Month: June 2016

WESTFIELD — The 19th annual Westfield Woman’s Club Garden Tea will be held on Wednesday, June 22 at 1 p.m. at Stanley Park. This event is a major fund-raiser for the Westfield Woman’s Club and helps carry out the club’s mission in the community.

Allison Gearing-Kalill will be the 2016 honoree. She is currently vice president of Fund Development for Noble Hospital, and has been active in the Greater Westfield area in many ways. She is a founding and current board member of the Westfield Woman’s Club Foundation, a board member with Westfield on Weekends, and for the past four years has served as a fund-raiser committee member for the Massachusetts and Rhode Island chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She is a past board member of the Westfield chapter of the American Red Cross and the Westfield Business Improvement District.

The Garden Tea will begin with registration and served beverages, followed by light sandwiches, scones, and trifle desserts. There will also be a hat contest and introduction of the honoree.

This year, the judges for the hat contest will be Maureen Sullivan, president and chief creative officer of Maureen Sullivan Media Group and founder of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, an event series and monthly publication in the Republican that brings women together through ideas, inspiration, and resources that enrich their lives; Kevin O’Connor, senior vice president of Retail Banking, Marketing and Retail Lending for Westfield Bank; and Lisa McMahon, director, Advancement and Major Gifts for Westfield State Foundation.

Tickets cost $20 and may be purchased through Friday, June 10 by calling Josie at (413) 568-0876 or by visiting the Woman’s Club at 28 Court Street in Westfield on June 10 from noon to 6 p.m.

By providing scholarships to local high-school students, supporting area veterans through the Soldier On program, participating in Community Table efforts, providing time and talent by volunteering at local nonprofits, entertaining its neighbors through Westfield Theater Group productions, and more, the Westfield Woman’s Club has been an integral part of Westfield and neighboring communities since 1914.

PITTSFIELD — All Berkshire Bank locations will close at noon on Tuesday, June 7 to allow all employees the ability to participate in volunteer projects from noon to 4 p.m.

So far, 1,133 Berkshire Bank employees across all regions are scheduled to participate in work assignments as part of the bank’s Xtraordinary Day. This number is still growing, and is anticipated to reach 95% total employee engagement.

Employees will volunteer at Stanley Park, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, YMCA of Westfield, ReGreen Springfield, Southwick Rail Trail, West Springfield YMCA, Amelia Park Children’s Museum, Birthday Wishes, Children’s Study Home, YMCA of Greater Springfield, Community Survival Center, and Girls Inc. of Greenfield.

The bank will also host a contest called Catch Us in the Act, through which it encourages customers to take a photo of bank employees performing a volunteer service and post the photo to social media using the hashtag #xteam. Each submission will be entered to win $100 for the nonprofit of their choice; two winners will be selected per region.

SPRINGFIELD — For years, small businesses have been told they have to be on social media. The unasked and unanswered question is, ‘why?’

James Garvey, social-media marketing analyst, and Darcy Fortune, SEO public-relations analyst, at GCAi will answer that question and much more on Wednesday, June 22 with a presentation called “The Power of Social Media Marketing and Online Video” at Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas, LLP, 1500 Main St., Springfield.

Fresh off their appearance at the Digital Marketing Innovation Summit, where they presented along with companies like Google, Brandwatch, and Carbonite, Garvey and Fortune will reveal how top brands are increasing their return on investment (ROI) through objective-driven digital marketing campaigns that incorporate video.

“For many years, social media has escaped the sharp eye of ROI,” Garvey said. “Not any longer. Objective-driven campaigns are designed to have measurable impact on brand and sales.”

Added Fortune, “digital marketing campaigns must not only be targeted to be effective; they also have to be relevant to the customer. That’s where video comes in. People want to view content online; they don’t necessarily want to read.”

The presentation is free, but attendance is limited. To register, e-mail attorney David Parke at [email protected].

LONGMEADOW — van Schouwen Associates, LLC (vSA) announced the addition of Tyler Leahy to its business-to-business marketing team. In his new role as strategic communications manager, Leahy’s work will involve account management, writing, social media and content development, public relations, and business development.

Leahy arrives at vSA with unique experience as a communications professional in the Pioneer Valley, working in the media as well as the nonprofit sector. He most recently served as staff writer for two local newspapers, the Chicopee Register and the Ludlow Register.

“Tyler has a knack for tailoring communications to the demands of individual projects. His strategic and tactical marketing aptitude will be invaluable to our clients,” said Michelle van Schouwen, vSA president. “He already has a proven track record of pitching fresh ideas and fostering collaboration, and we look forward to building on that as a team.”

Leahy graduated from Springfield College with a bachelor’s degree in 2015, majoring in communications and English.

SPRINGFIELD — Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield will welcome the Old Post Road Orchestra for a free summertime pops performance on the hospital lawn on Wednesday, June 15 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The Old Post Road Orchestra (OPRO) is enjoying its 30th concert season as a volunteer community orchestra based in Wilbraham. OPRO’s mission is to provide quality symphonic music at convenient locations in and around Western Mass., and to offer people of all ages the opportunity to play their instruments in a friendly, community-based orchestra.

This summertime pops performance will feature a guest vocalist, Anita Anderson Cooper. Trained at Westminster College and Boston University, she has worked as a professional musician, conductor, and teacher. Career highlights include solo performances at Carnegie Hall; leading roles with various opera, Broadway, and regional theater companies, and solo appearances through the Hampshire Choral Society. Recent conducting roles were with the Green Mountain District in Vermont and the Quabbin Valley Music Festival.

Cooper has been a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant and studied Mozart’s music in Vienna, Austria. She currently teaches three choirs, music theory, and jazz at Amherst Regional High School; conducts the New Valley Singers in Holyoke; and is the soprano soloist for South Church, Springfield. Her Chorale recently won the WGBY television series Together in Song, and WGBY produced a special about the group.

Light refreshments will be available at the concert. Lawn chairs are permitted, but alcohol, smoking, and pets are not. For more information, contact Lee Roberts at (413) 755-2307 or [email protected]. For more information about OPRO, visit www.opro.org/content/about-us.

LONGMEADOW — JGS Lifecare held its annual meeting on May 24, providing membership the opportunity to thank all who provided service, to honor talented and caring leaders, and to elect officers and directors of JGS Lifecare and all subsidiaries.

Martin Baicker, president and CEO of JGS Lifecare, presented highlights of the past year, including a new program of daily activities in the Leavitt Family Jewish Home that focuses on residents’ strengths; the introduction of Reiki and reflexology at Ruth’s House, JGS Lifecare’s assisted-living residence; and a national best-practice home-health agency award for Spectrum Home Health & Hospice. Baicker then introduced three nursing-home resident family members who shared heartfelt examples of how JGS Lifecare has impacted their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Members then voted on the appointments of corporators, board members, and officers, as required by corporate bylaws. Michele Feinstein, Maxine Goldsmith, and Michael Swirsky were elected to new three-year terms on the JGS Lifecare board of directors. New appointments included the election of Stuart Anfang as clerk and the addition of Michael Hirshberg and Gary Rappaport as directors for Genesis House. Seven board members were thanked and recognized for fulfilling their service, including David Katz, Mark Katz, David Shrair, Gary Rappaport, Michael Hirshberg, Alan Bullock, and Carol Kantany Casartello, who had served as clerk.

Dr. Robert Baevsky, chair of the JGS Lifecare board of directors, awarded Susan Kline the annual Chairman’s Service Award for her tireless advocacy and high-energy support of JGS Lifecare.

Her father’s admission to the Jewish Nursing Home as a resident in 1978 launched Kline’s volunteerism at what is now JGS Lifecare. Along with her role in initiating the Chesed Committee, the Ruth’s House newsletter, and the family council, Kline was elected to the board and executive committee. She also chaired the JGS future vision task force. As chair of the board from 2012 to 2014, she led JGS Lifecare to embrace transformational change through the adoption of the person-centered, small-house model of care. Along with attorney Stephen Krevalin, she currently chairs the campaign to fund JGS Lifecare’s Project Transformation and its signature project, the Sosin Center for Rehabilitation.

Deeply involved in the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, Kline is a past president (2006-09) and currently serves on the executive committee. She recently completed a six-year term on the board of National Women’s Philanthropy, a branch of the Jewish Federations of North America. In the 1990s, she was the first female president of Kodimoh synagogue, now B’nai Torah. Long associated with Harold Grinspoon Foundation, first as a trustee (1993-2004) and then as an employee (2005-15), she directed significant programs related to legacy giving, camping, and initiatives in western Massachusetts.

Also at the meeting, Krevalin provided an update on the $9 million Project Transformation Campaign in support of five campus initiatives that will enhance person-centered care across all life-care services. For more information about the campaign, contact Susan Kimball Halpern, vice president of Philanthropy, at (413) 567-6211 or [email protected].

HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke and Greater Easthampton chambers of commerce have joined forces for the third year to host a “Move the Mountain” networking event on Monday, June 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Holyoke Country Club, One Country Club Road.

The event, sponsored by Easthampton Savings Bank, Northeast IT Systems, Paychex, and Taylor Rental of Holyoke, will offer guests an evening of networking among chamber members as well as an opportunity to meet up with old friends and build new business relationships.

The event entertainment is sponsored by Simmer Music with Interplay Jazz Band featuring Tom Tisdell on saxophone. In addition to an evening filled with music, food, and networking opportunities, a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, and a cash bar will be offered. The networking event is open to all professionals, small-business owners, and entrepreneurs, as well as the general public.

The cost is $10 for members in advance and $15 for all others. To sign up, call the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce at (413) 534-3376 or the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce at (413) 527-9414.

SPRINGFIELD — Have you ever been asked to present in front of a group of people and replied, “nope! No way! Never!” Many charismatic speakers started out that way, and Thom Fox is one of them.

Almost 20 years ago, Fox (a card-carrying introvert) was shoved on a stage and told to “figure it out” — so he did. Since then, he has conducted more than 1,200 workshops and keynote addresses nationwide. In a workshop on June 8 titled “Nope, No Way, Never! How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking,” Fox shares how he overcame shyness and gained the confidence to speak in front of more than 43,000 audience members throughout his career.

Attendees will learn how to manage the fear of public speaking, develop a compelling story, navigate the three most important parts of a presentation, and win the crowd over. The free event will run from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the UMass Center at Springfield, 1500 Main St., Suite 260. To register, click here.

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, June 9, Voices from Inside (VFI) will host “Voices Carry,” a fund-raiser to share the writing of incarcerated women of Hampden County and inform guests about the work of the organization.

VFI invites the community to the Springfield Marriott, 2 Boland Way, to enjoy a free continental breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m. From 8 to 9 a.m., local community leaders will read the poetry of women who are currently incarcerated at the Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee.

Readers include Adrienne Osborn, program manager, Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center; Jennifer Gallant, chief financial officer, Polish National Credit Union; and Vanessa Martinez-Renuncio, associate professor of Anthropology and Honors Program coordinator, Holyoke Community College. Also, formerly incarcerated women from Hampden County who participate in VFI’s community-based program will share their personal stories and read their writing. Donations will be requested.

VFI will also recognize community leaders Moana Rawlins and Christina Hall-Ruest with the inaugural Voices Carry: She Roars award, and longtime board member Marion VanArsdell for her many years of service upon her retirement.

The event will be co-emceed by Brenda Garton-Sjoberg, former WWLP-TV evening news anchor and director of Western New England University’s Institute for Media and Non-Profit Communication, and Sonia Mendez of Voices from Inside.

“Being here today with Voices from Inside, hearing the powerful stories of women who really had some challenges in their lives on overcoming through support from other wonderful women — it’s a great way to start your morning. I am so inspired,” state Rep. Jose Tosado said at the 2015 Voices Carry event.

VFI is a local organization that provides writing groups and leadership training for women and adolescents who are incarcerated or have been incarcerated to find their voices and return to their communities with success.

To find out more about the breakfast and reserve a seat or a table, visit www.voicesfrominside.org or call (413) 586-3906.