Eight Franklin County students receive HCC Foundation scholarships

HOLYOKE — The nonprofit Holyoke Community College Foundation has awarded more than $335,000 in scholarships to students for the 2024-2025 academic year.

This year, the HCC Foundation awarded 388 scholarships to 323 incoming, current and transferring HCC students, including eight students from Franklin County. The average award is about $900.

The following Franklin County students received scholarships: Madeline Gray of Colrain, James Leclerc of Erving, Genesis Ocasio of Greenfield, Gina Barnhart of Hawley, Stephanie Lupien of Northfield, Juli Colon and Sonia Szala-Krotkov of Sunderland, and Colleen Dowd of Turners Falls.

It Takes a Village holding ‘Spring Into Movement’ fundraisers

HUNTINGTON — It Takes a Village is holding “Spring Into Movement” fitness fundraisers. The nonprofit, which provides free goods and services to families in all four western Massachusetts counties, has partnered with businesses to help energize residents to not only support their own health and well-being by taking a fitness class, but also to support the health and well-being of families in need.

Following sessions in Easthampton and Pittsfield, the “Spring Into Movement” series will conclude on Friday, May 31, at 5:30 p.m. in Franklin County as fitness instructor Tracy Fisher offers a dynamic one-hour Barre class at Common Ground Fitness Center, 367 Federal St. in Greenfield.

All classes are a minimum $20 suggested donation. All proceeds from the events will directly support It Takes a Village. For more information, visit hilltownvillage.org.

It Takes a Village provides free postpartum and early parenting support, regardless of residency or income, to families with babies and young children living in western Massachusetts. The organization offers a volunteer-based home visit program for postpartum families, The Village Closet donation center and “free store,” as well as parent education and child engagement programming.