15-year-old celebrates 10-year commitment to fighting food insecurity
SPRINGFIELD — As she turns 15 years old this August, Bassie Baron is requesting donations of food to Rachel’s Table in lieu of birthday presents.
Since the age of 6, Bassie has celebrated her birthday by fighting food insecurity. Each year, she asks friends and family members to fill several boxes matching her age — this year, 15 boxes. Once collected, Bassie, alongside Rachel’s Table volunteers, helps deliver the donations to one or more of the organization’s 65-plus partner agencies across western Massachusetts.
“Bassie has made a meaningful dent in local food insecurity for more than two-thirds of her life,” Jodi Falk, director of Rachel’s Table, said in a statement. “Her generosity and leadership are an inspiration to others — especially young people — looking to make an impact.”
In addition to her birthday initiative, Bassie organizes food drives at her school and serves as vice president of programming on Rachel’s Table’s Teen Board. The Teen Board’s mission is to alleviate childhood hunger, educate young people about food insecurity, and advocate for food justice through projects and community engagement.
To learn more about how to get involved with efforts to fight food insecurity, such as starting a food drive, or to express interest in joining the Teen Board, contact Rachel’s Table at info@feedwma.org or visit feedwma.org. Nonperishable items are also accepted at the Springfield Jewish Community Center from Aug. 10 to Aug. 15 in honor of Bassie.
Submissions for Beals Prize for Poetry due Aug. 15
WINCHENDON — The Beals Memorial Library is seeking entries for the sixth annual Beals Prize for Poetry. Submissions are being accepted through Friday, Aug. 15.
Ten finalists will be chosen by the judges to read their work at the awards presentation on Thursday, Sept. 25. Prize money of $250, $100 and $50 will be awarded to the top three finalists.
Entrants may submit only one original and unpublished poem. Contestants must live in Massachusetts or in one of the following New Hampshire towns: Keene, Swanzey, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, Troy, Marlborough, Dublin, Peterborough, Jaffrey, Rindge, New Ipswich, Greenville or Sharon. Previous Beals Prize first-place winners are not eligible to participate and submitters should be at least 18 years of age.
Submissions must be emailed to bealspoetryprize@gmail.com. Word documents are preferred. Finalists will be notified on or before Friday, Sept. 12.
The judges for this year’s competition are poets Sara Letourneau, 2023 winner of the Beals Prize for Poetry, author of “Wild Gardens” and managing editor at Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services; Maria Williams, author of “White Doe,” which won the 2023 Verse Daily Prize; and Cleo Rohn, holder of the 2024 Beals Prize for Poetry.
The Beals Prize for Poetry is funded in part by the Winchendon Cultural Council and by the Friends of the Beals Memorial Library. Call the library at 978-297-0300 or visit bealslibrary.org for more information.
McGovern endorses Markey for reelection
BOSTON — Congressman Jim McGovern has endorsed Ed Markey for reelection to the U.S. Senate.
The Massachusetts legislators have secured millions in funding for housing, infrastructure, environmental protection and education programs throughout central Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley. Markey and McGovern continue to partner on legislation to protect global human rights and reduce the threat of nuclear war. Most recently, in April, they traveled together to Louisiana to meet with Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
“I’ve known Ed for many years, and there is no better fighter in the Senate, especially right now for Massachusetts. And there are a few people who have delivered more for Worcester and for central Massachusetts, for our working families, and for our students and children, and for our cities and towns,” McGovern said. “Ed knows that our families are struggling to make ends meet. That’s why he’s been a champion for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and helping families put food on the table, for home heating assistance, and for free Wi-Fi for our students so they can do their homework and stay competitive. He believes in the people power. That every child deserves the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. That everyone has the right to health care, to housing that is affordable, to clean air and clean water. That the American dream belongs to all of us, not just the billionaires and corporations.”
“Congressman Jim McGovern is the conscience of the Congress,” Markey said in a statement. “His career-long advocacy for the most vulnerable in Massachusetts, to end hunger and poverty, and for human rights everywhere are an inspiration. He has a vision for a more just and peaceful world that extends from a single mother in Worcester who relies on SNAP to the nations of the world where basic rights and freedoms must be defended. He embodies a commitment to social justice and I am proud to have his endorsement for reelection to the U.S. Senate.”
Cooley Dickinson Hospital receives $300K gift
NORTHAMPTON — The estate of the late Robert N. Brooks gave $300,000 to Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Emergency Department.
Diane Dukette, chief development officer at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, said the $300,000 will be put toward the Emergency Department’s $26 million expansion and renovation project. Brooks, who served in various roles at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for 37 years, died earlier this year and had donated to the hospital annually for more than 40 years. Dukette said Brooks’ bequest comes at a critical time for the hospital.
“I had the pleasure of working with and knowing Rob for years. He was a very precise person. He would have liked that his estate gift arrived exactly in line with such an important milestone. Patients are starting to experience the benefits of the new Emergency Department and further financial support like Rob’s is needed to ensure that the expansion can be fully realized. Rob would have appreciated that his gift is making a tangible difference at a critical time,” Dukette said in a statement. “Rob’s generosity continues his legacy of doing good for our community. Cooley Dickinson is deeply grateful to play a role in keeping Rob’s memory alive through the many patients his bequest will help.”
Grant supports Dakin’s Community Spay/Neuter Clinic
SPRINGFIELD — Dakin Humane Society has received a $14,500 grant from the Massachusetts Animal Coalition’s “I’m Animal Friendly” license plate program to support the low-cost spay/neuter services offered at Dakin’s Community Spay/Neuter Clinic.
Dakin’s Community Spay/Neuter Clinic is one of the largest in New England, having conducted more than 134,000 surgeries since its 2009 opening.
“We’re incredibly grateful for our longstanding partnership with the Massachusetts Animal Coalition,” Meg Talbert, executive director at Dakin Humane Society, said in a statement. “The ‘I’m Animal Friendly’ license plate program doesn’t just support our mission to deliver effective, innovative services that improve the lives of animals in need and the people who care about them — it truly saves lives.”
Thanks to the “I’m Animal Friendly” license plate program, funds are awarded annually to organizations that provide low-cost spay/neuter services. Through this year, the Massachusetts Animal Coalition has awarded almost $3.3 million.