August 9, 2024: Issue 15
Offering hope and help to those impacted by opioid misuse in
Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.
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"Children's Advocacy Center Expanding"
Greenfield Recorder (7/24/24)
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Later this year, North Quabbin residents can expect the Health Center Plaza to have an outpatient clinic providing specialized mental health services for child victims of sexual abuse and their families.
The Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin is getting a $86,900 grant from The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts that will go toward suite renovation in the plaza the Community Health Center of Franklin County purchased
at 119 New Athol Road in 2020. Jeffrey Trant, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center, said providing high-quality youth mental health treatment has been a top priority since the nonprofit was founded in 2016 and having an Orange location — in addition to its existing building at 56 Wisdom Way in Greenfield — will expand services in the North Quabbin region. “We’re presently in the construction phase of the project,” he said, adding that he hopes the 800-square-foot space will be ready by early November.
As a tenant of the plaza, the Children’s Advocacy Center will have two individual therapy suites and one group therapy area, according to Trant. Thayer Street Builders in South Deerfield is the project’s general contractor.
Trant mentioned this project has other sources of funding as well — a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, $20,000 from the Bete Family Foundation and a $4,500 grant from the First-Light Sustains program.
Dr. Allison van der Velden, CEO of the Community Health Center of Franklin County, said having a mental health outpatient clinic in the plaza aligns perfectly with her organization’s mission. “We’re really excited,” she said. “We bought the plaza in Orange … and we knew that we would have extra storefronts, and the dream was the development of like a community center plaza with nonprofits that serves our community in different ways. We’re excited to have [the Children’s Advocacy Center] in that space.
“We provide primary care and dental medical services, but we are all really invested in promoting the overall health of the community,” van der Velden added.
(STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ)
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"Homeless To Receive Cooling Kits"
Greenfield Recorder (7/27/24)
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As the state experiences record-setting heat this summer, Three County Continuum of Care workers are collecting supplies to distribute “cooling kits” to the region’s homeless population.
Standing outside the Greenfield Public Library on Friday afternoon, Three County Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry Coordinator Shaundell Diaz said volunteers had already collected a significant number of items, such as sneakers, clothing and toiletries, from both public and private donors. The idea for the cooling kit drive, Diaz said, came from the Continuum of Care’s People With Lived Experience Action Board, which is made up of individuals from Franklin, Hampshire and Berkshire counties who have benefited from the organization’s services.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t that many cooling centers. People don’t have transportation to get where they need to go, plus, often, they prefer to stay hidden,” Diaz said. “It’s just hard for them to get out of the heat, so being able to give them something to alleviate the risks of heatstroke comes in handy.” The Continuum of Care began collecting donations in Amherst on Monday. Diaz said residents can drop donations off at the Community Action Pioneer Valley office at 393 Main St. in Greenfield or Forbes Library on West Street in Northampton until Friday, Aug. 2. She noted the Northampton Recovery Center also offered Narcan kits for the Continuum of Care to distribute with information on how to safely administer the overdose reversal drug.
Data collected by Continuum of Care Data and Evaluation Manager Michele LaFleur shows that from January 2021 to January 2024, the counted population of homeless individuals and families jumped from approximately 67 to 252. Of the 67 homeless individuals and families counted in 2021, LaFleur said 21 were “persons in families” and 46 were “individuals.” In 2024, 171 were persons in families and 81 were individuals.
“That’s a big jump. It’s mostly families in shelter in the state’s Emergency Assistance family shelter program. They made a lot of changes around services recently because it’s so at capacity,” LaFleur said. “We are seeing the state placing people in overflow shelters here [in Massachusetts].”
The national shortage of available housing is at the root of the problem, LaFleur said. “The housing shortage is the No. 1 thing, a lack of affordable and available housing. Even when people have housing vouchers, they often can’t find a unit that they can afford even with that voucher, or they face discrimination trying to use that voucher,” LaFleur said. “Even when they do have resources that people can use, there isn’t always the housing stock available for people to use it.”
Diaz said the supplies collected through the drive will be distributed at a breakfast that will be held at Craig’s Doors in Amherst on Wednesday, Aug. 7. In the future, she said additional breakfasts will be held in Northampton and in Greenfield, where Springfield barber Donnell Wright will also offer free haircuts to those in attendance.
(STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ)
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"Police Introduce Community Liaison"
Greenfield Recorder (7/30/24)
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In an effort to bridge the divide between law enforcement and those residing in the city’s Central Business District, the Greenfield Police Department has recruited retired police officer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Maria Burge as its first-ever community liaison. The civilian position, which Burge will serve while stationed out of the department’s soon-to-open 205 Main St. substation, aims to connect residents in need with the appropriate resources without unnecessary police intervention. Burge said she hopes to build a sense of trust between portions of the downtown population who need help, but might otherwise be hesitant to talk to law enforcement.
“There are a lot of new folks to this community who hang out downtown that I don’t know. By being more present out there, the folks that do know me can say, hopefully, ‘She’s OK.’ Most of them are not afraid, they don’t shy away from me,” said Burge, who works for Greenfield under the city’s Senior Tax Work-Off program by which residents work in a parttime position in a municipal department and apply their wages to one of their quarterly property tax bills. “The police have their hands full with crime and a lot of the concerns out there are not necessarily criminal.”
Since Burge’s time serving as a Greenfield Police officer in the 1980s, she went on to fill numerous public roles, working as a liaison for Greenfield students who speak English as a second language before transitioning to her most recent role as a Greenfield District Court officer.
Burge said she has already had hopeful interactions with the community since she began her new position earlier this month, ranging from helping a homeless couple find water to helping an individual struggling to make ends meet avoid eviction by referring them to a Salvation Army rent assistance program.
Burge said her experience with individuals involved in the criminal justice system at Greenfield District Court has carried over into her new role, helping her establish trust with the people she now serves. “I have developed a trusting relationship with them, because when they were either under arrest or they were in my cell at the courthouse, they always saw me as fair and helpful,” she recalled. “When they got out, I would say, ‘Go here,” or ‘Try this.’ It’s just so important for folks to be seen as a human being and not just a criminal or someone with an addiction.”
According to acting Police Chief Todd Dodge, the new community liaison position coincides with the department’s latest push to enhance its relationships with the downtown community. He cited the opening of the Main Street substation in the months ahead and development of the department’s Community Impact Unit — a police division that focuses on developing strong community connections, particularly downtown — as examples of a push toward service- focused law enforcement.
“I’d love to make this a more permanent thing. Those individuals down there, for some pretty valid reasons, they don’t look at us the same as they look at a civilian. They always have to remember in the back of their minds that we could be the people that take away their liberties, we could be the ones that arrest them, we could be the ones that slap them with a fine or make their lives miserable because of what they’re doing,” Dodge said. “Maria has to trust us to not go down there and be overwhelming in response to what she brings to us, because then it defies her trust. If every time Maria comes to report something to us, a crew of ours show up downtown and sweeps two or three people off the street under arrest, it’s going to kill this thing. Our minds are open, we’re going to listen and we want to take open-minded response methods. We want to do things differently.”
In the future, Dodge added that he would like to see the community liaison position grow into a full civilian task force. He said he has been working with Burge to develop a “Greenfield Dollars” program, in which civilians would be rewarded for acts of community service, such as street sweeping or cleaning up litter, with a currency that can be spent at participating local businesses. Those businesses would later be reimbursed by the Police Department.
The idea for Greenfield Dollars was inspired, in part, by a youth program that Burge led during her time working at Greenfield’s public schools, in which students were given the opportunity to work for “community dollars” that could be exchanged for Mother’s Day gifts. Dodge added that by engaging the public with tasks to better their community, the program would instill civilians with a sense of responsibility and service.
“Generally speaking, when individuals put any sort of energy into something, they take ownership of something, and then as a result of that, they end up policing it themselves. They have a little more respect for it, they have a little more pride. If we can develop this Greenfield Dollar system or something like it, and we [see] individuals doing good things, we can pay them for their service, not with cash, not with true money, but with Greenfield Dollars,” Dodge explained. “The more successes we have, the better off we’re going to be and the more likely we’re going to be able to add people to [Burge’s] contingency that will help. It may get to a point where she could be the chief of civilians.”
Burge’s appointment as community liaison came within weeks of the Police Department hiring two new officers — Zoe Smith and Robert Johnson — along with a new dispatcher, Luda Sherstyukova. Dodge introduced the new hires at a July 17 City Council meeting.
(STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ)
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UPCOMING OTF COMMITTEE & WORKGROUP MEETINGS | |
Virtual: Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force
August 12, 2024
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Zoom details here.
Hybrid: Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Workgroup
August 12, 2024
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Franklin County Reentry Center
106 Main Street, Greenfield
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Education & Prevention Committee
August 13, 2024
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Zoom details here.
Virtual: CAM Workgroup
August 13, 2024
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup
August 21, 2024
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Harm Reduction Workgroup
September 4, 2024
11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Treatment & Recovery Committee
September 6, 2024
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Zoom details here.
Hybrid: Public Safety & Justice Committee
September 7, 2024
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Franklin County Reentry Center
106 Main Street, Greenfield
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Healthcare Solutions Committee
September 13, 2024
10:00 AM - 11:30 Noon
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Methadone Workgroup
September 19, 2024
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Housing & Workforce Development Committee
October 11, 2024
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Zoom details here.
Consult our website or Facebook Page for updates. Please email us with any questions!
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FEATURED EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS | |
CONNECT: Post-Opioid Overdose Outreach Services | |
Time Sensitive Announcements | |
August 1-22 Active Parenting: First Five Years | |
August 9 No Strings Marionette Company Presents: Quill and Foyle's Hasty Composure | |
August 9 Brick House Backpack Give Away and Summer BBQ | |
August 9 Down By the River Presenting Chick'n'Wire | |
Tending to the Present Moment
Fridays August 9 - September 13
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August 10 Back 2 School Family Bash | |
August 10 Stone Soup Cafe | |
August 10 & August 17 Chess on the Library Lawn | |
August 11 Summer Reading 2024 Celebration! | |
Erving Recreation Summer Concert Series
August 11 - Farley String Band
August 23 - Matt York: The Life and Music of Willie Nelson
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August 11 & August 25 Buckland Historical Society Summer Open House | |
August 13 Communication Strategies Workshop | |
August 13 & August 20 "You Think" Series | |
August 13, 20, & 27 Free Tech Help | |
August 15 Back To School Family Center Pajama Party | |
August 16 Submission Deadline: Call For Entries
The 2024 Beals Prize for Poetry
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The Beals Memorial Library in Winchendon, MA is now accepting entries into the Fifth Annual Beals Prize Poetry through Friday, August 16, 2024. There is no fee to enter.
CONTEST RULES AND INFORMATION:
• Only one poem per poet can be submitted.
• All submissions must be original and previously unpublished.
• Contestants must live in Massachusetts or in one of these New Hampshire towns: Keene, Swanzey, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, Troy, Marlborough, Dublin, Peterborough, Jaffrey, Rindge, New Ipswich, Greenville, and Sharon.
• Submissions can be emailed to: bealspoetryprize@gmail.com (Word docs preferred), or mailed to: The Beals Prize / 50 Pleasant Street, Winchendon, MA 01475.
• Notification of receipt of entry will be via return email or U.S. Mail.
• Competition finalists will be notified on or before Friday, September 13.
• At the Awards Night on Thursday, September 26, ten finalists will vie for the prize money of $250 for first, $100 for second, and $50 for third.
• All entries will be judged blindly, meaning that the judges will not know who the poet is.
• Previous Beals Prize first place winners and immediate family members of Beals Library staff are not eligible to participate.
• Submitters should be at least 18 years of age.
• If you have questions, call the library at 978-297-0300.
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August 16 - 18 The 106th Annual Heath Fair | |
August 16, 23 & 30 Summer Kidleidoscope | |
August 17 5K To Support Valuing Our Children | |
August 17 "Birds and Bees, Flowers and Trees: The Natural History of Wendel | |
August 18 Craft With Friends | |
August 19 The Art of Soap Making | |
August 20 First Aid, CPR, & AED Training | |
August 20 Community Legal Aid Hosted by The Brick House
Martes, 20 de Agosto Asistencia Legal Comunitaria
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August 20 Plant Panel with Local Experts | |
August 21 Live Insect Zoo | |
August 21 Cooking Class - Clase de Cocina | |
August 22 Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training
Register here
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August 22 ARRSD Families Back to School Event | |
August 22 Family Crafts and Story Fun!
22 de Agosto Manualidades En Familia Y Diversion Con Cuentos!
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August 24 Multifamily DBT Skills Info Session | |
August 24 Stone Soup Cafe Harvest Supper with
Local Art Show Silent Auction Fundraiser
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August 25 SHELTERFEST
a benefit for Friends of the Homeless
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August 27 Let's TACO 'Bout it' The New IEP | |
August 27 - November 19 (Tuesdays)
Nurturing Fathers Online Session
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August 30 DEADLINE to register for the:
Hope, Healing and Help Breakfast on September 13
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MONTHLY WORKSHOP CALENDRS AND WEEKLY STANDING MEETINGS/EVENTS | |
Improving Housing to Improve Health News | |
August at the Brick House Teen Center | |
August Community Action Family Center Calendar | |
August Events at the Erving Senior Center | |
August Programs at Franklin County Reentry Center | |
August Programs - Great Falls Discovery Center
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August Greenfield Public Library Programs | |
August Adventures with the Highland Street Foundation | |
August Montague Public Library Programs | |
August Events at Sunderland Public Library | |
August Union 28 Community Network for Children Program Calendar | |
August at Hilltown Youth Recovery Theatre | |
LifePath's FREE Healthy Living Summer Workshops | |
The Shelburne Falls Military Band Summer 2024 Schedule | |
2024 Seeds of Solidarity Calendar of Events | |
SNAP Application Assistance | |
Always Open! Community Labyrinth in Greenfield | |
RECOVER Project Groups At a Glance | |
Weekdays All Recovery Meeting at
The RECOVER Project
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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
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Mondays North Quabbin Patch Parents' Council | |
Mondays Breaking Barriers at the Franklin County
Reentry Center
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Mondays Art Guild Meetings | |
Mondays Advanced Manufacturing Info Sessions | |
Monday Drug Court Alumni Group - North Quabbin | |
Mondays Community Yoga at Wildflower Alliance | |
Mondays at FCSO Reentry Center - Recovery Through Creativity | |
Second Mondays of the Month - North Quabbin B.R.A.V.E. Task Force Meetings | |
Mondays Alternatives to Suicide Group | |
2nd Mondays Greenfield Healing Clinic
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2nd and 4th Mondays
Parenting Together at the Brick House
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Third Monday Alphabet & Allies | |
Third Monday Parenting With Pride | |
Mondays and Thursdays
Hygiene Supplies Pick Up at the Brick House
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Tuesdays Peer-Led Grief and Loss Circle | |
Every Other Tuesday - Housing Support Drop In Hours | |
First Tuesday - Dads' Group at Valuing Our Children | |
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 | |
2nd Tuesdays New Member Orientation at the RECOVER Project | |
Tuesday & Thursdays Weekly Reentry Groups | |
Tuesday Men's Anger Management Group
Wednesday Women's Anger Management Group
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Wednesdays - Wendell Library Playgroup with Sylvia | |
Wednesdays - Playgroup at the Leverett Library with Gillian | |
Wednesdays HEROES Study Hub at GCC | |
Gentle Yoga and Breathwork with Jennifer
First Wednesday of the month
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Whatever Wednesday's on the
Second Wednesday of every month
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Free Food - Every Third Wednesday | |
Office Hours With An Attorney
Last Wednesdays of Every month
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First & Third Thursdays Parent Support Group | |
Thursdays Dungeons and Dragons | |
Thursdays Mens Group in the RPX | |
Thursdays Coffee Hour at the Brick House | |
Thursdays Beyond Trauma Group in Spanish | |
Second Thursdays -Peer Grief Support After Overdose Death | |
Fridays FreeWrite of Franklin County | |
Friday Writing Group at the RP | |
First Friday of Every Month: Open Mic at the RP | |
Every Friday - The Garden Path | |
MassHealth Navigation Support
First Friday of each month 9am-12pm
Third Friday of each month 1pm - 3pm
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Every First & Third Friday Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group | |
Every Second Friday Chosen Family Night | |
Every Third Friday: Karaoke at The RECOVER Project | |
Last Friday of the Month: Gardening in Recovery | |
Homeshare Program with LifePath | |
Pathways to Advanced Manufacturing | |
Specialized HVAC Training | |
Specialized Information Technology Training | |
Act Now to Stay Covered with MassHealth | |
DIAL/SELF AmeriCorps Opportunity at
Montague Catholic Social Ministries
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CHCFC OBAT Same Day & Tele-Health Appointment Information | |
Free Meals and Essentials
Saints James and Andrews Parish Hall
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Come Cook with Franklin County
Community Meals Program
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Orange Food Pantry Seeking Non-Food Donations | |
When people think of donating to our agency and food pantry, they often think of food- however, that's easier for us to obtain with local partnerships with farms and retailers. What we struggle to keep stocked are hygienic & household products, such as:
- Adult pull-ups size Medium, Large, & XL
- Menstrual products
- Bath products- bath wash or bar soap, shampoo, conditioner
- Deodorant
- Floss
- Mouthwash
- Toothpaste (we have plenty of toothbrushes currently!)
- Paper Towels
- Toilet Paper
- Laundry Detergent
- Dish Soap
- Household cleaners- Windex, multi-surface, floor cleaner, etc.
Dozen-sized egg cartons for repackaging the hundreds of eggs we receive weekly from retailers are also needed.
Please share this list amongst your networks! Donations can be dropped off at 324 Wells Street (the Franklin County Community Distribution Center) at our office, or if donating a large amount, drop-off can be coordinated via donate@fccmp.org. (Image credit: Pixabay)
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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.
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Update! Greenfield CSC New Hybrid Operations Change |
The Greenfield Court Service Center is located at 43 Hope St., 1st Floor, Greenfield, MA.
They offer in-person services on Tuesdays & Thursdays, ONLY, from 8:30 am-1 pm, and 2 pm-4 pm. Remote services (email, phone, Zoom) are available on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.
For an intake, contact the Virtual Court Service Center, Mon. thru Fri. 9 am-12 pm by telephone: 1-646-828-7666, press #, #, then enter meeting ID: 161 526 1140 or by video: www.zoomgov.com/j/1615261140.
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COMMUNITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES | |
Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region www.opioidtaskforce.org
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