GREENFIELD — The Human Rights Commission is honoring Unhoused Community Committee member Larry Thomas with the 2025 Human Rights Award for his work to support the homeless across Franklin County.
Thomas, who also works as an outreach advocate for the Wildflower Alliance, has delivered tents, blankets, water and other essential supplies to those in need, according to a statement from the Human Rights Commission.
“Larry has dedicated his life to supporting people who are living unsheltered in Greenfield and across Franklin County. Drawing on his own 15 years of lived experience being unhoused, he brings compassion, understanding and peer support to those facing homelessness,” the commission wrote. “Through his tireless efforts, Larry continues to embody the spirit of human rights, advocating for those most marginalized and reminding the community that every person deserves safety, compassion and connection.”
The Human Rights Commission will formally present Thomas with the award at a celebration on Monday, Dec. 8, in the Greenfield Public Library’s Community Room.
“Larry is the ‘go-to’ person when it comes to understanding and responding to the needs of Greenfield’s unhoused residents,” Human Rights Commission Co-Chair Nate Woodard wrote in a statement. “He connects people, fills gaps, and does it all with empathy, humility and unwavering dedication.”
The Human Rights Award was created in 2013 and went on hiatus in 2016. The award was revived in 2023, honoring Gloria Matlock, founder and director of the Twice As Smart children’s choir and coordinator of local racial justice events. The commission solicits nominations from the public before selecting a recipient.
Each year, the award recognizes a Greenfield resident who exemplifies the Human Rights Commission’s core values — promoting a positive sense of community, uniting people based on shared humanity, and advancing human rights through sustained commitment and compassion.
Thomas said when the Human Rights Commission called to tell him that he would receive this year’s award, he was initially surprised, as he didn’t think his work was being noticed.
“It was kind of a shock, because I don’t do the work that I do for praise or anything like that. I didn’t think people really were watching me,” Thomas said. “I just go out and do my thing every day.”
Housing Greenfield Coordinator Susan Worgaftik, in an interview Friday, said she worked with Thomas roughly two years ago when the city first opened warming centers for the homeless. Worgaftik referred to Thomas, and his bicycle, as staples of the community.
“I cannot think of anyone who deserves the award more. He has been tireless — he’s not just an advocate for folks in the unhoused community, but he has always been there. If there is a need, he will make sure that it gets filled,” Worgaftik said. “He works really, really closely with all kinds of folks who are unhoused, but it’s always with the idea that he really wants to make sure that people who are in the most difficult situations get what they need.”
In addition to his outreach work, Thomas serves as an advocate through the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, finding best practices for responding to homelessness and addiction.
Starting his service work at The RECOVER Project that supports people in recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, Thomas said he quickly learned how widespread homelessness had become in Greenfield. He said seeing homeless residents along Main Street and Federal Street — some of whom were quite young, he added — inspired him to serve the population more directly with the Wildflower Alliance, which supports people who have been impacted by psychiatric diagnosis, trauma, homelessness, problems with substances and other life-interrupting challenges through peer-to-peer support, education, alternative healing practices and advocacy.
Thomas said the city needs more affordable housing and services for those who slipped “through the cracks” due to poor mental health or challenging life circumstances.
“Affordable housing is the largest service that we’re missing. There is a whole lot of housing around here, but it’s not affordable for folks that are outside,” Thomas said. “There’s also a lot of folks around here that experience the world differently than others. Some people might call that mental health, but there’s a lot of folks that are going through the cracks because their experience in the world is different than other people may experience it.”
