On The Calendar – June 2017

June 8: The Baystate Health Blood Donor Mobile will host a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Baystate Wing Hospital parking lot, located at 40 Wright St. in Palmer. All blood types are needed. Eligible donors will receive a Dunkin’ Donuts or Big Y gift card.

Blood donations take approximately 40 to 45 minutes to complete, including the interview, donation, and refreshments. Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, have a photo ID, be in good health (no colds or sore throat), and not have donated blood within the past eight weeks. They should have a good meal prior to donating, drink plenty of fluids, and bring along any lists of medications they are currently taking.

“Local blood drives help us to ensure a safe and adequate blood supply is available. All blood donated to the Baystate Health Blood Donor Program stays local to help patients in all Baystate Health hospitals,” said Amy Benson, blood donor support recruiter with the Baystate Health Blood Donor Program. “There is no substitute for human blood. The only way our family, friends, and neighbors can receive this life-saving gift is through your generosity. Your support will help ensure that a safe and adequate blood supply is always available.”

Appointments and pre-registration are recommended; however, walk-ins are also welcome. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the Baystate Health Blood Donor Program at (413) 794-4600.

June 9: Bay Path University, partnering with the Human Service Forum, will host a free conference and workshop, “Hot Topics: Meeting Your Mission Through Integrated Communications Strategies,” for area nonprofit management and leadership.

The session is being presented by Bay Path’s MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy and MS in Strategic Fundraising programs and will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Blake Student Center, where Amy Sample Ward, CEO of the Oregon-based Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), will present to attendees.

The morning session and presentation by Ward will be followed by a hands-on workshop at Wright Hall that will provide building blocks for area nonprofit professionals. The program, “Community-Driven Communications,” will outline community-driven communication strategies, including the use of social media, and provide templates and plans attendees can complete and implement with their organizations.

According to Sylvia de Haas-Phillips, director and assistant professor of the MS in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy and MS in Strategic Fundraising programs, the event will help nonprofits more effectively use digital, social, and mobile technologies in engaging supporters and in collaborating with other community organizations.

Full participation in the breakfast presentation and afternoon workshop earns CFRE points towards certification or recertification. Those interested can register at bit.ly/2q4hHmv.

Ward is a speaker and author; her latest book is Social Change Anytime Everywhere: How to Implement Online Multichannel Strategies to Spark Advocacy, Raise Money, and Engage Your Community. In addition to serving as CEO of NTEN, she is dedicated to educating and supporting organizations nationwide in using integrated communications strategies to create meaningful engagement, helping nonprofits make lasting change in their communities.

The Human Service Forum — an association of nonprofit and public agencies in the Pioneer Valley providing trainings, roundtable networking opportunities, and advocacy for its members — published an economic-impact report indicating that more than 50,000 people are employed at more than 1,000 nonprofits in the Pioneer Valley.

According to de Haas-Phillips, “nonprofits in the region represent a significant sector both economically and in terms of the services they provide to improve the quality of living in the Pioneer Valley. Providing a no-cost forum to nonprofits to help their managers better utilize traditional, social, and other communication strategies in realizing their missions is an important community service for Bay Path.”

Bay Path inaugurated the Nonprofit Management program in 2007 in response to the growth of the nonprofit sector in the local economy.

“The pace of change in the digital world and in the nonprofit sector today has created an environment where many nonprofit staff are overwhelmed with options and often choose not to adopt new tools or test new strategies,” Ward said. “This conference is designed to help nonprofit professionals understand better the role technology already does play in their work and identify opportunities that are right for their organization.”

June 9: A groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the site of Christopher Heights of Belchertown, a new assisted-living residence, at 10 a.m. Christopher Heights of Belchertown will be the first new development on the site of the former Belchertown State School.

Town Administrator Gary Brougham will emcee the event with federal, state, and local officials expected to attend, including state Sen. Eric Lesser, state Rep. Susannah Whipps Lee, Department of Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Chrystal Kornegay, and MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the construction site on the corner of Front Street and Berkshire Avenue in Belchertown. RSVP is requested by May 31 at info@christopherheights.com.

Christopher Heights of Belchertown is expected to open in the spring of 2018 with 83 assisted-living units, of which 43 are designated for low-income seniors. Residents will enjoy private apartments with a kitchenette and bath. The facility will offer three chef-prepared meals daily, a daily schedule of social activities, personal-care assistance, medication reminders, staff available 24/7, safety checks, housekeeping, and laundry service.

June 15: Williamstown Commons Nursing & Rehabilitation Center welcomes area seniors to a cookout under the big tent from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 25 Adams Road in Williamstown. Seniors are invited to join the Williamstown Commons family for music, traditional cookout fare, and to learn more about the community.

Those wishing to attend may RSVP to (413) 458-2111 by Thursday, June 8 or may RSVP to local Councils on Aging.

June 22: The 11th annual 40 Under Forty award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, honoring 40 of the region’s rising stars under 40 years old. An independent panel of judges has chosen the winners, and their stories are told in the April 17 issue and at businesswest.com.

The event is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Moriarty & Primack, Health New England, the Gaudreau Group, the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Six-Point Creative Works, Renew.Calm, Baystate Health, and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield. Tickets cost $75.

A limited number of standing-room-only tickets are available, but are expected to sell out quickly. To purchase tickets, call (413) 781-8600.

June 24: Berkshire Family & Individual Resources (BFAIR) announced its second annual Walk for Independence. Last year, the inaugural walk along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail saw participation of nearly 100 walkers of all ability levels, with this year already set to exceed that number.

A stroll to Cheshire and back (with or any distance in between), the walk will be a fund-raising event in which BFAIR participants, community members, and sponsors can get involved in through sponsored walking, lunch, bucket raffles, and entertainment. Starting and finishing at the Adams Visitors Center, the walk is a day of fun and helps BFAIR share its mission to enrich the lives of people of all ages and abilities by providing positive life experiences and advocacy through distinctive, individualized, quality services.

As a local nonprofit, BFAIR relies on public funds to provide critically needed residential, vocational, habilitative, and clinical services for adults, adolescents, and children with developmental disabilities, autism, and acquired brain injury, as well as home-care services for the elderly.

The registration fee for the walk is $25 for adults and $12.50 for children 10 and younger. Registration includes a picnic lunch and ball-cap giveaway. Interested walkers can register online at thedriven.net/bfairwalk, by calling (413) 664-9382 ext. 40, e-mailing info@bfair.org, or visiting www.bfair.org.

In addition to registering, walkers may seek individual sponsors by asking family and friends to support their walk. Donations are accepted via thedriven.net/bfairwalk, or donation envelopes can be provided for walkers.

Corporate sponsorships are available for the trail, mile, bronze, silver, and gold levels, ranging from $100 to $2,500, respectively. Interested businesses should contact Jennifer Civello at jcivello@bfair.org for more information. Current gold-level walk sponsors include Greylock Federal Credit Union, MountainOne, and the Print Shop Williamstown.

June 29: Healthcare Heroes, an exciting recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched this spring by HCN and BusinessWest. Sponsored by American International College, Bay Path University, Elms College, and Renew.Calm, with additional sponsorships available, the program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and individuals providing that care.

Nominations are now being sought — and will be accepted until June 29 — in the following categories: Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider; Innovation in Health/Wellness; Community Health; Emerging Leader; Collaboration in Health/Wellness; Health/Wellness Administration/Administrator; and Lifetime Achievement. The nominations will be scored by a panel of judges to be announced in the coming weeks. The winners will be chosen in July and profiled in the September issue of HCN.

The guidelines to consider when nominating individuals, groups, or institutions in these various categories are available at healthcarenews.com and businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes.

July 24: More than 200 golfers are expected to participate in the 37th annual Brightside Golf Classic at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield.

“This event raises funds to continue Brightside’s mission to support our community’s most vulnerable children and their families,” said Allison Gearing-Kalill, vice president of Fund Development for Mercy Medical Center and its affiliated services.

Two tee times are available. Breakfast and registration for the morning session begins at 7 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Lunch and registration for the second session will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The evening reception will be held immediately following the tournament from 5 to 8 p.m.

Prices include green fees, golf cart, breakfast or lunch, a gift and swag bag, and reception featuring cocktails, food stations, auction, networking, and live entertainment. On-course food and beverages will be provided by event sponsors throughout the day. Golfers will also be eligible for a chance to win prizes and participate in raffles during the day.

The 2017 Golf Classic chairs are Hank Downey, vice president and Commercial Loan officer, Florence Savings Bank; John Kendzierski, president, Professional Drywall Construction Inc.; Matthew Sosik, president and CEO, Easthampton Savings Bank; and William Wagner, Chief Business Development officer and vice chairman of the board, Westfield Bank.

Brightside for Families and Children provides in-home counseling and family support to more than 650 children and their families throughout Western Mass. Services include resource coordination, parenting-skills development, behavioral-technique instruction, community-support programs, and other programs tailored to prevent hospitalization from occurring. Specialized assessments such as neuropsychological evaluations and testing are also available.

For more information on sponsorships, donations, and attending the event, contact Gearing-Kalill at (413) 748-9986 or allison.gearing-kalill@sphs.com. Information is also available at www.mercycares.com/brightside-golf-classic.