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May 1, 2020
Hello Neighbors and Friends -

I've been thinking a bit lately about character traits in relation to living through this COVID-19 pandemic (as someone who has not actually contracted the virus). Elementary school children spend a lot of time learning about character traits - what they are, what they mean, how to spot them. So, I asked one of my resident elementary school students (aka my 6th grade daughter) how she would describe the character traits needed to get through (emotionally) this difficult time. She thought about it and told me that you need the ability to adapt to the current situation and basically went on to describe resilience. Resilience . (I think her teachers would be proud).

In the conversations I have with family, friends and community members, I see a lot of examples of resilience. When I receive a funny text, hear about celebrations of milestones like birthdays, or participate in planning a new program or project, it strengthens my personal resilience. We are all digging deep into our own reserves for the energy, courage and positivity to move throughout our days. Sometimes, the people and community around us can give us that little boost we need to get back into the swing of things and ready for what the day brings. In our newsletters, we try to include some things to lift our spirits and help us feel connected and supported. We also share resources for mental health and encourage people to reach out when you need help.

We can do hard things. Together. Apart. Always.

We'd love to hear what works for you - a resource or something that brings you strength, a smile, peace or whatever you need in your day. Drop us a note if you have something to share.

Finally, next week brings two special days that honor some of the amazing heroes who are working hard each and every day during this time and always - National Teacher Day is Tuesday, May 5th and National Nurses Day is May 6th (and the start of National Nurses Week, May 6-12). We hope you find some time to show your gratitude for the teachers and nurses in your life and in our community.

Yours in community,

Kelley Petralia, Executive Director, on behalf of the Westborough Connects team
kelleyconnects1@gmail.com
#GivingTuesdayNow is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 prompted by the current COVID-19 crisis. It’s a day when we can all come together and give back in all ways, no matter who or where we are. People can show their generosity in a variety of ways during #GivingTuesdayNow-whether it’s helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes, every act of generosity counts.

Through our newsletters and with our partners, we will continue to highlight ways you can give back to the community with your time and talents. We will also highlight the good work of other organizations. Wherever and in whatever form you are able to, we applaud your contributions to lifting our community.

Westborough Connects is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization ( EIN # 84-1751472) . Everything we do is free and open to all. However, it is not free to produce. If you have enjoyed this newsletter, attended a program, participated in an initiative or been otherwise touched by the work of Westborough Connects, we ask you to consider supporting Westborough Connects with a financial contribution on May 5th (if you are able). Your support will help us continue our mission of building a more kind and connected community where everybody feels like they belong.

Together. Apart. Always. Our Work is Connection.
Opportunities to Assist Others
We will continue to share updates about opportunities and efforts to serve those in need in our community. PLEASE NOTE: Some of the information in this section was included in previous newsletters but is worth repeating. To differentiate between new and previously shared information, we have included new information in GREEN.
  • Several organizations with members in Westborough are sewing homemade masks and in need of some additional supplies to continue making them. Links to their Facebook pages are included below and they request that you message them via Facebook if you are able to donate materials.
  • SEWA International and Sew We Care are in need of cotton cloth.
  • Masked - A Stitch in Time is in need of elastic.
  • The Westborough Food Pantry continues to accept grocery card donations and monetary donations, which may be dropped off in the black box in front of the Town Hall, at the Fire Station just inside the first set of doors or sent via US Mail to: Westborough Food Pantry, PO Box 502, Westborough, MA 01581. Please note: the food pantry can obtain gift cards at a discounted rate, so monetary donations go further than gift card donations.
  • Do you have neighbors who are alone? Reach out and call them! If you don't know their phone number, leave a note with your phone number on their door or in their mailbox.
  • Set aside your unwanted (new or gently used) puzzles, games and craft supplies and stay tuned for information on a community swap program being developed through the Westborough COVID-19 Task Force, in partnership with Westborough Connects. More information to follow in next week's newsletter.
Opportunities for Connection
Our work is connection.
Together. Apart. Always.
Notes of Support and Caring for Westborough Senior Citizens

The Westborough Senior Center could use help in sharing community love and support with older adult community members.

Please consider writing a short letter or creating a card to show we are all living through this and support one another. Letters and cards can be dropped off in the bin outside the Westborough Senior Center (4 Rogers Road).
As we have the past few weeks, we ask you to participate in   Clap Because We Care  on Friday nights at 7pm. Organizers of this national initiative ask people to, " make some joyous noise to show our appreciation for all those amazing people working to keep us safe, healthy and sustained!...open your doors and windows, head out to porches and decks and clap, hoot, holler, sing out your appreciation for all to hear!"  Further, we encourage you to place a lit candle on your front steps or an electric candle in a window each night as a sign of connection and solidarity.
Free Community Programming
Frank and Mary in Westborough is an informative talk show produced by  Westborough TV and hosted by Arthur Bergeron (an elder law attorney at Mirick O'Connell) and Shelby Marshall (Senior Vice President/Co-Owner at Right at Home Eastern Worcester County and a selectman in Westborough). Normally, the show focuses on senior/elder care issues; however in the past month, they have shifted to covering the impact of the COVID-19 virus and discussing issues and information as they relate to the Westborough community.

The show is being released weekly and is running on Westborough TV Verizon/Fios Ch 24 and Charter/Spectrum Ch 191 each day at 7am, 1pm and 6:30pm. The show is also available online for viewing anytime via Westborough TV web site .
Recent Topics/Guests

  • Synergy Wellness Center and Westborough Resident Michelle Grasso discusses the importance of mental health during this time. She demonstrates breathing exercises and highlights the need for rest and relaxation. Click to view HERE
  • State response to COVID-19: Carolyn Dykema, MA Representative; Westborough Fitness Challenge: Roger Anderson, Westborough Public Schools Director of Health & Wellness. Click to view HERE
  • COVID-19 impact on pets and veterinary care: Dr. Armelle DeLaforcade, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine; "Code Red" and "RU OK?" Emergency communication systems: Patrick Purcell, Westborough Fire Chief. Click to view HERE
Westborough Public Library is offering many amazing programs, with opportunities to connect.

You can find information on their upcoming programs on the news & events page of their web site HERE .
One great example is their Short Story Discussion Group , being held via Zoom. It is great for people who "Need a diversion but don't have the time or energy to read a whole book right now." They have 2 more dates currently planned: May 7th and 14th from 5-8pm. To join this weekly, short story discussion group, register HERE . They send out the zoom link on the day of the meeting! 
PROGRAM UPDATE
The Westborough Fitness & Wellness Challenge is rockin'! Our community has circled the globe twice now with "miles" and "miles" of exercise. The reality is that students, teachers, staff and families in Westborough have completed over ten-thousand hours of exercise so far in the Month of April. The health benefits of being active cannot be overstated, and our community has recognized that. It is never too late to start if you haven't done so yet, and here is the link to  our Web Page .

We look forward to continued success, and one of our big goals is to reach the moon, which we are well on our way to doing!

- Roger Anderson, Health & Wellness Director for Westborough Public Schools
Reminder: This program is open to everyone in the community. Join today.

Check out this fun video montage featuring the entire Westborough Public Schools PE, Health & Wellness team.
Every Wednesday at 3pm, Special Olympics of MA offers free live fitness classes via Zoom. Each week features a new theme.

Click HERE for more information and to join in.
Community Spirit and Strength - Shining Bright!
A few examples of the generosity filling our community right now.
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Below is a beautiful thank you letter to the community, from a nurse who shared the need for baby monitors at the hospital she works at. The community (Westborough and Shrewsbury) quickly mobilized and provided all that she needed.

To my unsung heroes

I am a nurse. I’ve been a nurse for 25 years and have never been challenged in my career by anything as I have with COVID-19.

This letter is not about me, or nurses, or hospitals. This letter is about YOU. 

We are all inundated with COVID-19 news. There is not much else I can tell you about this virus or our working conditions. 

But what I can tell you is how YOUR generosity as a community has been so uplifting for all of us during this time. We are so indebted to your goodwill and kindness. You have restored our faith in humanity. We will never forget those that have, unsolicited, contributed homemade surgical caps, food that has been dropped off on my doorstep for my family, baby monitors, food to hospital staff members, cases of Girl Scout cookies, flowers, lotions and soap. The donations are endless. I see and appreciate the banners and colorful signs of support and appreciation, and the many numerous well-wishing texts and emails to me. 

You are not broadcasting names nor asking for attention. Quietly, you gave of yourselves and reached out to others to do the same. YOU are the real heroes during this pandemic. 

I’m just doing my job. 

May your generosity of heart be returned ten-fold!

With all the gratitude in the world,

From me and all of the nurses that have been the recipient of your kindness,

Jody RN MS
Boston Medical Center emergency room staff nurse and Westborough resident
As we mentioned in the last newsletter, Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Civic Club and Westborough Connects, along with many, many individual community members, have been involved in an effort to make face shields for the front lines in the COVID-19 fight. To date, over 1400 shields have been assembled and distributed to several places, including Westborough Fire, Westborough Police, Milford Regional Hospital, UMass Memorial, Beaumont, Westborough Healthcare and others.

Behind every shield is a face that needs protection. This project gave many people at home an opportunity to help the people on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are happy to report that the Westborough Senior Center has received a few hundred donated face masks and are distributing them to older adult residents in town. The masks were donated by a number of amazing and generous organizations - SEWA International, Sew We Care, Masked - A Stitch in Time, and the Westborough Chinese American Association . Many individuals also donated homemade masks, sewing at home for the benefit of others. Thank you to all the people who made this possible!
A Few Worthy Reads
  • Today, May 1st is Digital Wellness Day. The mission of Digital Wellness Day 2020 is to "empower individuals, communities, and organizations with research-based tools and strategies to flourish in a digital age." There are several events in support of this, which you can view HERE.
  • The birds are singing all around us. If you have time, check out Tower Hill's "6 Birding Tips for Beginners" HERE.
Several Helpful Resources & Quick Reference Links
PLEASE NOTE: Some of the information in this section was included in previous newsletters but is worth repeating. To differentiate between new and previously shared information, we have included new information in GREEN
  • The Westborough COVID-19 task force has launched a COVID-19 information line - 508-871-5111 for non-emergency calls. It is staffed by town personnel between the hours of 8am-5pm (Mon-Thurs) and 7:30am-12pm (Fri). Translation services are available. The town has also established an email for COVID-related questions: covidinfo@town.westborough.ma.us.
  • If you find yourself in need of emergency services but are unable to speak, you can text to 911.
  • So many of us are communicating with our family and friends through various video conferencing platforms. Next Avenue has published a helpful article to sort through the various options. Within the article is a link to a printable guide for users of Zoom, which was put together by Senior Planet. Click HERE to read and/or print it.
  • Westborough Youth & Family Services has UPDATED its COVID-19 Resource List. You can find information about how to obtain assistance with food and other important services, including mental health.
  • So many businesses and organizations are providing FREE service offerings during this time of physical distancing and accessing services from home. Check out our UPDATED curated list including our favorite FREE resources HERE.
  • Westborough TV continues to broadcast and make available the videos from meetings of the Board of Selectman, Board of Health, School Committee and other town committees. Click HERE to visit the Westborough TV homepage and click on Meetings on Demand. They are also replayed on Westborough TV broadcast channels (Verizon channel 28 and Charter channel 192).
  • For the most direct way to get accurate information for the Town of Westborough during this time, view official town updates HERE.
  • In addition to the Reverse 911 calling system, we also have a CodeRED alert system that you may enroll in by texting "WESTBOROUGHFIRE" to 99411. You may also want to sign up for the town's email alert system HERE. Chief Pat Purcell provides very useful town updates each Sunday via this alert system (Thank you, Chief Purcell!).
Westborough Master Plan UPDATE
The Master Plan Advisory Committee has completed its public survey and wishes to thank all who participated. It has now added a new “Submit Your Ideas” tool to the website. It is really a digital “post-it poll” that additionally allows the contributor to upload an image of their subject. The Westborough community is invited to share their ideas through this tool. Check it out HERE .
Reminder : The stay at home advisory remains in effect until May 18th. Our path to being together again hinges on us all doing what we are being asked to do. It is HARD, especially with children out of school and the warmer weather approaching. But, it's important. The Westborough Board of Health issued an Advisory this week to strongly recommend that all members of the public who are entering stores or other essential service areas where they will come in contact with essential workers are advised to wear facial coverings to minimize the spread of COVID-19. You can read that HERE .
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. Westborough Connects is still forming and always welcomes new members and partners.nd dedicated to connecting people to resources and each other.