GREENFIELD — Community Action Pioneer Valley has been awarded Health New England’s Well Worth It Award for is efforts in promoting the health and wellness of its staff.
“We’re honored to receive this recognition from Health New England,” Bernadette Bean, director of human resources at CAPV, said in a press release. “This award reflects our commitment to creating a workplace where everyone can bring their best selves to the important work we do.”
Each year, the nonprofit health insurance provider, Health New England, recognizes employers who support the health and wellness of their staff. For 2025, CAPV was awarded the gold-level Well Worth It Award for its initiatives promoting the health and wellness of employees.
“The Well Worth It Award allows Health New England to recognize our employer groups who work hard to provide their employees the opportunity to focus on overall well-being, both personally and professionally,” Katie Bruno, manager of quality improvement programs for Health New England, said in a press release. “CAPV has demonstrated our mission of helping to improve the health and lives of the people living in our communities with its commitment to wellness in the areas of awareness generation, education, skills development and self-confidence. We are excited to recognize CAPV for always being
caring, thoughtful and committed to helping employees thrive.”
Additionally, CAPV broke ground on a new Head Start facility in Westfield earlier this month. The new, approximately $10 million facility will have five classrooms and two “state-of-the-art playgrounds” to serve up to 61 students between the ages of 3 weeks old to 5 years old when it opens next fall.
CAPV currently operates its early learning programs in a space leased from the city of Westfield. The construction of a new facility will allow the agency to prepare children for “lifelong learning,” the agency shared in a press release.
“This is a transformational moment for the children and families we serve in Westfield and
throughout western Hampden County,” Anat Weisenfreund, director of CAPV’s Head
Start & Early Learning Programs, said in a statement. “The combination of our new site and these wonderful playgrounds will provide children with safe, enriching spaces where they can learn, play and thrive.”
Weisenfreund also expressed gratitude to Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, “for recognizing the critical importance of investing in our youngest learners and their families.”
The new facility is being funded by the Department of Early Education and Care and Children’s Investment Fund grants; additionally, the state provided CAPV with a $539,000 grant for the playgrounds.
“Decades of research show that children who participate in Head Start are more prepared for school, have stronger social-emotional skills, and experience long-term gains in education, work, and economic stability,” said CAPV Executive Director Lev BenEzra in a statement. “By opening this new site, Community Action is expanding access to opportunities for the most vulnerable children and families in our communities.”
For more information about CAPV programs, visit www.communityaction.us
