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