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Hello everyone, 

I hope you all had a great week! Tomorrow, I will be joining Dave Madsen on Western Mass News for the next edition of Getting Answers. It will absolutely be an engaging conversation covering a wide range of topics about my work here in Western Massachusetts and at the State House that you won’t want to miss! 

I recently discovered just how important colonoscopies are, and how they truly save lives! If you are 45 or older like me, or have a family history of colorectal cancer, now is the time to ask your doctor about getting screened. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women, but it’s also highly preventable. A regular colonoscopy can find pre-cancerous polyps and detect cancer early, making treatment much more effective. 

On Tuesday I had the honor of joining the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts for their annual Legislative Convention in Springfield. I was excited to meet with dedicated firefighters from both our district and throughout the state to talk about legislation I’ve been advocating for, which aims to enhance their physical health, overall well-being, and provide access to retirement benefits for our call firefighters. 

On Wednesday I was over at the Holyoke YMCA to see the recent renovations made possible by a $75,000 FY’26 earmark that I was proud to secure last summer. The Holyoke YMCA is a vital community resource, providing support and opportunities to residents of all ages, regardless of membership status. From early education programs for preschoolers to athletics and wellness programs for teens, adults, and seniors, the YMCA helps strengthen our community at every stage of life. I’m proud to have helped support their important work and look forward to sharing with you other funding I was able to secure for great organizations across the district. 

This week the Senate took up legislation to help enhance our state’s child welfare protections. The children in our states care and foster care are some of the most vulnerable children in our Commonwealth and we must do everything possible to promote their wellbeing. This bill importantly establishes a Foster Child Bill of Rights to ensure children in foster care receive basic rights related to their safety, health care, education, ability to maintain connections to family and friends, and other important supports. Additionally, the bill enhances the work of the Office of the Child Advocate to protect children and investigate cases of abuse and harm. 

This week, Team Velis hosted office hours Chicopee and West Side. Next week, we will be hosting office hours at the Easthampton Council on Aging on Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and again on Wednesday at the Holyoke Council on Aging from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. If you are unable to make office hours, please remember that you can reach us by email at john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone at (413) 5723920, or online at senatorjohnvelis.com. 

Best, 

John Velis 

Hello Everyone,

Happy June! After wrapping up the Senate Budget, I was eager to jump into a busy week full of events throughout the district. It has been wonderful being back home and catching up with so many of you.

On Monday, I started my day with office hours at the Agawam Council on Aging, visiting with our seniors and catching up with the COA’s Executive Director, Cindy Sullivan. Moments like that remind me that our senior centers truly are community gathering places. I look forward to my next visit to the Agawam COA—and to calling a competitive game of BINGO!

After office hours, I headed to the Westfield Peer Recovery Center to meet with some of their incredible recovery coaches and staff. Peer coaching is lifesaving work, offering yet another resource for our community to stay connected and supported.

On Wednesday, I had the honor of celebrating Jim Kelly’s 21 years of service at the Polish National Credit Union. Jim has been an exceptional leader and visionary for Western Mass. The number of people who attended his farewell celebration is a testament to the tremendous impact he and PNCU have had on our community.

I started Thursday morning in West Springfield at the Council on Aging with Rep. Finn to commemorate the purchase of their new van through FY26 budget funding. Afterwards, Team Velis joined Rep. Gomez’s office for a tour of CitySpace in Easthampton and to hear updates on the building’s restoration project. It’s exciting to see this historic Easthampton landmark being revitalized, and I look forward to seeing how CitySpace continues to grow.

Friday was packed with district events to wrap up the week, beginning with a visit to Easthampton High School’s We the People civics class. Meeting with our future leaders is always an honor, and it’s inspiring to see so many young people actively engaged in civics. The We the People team continues to make Western Mass proud with their outstanding representation at every academic competition.

After my visit, I stopped by the Westfield Council on Aging and had the honor of calling BINGO for the day, before I ended the day celebrating Westfield High School’s graduation. As a Westfield High alum, it is always meaningful to be welcomed back to celebrate this milestone with our seniors. Congratulations to the Class of 2026—we can’t wait to see all that you accomplish!

This week, Team Velis hosted office hours in Agawam. Next week, we will be hosting office hours at the Chicopee Council on Aging on Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and again on Wednesday at the West Side Council on Aging from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. If you are unable

to make office hours, please remember that you can reach us by email at john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone at (413) 572‑3920, or online at senatorjohnvelis.com.

Best,

John Velis

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a great week

Despite the rainy weather and having to transition indoors, the Westfield community truly turned out in droves to attend Monday morning’s Memorial Day Ceremony to remember and pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending our nation. Each Memorial Day, I cannot help but think and share the stories of the brave young soldiers I had the honor of serving with in Afghanistan that tragically never returned home to their families. There is a powerful message I read while returning home from my very first deployment, “Live a life worthy of their sacrifice”, an important reminder to cherish each day and our shared duty to support our service members and their families.

On Wednesday afternoon, I joined Secretary Goralnick from the Executive Office of Veteran Services and Governor Healey at the Holyoke Veterans Home to celebrate its significant transformation. The facility has become one of the nation’s strongest long‑term care nursing facilities due to major improvements in care, staffing, safety, and resident satisfaction. It’s impressive to observe all the positive changes, driven by strong collaboration between the Legislature and the Administration to enact the veterans’ home bond bill and various oversight and governance reforms following the Home’s COVID-19 tragedy. In the months that followed that outbreak, I spent countless hours talking with families and dedicated staff where I made each of them a promise, never again, and I truly believe the new facility and the achievements celebrated this week will live up to that promise.

Later that evening I had the opportunity to join Westfield’s Dollar for Scholars’ annual award night to celebrate the achievements of many of our local high school students that will be graduating next week. Congratulations to all the recipients, I have no doubt you all have bright futures ahead of you!

Thursday morning, I was over in Holyoke with Mayor Garcia and Representative Duffy to discuss critical housing projects around the city with Secretary Matias of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Western Massachusetts has so much potential to help our Commonwealth tackle the housing crisis, but to do so we need to seriously invest in all forms of new housing for our communities.

This week I joined Team Velis at Southampton Office Hours where I caught up with friends and attempted crocheting again, unsurprisingly my skills haven’t improved. I’m excited to get back to many of our local office hours whenever possible over the next month in between my legislative obligations.

This week Team Velis also hosted office hours in Russell. Next week Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Monday at the Agawam Council on Aging from 11:00am to 12:00pm. If you are unable to make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.   

Best,    

John Velis  

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a great week! For most of the past week I was over at the State House participating in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget debates. I’m proud to report that it was a highly successful week as I was able to secure over $600,000 in local funding for our district and strengthen support for statewide programs such as the Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and MCPAP for Schools.

Having spent countless hours at our local Boys and Girls Clubs, shooting hoops as a kid and later as a youth mentor, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative impact these organizations have on children and teens. That is why I was beyond proud to increase the funding allocated to our Commonwealth’s 40 Boys & Girls Clubs to help ensure they can continue providing essential resources and support to the next generation.

I also spent much of this week engaging with my colleagues about the serious youth behavioral health crisis that we have on our hands and the troubling stories I have heard from students and school staff about how profoundly our children are struggling. That’s why this week I led the charge on a budget amendment to fund the MCPAP for Schools program so that they can continue their work not only in the Agawam and Somerville Public Schools but expand their reach to ten more schools next year.

In addition to my work on the budget this week, I participated in the second annual Military Appreciation Day, an event dedicated to recognizing active-duty service members and local veterans from across the state for their dedication to our nation and their communities. Among those honored was Westfield’s Frederick Banda, who was recognized for his advocacy surrounding Agent Orange exposure. Last year, I had the privilege of partnering with Mr. Banda to ensure that Agent Orange Awareness Day is commemorated annually on August 10th in the Commonwealth.

I am truly thankful to Mark and Bridget for keeping things running smoothly here in the district throughout the week. On Thursday, Mark visited a class in West Springfield, where he talked with 8th grade students about the importance of civic engagement and explained that public service careers go far beyond just holding elected office. He highlighted the many ways people can positively influence their communities through various roles. Bridget also took part in celebrations for the grand opening of Contractors Home Appliances and marked the 10-year anniversary of Whip City Fiber.

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Easthampton and Holyoke. Next week Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Tuesday at the Russell Council on Aging from 11:30am to 12:30pm and on Wednesday at the Southampton Council on Aging from 9:30am to 10:30am. If you are unable to make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.   

Best,    

John Velis  

Hello everyone,

Words truly cannot express how great it is to be back home with my family and our entire community!

As you might have seen online, last week I returned home following a six-month deployment with the Massachusetts National Guard as part of Joint Task Force Southern Border. I am grateful to everyone who supported me through this deployment, especially my Senate Team. While I was deployed, my team went above and beyond to serve our district and ensured I was kept up to date on everything going on in our communities and at the State House.

After spending a few days with my family, I was excited to jump right back into things and start preparing for next week’s debate of the Senate’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget. I am proud to share that the Senate’s budget proposes the highest allocation of local aid in our state’s history. I’ve heard loud and clear how our municipalities and local residents are struggling to keep up with rising costs, that’s why next week I’ll be fighting hard to bring back essential funding for our district and Western Massachusetts as a whole.

This week my State House team had the opportunity to connect with a few local organizations during their advocacy days. Caitlyn greatly appreciated the opportunity to connect with staff and clients from Riverside Industries in Easthampton to discuss the essential services and employment opportunities that they provide for adults with disabilities. Sam also had the chance to meet with folks from Meghan’s Light, a Western Massachusetts nonprofit that raises awareness and supports individuals diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.

On Thursday, I attended a special event with the JCRC of Greater Boston, where my team and I were honored for leading the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism. I am grateful to be named their Legislator of the Year and for their recognition of my staff. While this work is absolutely not done, I look forward to working with the Administration to implement the Commission’s recommendations and will continue to push back on hate wherever it rears its ugly head.

At the end of the week, I had the chance to join students from West Springfield and Agawam for their 8th grade civics bowl. It is critical that we provide our young people with a strong civics education and I am grateful to the educators who organized this fun opportunity for the students to put their knowledge to the test and, even more importantly, discuss the significance of being active citizens.

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Chicopee, and West Springfield. Next week Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Tuesday at the Easthampton Council on Aging from 10:30am to 11:30am and on Wednesday at the Holyoke Council on Aging from 10:00am to 11:00am. If you are unable to make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.   

Best,    

John Velis  

Hello everyone,

We hope you all had a great week! To all those participating in this morning’s Westfield Little League Opening Day we hope you have a fun beginning to your season; Play Ball!

Our district was alive with celebrations this week! Team Velis had the chance to attend four ribbon cutting events in Westfield, West Springfield, and Southampton. Whenever a new business chooses to establish itself in our area, the Senator and our team are delighted to mark the occasion and offer support from our office. Congratulations to JMR Staffing, Priority Skin Boutique, Applied Mortgage, and Chique Boutique for opening their doors and becoming part of our district!

On the topic of special events, MassHire Holyoke marked its 30th anniversary this week, celebrating three decades of bolstering the workforce across Hampden County. Thanks to the commitment of MassHire Holyoke’s staff over the years, the organization has assisted over 200,000 community members with job training and employment services. Congratulations to MassHire Holyoke, we are wishing you another thirty years of success!

Over at the State House, Caitlyn and Gabe have been working diligently to get our office prepared and ready for a busy month ahead focused on the Senate Budget. With the House of Representatives having passed their version of the FY’27 budget this week, all of us on Team Velis are eager for it to make its way to Senate and for all work that is to come to help ensure Western Massachusetts and our district receives its fair share of investments next fiscal year.

Speaking of securing funds for the district, this week several cities and towns in our district were awarded funding for fire safety programs. This includes funding for the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) program, which sends firefighter-educators into schools to deliver clear, consistent lessons to young people, as well as the Senior SAFE program which is geared toward older adults. We are truly excited to see these investments in action and look forward to the positive impact they will have in keeping our communities safe.

This week, Team Velis hosted office hours in Westfield, Russell, and Southampton. Next week we will be hosting office hours at the Agawam Council on Aging on Monday from 11:00am to 12:00pm. If you are unable to make office hours, please remember that you can reach us by email,  john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and online at senatorjohnvelis.com.   

Sincerely,

Team Velis