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August 23, 2024: Issue 16

Offering hope and help to those impacted by opioid misuse in

Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.

UPCOMING EVENTS

See what's happening at OTF this month.

COVID-19 RESOURCES

Explore OTF's COVID-19 Resource Guide.

MASSACHUSETTS SUBSTANCE USE HELPLINE

Hope is here. Get help.

413Cares
Resources for Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region. Click here.

NQCC'S RESOURCES

Resources and upcoming events in the North Quabbin Region. Click here.

CONNECTIONS #82

Find local resources in this issue.

Emergency Services Resources for Unhoused Individuals

The PACES CONNECTION

Click here for resources.

Grayken Center for Addiction

Training & Technical Assistance

Click here to view and/or register for trainings.

GCC Community Engagement and Workshop Events

Click here to view and/or register for trainings.

Rural SUD Info Center

Click here for resources.

"Healing isn't about getting back to who you were before. It's about coming to terms with the new you, the one who survived a storm. It's about accepting that some days will be challenging, and that's okay. It's not a race and certainly not a competition."

~Amy Bartlett


Greetings~


August 31st is recognized as International Overdose Awareness Day, the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those we have lost to an overdose, acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind, and renew our commitment to end overdose and related harms. 


The International Overdose Awareness Day 2024 theme is "Together we can" as no one should stand alone in our fight to end overdose. Through this theme, the international effort is highlighting the strength of coming together and standing in support of those connected to the tragedy of overdose. For people who use drugs and those who don’t. For heartbroken friends and family members of lost loved ones. For activists who fight for policy reform. For healthcare and harm reduction workers. For tireless advocates. Overdose can affect anyone, and we are all encouraged to remember the tenacity of our community and lean into the power that we have when we work together. For more information, please visit here.

Locally, on August 30th at 6PM on the Greenfield Commons, the RECOVER Project and Tapestry will be hosting an overdose awareness vigil with open testimonials and an invoking of names by candlelight. There will be grief support and harm reduction resources available. The entire month of August the community is invited to decorate a purple heart in commemoration of a loved one lost to accidental overdose which will be laminated and displayed in the town commons.

In the North Quabbin, in honor of National Recovery Month & Overdose Awareness Month the North Quabbin Recovery Center is putting together a photo collage in their window. If you have lost a loved one as a result of their addiction and/or identify as a person in recovery, you are invited to send in pictures of yourself/your loved ones to be part of this amazing community effort, open to ALL! Photos will be printed, and put into a collage on the windows at NQRC, no questions asked. Pictures can be emailed to Htaylor@nqcc.org 💜 When sending in pictures please be sure to identify the picture as person in recovery or loved one lost. 💜

Across Western Massachusetts, Western MA Lights it Purple LIVE is at 8:00 PM on 8/31/24. All communities are invited to light their homes, business, programs, and community spaces with purple lights/bulbs and post LIVE or post a picture to social media (locally) #WMALightsItPurpleOverdoseAwareness2024 and Internationally to #TogetherWeCan, #EndOverdose, #IOAD2024, followed by a moment of silence in the region to honor the memory of those we have lost.

Please join us in remembering those our communities have lost, compassionately supporting their families and friends, and showing those who are in recovery and those who use drugs that they are valued. Together, we can end overdose.


Sincerely,

Karen Carmona

Program Associate, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region

OTF Members in the News

"Annual Harvest Supper Adds Art Auction"

Greenfield Recorder (8/9/24)

 A traditional celebration of local food, agriculture and community, returning for its 19th year, is expanding to include an art auction to bolster fundraising efforts for Stone Soup Café.


The annual Harvest Supper will be held Saturday, Aug. 24, from 4 to 7 p.m.

“It’s really about celebrating the bounty of the county, bringing people together to create beloved community and to make that space where all are welcome,” said Kirsten Levitt, executive director and chef at Stone Soup Café.


At the event’s height, more than 1,000 residents gathered for a pay-what you- can meal. This year, Levitt anticipates the Harvest Supper will attract roughly 800 attendees.


Along with forging community bonds and celebrating local farming, the event also serves as a fundraiser for Stone Soup Café, which provides pay-what-you-can community meals at All Souls Church, an emergency curbside food pantry and a culinary training program.


Levitt explained Stone Soup Café hopes to raise $20,000 to $25,000 — enough to operate for a month. Last year, the organization was only able to raise $1,000 after paying the expenses involved with operating the event, so organizers are introducing the first-ever Harvest Supper Art Auction to expand fundraising efforts.

Thirty-five local artists donated pieces, which are being auctioned off at

givebutter.com/c/HarvestSupper24/auction. A selection of artwork will be on display at the Greenfield Public Library beginning Friday, Aug. 16, in the first-floor conference room, as well as across the street at Stone Soup Café, until the Harvest Supper event on Aug. 24, when the art will be transferred to the Greenfield Common. Harvest Supper attendees will have an opportunity to place their final bids on an array of artwork, ranging from paintings and sculptures to mixed media and photography.


The first Harvest Supper, held in 2005, was the brainchild of Juanita Nelson, the social justice and peace activist who was also involved with starting the Greenfield Farmers’ Market.


“[She] was sitting around musing that there weren’t a lot of people accessing the farmers market, almost 20 years ago,” Levitt said of Nelson, “and she was like, ‘If people could just eat this glorious food, have all of the nutrients, give them what they need from a cellular level up and know how delicious the food is — why couldn't we have them all just sit a table?' "


Stone Soup Café started running the celebration in 2015. Previously, the event was run by Greenfield restaurants Hope & Olive and Magpie.

The Harvest Supper will also feature a free market from 4 to 5 p.m. where gardeners and farmers can bring their excess produce for attendees to take home. There will be live music and hula hooping, too.


More information about the event can be found at thestonesoupcafe.org/p/55/Annual-Harvest-Supper-Celebration, where those interested can also sign up to volunteer or make a donation. The event has a rain date of Sunday, Aug. 25, also from 4 to 7 p.m. on the Greenfield Common.


(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/MATT CAVANAUGH)

"Health Center Plans to Open by March"

Greenfield Recorder (8/17/24)

  Amid an increased demand for primary care, the Community Health Center of Franklin County plans to open a Turners Falls location sometime between December 2024 and March 2025, with primary medical care available to anyone, regardless of insurance, income or identity.


The center bought the property at 8 Burnham St., which was previously owned by Baystate Franklin Medical Center, for $825,000 last summer... With another location at 8 Burnham St., the center is helping to address a lack of primary care options. Dr. Allison van der Velden, CEO of the Community Health Center of Franklin County, said new staff members have been hired and some existing staff will also be moved into the space upon opening.


Van der Velden stressed that the health center is accepting patients now as the expansion continues.


Van der Velden calls the concept of the community health center “the best-kept secret in medical care” for its unique structure.

“There are about 1,400 community health centers that are federally qualified health centers (FQHC) in the United States. We serve 32.5 million patients in the U.S., so that’s about 1 in 10 people across the country,” van der Velden explained. A FQHC is a primary medical care center that receives federal funding and has a nonprofit structure to serve communities facing barriers to health care.


Van der Velden explained the Community Health Center of Franklin County started in 1997 after the community health center structure gained traction in the United States. Federal grant money is used to fund the health centers.

“Some of the things that FQHCs do that is most impactful are growing in ways that are dictated by community needs,” van der Velden explained. “We engage in community health needs assessments and we really try to respond to the needs of the community in a way that other organizations can’t or don’t.”


Medical and dental care are available through community health centers with an integrated- care system, meaning the primary care covers a variety of health needs. Mental health and telehealth services are also provided, according to the Community Health Center of Franklin County’s website.


A unique part of the community health center care model is that nobody who seeks care will be denied. According to the Community Health Center of Franklin County’s website, “Federal and state funding allows us to offer services thorough the Massachusetts Health Safety Net and a sliding-fee discount scale.” This discount scale, van der Velden elaborated, is based on the federal poverty level, so payment for services can be made more accessible to those seeking it.


“If you don’t have [medical] issues and you just need care, come see us,” van der Velden said. “We’re available and you’re supporting a nonprofit health care institution when you come to us for care.” 



(STAFF PHOTO/ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN)

UPCOMING OTF COMMITTEE & WORKGROUP MEETINGS


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: Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force

September 9, 2024

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Zoom details here.


Hybrid: Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Workgroup

September 9, 2024

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Education & Prevention Committee

September 10, 2024

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Zoom details here.


Virtual: Healthcare Solutions Committee

September 13, 2024

10:00 AM - 11:30 Noon

Zoom details here.


Virtual: CAM Workgroup

September 17, 2024

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

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.


Virtual: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup

October 16, 2024

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Zoom details here.


Consult our website or Facebook Page for updates. Please email us with any questions!

FEATURED EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

CONNECT: Post-Opioid Overdose Outreach Services

Support & Resources After the HEALing Communities Study

Learn more at HealTogetherMA.org

Time Sensitive Announcements

Erving Recreation Summer Concert Series

August 23 - Matt York: The Life and Music of Willie Nelson

August 23 Green Heron Outdoor Concert

August 23 & 30 Summer Kidleidoscope

August 24 Lake Pleasant 150th Anniversary Block Party Celebration

August 24 Stone Soup Cafe Harvest Supper with

Local Art Show Silent Auction Fundraiser

August 24 & September 3 Information Sessions Multifamily DBT Skills Info Session

August 25 To Bee or Not To Bee A Musical Puppet Show

August 25 SHELTERFEST

a benefit for Friends of the Homeless

August 25 Buckland Historical Society Summer Open House

August 27 Free Tech Help

August 27 Let's TACO 'Bout it' The New IEP

August 27 - November 19 (Tuesdays)

Nurturing Fathers Online Session

August 28 Cooking with Just Roots

August 28 Summer Reading Stuffy Sleepover

August 28 Natural Botanical Prints on Paper Workshop

August 29 Magpie Farm & Art Patio Performances Fundraiser for the Memorial Hall Capital Campaign

August 30 DEADLINE to register for the:

Hope, Healing and Help Breakfast on September 13

August 31 "Food Margins: Lessons from an Unlikely Grocer" an Author Talk with Cathy Stanton

September 5-8 Franklin County Fair

September 6 Down by the River: Johnny & The Flashbacks

September 6 - September 30 Mondays - Mini & Me Yoga

Women Healing Women Healing Earth

September 7 - Honoring the Sacred Seed

September 14 - Fall Harvest Fermentation

September 9 - October 28 Mondays - Functional Training Fitness Class for Adults

September 10 Senior Services Health & Safety Expo

September 10 - October 15 Tuesdays - Intro to Genealogical Research

September 10 - October 29 Tuesday Healing Trauma Group

DEADLINE: September 11 Call for Art for the 4th Annual Special Wrapping Paper Edition of The Montague Reporter

September 11 FC/NQ Healing Communities Study - A Community Meeting to Discuss Study Findings

Please RSVP for this free, in-person event here

September 11 - October 30 Wednesdays Women's Writing Group

September 12 Navigating the Massachusetts Courts?

How the Court Services Centers Can Help!

You can register for this free event here.

September 17 Information Session Regarding Affordable Homeownership Opportunity in Greenfield

September 18 Salasin Project's Open House

September 19 Overdose Response & Narcan Training Please Register here.

September 26 Narcan as First Aid: Accessing Narcan in Public Spaces

You can register for this event here

MONTHLY WORKSHOP CALENDRS AND WEEKLY STANDING MEETINGS/EVENTS

August at The Art Garden

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

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

NQRC Summer Hours

LifePath's FREE Healthy Living Summer Workshops

Youth Works Summer 2024

The Shelburne Falls Military Band Summer 2024 Schedule

2024 Seeds of Solidarity Calendar of Events

SNAP Application Assistance
Always Open! Community Labyrinth in Greenfield

NQRC Weekly Schedule

RECOVER Project Groups At a Glance
Weekdays All Recovery Meeting at
The RECOVER Project

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

The Community Closet at The Franklin County Reentry Center

Monday - Friday
Movement Group with North Quabbin Recovery Center Peer Leaders
Mondays North Quabbin Patch Parents' Council

Mondays Breaking Barriers at the Franklin County

Reentry Center

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

2nd and 4th Mondays
Parenting Together at the Brick House

Third Monday Alphabet & Allies

Third Monday Parenting With Pride

Mondays and Thursdays

Hygiene Supplies Pick Up at the Brick House

Tuesdays Nurturing Program for Families in Recovery

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

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

Whatever Wednesday's on the

Second Wednesday of every month

Free Food - Every Third Wednesday

Office Hours With An Attorney

Last Wednesdays of Every month

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

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

Recovery Coach Supervisor Position at the RP

Recovery Coach Positions at the RP

Re-entry Workforce Program

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
CHCFC OBAT Same Day & Tele-Health Appointment Information
Free English Classes
Free Meals and Essentials
Saints James and Andrews Parish Hall
Come Cook with Franklin County
Community Meals Program
Orange Food Pantry Seeking Non-Food Donations
The Franklin County Community Meals Program seeking non-food donations for its Orange Food Pantry

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)
Family Self-Sufficiency Program Available
Eviction Self-Help Booklets Available in Multiple Languages

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.

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.

COMMUNITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region www.opioidtaskforce.org
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