Hello Neighbors and Friends -
It's exciting to have our 5th annual Kindness Week upon us. We hope you will join us at the Kickoff to Kindness Week and also take part in the wide variety of events and activities happening around the community throughout the week. If you aren't able to attend any specific events, there are many ways you can still feel like you are part of the week. We try not to fill your email inbox too often, but there are a lot of details and reminders for Kindness Week that we want to make sure you know about. Beginning Friday (tomorrow), we will send out daily emails and Facebook posts that include things information on events or suggested activities (like our Chalk the Walks Wednesday tradition!) and themes for each day of Kindness Week.
There is always so much to share with you each month in these newsletters - the newsletters are fun to put together because I get to see all that our great little town has going on. (sometimes I do miss some things, though. So, please feel free to email if you have a free event to share that is open to all).
Veterans Day is tomorrow and Westborough has a nice tradition of honoring the more than 500 Veterans (!) living in Westborough. The rotary flag display is a beautiful visual reminder to keep our Vets in mind and it makes me feel good when I see it go up each year. Read on to learn about other ways Westborough is marking Veterans Day this year.
Later this month, I hope Thanksgiving brings traditions with family, friends and neighbors and a sense of gratitude for the relationships and community you are part of.
Yours in community,
Kelley Petralia
Executive Director, Westborough Connects
kelleyconnects1@gmail.com
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Upcoming Westborough Connects Program |
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Westborough Connects presents:
The 5TH ANNUAL KICKOFF TO KINDNESS WEEK!
November 12-18
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Kindness Week begins with our annual Kickoff to Kindness Week on November 12th from 11am-1pm at Westborough High School.
Please join Westborough Connects and many of our Partners in Kindness for kindness-related and community-oriented activities, music, and refreshments!
The Kickoff will also feature an interactive Drum Up Kindness performance at 12:30pm by three drummers with different instruments, who are coming together for the first time to perform! Come see Drumhead Dave (frame drum, doumbek and djembe drums), Yash (Dholki drum) and Yogesh (Tabla drum). The Drum Up Kindness performance is supported by a grant from the Westborough Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. This free event is open to the community and is intended for ALL AGES.
**Remember to bring your leftover Halloween candy for our collection for 3 different organizations!
FOR A FULL LIST OF EVENTS AND INITIATIVES HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE WEEK WITH OUR MANY PARTNERS IN KINDNESS, CLICK HERE.
(note: some require advanced registration to participate, so don't wait to look).
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STAY TUNED FOR KINDNESS WEEK DETAILS IN OUR REMINDER EMAIL WHICH WILL BE SENT OUT TOMORROW! |
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Thank you to all our
Kindness Week 2022
financial sponsors!
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Thank you to our newest sponsors and donors! |
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Are you a local business interested in learning about how you might be able to support Westborough Connects?
If so, we'd love to hear from you!
Please email Kelley Petralia (kelleyconnects1@gmail.com).
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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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Westborough Turkey Trot
is almost here!
The Westborough Education Foundation's annual Westborough Turkey Trot will take place on Saturday, November 19th at 9am. A Kids Fun Run will happen at 10am.
Even if you don't plan to run or walk, consider coming out to cheer on your neighbors as they make their way around town to help raise money for Westborough Education Foundation.
Click HERE to learn more and/or register as a runner or walker!
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Westborough Recreation and Rotary Club of Westborough invite Westborough residents to join in the fun. There is also an opportunity to be a part of the 2022 light parade. Please read all of the information carefully and only sign up if you are confident you can commit.
- Date: Sunday November 27th. Light parade will start at approximately 5:15pm, we will ask participating vehicles to line up starting just before 5pm.
- Location: West Main Street, vehicles line up on School Street, in order of arrival
- What to do: Decorate your car, truck, SUV, or other vehicles with lights and holiday decor. This is a great opportunity for business vehicles, neighborhood groups, or individuals
- Westborough Rec does NOT provide any materials to decorate your vehicles
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If you feel you can commit to participating please fill out THIS short form by November 18th.
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Upcoming SPARK Kindness Program - YOU are invited! |
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December 8, 2022, 7pm
via Zoom
SPARK has assembled a team of experts to help you survive and thrive during this busy end of year season! Author/expert Ned Johnson, Licensed Mental Health Counselor Janine Halloran, and SPARK founder Christine Guthery will offer practical strategies to support you and your loved ones. All are welcome - questions can be submitted anonymously. Join the village - we are all connected!
For parents, caregivers, educators, and community members of all ages. ASL Interpretation will be provided at this event.
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Opportunities for Connection, Civic Engagement, and Helping Others & the Environment |
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The Westborough Veterans' Advisory Board invites all veterans and members of the community to a morning of activities celebrating Veterans Day, 2022. Please see the day's schedule of events below.
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Read the Westborough Veterans Advisory Board press release for Veterans Day HERE.
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Start Kindness Week off by donating food:
Westborough
Boy Scouts
are
Scouting for Food
What is Scouting for Food?
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2022 Holiday Store sponsored by the Rotary Club of Westborough and Westborough Youth & Family Services
Westborough Youth and Family Services (WYFS) is proud to be partnering again with the Rotary Club of Westborough to bring to you the 21st annual Free Holiday Store. For those of you who participated in the Holiday Store in the past, you know that thanks to generous donations from Westborough residents and businesses, WYFS and the Rotary Club have been able to distribute thousands of gifts to hundreds of local children during the winter holiday season each year.
The Free Holiday Store plans to give out gift cards, wrapping paper, bows, tape and tags. We will also will be collaborating with the Purse Project to give out purses, and will be having snack items and cereal.
For more information and links to apply for the Holiday Store, click HERE.
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Westborough
Senior Needs Assessment
Are You Age 55+? We Need Your Input!
The Town of Westborough has partnered with a team at UMass Boston’s Gerontology Institute to identify current and long-term needs of Westborough residents aged 55 and over. One component of the assessment process is a survey, mailed to all residents 55 and over and available online at town.westborough.ma.us (click on the banner that spans the top of the webpage). If you are 55 or over and have not yet done so, we encourage you to complete the survey by November 18th. This survey provides the opportunity to have your voice heard on your views about living in the Town of Westborough, and to help the Town- including the Council on Aging and other departments- understand what matters to you.
If you have any questions about the survey, or require assistance completing the survey, you may contact Dr. Caitlin Coyle at the University of Massachusetts Boston at 617-287-7413.
Si usted necessita ayuda para completer esta encuesta en español, porfavor llame a Westborough Council on Aging, al (508) 366-3000.
Se você precisar de ajuda para preencher a pesquisa em Português, ligue para o Westborough Council on Aging no telefone (508) 366-3000.
如果您需要幫助以中文完成這項調查，請致電(508)366-3000 聯繫Westborough老齡化委員會。
如果您需要帮助以中文完成这项调查，请致电(508)366-3000联系Westborough老龄化委员会。
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Every year, the Westborough Civic Club, a volunteer-run nonprofit group, donates tens of thousands of dollars to Westborough community organizations. They have been a sponsor of several Westborough Connects programs over the years, including Westborough Unplugs and Westborough for Life! Stay. Connect. Thrive. We are fortunate to have an organization like this in town. On November 26th, they will begin their annual Christmas tree and wreath sale, located on the front lawn of Hastings Elementary School. This is their ONLY fundraiser. If you are planning to purchase a Christmas tree, roping and wreaths, please consider visiting them to purchase your live winter greenery. Your purchase will support the community!
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Each year, the Rotary Club of Westborough takes responsibility for making the rotary twinkle and shine in the night, through the hanging of the Winter Lights. It's something that the entire community can enjoy and benefits from. This project is funded through donations from community members and sponsors and they welcome donations of any amount to help keep the Westborough Winter Lights going. You can make a tax-deductible donation HERE.
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We've mentioned the Hometown Heroes banners appearing on street light poles around the downtown area at different times of the year. The Westborough Veterans Advisory Board, with the help of Westborough TV, recently created a tribute video featuring the banners. Watch it HERE (7m19s).
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The Westborough Historical Society hosted a "Wicked Westborough" Walking Tour in October and the Community Advocate published a great article on the event and the stories that inspired it.
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Noteworthy Reads and Resources |
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We thought this Gratitude Meditation from Greater Good Science Center was worth sharing (10 minutes).
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“When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.”
-Vietnamese Proverb
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About Westborough Connects
Westborough Connects, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN # 84-1751472), is a community connector with a mission to help build a thriving, kind, and connected community where everybody belongs. By listening and responding to the needs of the community, we connect people to resources and to each other. We foster meaningful relationships through events, collaborative partnerships and communications.
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westboroughconnects@gmail.com
www.westboroughconnects.org
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