Hello Everyone,
The weather this week was not quite what we anticipated however, I personally celebrated that there was not much snow to shovel.
I started this week on a great note with the grand re-opening of the Community Closet at Westfield High School on Monday morning. An initiative originally started by students and teachers, this “closet” is a place where students in need can find clothes, school supplies, and even hygiene products completely free of cost. But over the years, the “closet” has grown to a full room that required renovations which I was proud to support by securing a $5,000 earmark to help with these efforts. I would like to thank all of the students, faculty, and local community members who helped build such a greatly needed and compassionate program. If you are interested in donating school supplies or personal care items to the Community Closet, please drop off items at the main office between 7:30 am and 2:30 pm on any school day.
On Tuesday I had the opportunity to connect with the members of the Western Massachusetts Housing Coalition to de-brief from last month’s hearing of the Affordable Homes Act and to discuss the work ahead as this bill moves out of committee within the next few months. I truly appreciate the advocacy of this Coalition, which consists of over 50 municipalities and organizations from across our region dedicated to advancing housing policies that address the needs of Western Massachusetts.
It was great to welcome Governor Healey and Secretary Tutwiler from the Executive Office of Education to Westfield on Thursday for an informative roundtable on early education, childcare, and the new regional parities for these services across the Commonwealth. As a parent of a little one myself, I completely understand how important these services are not only for creating educational foundations for our children but also the direct impact it has on our workforce. I was proud to support these rate increases in the FY’24 budget that many Western Massachusetts childcare providers will begin seeing this month.
Later that day, I attended a ceremony over in Holyoke honoring a group of student officers training at the Municipal Police Training Academy who, in an act of bravery, responded swiftly and thoroughly to a severe motor vehicle accident. These cadets demonstrated all of the qualities we seek in our first responders, and I applaud them for their heroism, despite still being in training. I would like to extend a big thank you to them for saving those in need.
Next week, my office will be hosting office hours at the Easthampton COA on Tuesday from 10:30am to 11:30am and the Holyoke COA on Wednesday from 10:00am to 11:00am. If you can’t 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.
Have a great weekend,
John Velis