2025
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup
August 20, 2025
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Education & Prevention Committee
September 9, 2025
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Zoom details here.
Consult our website or Facebook Page for updates. Please email us with any questions!
| | | FEATURED EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS | |
Senator Markey Wants to Hear from You
Please Click the Link Here
| | Click here for Post-Opioid Overdose Outreach Services | | Time Sensitive Announcements | | Now - July 26 GPL Children's Summer Reading Program 2025 | | Now - August 10 Erving Public Library Summer Reading | | July 11 WHWHE Chocolate with a View: Hike with Paula Packard | | July 12 Courageous Strides 3rd Annual Fundraising Supper | |
July 13 Word Game Extravaganza and
Puzzle Swap with the Friends
| | July 13 Town of Rowe Summer Social | | July 13 Summer Concert Series: Bad News Jazz and Blues | |
July 14 Snack and Screen: Luca and
July 21 Howl's Moving Castle
| | July 16 Fire Truck Visit! | | July 16 - August 20 Wild About Water Wednesdays | |
July 16 Puzzle Race with the Friends | | July 17, 31 & August 7: Active Parenting-The First Five Years | | July 17 - August 28 Thursday Bilingual Music & Movement | |
July 17 Community Overdose Prevention and Narcan Training Register Here
| | July 17 Gel Plate Printing | | July 17 Family Game Night | | July 18 Down by the River: Chick'n'Wire | | July 18 Wendell Moth Ball | | |
Wendell Moth Ball
Friday July 18 6-10 p.m.
You are cordially invited to a Moth Ball at the Wendell Free Library on
Friday July 18, 2025.
A gathering of observation and celebration of our most beloved nocturnal lepidoptera friends. Fancy/moth inspired dress encouraged. Guests of honor are expected around 9p.m.
7:30-9:30pm: Wicked Good Henna!
(Sign up for a time slot at the front desk)
5-7pm: Friday Night at the Library with moth crafts/ activities
7pm: Bat presentation by expert Rocky from Problem Wildlife Inc.
9pm: Moth time! Observe moth visitors with local moth expert Adam Kohl
| | July 19 The Paw Print Workshop | | July 19 Ways Of My Ancestors - We Are Still Here | | (Beginning) July 23 Touchpoints Parenting - a Five Part Series | |
July 25 Summer Concert Series: Ragtime Five Quintet | | July 26 Dad Bags: DIY Sail Boats | | July 27 WHWHE: Cooking with Gratitude: Local to Global | | July 28 Marshmallow Roasting | | July 29 Arthropod Petting Zoo | | August 6 Summer Reading Stuffy Sleepover | | |
| MONTHLY WORKSHOP CALENDRS AND WEEKLY STANDING MEETINGS/EVENTS | | Community Action Family Center | | Franklin County Reentry Center | | Great Falls Discovery Center | |
Greenfield Public Library Children's Programs
| | Hilltown Youth Recovery Theatre | | Montague Public Library Programs | | North Quabbin Recovery Center | | Seeds of Solidarity and Women Healing Women Healing Earth | | The Shelburne Falls Military Band | | Union 28 Community Network for Children Program | | Housing Help With Greenfield Housing Authority | | SNAP Application Assistance | | Always Open! Community Labyrinth in Greenfield | | What's Happening at The NQRC | | Sundays ALT2SU (Alternatives to Suicide) | | All Recovery Meeting at The RECOVER Project | | |
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
The Community Closet at The Franklin County Reentry Center
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Monday - Friday
Movement Group with North Quabbin Recovery Center Peer Leaders
| | Mondays Breathwork Detox-Guided Group Adventure | |
Mondays North Quabbin Patch Parents' Council | | Mondays Breaking Barriers at the Franklin County Reentry Center | | Mondays Art Guild Meetings | | Monday Drug Court Alumni Group - North Quabbin | | Mondays Community Yoga at Wildflower Alliance | | Mondays Creative Community Involvement Group | | Mondays All Recovery Meeting and Drop In Recovery Coach Support | | Mondays CNC Playgroup at the Erving Public Library | | Second Mondays - North Quabbin B.R.R.A.V.V.E. Task Force Meeting | | Mondays Alternatives to Suicide Group | | 2nd and 4th Mondays Parenting Together at the Brick House | | Third Monday Alphabet & Allies | | Third Monday Parenting With Pride | | Mondays and Thursdays Hygiene Supplies Pick Up at the Brick House | | Mondays and Thursdays The Brick House Food Pantry | | Tuesdays Through August 26: Music on the Patio | | Tuesdays LGBTQIA+ ALT2SU (Alternatives to Suicide) | | Tuesdays Grandparents' Support Group | |
Tuesdays Nurturing Program for Families in Recovery | | Tuesdays Peer-Led Grief and Loss Circle | | Every Other Tuesday - Housing Support Drop In Hours | | First Tuesday - Dads' Group | | Tuesday Tea Time & Community Resource Drop-In | | Tuesdays North Quabbin Recovery Center Coffee Hour | | Tuesdays Greenfield Suicide Loss Group | | First Tuesday - P.A.R.T. Task Force | | Tuesdays Drop-In Knitting & Sewing Sessions | | Tuesday & Thursdays Weekly Reentry Groups | |
Tuesday Men's Anger Management Group
Wednesday Women's Anger Management Group
| | Wednesdays Virtual All Recovery Meeting | | Wednesdays BIPOC ALT2SU (Alternatives to Suicide) | | Wednesdays - Wendell Library Playgroup with Sylvia | | Wednesdays - Playgroup at the Leverett Library with Gillian | | Wednesdays HEROES Study Hub at GCC | | Wednesdays Health Connector & Mass Health Navigator Drop In Hours | | Every Other Wednesday (beginning March 5) Salasin Project Housing Support | | First Wednesday Gentle Yoga and Breathwork with Jennifer | | First Wednesday - Money Wise Financial Education Sessions | | Second Wednesday - Whatever Wednesday's | | Third Wednesday - Fatherhood Meetup | | Last Wednesday - Office Hours With An Attorney | | Wednesdays and 2nd Saturdays The Nest Community Closet | |
First Thursdays June - November Ukulele Monthly Class
| | First & Third Thursdays Parent Support Group | | Thursdays Music Tween Group | | Thursdays Coffee Hour at the Brick House | | Thursdays Beyond Trauma Group in Spanish | | Thursdays Windows and Mirrors Playgroup | | Second Thursdays -Peer Grief Support After Overdose Death | | Third Thursdays Court Service Center Walk-in Days at the North Quabbin Patch | | Fridays FreeWrite of Franklin County | | Friday All Recovery Meeting and Drop In Recovery Coach Support | | RECOVER Project Friday Nights | |
MassHealth Navigation Support
First Friday from 9am-12pm and Third Friday from 1pm - 3pm
| | First & Third Friday Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group | | Second Friday Wound Care Clinic with Amy Pierno | | FCRN - Resources Available for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren | | |
In February, FCRN partnered with The United Arc and the Offices of Representative Natalie Blais and Congressman Jim McGovern to host representatives from the Social Security Administration, the Department of Children and Families, and the Child Advocate for the Commonwealth Maria Mossaides for a discussion with grandparents raising grandchildren in Franklin County.
Below please find more information about programs covered at the event, as well as some key links and contact information for the representatives for state and federal agencies and legislative offices that were present.
Office of the Child Advocate: The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent executive branch agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities, established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008.
The best way to get in touch with the OCA is through the Complaint Line: https://www.mass.gov/guides/oca-complaint-line
Maria Mossaides, Child Advocate
Department of Children and Families
Regional DCF team:
DCF’s Kinship Navigator : Kinship Navigator is a program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that assists all kinship caregivers (grandparents and other relatives) with accessing services for themselves and the children they are raising.
Kinshipnavigator@mass.gov 1(844) 924-4KIN Online referral: https://formstack.io/CF361
Jennifer Kitchenham, Jennifer.S.Kitchenham@mass.gov
Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: The purpose of this Commission is to be a resource to the Commonwealth on issues affecting grandparents raising grandchildren, and relatives, other than parents, raising kin.
On July 8, 2008, the Child Advocate bill was signed into law which included the establishment of the Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. This legislation calls for a permanent commission on the status of grandparents raising grandchildren which consists of 15 individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to grandparents.
617-748-2454 massgrg@mass.gov Colleen Pritoni, colleen.pritoni@mass.gov
Family Resource Centers: Supported by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Department of Children and Families, a Family Resource Center is located in each of the 14 Massachusetts counties. There are currently 33 FRCs.
Here are some of the ways FRCs help families:
- Bring people together for friendship and mutual support
- Strengthen parenting skills
- Respond to family crises
- Link families to services and opportunities
- Help children develop social and emotional skills
- Observe and respond to early warning signs of child abuse and neglect
- Value and support parents
Community Action Family Center 90, Federal Street, Greenfield, MA 01301 (413) 475-1555
Jolanta Rumierz, jolanta.rumierz@mass.gov
Social Security Administration - Boston Region Office
SSA representatives in Boston office:
Federation for Children with Special Needs
Caregiver to Caregiver Respite Network: https://fcsn.org/c2c/
Mary-Beth Landy, Senior Trainer & Family Engagement Manager, mlandy@fcsn.org
Below is the information for all of the legislative offices that were present:
Senator Comerford’s office
Representative Blais’s office
Congressman McGovern’s office
Kinship Navigator Brochure
Foster Parent Flyer
Adoption Journeys Brochure
UMASS Brochure - Family Resources Center
Kid's Net Brochure
Mental Health Advocacy Program - FAQs
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Resources
| | Respite Care and/or Funding for Respite Care | | Psychological Testing & Evaluation at Gandara Center | | Community Support Program & Recovery Support Navigator at Gandara Center | | Gandara Center Outpatient Services | | Free Hypnosis Sessions With Certified Hypnotist Jenn Avery | | Re-entry Workforce Program | | Homeshare Program with LifePath | | Pathways to Advanced Manufacturing | | Specialized HVAC Training | | Specialized Information Technology Training | | |
Support & Resources After the HEALing Communities Study
| | SafeSpot Virtual Overdose Spotting Hotline | | CHCFC OBAT Same Day & Tele-Health Appointment Information | | Free Meals and Essentials at Saints James and Andrews Parish Hall | | Come Cook with Franklin County Community Meals Program | | Family Self-Sufficiency Program Available | | Eviction Self-Help Booklets Available in Multiple Languages | |
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MLRI has recently updated and translated some of our self-help booklets for unrepresented tenants facing eviction. While we still recommend tenants facing eviction seek legal help, we know resources are limited and many tenants have to represent themselves. We hope these booklets can be helpful to pro se tenants and their advocates.
You can see the full list of booklets below, or at MassLegalHelp. The booklets can help tenants prepare for court, outline their legal claims, and file court forms. There is also a booklet to help public housing tenants navigate the Grievance process.
Please reach out if you have any questions about the booklets and how they can be used.
What steps to take before going to court and what to bring to court.
An easy-to-use checklist that tells you what conditions violate the State Sanitary Code. You can also use the free self-help guided interview, MADE: Up To Code.
The Answer is a court form that tenants facing evictions can file with the court to outline your legal claims and tell the court your side of the story. You can also use Greater Boston Legal Services’ free self-help guided interview, MADE.
How to ask the court to accept your Answer and Discovery forms late. You can also use Greater Boston Legal Services’ free self-help guided interview, MADE.
A form with instructions for tenants facing eviction to get information to prepare for their trial.
A form with instructions for tenants in foreclosed properties to get information to prepare their case.
A form you can file to transfer your eviction case from a District Court to a Housing Court.
How to get a new court date if you missed your court date.
If you lost your eviction trial and think you have a good case, you may appeal. This document tells you which Appeal form to use.
How to file an appeal from a case in Housing Court.
How to file an appeal from a case in District Court.
How to get time to stay in your home if you lost your case.
How to ask the court to pay for court costs.
How to think through the terms you want in an agreement. Includes a worksheet and stipulation forms to use when you go to court. Read this booklet as webpages and watch the videos!
How to correct errors on your online court records. The Booklet includes the court form you can save to your computer, fill out, save again and print when ready.
A booklet for tenants in Mass. about the grievance process, including worksheets to help you prepare for a grievance hearing.
| | Update! Greenfield CSC New Hybrid Operations Change | |
Beginning Tuesday, 9.3.24, the Greenfield Court Service Center (CSC)services will be in-person and remote: Monday-Thursday, 8:30am-1pm; 2pm-4:30 pm, and Fridays, 8:30-1pm.
For ANY/ALL REMOTE REQUESTS, please contact the Virtual Court Service Center, M-F 9am -2pm, if you do not have an emergency. You can reach them for an intake, Monday-Friday, 9am to 2pm, by Zoom video or telephone as outlined below:
https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1615261140 or Dial (646) 828-7666. Enter the Meeting ID number 1615261140 and then press # #.
If you have an emergency, and still need remote services, have the court department reach out directly to Greenfield CSC office by email for assistance at greenfieldcsc@jud.state.ma.us.
| | COMMUNITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES | | |
Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region www.opioidtaskforce.org | |
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