May/June 2024 Now Guide : simplebooklet.com

WELCOMEThank you for reading, supporting and sharing theNOW Guide. We must share information widely tobenefit all. The Human Service Forum andUnityFirst are so excited about all of the newconnections being made. We created the Now Guide to connect with virtualcommunities across Western Massachusetts andbeyond. Let’s continue to read with interest andreach out to the organizations featured. Also, let’scontinue to submit information that will be helpfulto all. Thank you from Rebecca Coolong and Janine Fondon Janine Fondonjfondon@unityfirst.comRebecca Coolongrcoolong@humanserviceforum.orgPlease let us know about events,programs, jobs and other news.The next deadline is August 15,2024. There are two remainingNOW Guide issues for 2024: Sept/Oct 2024 (deadline August 15) Nov/Dec 2024(deadline October 15). Send information to:nowguide2024@gmail.comAs we think about the many climate situations acrossour world, let us view this visual video --"PlanetEarth" - from the André Ward album "Africa Rising."Source: Visual concept: Patty S.

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Page 4-5 WWLP’s Ciara Speller launches a foundation in honor of her fatherPage 6 Trends and Perspectives Focus on Asian HistoryPage 7 Trends and Perspectives - NonprofitsPage 8 Human Service Forum Strategic Planning Breakfast May 21, 2024Page 9 Huma n Service Forum to hold Spring Equity SeriesPage 11 River East School to Career celebrated Outstanding Student-Mentor Teams from nine area high schoolsPage 12 Jobs: MassHire Holyoke Page 13 Celebrating Corporate Readiness 101 Academy (CR1A) at Framingham State UniversityPage 14 The Movement LABPage 15 Changing the World: Robbie CoolongPage 16 Comprehensive Health at Tapestry HealthPage 17 2024 Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Symposium (virtual) features leading specialists with innovative paths to prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment, and researchPage 18 Human Resources with SJLHR Consulting.com Page 18 Do you need affordable commercial cleaning? Consider NEXTGen SanitizingPage 19 Business resource (Free book) Endgame: Designing Your Business for the Ultimate RewardPage 20 Human Service Forum - Connect the dots In this issue

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Ciara Speller is proud to launch a foundation in herfather’s name and invites the community to participate inand support the upcoming golf tournament on August 17. Her father, lovingly known as Jeff, was born in Brooklyn,New York. As a young child, Jeffrey’s family relocated toLong Island where he received his primary and secondaryeducation and excelled in sports. He went on to obtain hisBachelor of Arts degree from Lincoln University inPennsylvania. In later years, Jeffrey acquired adegree(ARM) and several certificates in Insurance andRisk Management. He was also licensed as an InsuranceBroker in the states of Massachusetts and New York.He was involved in many organizations such as theBoard of Trustees for Trumbull Loves Children Inc. andthe National African American Insurance Association ofBoston (NAAIA). He was also a loyal supporter of thenon-profit I Found Light Against All Odds, 100 BlackMen of America, Inc, and the Alumni Association ofLincoln University.He was also a loving, dedicated husband to his wifeMorela (shown at left) of 37 years and an exceptionalfather to his daughter Ciara, The goal of our organization is to honor Jeffrey Speller’svision of providing support and resources for youth toparticipate in golf programs. Jeffrey was a firm believerthat through golf, an individual could gain discipline,self-confidence and resilience, which are key values forsuccess.Join us at the event to support his legacy. For moreinformation, go to:https://www.jsf4change.org/ or contactCiara Speller at jsf4change@gmail.com.WWLP’s Ciara Spellerlaunches a foundation inhonor of her father August 17 golf tournament to support theJeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change’

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Trends and Perspectives The focus on Asian History New book by Dr. Michael Soon Leeexplains why many states areexpanding Asian history classes whileBlack history is being erasedwealth gap in America and is leastlikely to be promoted at work,despite having the highest level ofeducation. They are also facing anincreasing level of violence due tojealousy and envy on the part ofother groups.Lee's book also provides over 100pages of significant events in AAPIhistory along with little-knownAsians who have contributed to thecountry from doctors to sports starsto astronauts. This enables Asiansand others to appreciate their 200+years of experience in the UnitedStates and debunks the myth that allAAPIs are new immigrants who aremore loyal to their country of originthan America.In his new book, "Beyond theBamboo Curtain", Dr. Michael SoonLee explains why white Americansare getting more comfortable withlearning about the history of Asiansin America while, in the past year,politicians in some 30 states haveattempted to curtail the teaching ofBlack history.In 2021 Illinois became the first stateto require that Asian Americanhistory be taught in public schoolsand that number has grown to eightwith Wisconsin being the latest in2024. AAPIs (Asian American andPacific Islanders) are the fastest-growing minority group in thecountry according to the 2020 censusand are now 6.2% of the population.They are expected to grow to 10% by2050.Dr. Lee reveals how AAPIs achieveda great deal of racial equality thanksto the civil rights movement and whythey have been granted "YellowPrivilege" which is almost as good as"White Privilege". Lee explains whyAsian privileges include a medianhousehold income and educationalattainment that exceeds all groups,including Whites. On the other hand,this diverse group has the largestAbout Michael Soon LeeDr. Lee is a professionalspeaker on diversity, equity,and inclusion and the authorof nine books including "Cross-Cultural Selling for Dummies"and "Black Belt Negotiating".He was the first AsianAmerican to earn the CertifiedSpeaking Professionaldesignation in the history ofthe National SpeakersAssociation.

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Although fair housing laws — which ensure equal andnondiscriminatory access to housing — have been inplace for nearly 60 years, discrimination remains astubborn factor in housing. Zillow's latest HousingAspirations Report found a majority of respondents(57%) who reported experiencing some kind of housingdiscrimination, with groups such as LGBTQ+populations reporting discrimination at higher rates.However, overall, only 42% of respondents reported thatfair housing impacts them or their families, highlightinghow much work is needed to continue to educate peopleabout their rights under fair housing laws.Fifty-seven percent of all respondents in a recentZillow survey reported experiencing housingdiscrimination of some kind. LGBTQ+ individuals were most likely to say theyhave experienced discrimination. However, fewer than half of respondents said fairhousing is important to them or their families —highlighting how much work is needed to educatepeople about these laws.Most people say they have experienced housingdiscrimination, with younger generations, renters,LGBTQ+ people and people of color more likely to sayfair housing is an issue facing them and their families,according to a recent Zillow survey of 26 major U.S.metropolitan areas. Trends and Perspectives Zillow reports:Across 26 US metros,majority of people say they haveexperienced housing discriminationSource:https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2023/12/19/20-nonprofit-experts-share-trends-to-watch-in-2024/?sh=555820b955b4 Giving Compass, a one-stop shop to help individualdonors learn about issues, get involved, and give tocommunity-led change, shared some nonprofittrends anticipated for 2024 based on a Forbesarticle. See a few noted trends, but check out thefull Forbes article a noted at the end. Tech InvestmentsNonprofits need to invest in tech to support theirstrategic growth in 2024. This can include adoptingtools for virtual collaboration, harnessing the powerof data analytics for informed decision making andembracing digital marketing strategies to reach awider audience.Resonant StorytellingResonant storytelling involves sharing the impact ofyour work on people's lives. Specifically, it's sharingstories about how your work confronts inequity andcreates a tangible path forward to improvedoutcomes in your community.Demand For Tangible ImpactDonors are demanding tangible impacts from theircontributions, pushing nonprofits to prove resultsand the effective use of resources.Decreased FundraisingAs 2024 unfolds, nonprofit organizations shouldexpect potentially lower fundraising dollars withinterest rates being raised to curb inflation woes.Influencer MarketingNonprofits should be ready for the positive trend ofinfluencers taking their marketing outreach game tothe next level. It's like having a superhero squad toamplify your reach, connect with diversedemographics and spin authentic stories thatresonate with hearts across social media.Check out the full article via the link below: Nonprofit Trends for 2024

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Human Service Forum to present May 2024Breakfast - Strategic Planning Needs a Redo withfeatured presenter Jeff Wetherhold, M.Ed.Date: Tuesday, May 21 7:30 am - 10:00 amLocation: Mount Holyoke College Willits-Hallowell Center 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA, United StatesRegistration: Required (go to humanserviceforum.org)Everyone wants their organization to grow and achieve success. Do youhave a plan to do that? Do you know how to build one? HSF has workedwith Jeff Wetherhold to build ours. And now he brings that process to you!For networking, thought provoking presentation, and great food on May21, join us. Many people dread the strategic planning process for goodreasons. Strategic plans are intended to help organizations improve, and yetwe use very little of what we know about change management andsustainable improvement in the strategic planning process. This results in aless engaging, more time-consuming, and less effective process. It doesn’thave to be this way.This session will introduce participants to a more inclusive approach tostarting their strategic planning. Jeff Wetherhold is a change managementexpert who has helped hundreds of teams make and sustain changes toimprove client outcomes. Jeff will discuss how the strategic planningprocess changes when we approach it with a mindset of changemanagement and improvement, and he will share practical ways to improveexisting strategic plans that he finds most organizations ignore.To register, go to: https://www.humanserviceforum.org/.About the Presenter:Jeff Wetherhold, M.Ed., advises mission-driven organizations who need to seechange. He is a trainer and coach with 15+years of experience supporting hundreds ofteams in making and sustaining changes toimprove client outcomes. Jeff’s work focuses on the disciplines ofstrategic planning, motivationalinterviewing, and process improvement. Heis a firm believer that it is not enough towalk clients through a change process.Clients deserve to learn from it, and to buildskills that they can continue to usethroughout their careers.Jeff has supported a broad range of changeinitiatives in the health care, education,community services, and private sectorsover the course of his career. As the Co-founder and Principal at Ohia Advisors,Jeff partners with organizations seeking toadvance the health and well-being of theirstaff, clients, and communities throughprocess improvement and strategicplanning. Most recently, Jeff has foundedMI for Health to provide accessible andskills-focused training and coaching inapplying Motivational Interviewing toimprove conversations about change withpatients, clients, and staff.

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Human Service Forum to hold Spring Equity Series -- all to understand EQUITY -- the issue people rarely talk about but need to know NOWRegister NOW: , go tohttps://www.humanserviceforum.org/event/workplace-equity-series-2024Sessions in the Equity series include: May 15Opening Panel: Where do we go from here? What do we need to know? The opening panel,moderated by Dr. Lucie Lewis, will discuss“being the only” and the weight associated withhaving to represent a minority group in order togive the appearance of diversity. May 22: The Legislative Impact on Equity Speaker: Tanisha Arena- Arise for Social JusticeMay 29: Equity in Mental HealthSpeaker: Ysabel Garcia- Estoy Aqui, LLCJune 5: Examining a Gender Inclusive Workplace June 12: The Future of Equity - NCCJJune 26: The closing working session led by JanineFondon and Dr. Lucie Lewis, provides theopportunity for participants to use what theyhave learned over the prior five weeks toconstruct an equity plan for their organization --all to improve the effectiveness of theirorganizational DEI plans and move the bartoward equity forward.The Human Service Forum Spring Equity Series will walkattendees through the concepts and best practices that areexpected in a changing, diverse workplace and community.Embracing diversity begins with the understanding that notwo people are the same, and that respecting and celebratingthose differences creates better relationships. Making room atthe table for both moves us forward on the journey to equity. The Human Service Forum, a local nonprofit established in1986, is an association of nonprofit and public agencies aswell as individuals providing human services in the PioneerValley of Massachusetts. It recognizes and teaches theimportance of intentionally promoting equity in ourorganizations, particularly among its members andconstituents.To further this effort, as part of its training series, HumanService Forum is once again offering its six-part equity series.To meet the needs of its members and the ongoing socialchanges, this series addresses the most compelling topics ofthe moment.Register Now for the equity seriesWith an opening panel (virtual) on WednesdayMay 15th from 9:00 am to 12:30, the series willtackle those topics bubbling to the surface as thefederal government and many state governmentstake actions to dismantle any DEI efforts fundedby them. What is the impact of these changes onthe larger DEI landscape.Register NOW: go tohttps://www.humanserviceforum.org/event/workplace-equity-series-2024

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River East School to Career held its annual Businessand Education Recognition event on Friday, April 26,2024. The event celebrated Outstanding Student-Mentor Teams from nine area high schools.The teams were composed of a student and thestudent’s mentor from their Work-Based Learningexperience. Mike DuBois, Operations Manager of PalmerAmbulance, was presented with the 2023-2024 BusinessChampion award. Mike and his staff have been verydedicated to their work with students and have servedas long-time mentors and supporters of the studentsfrom River East.Students from each of the nine high schools werepresented with a $1,000 Education and CareerDevelopment Scholarship.Event sponsors were Platinum Sponsor - CountryBank, Gold Sponsor - Baystate Wing, and SilverSponsor - LUSO Federal Credit Union. The mission of River East is to promote K-16 careereducation and to assist in preparing youth for thedemands of the 21st century workplace. The RiverEast School-to-Career Partnership brings togetherschools, businesses, and organizations to createexciting career exploration opportunities forstudents. River East School to Career celebrated Outstanding Student-Mentor Teams from nine area high schools.

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“Our mission is to support and educate students incareer preparedness by building lifelong skills throughseminars, mentorships, and one-on-one coaching.” Corporate Readiness 101 Academy (CR1A) wasbirthed, (2020) from the Student of Color Programwithin Framingham State University (FSU)-Collegeof Business (COB). Dean Patricia Thomas, Ph.D.had a vision, and after conversations with DeanThomas, Associate Professor Ndinguri, and aLean/Six Sigma expert, they jointly agreed on theapproach to help students of color achieve academicand career success.Celebrating Corporate Readiness 101 Academy (CR1A) atFramingham State University CR1A welcomes all students but the curriculum isdesigned and facilitated through a culturally diverselens by educators of color. “Professors interpretcurricula based on their own frameworks, and studentsexperience curricula through their own lenses. This year, we celebrated several students who aremoving through the program: Corporate Readiness101 Academy (CR1A) is an innovative approach andaction-based strategy that leads to academic and careersuccess for our SOC. It was intentionally established toclose gaps and to get our students of color to believe intheir greatness! Congrats to the students. If you are interested in theprogram, contact Professor Denise Brown atdbrown16@framingham.edu.Framingham State University College of Business Dean Patricia Thomas, Ph.D., and Professor Denise Brown, M.S.celebrate Corporate Readiness 101 Academy (CR1A) at Framingham State University.

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The Movement LAB Do you need to get moving? Will youbenefit from being a little more active?Then, you should visit the MovementLab or invite the Movement Lab tocome to you. This behavioral health practiceintends to guide individuals in thedevelopment of increased awarenessfor maintaining a healthy balancebetween their physical and mentalhealth, by utilizing Dance MovementTherapy as a psychotherapeuticintervention strategy. Dance Movement Therapy, isdesigned to allow the body to expressemotions freely and organically. Check out our special sessions onour Facebook page atfacebook.com/themovementlabmaThe Movement LABFounder,Dr. Arlela Bethel

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Robbie Coolong is an 8th grader at BirchlandPark Middle school in East Longmeadow. As theson of Becca Coolong,the executive director of theHuman Service Forum, the grandson of a socialactivist and psychologist, and the great grandsonof a labor organizers, it is no surprise that he isblazing his own trail as a social justice warrior. When covid quarantine began, Robbie was a 4thgrader. He spent the next two years doing onlineschooling right next to his mom who was hostingvirtual leadership trainings and workplace equityprograms. His family often laughs that he is thebest trained human service employee in the region. From student to ambassadorThis year, Robbie was selected to be the Project351Ambassador for the town of East Longmeadow. Project 351 is a program that seeks to develop thenext generation of community-first service leadersthrough customized service learning, hands-oncommunity-building, and values-based leadershiptraining. Annually, Ambassadors from each of the 351 citiesand towns in Massachusetts are selected byhometown educators for their exemplary ethic ofservice and the values of kindness, compassion,humility, and gratitude. As part of this program,Robbie was involved in a day of service in Bostonto support refugee families and also organized aclothing drive in East Longmeadow for Cradles toCrayons. Robbie believes that it is his responsibility to carryon the work of those who came before him. Hegrew up knowing that change happensgenerationally and has been inspired to see howeach generation of his own family has carried themantle of change forward.Changing the World: Robbie Coolong On top of his community service work, Robbieis also a musician and an actors and is excited tobe starting high school at the Pioneer ValleyPerforming Arts School in the fall where helooks to continue his journey to becoming amusic teacher.

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Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Coalition, MPCC, willbring together today’s leading and distinguishedphysicians and medical professionals to share thelatest in diagnosis, treatment, and research at the 2024Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Symposium. Thevirtual event will be held on Friday, May 17 from 8:00a.m. - 11:30 a.m. EST. The event is free and open tothe public. With sessions on Survivorship, Genetic Testing, Dietand Lifestyle, Biochemical Recurrence, AI andResearch, and Naturopathic Functional Medicine, theMPCC Symposium will present innovative dialogues,understanding, and state-of-the-art research for thosewho are diagnosed, at risk, survivors, and caregivers. For more information and to register for the event, please visithttps://masspcc.org/event/2024-Symposium “For more than twenty years, MPCC has been in theforefront of providing clear and user-friendlyinformation on the diagnosis, treatment and researchof prostate cancer for men, their families, and theircaregivers,” stated Allen L. Snyder III, MPCCchairman and prostate cancer survivor. "After a prostate cancer diagnosis, a patient canbecome a thriver, not only a survivor. In other words,they have an opportunity to make better lifestylechoices that help them have improved overall healthbetter than before their diagnosis," shared GeoEspinosa, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, NYULangone Health, Department of Urology.2024 Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Symposium (virtual) features leading specialists with innovative paths to prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research

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https://score.valuebuildersystem.com/landing/the-endgame-ebook/21d95ff7-9026-4733-ac91-3da454449b89Endgame: Designing Your Business for the Ultimate RewardAs a business owner, you're familiar with the challenges and complexities that comewith steering your company day-to-day. But have you considered the transformativepower of picturing your endgame? This simple yet strategic action is more than justsetting a goal; it's about creating a clear roadmap for your entrepreneurial journey. Imagine having a destination so clear in your mind that every decision you makenaturally aligns with it. This is what happens when you know your endgame. It becomesa guiding star for your business, simplifying decision-making. G et your copy of the "free" Endgame eBook. Click the link below.

May/June 2024 Now Guide

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