July 26, 2024: Issue 14
Offering hope and help to those impacted by opioid misuse in
Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.
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"Study Finds Homeless Population on the Rise"
Greenfield Recorder (7/5/24)
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The number of homeless people in Franklin County has more than doubled in the last year, as the annual Point-in-Time count in January found 252 people sleeping in shelters or outside, compared to 104 in January 2023.
Franklin County accounted for approximately one-fifth of the total increase of homeless people in all of western Massachusetts — defined as Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties — which saw 3,862 homeless people counted on Jan. 31, compared to 3,305 people counted in 2023.
The annual Point-in-Time count is a national initiative set up by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to determine the greatest needs for homeless people with and without shelter. Nationally, regions within each state are broken up into Continuums of Care (CoCs), where organizations work together to survey homeless populations and offer them resources, such as sleeping bags, backpacks or warm clothing. Western Massachusetts is broken up into the Berkshire-Franklin-Hampshire Three County CoC — the largest geographic continuum of care in the state — and the Hampden County CoC.
“There’s no area where there isn’t an increase: unsheltered, individual and family, they’re all rising,” said Pamela Schwartz, director of the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness. “That’s the reality we’re staring at.” The number, Schwartz added, is “most definitely an undercount” as HUD’s definition of homeless does not include people who are sleeping on friends’ and family members’ couches on a temporary basis or other similar arrangements.
Part of the huge spike in Franklin County’s numbers are a result of the Haitian immigrants that are currently being sheltered in Greenfield. The inclusion of the immigrants in this data explains the notable disparities in the race and ethnicity and age demographics included in the data.
In 2023, just 6% of those counted were Black or African American and 24 people were aged 0 to 18 years old, while 2024’s data shows 56% of people counted were Black or African American and 82 people were 0 to 18 years old. The number of people in families skyrocketed from 42 to 171 in that same time frame, as well.
Other driving factors behind the increased number of homeless people include rising rents, lack of affordable housing, the continued effects of the opioid epidemic and the severe mental health or substance- use crises resulting from the pandemic.
“If there’s any person with a constellation of that, you’re in real trouble,” Schwartz said. “The good news is we do know what works in response to homelessness. “We know that housing-first works, which means no barriers to housing,” she added. “Good policies and adequate resources make a difference; they are a real solution.”
Initiatives Schwartz and the network are targeting include the sealing of eviction records, which still show up in the database even if the tenant wins, as well as support for the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, which gives the first right of purchase to a tenant. Others include allowing accessory dwelling units by right, repealing the ban on local rent control and a piloting an access-to-counsel-in-evictions program to assist tenants who may be facing eviction. “We know what works and we need to do more of it,” Schwartz said. “We need the political will to do it.”
The data also was discussed at the eighth annual gathering of the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness in May. Community leaders, mayors, lawmakers and Housing Secretary Ed Augustus gathered to call attention to the data and discuss ways to address the rising number of people who are finding themselves homeless.
“One of the greatest consequences of our ongoing housing crisis has been the rise of homelessness,” Augustus said in a statement. “Many people, through no fault of their own, have been priced out or squeezed out of housing in Massachusetts. But we can do something about it. It starts with building more housing to meet the demand and to lower costs for everyone. And it continues with important changes like giving access to legal counsel to low-income tenants and owner-occupants in eviction proceedings. Gov. [Maura] Healey’s budget is the first budget ever to include this.”
(STAFF FILE PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS)
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"Feedback Sought on Opioid Use Funds"
Greenfield Recorder (7/15/24)
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Having already received roughly $400,000 out of its $1.7 million in national opioid settlement funds, the city will soon hold a public hearing so residents can offer suggestions on how the money can best be used to combat the impacts of opioid addiction in Greenfield.
The nationwide opioid settlement, announced in July 2021, set Massachusetts up to receive more than $500 million of the $26 billion settlement, according to the Attorney General’s Office. The agreement, according to then-Attorney General Maura Healey, resolved investigations and litigation over pharmaceutical companies’ roles in fueling the opioid epidemic.
Since the city published its Opioid Settlement Community Feedback survey in the fall of 2023, Precinct 5 City Councilor Marianne Bullock said roughly 200 responses have been received from residents,
outlining how they believe the settlement funds should be used. In the weeks ahead, Bullock said the city will establish a multi-disciplinary opioid advisory group that will recommend potential uses to Mayor Ginny Desorgher.
“I’m hoping that we can look at our existing services and determine where there might be gaps so that we can fund what’s going to be the most impactful in terms of prevention and harm reduction,” Bullock said. “There’s going to sort of need to be some expertise to figure out where that is.”
Choice Recovery Coaching Supervisor Sarah Ahern, an advocate for Greenfield’s recovery community, will serve on the advisory group. Ahern noted that she, an overdose survivor in long-term recovery, has lost friends and family to opioid addiction, and was pleased the state mandated that distribution of opioid settlement funds follows a community engagement process.
Discussing some of the potential funding uses brought up by her peers in recovery, Ahern said the creation of a low-threshold drop-in center — in which residents can get addiction recovery services without meeting the requirements of a sober home — was often suggested. She also noted that since the settlement money can be distributed to individuals organizations through the creation of a grant fund, the city might also be able to fund funeral services for those who died from substance use.
“My heart and my wish is that [this advisory group] guides the process, but we create a consumer advisory board that is just people with lived and living experience, because the money is for us and it’s to help abate the different harms in different buckets that are allowable. It should be the people with lived experience guiding that,” Ahern said. “ At every facet of the engagement process, there should be peers, people with lived experience, family members of loss that should be guiding that conversation and also voting on how the money is being spent. … We’re looking at a lot of money ... that could be used to do some amazing things.”
Ahern encourages members of the public with thoughts on how the city can best invest the funds to either reach out to the Mayor’s Office or contact her directly at endthestigma@yahoo.com. She said after working as a recovery advocate across the state on settlement fund distribution,
she is particularly impressed with Greenfield’s process.
“Our little city of Greenfield is so far the city that’s getting it right,” Ahern said. “I sit in these meetings with other people from all across the commonwealth, and they’re saying, ‘My city is not listening or won’t even answer my call, my city councilor told me that I was ridiculous, or they were going to buy a police cruiser with it.’” Bullock said she plans to lead a public hearing on the settlement in August or September. She said she will hold multiple public engagement events before the advisory group recommends any spending items to the mayor.
“We have far more than a few hundred people that have been touched by substance use and addiction in this community, so I think that we need a higher level of engagement than just those numbers,” Bullock said, referencing the roughly 200 survey responses. “I also just think that a survey isn’t the end-all, be-all of community engagement by any means — it’s like the sort of tip of the iceberg to start engagement.”
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UPCOMING OTF COMMITTEE & WORKGROUP MEETINGS | |
Virtual: Treatment & Recovery Committee
August 2, 2024
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Zoom details here.
Hybrid: Public Safety & Justice Committee
August 5, 2024
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Franklin County Reentry Center
106 Main Street, Greenfield
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Harm Reduction Workgroup
August 7, 2024
11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Methadone Workgroup
August 8, 2024
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Zoom details here.
Virtual: Housing & Workforce Development Committee
August 9, 2024
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Zoom details here.
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: Healthcare Solutions Committee
September 13, 2024
10:00 AM - 11:30 Noon
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 | |
Free Hypnosis Sessions with Certified Hypnotist Jenn Avery | |
Time Sensitive Announcements | |
June 24 - August 16 Summer Meals Under the Tent | |
July 1 - August 9 Athol-Royalston RSD FREE Meal Site Program | |
July 2 - August 13 Tuesday Splash and Fun Playgroup | |
July 26 Friday Story Time | |
July 26 Summer Kidleidescope | |
July 26 West African Drumming Workshop
for Teens and Adults
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July 26 Connecticut River Flute Choir | |
July 26 & July 27 Travels With My Aunt | |
July 27 Beyond Paper Cranes | |
July 27 Stone Soup Cafe Menu | |
July 28 Weaving Wild Baskets with Invasive Plants | |
July 30 Furry Tales Library Hour | |
July 30 Tissue Paper Crafts | |
July 30 Kids' Virtual Author Talks with Dan Santat | |
July 30 Elephant Perler Bead Workshop | |
July 31 Pop Up Art School: Felted Bee | |
July 31 & September 17 Public Information Sessions Regarding an Affordable Homeownership Opportunity in Greenfield | |
August 1 Grandparent Connect: A Summit of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren from Western MA | |
August 1 & 2 NQ Patch Parents' Council Backpack Drive | |
August 5 Surrealism and Still Life | |
August 6 National Night Out | |
August 8 Blooming Backpacks | |
August 9 Down By the River Presenting Chick'n'Wire | |
August 22 Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training
Register here
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MONTHLY/WORKSHOP CALENDRS AND WEEKLY STANDING MEETINGS/EVENTS | |
Improving Housing to Improve Health News | |
July Community Action Family Center Calendar | |
July Programs at Franklin County Reentry Center | |
July Programs - Great Falls Discovery Center | |
July Greenfield Public Library Programs | |
July Montague Public Library Programs | |
July Events at Sunderland Public Library | |
July at The RECOVER Project | |
July Union 28 Community Network for Children Program Calendar | |
July - August at Hilltown Youth Recovery Theatre | |
LifePath's FREE Healthy Living Summer Workshops | |
Spring & Summer Pothole Pictures | |
Montague Community Band 2024 Summer Concert Series | |
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 | |
Whatever Wednesday on the
Second Wednesday of every month
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Third Wednesday Free Food | |
Last Wednesdays of every month - Office Hours With An Attorney | |
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 Every Month, Peer Grief Support | |
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 | |
Every First & Third Friday - Grandparents & Kinship 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 | |
Act Now to Stay Covered with MassHealth | |
Probation Case Specialist Position at Greenfield District Court | |
Outreach Specialist Position at CHOiCE Recovery Coaching | |
Community Support Navigator at CHD | |
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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CONNECTIONS -
A Residential Program of Behavioral Health Network
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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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