Indivisible Northampton, a grassroots group committed to activating voters and holding elected officials accountable to the values of equality, justice, compassion, and inclusion, will host U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in a virtual town hall on Monday, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. In March, the group endorsed the senator in his re-election to the U.S. Senate.
Indivisible Northampton is a local chapter of the national progressive grassroots movement, Indivisible, with over 2,000 chapters nationwide. Indivisible Northampton has been meeting twice/month in Florence since 2017, with a membership of over 200 individuals spanning the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts of Massachusetts. More information can be found on their website, Indivisible Northampton, or facebook page.
To participate in the town hall, sign up at mobilize.us/indivisiblenorthampton/event/273515. Questions must be received ahead of time, and may be sent to Kristen at kristen@edmarkey.org.
The Northampton Arts Council is administrating a COVID-19 Artist Relief Grant. Arts events, concerts, and productions have been cancelled in cities across the nation due to the effects of COVID-19. Artists, musicians, and performers whose livelihoods are dependent on these events are facing insurmountable losses.
They are collecting donations to support artists in our community who have been directly impacted by this global heath crisis. The funds raised will be distributed as relief grants to eligible artists and arts organizations.
Members of the community are invited to donate to the artist relief fund via GoFundMe at charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/covid-19-artist-relief-fund.
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, in collaboration with the Franklin County Community Development Corp. and the PVGrows Investment Fund, has made zero-interest loans to 13 farms which have suffered losses due to the spread of COVID-19. The fund will re-open for a second round of applications on June 1.
“This is the first time that we have opened the Emergency Farm Fund for a non-weather event,” says Philip Korman, CISA’s executive director. “And it is the first time in this century that we are experiencing a pandemic that literally affects every single farm. Farms have lost existing markets and need to implement new safety practices. Our aim is to provide support in places where we see gaps in current programs, both public and private. We need to protect our local food supply and keep our local farms farming.”
This round of lending also marks a new partnership between CISA, the Franklin County CDC, and the PVGrows Investment Fund, whose combined resources total $400,000 in loan funds. “This new partnership meant that the fund could make larger loans available to more farmers,” said John Waite, executive director of the CDC. “In an unprecedented crisis like this, it’s more important than ever to look for new ways to work together and to leverage all available resources.”
The farms receiving awards represent all three eligible counties (Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire), and they produce a range of products, including vegetables, fruit, flowers, maple syrup, hard cider, and poultry.
Reed Farm is a poultry farm and small-scale poultry processing facility in Sunderland. “We’re still a new business that needs to make investments so we can grow, and one of the things that we planned on buying this summer was a refrigerated truck. That’s a necessary piece of equipment for a poultry business,” says Peter Laznicka, owner of Reed Farm. “We lost the income we were relying on to make that purchase when restaurants and caterers closed this spring, so we’re using our Emergency Farm Fund loan to cover those losses and buy the truck so we can continue to operate this summer.”
Many Graces is a specialty cut-flower farm and floral design studio in Hadley, offering floral design for weddings and other special events, a flower CSA, and bouquets at farmers’ markets and retail stores.
“During the first few weeks of the pandemic, we fielded a cascade of rescheduling requests from our 2020 wedding and event clients. We absolutely understood their need to reschedule, and also, our business really relies on those commitments early in our season when our direct sales are limited,” says owner Rebecca Maillet. “For me, coming from a working-class family and being a first-generation farmer, I don’t have immediate access to the emergency capital that I need in a crisis like this. I was able to put staff back on payroll with the loan I received, which has been an invaluable boon to the farm. It’s important to have a bit of security in a moment like this, when everything is so unknown.”
The farms that received loans in this round are: Bardwell Farm, Hatfield; Carr’s Ciderhouse, Hadley; Headwater Cider, Hawley; Joe Czajkowski Farm, Hadley; LaSalle Florists, Whately; Many Graces, Hadley; Maple Corner Farm, Granville; Mycoterra Farm, South Deerfield; North Hadley Sugar Shack, Hadley; Old Friends Farm, Amherst; Phoenix Fruit Farm, Belchertown; Reed Farm, Sunderland; and Sweethaven Farm & Flowers, Ashfield.
The CISA Emergency Farm Fund was launched in 2011 in response to the damage suffered by farms in western Massachusetts due to Hurricane Irene. The fund is managed by CISA, and loans granted in response to COVID-19 will be administered by CISA and the Franklin County CDC. The Loan Review Committee includes people with a variety of agricultural backgrounds, including farmers, CISA staff and board members, and representatives from the CDC, PVGrows Investment Fund, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, and Equity Trust.
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has relaunched the successful Valley Gives website, Valley-Gives.org. The “one-stop-giving” online platform aims to connect donors with local nonprofits struggling to provide vital community programs and services — particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. The Community Foundation will promote the Valley Gives website widely to introduce donors to nonprofits in need.
Formerly a single giving day event, Valley Gives will remain “open” for months to come and will give nonprofits a needed fundraising boost. From cultural organizations to environmental programs and educational services, local nonprofits are facing many financial challenges triggered by the pandemic.
Visitors to Valley-Gives.org can find a menu of more than 135 nonprofits serving residents across Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. People can learn about community challenges and can donate to one or many causes—all with a few clicks on the central, online platform.
The website also is a means for individuals to create a “peer-to-peer” fundraising page for a local nonprofit, set a goal, and reach out to their networks of friends and family to raise dollars for the organization.
Donors can contribute on the Valley Gives website using a credit card, mobile payment apps, or Automatic Clearing House payment.
GiveGab donated the cost of the Valley Gives platform.
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts launched Valley Gives, a 24-hour marathon day of giving, in 2012. The event was created to raise critical dollars for the Pioneer Valley nonprofit community, whose programs and services improve the quality of life for countless local residents from all walks of life.
In its six years of one-day online giving combined, Valley Gives Day raised more than $10 million for nonprofits in the region. In 2018, its final year, more than 400 nonprofit organizations participated in the event.
In addition to Valley Gives, which directly connects individual donors with nonprofits, the Community Foundation established the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley. Grants awarded through the fund provide emergency support to nonprofit organizations in western Massachusetts serving the needs of the most vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic. To date, the fund has raised $4.3 million from 500 donors and has already awarded grants totaling nearly $2 million.
To donate, visit Valley-Gives.org. To learn more about the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, visit communityfoundation.org.