Hello everyone,
This week Senator Velis began his deployment with the Massachusetts National Guard. While the Senator is away serving our country, our office will remain fully operational and continue working tirelessly on behalf of the residents of the Hampden and Hampshire District! Before jumping into the highlights of this week, all of us on Team Velis wanted to take an opportunity to introduce ourselves and share how we support the Senator in serving our communities.
Around the district you may often see our Constituent Services Aide, Bridget, and District Director, Mark. Bridget compassionately helps constituents from across the district navigate local and state resources. When she is not helping folks at one of our many different monthly office hours or attending events, you might catch her at a locally owned bookstore. Mark works on municipal and regional issues, ensuring that our district’s 9 municipalities are receiving the support they need from our state agencies and that local organizations can competitively pursue state grants to benefit our communities. When he is not helping our local municipalities, he’s often hanging out with his pal Jack at the Agawam dog park.
Out in Boston, Gabe, Caitlyn, and Josie are working hard to ensure that the voices of the Hampden and Hampshire district are heard loud and clear throughout the State House. Our Legislative Director and General Counsel, Josie, plays a key role in helping the Senator draft new legislation and collaborates with other offices to advance the Senator’s legislative priorities. As our Communications and Engagement Director, Caitlyn works closely with the Senator to develop creative ways to engage with our communities and keep them informed about Team Velis’s work. When they’re not busy around the State House, you can often find Caitlyn and Josie exploring new restaurants around Boston. None of our work would be possible without the leadership of the Senator’s Chief of Staff, Gabe, who ensures the Senator has everything he needs from our team to best serve our communities each day. And when Gabe isn’t supporting the office, you’ll likely find him shooting hoops on the basketball court, trying to keep up with the Senator.
This week Bridget joined local officials in Chicopee to help cut the ribbon on Belcher Apartments, a 25-unit new affordable housing development operated by Valley Opportunity Council. Team Velis also had the opportunity to share exciting news as over $3 million dollars have been awarded by the Community One Stop Program to municipalities and organizations across the district!
This week Bridget hosted our office hours in West Springfield. Next week we will be hosting office hours at the Easthampton Council on Aging on Tuesday 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, you can continue to reach us by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Sincerely,
Team Velis