Volume 6 | February 2019
Notes on Connection From Around Westborough
Welcome to the February 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.
The first annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration in Westborough was a success!
Over 300 people braved the freezing cold temperatures on Monday, January 21st to honor Dr. King and hear the inspirational story and work of Ken E Nwadike Jr. - aka the Free Hugs Guy.

The day was beautiful - the music led by Luanne Crosby, the reading of the student essays (they were so poised and their words were powerful), reciting words from MLK Jr., the Community Art Project, Conversation Circles, Community Reading for the kids and the Community Spirit & Inclusion table. Through the generosity of our community members, we donated hundreds of toiletry items to the Westborough Food Pantry.

One of the wonderful takeaways from the day was a bookmark with a recommended reading list curated in partnership with the Westborough Public Library. To view the extensive list of books for all ages, visit the Westborough Connects website .
In case you missed it, click HERE to watch the ceremony and highlights from the day (Thank you Westborough TV )!

The event was co-hosted by Central MA Connections in Faith, Westborough Connects and Westborough Public Schools. It was grant-funded by the Lilly Endowment and by Islamic Relief.
It was a great community event and collaboration with the organizations and volunteers who made the day possible. We look forward to next year!
Updates from Westborough Connects
Westborough Connects will hold two upcoming committee meetings :
  • Steering Committee: The Steering Committee met on January 28th. The focus of the meeting was to discuss the requirements and considerations for registering Westborough Connects as a charity with the state of MA as well as applying for 501(c)(3) status.We had a productive session reviewing draft documents prepared by Westborough resident and attorney Jim Tashjian. Next Monday, February 11th from 6:30-8:30pm at Westborough Public Library top floor meeting room, the Governance Working Group will re-group to discuss and make changes to the drafted documents in preparation for presenting them for a vote at the next full Steering Committee meeting on April 8th. We invite each of you to come to next Monday's meeting - your input is valued and appreciated! Please RSVP HERE to let us know you can attend. In order to move forward with registering Westborough Connects with the state, we need to fill the volunteer positions of Secretary and Treasurer. If you are interested or want to learn more, please email Maureen Ambrosino at maureenconnects@gmail.com.
  • Diversity & Inclusion Committee: We are excited to announce our next Diversity and Inclusion Committee meeting on Thursday, February 14th from 6:30-8:00 PM at Westborough Public Library (Meeting room). We had some great ideas from our last meeting and are grateful for the valuable input that has helped us understand our community needs and strengths better. We need continued participation as we take a step forward and set our long term and short term goals. Please find our Meeting Agenda HERE. We are still growing and we welcome volunteers to join us and embrace all forms of diversity. Bring in your ideas and questions for our wonderful community and join us in this important work of Diversity, Inclusion and Kindness.

Programming Committee Update
The Programming Committee is focused on planning for several upcoming programs. In lieu of an upcoming committee meeting, program planning teams are forming for each of the following events:
  • Square One: A community conversation on Substance Use Awareness and Prevention (see Upcoming Events below)
  • Lynn Lyons presentation on anxiety in children and families (see Upcoming Events below)
  • Westborough Connects Kindness Week, a celebration of Kindness in Westborough - April 7-13th. We will be looking for organizations interested in partnering on this. We will hold a planning meeting on the evening of March 13th.
  • Westborough Unplugs during National Screen-Free Week - April 29th-May 5th. This program is in partnership with Westborough Recreation. We will be looking for organizations interested in partnering on this.
  • Dr. Ruth Potee presentation, "The Physiology of Addiction: Effects of Drug-Taking Behavior on the Brain" - April 25th. This program is in partnership with Westborough Rotary, Youth & Family Services and Westborough Public Schools with financial support from Rotary and Youth & Family Services.

We welcome input and need volunteers to make these awesome programs happen! If you're interested in helping with one or more of them OR if you would like to be added to the Programming Committee mailing list, please click   HERE .   If you belong to an organization that might be interested in involvement in any of these, please email westboroughconnects@gmail.com.

Community Engagement Committee Update
Great things are happening with the Community Engagement Committee! On January 16th, Michele and Kristy from SPARK Kindness joined our discussion as we dove deeper into the work of community engagement and the importance of developing "our story". As we think about our mission and the language used to connect community members, we'll be weaving these elements into our work. On the horizon ... a media plan, 30-second elevator pitch, sub-committee 1-pagers, a Westborough Connects brochure and utilization of technology to communicate volunteer opportunities. Speaking of volunteers - we are happily looking for your talents! If you like to write; are savvy with technology/social media/communications; are fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi/Indian/Urdu, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French; enjoy building relationships; or simply love meeting new people , please reach out to us at westboroughconnects@gmail.com. There are many ways to get involved.
We are still forming and welcome new members!! 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.
  • Attend one of the upcoming committee meetings.
  • 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 Steering Committee Chair, Maureen Amborsino (maureenconnects@gmail.com) or one of our Steering Committee Co-Chairs, Kelley Petralia (kelley_click@hotmail.com) or Heena Suratwala (heena.ankurs@gmail.com) with questions.
Upcoming Events from Westborough Connects
Square One - A Community Conversation about Substance Use Awareness and Prevention
Join us on March 28th from 6:30-8:30pm at Mill Pond School for this important community event. The goal of the evening is to initiate a community conversation on substance use disorder, addiction and substance use prevention among youth. Through World Cafe-style discussion, we seek to identify unique issues in Westborough and community education needs (including Juuling and vaping). We hope to bring together community members and organizations to begin the work together. We are grateful to Westborough Rotary for initiating this for our community!

The event is co-hosted by Westborough Rotary, Westborough Youth & Family Services, Westborough Public Schools and Westborough Connects. It is free and open to the public. Additional details to follow.
Lynn Lyons - Managing Anxiety at School and Home: Strategies to Interrupt the Worry Cycle
Join us on April 3rd from 6:30-8:30pm at Westborough High School for a presentation by Lynn Lyons, LICSW, an expert in child and family anxiety. With more than 28 years of experience in this area, Lyons has presented to many communities and educators with a positive, strengths-based approach to helping children and families deal with anxiety.

This event is co-hosted by Westborough Connects and Westborough Youth & Family Services and made possible through additional financial support from Gibbons Parent Group and Hastings Parent Group. We are seeking additional funding support and welcome businesses or groups interested in underwriting to email westboroughconnects@gmail.com. The event is free and open to the public. Additional details and registration information to follow.
Upcoming Community Events
**If you know of a free community event you think we should include here, we want to hear about it!**
Earth Day Town-Wide Cleanup
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday April 13th
Location: all around Westborough!!

This annual event is sponsored by Westborough Community Land Trust. The stewardship and preservation mission of the WCLT is so important to Westborough residents who enjoy the open space and multiple trails throughout our town. They are always looking for new members and support! Check out their website HERE for more information.

You can help now by nominating additional sites around town for cleanup. Please email your suggestions to westboroughconnects@gmail.com
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CONNECTion Spotlight
Recently, we had a chance to sit down with Westborough resident Walter Leslie to learn more about Westborough Civic Club. We wanted to share what we learned about this amazing and unique organization in our backyard.

The Civic Club began in the 1970's as a local chapter of a global organization called Civitan. In 1975, they spun off into Westborough Civic Club with the sole purpose of raising money and providing service to Westborough. Many of us in town have either shopped at or seen their annual Christmas tree and wreath sale. This is their ONLY fundraiser and this past year, they sold nearly 1300 trees. WOW!

In 2018, the Civic Club gave back more than $50,000 to the community of Westborough through financial support of the library, Rangers on Track, the Charlotte Spinney Vision Scholarship, school parent groups, the scouts, town sports organizations (among many others) and through in-kind donations of trees to Youth & Family Services. We are so fortunate to have an organization like this in town.

The Westborough Civic Club welcomes new members! The time commitment is VERY low and entails attending some meetings (when possible) and helping out with shifts at their annual tree sale. To learn more or to join, please email president@westborocivicclub.com. It takes a village to support a village.
Check out these great examples of connection in town:

  • On February 6th, Westborough Senior Center launched Generation Bridges - an inter-generational group of senior citizens and high school students coming together to share stories and engage in conversation about their lives and interests. This wonderful program of connection will be held Wednesday afternoons from 2:30-3:30pm at the senior center. People young and old benefit from knowing and being around people from other generations. Programs like this build lasting impressions and memories for all! For more information or to join, please call the senior center (508-366-3000).

  • The Westborough Public Library is Collecting Kindness and Sharing Joy this month. In conjunction with their participation in an annual Bruin's pajama drive (Collecting Kindness), the Kids' Room is Sharing Joy by having paper hearts for kids and adults to fill out with something that makes them joyful or someone or something they love. These will be available and on display for the duration of the pajama drive (Feb 1- March 15).

  • The final tally is in on the gift giving at this year's Youth & Family Services Holiday Shoppe - an incredible 3,204 gifts were given out for 225 children and 109 families. WOW! Youth & Family Services and the Westborough Rotary, along with donations from many Westborough residents, made the holidays a lot brighter for so many.

  • A recent Community Advocate brief highlighted the Service Learning Initiative program at Westborough High School, led this year by senior Abigail McLucas. The program began in 2017 with a goal of bringing service opportunities and volunteer mentorship to K-8 students. Abby has focused this year on efforts to organize the program for future stewardship as well as leverage social media to highlight some of the amazing examples of service happening within our elementary schools. Check out their new Facebook page HERE and like the page for updates that will bring a smile to your face and warm your heart!
Noteworthy Articles & Resources
  • Watch this inspirational video to see how one man transformed an area of land made barren by cutting down trees. He began by simply planting one small tree and returned everyday for 37 years to plant more. The result is amazing and beautiful.
  • February 7th is national Send a Card to a Friend Day. Even in this age of cell phones at our fingertips with the ability to reach a friend or relative with a quick text or email anytime, the act of sending and receiving a friend's card is still meaningful and heartwarming. If you haven't done so already, buy or make a card for a friend this month - you'll be happy you did.
  • Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17th. As a reader of this newsletter, we know you LOVE kindness and probably have lots of ideas and things you do to spread it in your daily life. In case you're looking for fresh ideas, check out these ideas from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. And speaking of kindness, you will hear more from Westborough Connects on celebrating kindness in our town very soon. So stay tuned!
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