June 2019 Newsletter from Westborough Connects

Volume 10 | June 2019

Notes on Connection From Around Westborough

Happy (almost) Summer! Welcome to the June 2019 Westborough Connects newsletter. The goal of this periodic communication is to shine a spotlight on the positive things going on in our community, including upcoming/recent events from Westborough Connects and other Westborough community organizations, interesting interviews with local people, examples of "connection" across our community, and noteworthy resources in Westborough and beyond. We welcome your input and would love to highlight the things that matter to you , so please send ideas/comments to WestboroughConnects@gmail.com.

Exciting News from Westborough Connects!

As of May 16, 2019, Westborough Connects is officially registered with the state of MA as a nonprofit organization! We are excited about this important step in establishing a strong grassroots organization focused on connection, building resilience and harnessing the power of kindness in our community. We are grateful to the many community members who have volunteered time and energy to Westborough Connects and to the many partner organizations who have worked with us on programs and initiatives. Thank you also to SPARK Kindness of Natick, our mentors in this work, for their incredible guidance and continued support.

We look forward to building on our foundation. We want and need involvement from our community and always welcome new members (it doesn't cost anything to be a member!). Sprinkled within this newsletter are details on some opportunities to get involved. If you are interested in meeting a member of Westborough Connects in person to learn more, email westboroughconnects@gmail.com. We love face-to-face conversations over coffee and tea, so please reach out.

Westborough Connects Programs: A Look Ahead

We have several great FREE programs in the works for fall 2019 and into 2020. Here is a brief preview of what we are working on (click on the bolded titles for more information):

Square One: Substance Use Awareness and Prevention - Panel presentation and community conversation on vaping, September 2019, co-hosted by Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Youth & Family Services, Westborough Public Schools (WPS) and Westborough Connects (WC)
Elementary & Middle School Hot Topics - Evening workshops on several topics of interest to parents, fall 2019, co-hosted by WPS and WC
Aging Successfully & Enjoyably in Westborough - Speaker presentation and "resource fair" showcasing local services and opportunities for older adults, November 2019
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration - January 20, 2020, co-hosted by Westborough Interfaith Clergy, Central MA Connections in Faith, WPS and WC. Please click HERE for a survey to help guide the planning for this event.
Westborough Kindness Week, March 29-April 4, 2020
Westborough Unplugs, May 4-10, 2020, co-hosted by Westborough Recreation, WC and Westborough Education Technology Fund
Tech Safety and Digital Citizenship for Elementary through High School Students presented by Katie Greer - Speaker presentation, winter/spring 2020, co-hosted by WC and WPS

If you are interested in volunteering to help plan one or more of these events, please click HERE . If you are an organization interested in sponsoring or partnering on these events, please email westboroughconnects@gmail.com. While our programs are free to attend, they are not free to produce.

Updates from Westborough Connects Committees

Diversity & Inclusion Committee: Initial planning has begun with the co-hosts of the 2020 MLK Jr. Community Celebration and we are seeking involvement from additional community members (click HERE to take a survey on planning for the event). The committee will hold its next meeting in September. Click HERE to read the full update from Diversity & Inclusion Committee co-chairs on recent work, the MLK Jr. Community Art exhibit and an invitation to join in the work.
Programming Committee: The Programming Committee met on June 12th to begin looking ahead at programming and activities in the fall and beyond. If you'd like to be involved in the planning for any of these programs, please click HERE. If you would like to learn more about the programs and the Programming Committee, please email Kelley Petralia (kelley_click@hotmail.com) or Laura Cerniglia (drlcerniglia@yahoo.com).
Community Engagement Committee: On May 28th, the Community Engagement Committee hosted a "mini-volunteer fair" that showcased a range of volunteer opportunities. It was nice to welcome new faces and to welcome back current members. Some of the volunteer roles that we discussed were the Westborough Block Party, community signage, designing marketing materials, funding, sponsorships and partnerships, media support, community events, content development, and volunteer support. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING? We have many opportunities for involvement! You can learn more about the different ways we can use your support on the Westborough Connects Volunteer tab on the website.

We (always) welcome new members and volunteers. Interested in Westborough Connects, but you haven't signed up or aren't sure how you want to be involved? Here are some options:

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive our newsletters, invitations and information.
Join one of our committees. Click HERE for a description of our current committees and HERE to sign up for one of them.
Contact our Board President, Maureen Amborsino (maureenconnects@gmail.com) or one of our Board Co-Vice Presidents, Kelley Petralia (kelley_click@hotmail.com) or Heena Suratwala (heena.ankurs@gmail.com) with questions.

Westborough Connects Honored at EID Festival

Westborough Connects was recently recognized by Humanity Bridge Foundation for Outstanding Humanitarian Efforts and Community Service at the 2019 New England EID Charity Festival. As we work to strengthen our connections with the interfaith community and across cultural groups, we are so grateful to our team, community partners (particularly Central MA Connections in Faith) and neighbors for their support. We look forward to our work together to promote kindness, diversity, inclusion and peace.

Thank you Humanity Bridge Foundation for this incredible honor.

Upcoming Community Events

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.

Kids looking for something to do after school gets out on Thursday?

This is particularly fun and convenient for students walking from Gibbons and the High School - who are hungry and looking for something to do.

Thank you to the Westborough Library, Westborough Recreation and Westborough Youth & Family Services for making this happen.

The annual Westborough July 4th Block Party will take place Friday, June 28th from 6-10pm at Baystate Commons. This annual celebration will feature music from the band “The Reminisants,” many children’s events, and food concessions will be available for purchase. The event is free to attend. Some activities charge a nominal fee.

Westborough Connects will host a table and would love volunteer help to greet people who are interested in learning more about the organization. Please email Kelley Petralia (kelley_click@hotmail.com) if you are interested.

As part of its series Rising Towards Unity , our neighbors in Grafton will host "Reading Frederick Douglass Together" on the Grafton Common, July 5th at 6pm. People will gather on the common to experience the moving words of Frederick Douglass’ famous speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Discussion groups will follow, exploring the meaning and relevance of his words to each of us today, particularly as they relate to race, gender and immigration.

This event is free and open to the public and Westborough neighbors are welcome.

CONNECTion Spotlight

Check out these recent and upcoming examples of (and opportunities for) connection in our town.

The Boroughs Loop Trail will open in fall 2019 and will connect existing trail systems in Marlborough, Northborough, Westborough, and Southborough to create a 33-mile regional trail. Read the exciting details in this recent Patch article.
We recently heard about a fun annual neighborhood block party tradition in the Valley Brook Road neighborhood called "Around the World House Hop," started by resident Jeanette McCarthy and made possible by the efforts of the entire neighborhood. People along Valley Brook Road come together to get to know each other and enjoy food dishes and activities from different countries. Read more about this wonderful example of community connection in this recent Community Advocate article.
Visit or call the Westborough Public Library (508-366-3050) and join the 2019 summer reading program, A Universe of Stories. The program has options for kids, teens and adults.
The Town of Westborough is seeking community input in an effort to update its Americans with Disabilities Act Self-evaluation and Transition Plan. Please click on this link for more information, including a survey link and where to send comments.

Noteworthy Articles & Resources

We love this CNN article on Norweigans finding happiness through something called koselig. It's short and worth reading...You can find our own koselig, maybe even right here in Westborough. And we can all really benefit from doing so!
Empathy is so important in our lives and our communities - understanding and appreciating the perspectives of others (or at least trying to) brings us together. While it may seem like there is less empathy in our lives and the world today, here's the great news - we can build empathy! Read this Greater Good Magazine article to find out more about it.

" You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

About Westborough Connects