Hello Everyone,
I hope you all stayed warm on this chilly December week. I am keeping my fingers crossed about some snowfall in the coming weeks.
Monday morning was a busy day on Beacon Hill with a hearing for the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and a hearing for the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery, which I Chair. During the hearing, one of my bills S.1275, An Act establishing a commission to study the availability of a continuum of care for persons, was heard. This bill would establish a commission to study the availability of resources and continuation of care for persons with substance use disorders. As committees begin wrapping up hearings ahead of reporting bills out, I look forward to continuing to advocate for legislation to support our communities.
On Tuesday I had the honor of visiting the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club to celebrate state funding for their new teen center that will begin later this upcoming spring. I was proud to work alongside the MA Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, and my colleagues, to secure over $70,000 for the teen center and am beyond excited for this project.
Thursday marked the 82nd anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. To commemorate, the Westfield Veterans Council held a remembrance event at Half Mile Falls Park right here in downtown Westfield. We cannot forget those we lost that day and all the lives we lost throughout the second world war. It was my honor to speak at this event and I am grateful to the Council for putting this on.
On Thursday I was also thrilled to present a Citation to Carter Janik at Chicopee City Hall. Carter is a student at Chicopee Comp High School who recently went to the SkillsUSA competition, which is focused on helping students with career readiness, and professional skills. Carter was named the National Champion-Gold Medal winner at the district and state competitions. Great work Carter!
It’s always wonderful to support fundraising in our community, and on Friday I joined community members at the Holyoke Council on Aging to celebrate generous donations from the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival Committee to the to the River Valley Counseling Center and the Forum House. Both entities are focused on helping our communities with mental health and have made lasting impressions on people for many years.
This week, my team hosted office hours at the Agawam COA on Monday. Next week, we will be at the Chicopee COA on Tuesday from 10:00 am to 11:00 am and the West Side COA on Wednesday from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Happy Holidays,
John Velis