Hello everyone,
I hope you had a great week! With high school graduation season coming to a close, I want to take a moment to congratulate all of the students across our district on this momentous occasion that they undoubtedly worked so hard to achieve. I wish you all the best of luck on wherever life may take you next!
Speaking of celebrations, there’s been quite a few across our district lately. Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to join community members in Agawam as they broke ground on their new high school. I am beyond proud to have helped local officials in securing over $96.8 million in state funding from the Massachusetts School Build Authority last summer to make this project possible.
Later last week I was beyond honored to receive Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award from the Western Massachusetts Council of Scouting America at their annual DCAD Dinner in Holyoke! It is so special to engage with our next generation of leaders and watch as they learn the meaning of service through scouting. I couldn’t be prouder to support this mission and to receive this award in recognition of Sheriff Ashe’s legacy. Thank you to all those who worked diligently to put together such an incredible evening!
This week I had the opportunity to host a roundtable at the Agawam Junior High School with Senate President Karen Spilka. I am incredibly grateful that she took the time to hear directly from those on the ground about the truly game changing work happening right in Agawam to make sure our kids get access to support services when they need them through the MCPAP for Schools Pilot Program. In 2023, I was proud to secure funding in the state budget to create this school-based behavioral health program, which has been piloted in the school districts of Somerville and Agawam over the last year. Through a collaboration between the Boston Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnership, the Massachusetts Psychiatry Access Program, and the school districts themselves; the program connects available resources with individual needs through a systemic approach to improve behavioral health support. It is my sincere hope that the MCPAP for Schools program will continue to grow and give more youth across our district and state the same opportunities that our students in Agawam now have.
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