HOLYOKE — MassHire Holyoke’s Recovery Ready Workplace initiative will present Pillars of the Community Workforce, a new initiative funded by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development’s Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Program, with a live event to kick off the initiative today, Feb. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Summit View Banquet and Meeting House, 555 Northampton St., Holyoke.

State Sen. John Velis will be the emcee for the event. Several Western Mass. legislators, including state Sens. Jake Oliveira and Adam Gomez and state Rep. Patricia Duffy, will also be present to take the Recovery Ready Workplace Pledge in this public forum. Members of the community are invited to attend by registration only. Click here to register.

Pillars of the Community Workforce (PCW) will broaden MassHire Holyoke’s (MHH) successful re-entry and recovery programming by expanding capacity for services in the community. PCW’s service design is a boots-on-the-ground approach with a mobile community lab of 15 devices, which will allow for employment services including digital literacy, financial literacy, and job-readiness skills trainings on site with community partners. Moreover, the enhanced community presence will re-introduce one-on-one services where they are most needed.

PCW will also allow MHH to expand outreach to the business community with the Recovery Ready Workplace initiative (RRW). Since MassHire Holyoke launched the RRW in March 2022, the community response has been overwhelmingly positive. Nine organizations have already taken the pledge to become a Recovery Ready Workplace, and many others have expressed interest or are in the beginning stages of the process. Additions to the list include the city of Holyoke and the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, offering the opportunity to advance advocacy, education, and support to employers who provide the cornerstone to any individual’s recovery from substance-use disorder: employment.

MassHire Holyoke’s goal is to roll out the RRW initiative throughout the state of Massachusetts so that businesses begin to shape a cultural norm that eliminates the stigma associated with addiction and substance-use disorders and promotes a healthy, thriving workforce.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Pillars of Community Workforce initiative or becoming a Recovery Ready Workplace should contact Ramona Rivera-Reno, executive director of MassHire Holyoke’s Re-entry and Recovery Program at (413) 427-3498 or [email protected].

HOLYOKE — The first MassHire Holyoke All-abilities Career Fair highlighting National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Vcare Holyoke, located at 200 High St. Businesses and community resources will be available for job seekers.

Reflecting a commitment to a robust and competitive Massachusetts labor force, each October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents.

The theme for NDEAM 2022 is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.” It recognizes the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is a fitting time to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities.

For more information about joining the fair, contact Ivie Cordero at [email protected] or (413) 322-7133, or sign up at www.masshireholyoke.org.