United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region

We had another wonderful Campaign Kick-Off Breakfast yesterday at University of Massachusetts Amherst! Very excited that our campaign is being co-chaired this year by Jane Wolfe and Claudia Pazmany. A big thank you to our partner agency speakers Lev BenEzra from the Amherst Survival Center and Dr. Allison van der Velden from the Community Health Center of Franklin County. Great appreciation to State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa and Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra for crossing the river to join us at 7:30 am! And of course thank you to Lily Stowe-Alekman from the office of State Rep. Mindy Domb. , Sheriff Patrick Cahillane and District Attorney David Sullivan. We would also like to thank UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes for hosting us at the beautiful Student Union Ballroom and joining us for breakfast. And of course a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our community supporters and partner agencies who joined us yesterday morning! Other speakers featured are our incredible Director of Development Holly Martineau and Executive Director Geoff Naunheim. Not featured in this run of photos is our Board Vice Chair Michael Gove who kicked off our kick-off. More photos to come.

Welcome to our New Board Members! Here is Cindy Gonzalez! She is a transplant from Waltham MA, and grew up in Cohasset MA. She has lived in Greenfield for 22 years, and has been in banking most of her adult life. Cindy currently works at Greenfield Cooperative Bank as Vice President/Branch Manager of the 277 Federal St office. Cindy has ties with the marginalized community because of addiction in her family. She has served on subcommittees of the Opioid Task Force, is a Learn to Cope facilitator, and Narcan trainer. Currently, she is on a mission to assist unhoused individuals in small ways. #uwfhInTheCommunity #Welcome #BoardMember #WelcomePost #uwFranklinHampshire #westernma

Welcome to our New Board Members! Here is Graydon Vigneau Jr! Born and raised in Brattleboro, VT, but given his Mom was a Turners Falls native, his childhood social life was spent almost exclusively in Turners with his grandfather and/or Greenfield with his cousins. After graduation from the University of New Hampshire, Grady's professional life has included working as an assistant college football coach, a Boston-based management consultant, a Vermont-based youth recreation and sports entrepreneur, independent school Headmaster (ME), and currently CEO of Franklin County's YMCA. Returning in 2019 to the Greenfield area has been a wonderful homecoming of sorts and energizes him in pursuing our Y's vision to "Love, Serve, Care" for all. #uwfhInTheCommunity #Welcome #BoardMember #WelcomePost #uwFranklinHampshire

Welcome to our New Board Members! Here is Laura Frogameni! She has lived in Florence with her husband Jim for the past 25 years. Laura is a lifelong educator currently working at the Northampton Public Schools Early Childhood Center. It's wonderful department that provides programs and services for young children, families and the educators who work with them. She attends Edwards Church, is a community member at the Chamber, and she is delighted to be joining the board of the United Way! #uwfhInTheCommunity #Welcome #BoardMember #WelcomePost #uwFranklinHampshire

Diaper need can’t be solved by diaper banks like ours alone. During this National Diaper Need Awareness Week and beyond, we encourage you to advocate for policies that will bring our families the resources they need to thrive. Yesterday, UWFH Program Director Jenny Coeur helped present on diaper need as part of the National Diaper Bank Network's Massachusetts Coalition. Thank you to all of the legislators and community partners who attended in support of diaper security! Visit uw-fh.org/diaper-drive and https://lnkd.in/e9TV7M9u to find ways to help. #NationalDiaperNeedAwarenessWeek #EndDiaperNeed

Welcome to our New Board Members! Here is Koby Gardner-Levine. He is from Amherst, MA, and serves as Congressman Jim McGovern’s Regional Manager for Western Massachusetts. He runs the Congressman’s office in Northampton. He received both his Bachelor of Arts (’18) in Global Environmental Studies and his Master’s Degree in Environmental Science & Policy (’19) from Clark University in Worcester. Gardner-Levine is a longtime supporter of New England-based sports teams. His favorites are the New England Revolution (MLS) and the New England Patriots (NFL). #uwfhInTheCommunity #Welcome #BoardMember #WelcomePost

Governor Maura Healey released a proclamation in support of Diaper Need Awareness Week, running through this Sunday, September 29th. Learn how the UWFH Diaper Bank helps families in our region every month and the ways you can join us: https://lnkd.in/ees7hcz #DiaperNeedAwarenessWeek #DiaperNeed #EndDiaperNeed #DiaperBank #BasicsArentBasic

Welcome to our New Board Members! Here is Nikki Garrett. She lives in Greenfield and works at the Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority (FCRHRA). Prior to moving to Franklin County in 2020, Nikki lived in southwestern NH and worked at the Monadnock United Way for many years. She has a deep passion for human services and nonprofit organizations, and has enjoyed deepening her understanding and appreciation of the region's service providers through volunteering with UWFH. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, traveling, and spending quality time with family and friends. #uwfhInTheCommunity #Welcome #BoardMember #WelcomePost

It's National Diaper Need Awareness Week, which means communities, businesses, elected officials, and even you, can take action to ensure babies have access to clean diapers and other basic needs. 1 in 2 families with young children in the US do not have enough diapers to keep their babies clean, dry, and healthy. This leads to parents missing work or school and losing wages, because they cannot afford enough diapers to put their children in daycare. You can support diaper banks in your area, like our United Way Diaper Bank, by donating diapers and pullups, making a monetary donation, engaging with social media using the hashtags below, or volunteering your time to support families as diaper need grows. Check out the United Way Diaper Bank at https://lnkd.in/ees7hcz, and learn how we make a difference by supplying over 20,000 diapers per month to our region. #DiaperNeedAwarenessWeek #DiaperNeed #EndDiaperNeed #DiaperBank #BasicsArentBasic

The list of Annual Workplaces for our local UW of the Franklin & Hampshire Region is growing every day! Visit our website, uw-fh.org to see the current list! 32 signed up to date!