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Hello Neighbors and Friends -
I'm happy to kick off this newsletter during Black History Month with a re-cap of the 6th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration. Our theme was Walking the Path to Dr. King's Beloved Community. It was a great community event with beautiful music, engaging children's activities and an opportunity for teens and adults to have a community conversation about welcoming and belonging in community. On behalf of our collaborating partners for the program - Westborough Interfaith Clergy, Central MA Connections in Faith and Westborough Public Schools, we are grateful to the WHS Choral Union, our adult program leader, LaToya Thomas, our children's program leaders, Wednesday Boateng and Nuray Wallace, the WHS Black Student Union and the Westborough Public Library for bringing its mobile library. The day would not have been possible without the many Volunteers who helped and without partial grant funding from the Westborough Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. We also wish to thank Westborough TV for being there, as always, to capture many moments from the day (see link below).
Lunar New Year begins February 10th this year and I wish all those celebrating a healthy and prosperous Year of the Dragon. Lent begins for many Christians on February 14th and continues to Easter Sunday on March 28th.
We have an important Square One program in Westborough next week - Let's Talk About It: Substance Use & Youth- for anyone with young people in their lives - whether you are a parent, grandparent, coach, teacher, etc. Check out the details below and we hope to see you there.
Yours in community,
Kelley Petralia
Executive Director, Westborough Connects
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A curated selection of articles, videos, audio and resources that we find worthy of sharing each month (no matter where you live).
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Did you miss it? Westborough TV was at our MLK Community Celebration to capture moments from the day, including the WHS Choral Union performance of Heartbeat, the children's program, our welcoming and the interview with our guest LaToya Thomas. Enjoy it HERE.
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Our network partner, SPARK Kindness, published this share-worthy newsletter in honor of Black History Month -it's chock-full of resources, good reads, suggested activities and more to take you through the month.
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Locally focused items centered on resources and announcements in Westborough.
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The town of Westborough is awarding grants of up to $5,000 to small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The application is straight forward. Learn more HERE.
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It's that time of year again and you may have noticed the large ice sculpture placed in front of Hastings Elementary School with the letters WASA frozen inside. Why is it there? To melt! The sculpture is part of a WASA fundraiser, offering people the chance to guess how long it will take to melt. What is WASA? Since 1935, the Westborough Athletic and Social Association is a Westborough nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Westborough youth in their academic and athletic endeavors. For more information, visit their website HERE.
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The Square One Collaboration presents: |
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Register in English or Spanish |
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NOTES FOR THE PROGRAM:
- There will be a Q&A session following the Dr. Medina's presentation.
- Free on-site childcare will be provided by Westborough High School Honor Society students for preschool and older children with pre-registration.
This program is made possible, in part, by grant funding awarded to Westborough Connects by Reliant Foundation & the 2023 Mill Pond Team Wonder.
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Opportunities for Connection, Civic Engagement, Learning, and Helping Others & the Environment |
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Town of Westborough Committee Openings
There are several openings for appointed positions across multiple town of Westborough boards. Click HERE for a listing from January. If you are interested in serving Westborough on a Town Board or Committee, please send letters of interest and related correspondence to: Town Manager's Office, 34 West Main Street, Westborough MA 01581
In person early voting for the 2024 Presidential Primary Election begins at the end of the month. For dates and details, visit the town website HERE. The annual town election will take place on March 12th.
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In addition to the QR code above, click on these links to make an appointment: For Tuesday 2/20 please click HERE; for Saturday 2/24 click HERE.
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Project Graduation 2024 Needs YOU!
Project Graduation is an independent organization that provides Westborough High School graduating seniors a safe alcohol and drug-free environment to celebrate graduation. The evening is a festive overnight lock-in event at Teamworks in Northborough complete with decorations, food, sports, games, and live entertainment. For over 30 years, they have relied on volunteers from the community to make this important and spectacular event happen.
This is a great opportunity for adults with younger children to pay it forward AND for adults whose kids have already graduated to give back. Take a look at their Volunteer Survey HERE and see all opportunities to support this effort HERE.
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Annual Earth Day Town-Wide Cleanup
hosted by Westborough Community Land Trust
Week of April 6-13, 2024
ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Join the annual town-wide litter clean-up sponsored by WCLT! Come on your own, or rally your family, co-workers, or neighbors and form a team to beautify our town!
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Larger groups please email earthday@westboroughlandtrust.org between February 1st and March 10th to sign up.
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Families and individuals go HERE between April 1-4 to sign up and choose an area to clean.
Trash bags will be dropped off at participants’ homes by the 5th, or if necessary, you can arrange to pick up. Clean your chosen area any day or time before noon on April 13. Leave closed bags by the road in the area you cleaned, and they will be removed on April 13. Wear gloves, long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes. There will not be a picnic this year, due to decreased attendance, but the people and wildlife of Westborough will be grateful for your efforts!
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Community Programs and Events in Westborough |
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“The Underground Railroad
in Central Massachusetts and the Blackstone River Valley"
Monday, February 5th, at 6:30pm
Location: Westborough Public Library meeting room
In honor of Black History Month, the Westborough Historical Society will present: “The Underground Railroad in Central Massachusetts and the Blackstone River Valley" by Professor Susan Franz of the WISE program at Assumption College. Explore key local sites and learn about the experience of finding freedom. Discover the role of northern trade in funding slave ships and cotton production and meet important leaders including Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, and Abby Kelley Foster. Prof. Franz played a key role in gaining
National Park Service recognition for Underground Railroad locations in the Blackstone River Valley. This program is free and open to the public.
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Get your steps in with a walking session at the YMCA! You don't have to be a member; just lace up your walking shoes (and fill out a waiver when you arrive). Stop by anytime they are open on Wednesday, Feb. 14 for a heart-healthy walk around the indoor track; WPL's Jen McGrath and Tracey Graham will be there from 11:30am-12:30pm to promote library programs. No registration required; more information can be found HERE. This is part of the WPL's Winter Wellness program.
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Upcoming SPARK KIndness Program |
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February 14, 12-1pm ONLINE
In this Q&A “fireside” chat, author and psychiatrist Pooja Lakshmin, MD, offers an inclusive and affirming approach to prioritizing your own well-being. Her approach shifts self-care from a task on your “to do” list (that you feel guilty about not achieving) to a values-based practice of setting priorities and taking action. Dr. Lakshmin will share accessible, science-based strategies to help you shift your relationships, nurture yourself, and find ownership over your life. Participant questions will be welcomed before the program.
Learn more and Register HERE.
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As a values-based organization, our work is grounded in the 11 organizational values we have adopted. Each month, we'll highlight one of our values - perhaps sharing an example of it in our own practice or a resource we have found useful. This month's Value in Focus: |
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We are community based. We do this work together. We believe in the idea that to go “far together slowly,” is better than “quickly and alone.”
Our Square One Collaboration is a great example of how we live this value in our work. Square One was born out of a programming brainstorming session in the early days of Westborough Connects in June 2018. The then-president of Rotary Club of Westborough had a program he wanted to bring to the community - centered around marijuana education. We agreed that we needed more partners to join the important work for substance use education and began conversations with others to join. Today, the Square One Collaboration includes Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Public Schools, Westborough Youth & Family Services, Westborough Public Library and Westborough Connects. We began our community work with a community conversation on substance use - to share education and also elicit input about community needs for education and prevention. Since then, our Square One work has broadened and we remain a dedicated and focused group offering free programming and resources designed to support community education and resilience around substance use and mental health.
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Are you interested in volunteering to be part of the Square One planning team? Please reach out to Kelley Petralia (kelleyconnects1@gmail.com). |
NOTE: Our organizational values have been shaped since the earliest days of our founding in 2017, through the mentorship and guidance provided to us by SPARK Kindness and through further development and practice as an organization. They were formally adopted by our board of directors in 2022. You can view our values HERE.
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Get to know a little bit about Westborough Connects' sponsors. |
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Meet EG America, our Annual Appeal Match Sponsor. In their own words...
Based in Westborough, EG America is one of the fastest growing convenience store retailers in the country with over 1,600 locations and 20,000 team members. As the operator of Certified Oil, Cumberland Farms, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf N’ Jug, Minit Mart, Sprint Food Stores, Tom Thumb, Turkey Hill, and Quik Stop stores, we are committed to becoming America’s preferred ‘one-stop’ destination by focusing on superior guest experience, high-quality grocery and fuel products, and supporting the communities we live and work in.
At EG America we understand the importance of partnering with local organizations and are committed to giving back to the communities in which our stores operate. With our Store Support Center and a Cumberland Farms retail location located in Westborough, partnering with Westborough Connects was a natural fit. We recently became a match sponsor for the organization’s 2023 Annual Appeal and have provided in-kind donations at other events throughout the past year. “We began working with Westborough Connects in 2023 and were thrilled to be a match sponsor for their Annual Appeal,” said John Carey, president and CEO of EG America. “As our organizations share a
common goal of engaging and investing in our local communities, we look forward to continue building such a strong partnership.”
As we move into 2024, we will continue to strengthen our partnership with Westborough Connects and look forward to working together on new and innovative ways to make a positive impact on our community.
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Westborough Connects, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN # 84-1751472), is a community connector with a mission to help build a thriving, kind, and connected community where everybody belongs. By listening and responding to the needs of the community, we connect people to resources and to each other. We foster meaningful relationships through events, collaborative partnerships and communications. Westborough Connects is the proud winner of the Civic Pride Award as part of the Westborough Economic Development Committee's 2022 Year in Review Awards. |
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Interested in becoming a sponsor of Westborough Connects? We'd love to talk to you. Please email us at westboroughconnects@gmail.com |
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westboroughconnects@gmail.com
www.westboroughconnects.org
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