I was so pleased to see the headline, “Political newcomer Lindsey Rothschild running for council” in the Gazette in July.
As a longtime friend and former colleague of Lindsey Rothschild, I knew her commitment to the community around her. Lindsey and I first met a decade ago and our friendship blossomed out of shared grief — we both experienced baby losses within the same year.
In the years that followed, Lindsey mobilized her resources and turned grief into action by engaging with the organization Empty Arms of Florence, MA. To support the efforts of Empty Arms, she has volunteered to share her experience with health care providers, co-facilitate a support group for other parents who have experienced loss and to serve on the Empty Arms board of directors.
Lindsey is committed to enacting positive change where she can — whether it’s mobilizing her fellow Williston preschool families to participate in the Manhan Trail cleanup, or in her role as an English as a second language instructor at Holyoke Community College where I teach.
At HCC, Lindsey engages her students in community-based learning, giving her non-native-speaking students the opportunity to make an impact in the community and gain listening and speaking skills through work with the Easthampton Arts Council. Lindsey was awarded a Service-Learning Faculty Fellowship by the college for her work.
Later, in her work as an instructional designer, she built bridges between faculty, administrators, students and the community. She was committed to hearing all sides and perspectives.
It doesn’t surprise me that Lindsey centers her campaign on “promoting economic growth and civic engagement,” and that she is keenly attuned to the needs of Easthampton’s diverse population, evidenced by her focus on the economic insecurity senior citizens are facing and the need for equitable gender representation in public office.
Lindsey has been holding “community conversations” over the past few months, showing her desire to understand the needs of the community she wishes to serve. And Easthampton will be fortunate for her service! Lindsey consistently brings skill, innovation and compassion into her work as I know she will do for the Easthampton City Council.
Lisa Mahon
Easthampton