The American Friends Service Committee of Western Massachusetts has been a leader in peace work and social justice for nearly a half century. That will come to an end Sept. 30 when the office at 2 Conz St. is closed by its national parent organization.
That unfortunate news was delivered Thursday in a statement by the local chapter’s Program Support Committee: “Our office’s closure is part of a wave of cuts to AFSC staff and programs across the country. Unfortunately, the circumstances in the national organization are beyond our control. Contributions of money to the AFSC at this point will not keep our office open, and we were not allowed to fundraise to prevent the closure of our office.”
For the next four months, the local AFSC, a Quaker organization, plans to continue its work on issues including military counter-recruitment and establishing local sanctuary cities.
Although the AFSC is not accepting financial donations, it is soliciting pledges to gauge the potential financial support for a new peace and social justice organization in western Massachusetts. Pledges may be made online at www.pvpeacecenter.org, emailing contact@pvpeacecenter.org or mailing Peace Center, P.O. Box 1451, Northampton MA 01061-1451.
For many years, activist Frances Crowe was synonymous with AFSC operations in western Massachusetts. In 1968, Crowe established what she called the “peace basement” at her home on Langworthy Road in Northampton, where she still lives at age 98. That same year, she was trained to provide draft and military counseling in resistance to the Vietnam War.
Once the war ended, Crowe and the other local AFSC volunteers focused attention on human rights issues around the world. During the 1980s, their activism moved on to promoting a freeze on nuclear weapons. Crowe told the Gazette in 1983, “Nuclear power isn’t a big problem. We’ve got to stop the weapons or we won’t live long enough to get cancer from nuclear power.”
On Thursday, Crowe said the closing of the local AFSC office is “really very sad, but these national organizations, you know, many of them are dying out. I think the people will come together and figure out how to resolve these problems, but can’t wait for a national organization to figure it out for them.”
Crowe says she is certain that activism in the Valley will continue when the AFSC office is gone: “A lot more people are involved in what’s going on than ever before.” We are confident their energy will not be diminished after Sept. 30.
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The Haymarket Cafe on Main Street in Northampton is dispensing its own menu of social justice by establishing a “common account” for which cash donations are deposited in a jar by the cash register. That money is used by patrons who can’t afford the full price of a meal.
Owner Peter Simpson says it can be difficult to address a societal problem like homelessness, but this is one way to help people who lack financial resources.
Haymarket’s full menu is covered by the program, though diners must eat their meals at the cafe. The account on average is running at a deficit, with about $50 donated every day and $80 spent. Nevertheless, Simpson says it will continue. “To me, in the long run, it does seem viable. My challenge is to make it work.”
Simpson’s generosity helps define the special nature of Main Street and is another reminder about the importance of supporting local businesses.
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A group of 250 police officers, firefighters and emergency responders gathered in Hadley last week to learn about a dangerous topic — recognizing and safely investigating illegal drug labs.
“This is the only investigation where the evidence could hurt you or possibly kill you,” says Michael Cashman, the retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent who led the training. That’s because drugs such as fentanyl and its synthetic derivatives are so potent that a small amount absorbed through the skin can result in an overdose.
“The firefighters and the first responders, if they recognize it, know they are walking into a very explosive situation,” Cashman says. “If they recognize that, they also have to realize that it is a very volatile environment, but that is what they are trained for and they know to stabilize it and let law enforcement get there and they work together as a team to process the drug laboratories.”
That day’s training is a worthwhile investment that may prevent a future tragedy.