State Sen. Jo Comerford Receives Prestigious Caring Bear Award from Providers’ Council

BOSTON — State Sen. Jo Comerford was honored at the State House this week by the Providers’ Council, the state’s largest association of community-based health and human-services organizations, with its prestigious Caring Bear Award for her dedication and commitment to the human-services sector.

Comerford spoke at the rally about the important work of human-services workers and how the Legislature can and must do better to support this vital sector. An excerpt of Comerford’s remarks is provided below.

“I am truly humbled to receive this honor,” she said. “We must eliminate human-service-worker pay disparities. And we must bolster the recruitment and retention of human-services workers by eliminating the burden of student debt for higher education. We can and must do more for you, who do so much for so many.”

The Caring Force serves as the grassroots advocacy branch of the Providers’ Council with more than 31,000 members statewide. It works to secure better and equitable pay, tuition-burden relief, and respect for the human-services workers it represents. The Caring Bear Award is one of the highest honors presented to a legislator annually.