Page 51 - BusinessWest April 4, 2022

Picture This
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Messages of Solidarity
The day Russia invaded Ukraine, the College Radio Foundation issued a call for solidarity for Ukraine’s students. Over the next 24 hours, about 50 college sta- tions on three continents responded, and the founda- tion compiled the audio clips into a 37-minute file that was sent to the National University of Ostroh Academy in Ostroh, Ukraine, then posted on SoundCloud and distributed to universities around Ukraine. Stevie Converse, an adjunct professor of communications at Holyoke Community College and adviser to the HCC Radio Club (pictured), recorded HCC’s contribution. “We are the students from 103.5 WCCH in Holyoke, a city in Western Massachusetts in the USA,” he said. “We stand with you in Ostroh and all across Ukraine. Please know we are in solidarity with the the Ukrainian people, and we wish you safety, unity, and eventual peace for you and your homeland.”
Supporting Mental Health
A $15,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, will help the Mental Health Assoc. (MHA) expand programming and resources for its Grow, Reimagine, Inspire, Transform (GRIT) program that provides residential rehabilitation for individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ in recovery with substance-use and mental-health disorders. Services offered at GRIT include recovery-based group therapy, how to cope mindfully with traumatic stress, and 24/7 individual support.
Hit the Road
Senator Velis Presents $75,000 in ARPA funding to the Agawam Senior Center State Sen. John Velis recently presented earmark funding of $75,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to the Agawam Senior Center, to assist the center in acquiring a new van, which will increase mobility for local seniors by making transportation more accessible. Velis (center) was joined by Agawam Mayor William Sapelli (left), Agawam Senior Center Executive Director Michael Squindo (right), and members of the community.
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