Hello Everyone,
What is better than receiving a gift or box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day? How about handmade cards from the students at Roberta Doering Middle School in Agawam? Those are what our Veterans at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home received earlier this week. Thank you to the students and staff who put these together, I know how much our servicemembers and veterans appreciate receiving notes of love and support like this.
The Valentine’s Day cards were not the only touching observation of the holiday that I saw in the district. On Monday I met with folks from Donate Life and New England Donor Services at Holyoke City Hall. During their ‘Have a Heart’ celebration we heard stories from transplant patients and family members who have been profoundly impacted by the gift of organ donation. Organ donation is one of the most lifechanging experiences a donor and patient can undergo. Transplant patients receive these organs from either people who have left our world and are making one last act of compassion or living donors who step up and donate to a patient who is eagerly waiting for their new lease on life. Checking the organ donor box on your driver’s license application could quite literally extend or improve the quality of life for a patient. I was honored to provide citations to both New England Donor Services and the Massachusetts RMV for their tremendous contributions in this area.
On Tuesday it was my privilege to present a check for twenty-five thousand dollars in ARPA funding to Tapestry Health in Holyoke. The folks at Tapestry are doing life saving work in the fight against opioid addiction and overdose prevention. We all know someone who has directly or indirectly been impacted by addiction, which is why I am so proud to have secured this funding. I look forward to seeing the results of their ongoing efforts.
Also announced this week, fire departments across the state are due to receive funding totaling $1.8 million to support fire safety programs aimed at educating children and older adults. Many departments in our district are set to receive funding. For example, the city of Agawam will see $5175.00 to support pre-school, kindergarten, and 5th grade classes teaching fire safety. Another $3055.00 will support presentations at the Agawam senior center, as well as home visits to ensure our seniors are living in fire-safe environments. Statistics show a dramatic drop in child fire death since the inception of The Student Awareness of Fire Safety (S.A.F.E.) program in 1996, these funds will certainly help continue that trend. Thank you to our firefighters for your work in implementing S.A.F.E.
As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Sincerely,
John C. Velis