Hello Everyone,
It was great to start an eventful week out in the Westfield community. On Monday morning I discussed the important issues that we are facing on both a local and state level with a group of students at Westfield High School. It is extremely encouraging to know that the young people in our district have such a healthy interest in policy and current events.
Later on, Monday afternoon I was happy to see my friends at the Westfield Senior Center during office hours. While chatting with constituents I could not help but notice the steady stream of seniors arriving to participate in various activities. Having a modern, clean, and safe place for our seniors to congregate is important on many levels. I am hoping to participate in line dancing with the Senior Center soon, I think our elders could probably teach me a few moves!
In addition to visiting with seniors in Westfield, I also heard from some of our seniors in Easthampton on Tuesday during an exciting funding announcement for the Treehouse Foundation. For those of you who don’t know, Treehouse Easthampton is an intergenerational community that provides affordable housing and critical supports for foster youth, working parents, and senior residents. It is truly a remarkable community that has seen incredible outcomes in terms of education rates for youth, child-care accessibility for parents, and quality of life for older residents. In the recent ARPA legislation signed into law, I was able to secure $2,000,000 for Treehouse to help establish two more communities across Massachusetts. It was a great event and I look forward to seeing the impact that Treehouse can make with this funding for our youth, adults and elders.
On Friday, my staff rounded out the week holding office hours in Southwick. Next week’s office hours will be held on Monday at the Agawam Senior Center from 10:30AM to 11:30AM.
It is heartening to see communities across the district step up to support refugees from the war in Ukraine. It is not lost on me that many of my constituents can trace their family’s roots back to Eastern Europe and Ukraine. As a Major in the Army Reserve and from my time deployed in Afghanistan, I know firsthand how important it is to get immediate relief to those in needs. The Massachusetts Legislation is actively looking at ways that we can help, while locally my office is organizing a charitable drive to gather items to be sent to Europe. We’ve heard from organizers that medical supplies, baby care, feminine products, and blanket/sleeping bags are in demand. Please stay tuned for further details. In the meantime, local places of worship and non-profit organizations are also gathering donations.
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