Community Action to hold annual meeting

GREENFIELD — Community Action Pioneer Valley (CAPV) will hold its annual meeting on Thursday, May 7, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Greenfield Community College Dining Commons. Guests will enjoy a hot breakfast while they learn more about CAPV’s efforts to keep residents who are navigating poverty fed, warm, supported and connected.

The mission of Community Action is to assist people who have low incomes to achieve economic stability and security.  In 2025, Community Action Pioneer Valley served 25,000-plus residents across Franklin and Hampshire counties.

Annually, Community Action uses the opportunity of this celebration to recognize community partners who have played a meaningful role in supporting CAPV’s efforts.

CAPV will present the following awards at the 2026 Annual Meeting:

  • The Sargent Shriver Award to Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey for his partnership in supporting the most vulnerable community members, particularly through his advocacy for the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP, or Fuel Assistance.) The Sargent Shriver Public Service Award honors an elected or appointed official demonstrating outstanding public service on behalf of people living with low incomes.
  • The Jane Sanders Award to Marianne Winters, executive director of Safe Passage, a Hampshire County organization serving survivors of domestic violence. This award celebrates Say Something Youth Initiative, a collaboration between Safe Passage and Community Action’s Youth and Workforce Development programs to support young adults. The Jane Sanders Award recognizes an individual demonstrating dedicated leadership and outstanding commitment to community service.
  • The Volunteer of the Year Award to Gliffy Ennis-Yentsch, lead instructor with the Healthy Bones and Balance Program. The Community Action Volunteer Award honors an individual demonstrating exceptional leadership and dedication in their volunteer service to Community Action and those we serve.

The event will be open to the public. Guests are required to preregister through CAPV’s website, www.communityaction.us or by leaving a message at 413-376-1166.

‘Families and Politics’ workshop in Easthampton 

EASTHAMPTON — A group that meets monthly to learn skills and build community around reducing toxic political polarization will hold a free Braver Angels workshop titled “Families and Politics” on Saturday, May 16, from 3 to 5:30 p.m., at the Easthampton Public Library Annex, 52 Main St.

Family relationships are becoming casualties of the current toxic polarized environment. Those who want to preserve important family bonds while still being true to their values and political beliefs will likely benefit from this workshop. The session will include insight into why family differences over politics are uniquely challenging; how to recognize the common roles that family members play in political conversations; and how to learn skills and strategies for handling family political differences in a constructive way.

The workshop is free, but registration is required. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/BAWM-0516 or email depolarizewmass@gmail.com. For more info about the group’s third-Saturday meetups, email depolarizewmass@gmail.com.

90 educators to be honored with teaching awards

HOLYOKE — The Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards will honor 90 teachers from over 20 western Massachusetts school districts at celebratory banquets at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on May 6, 12 and 20.  

The program will feature an awards presentation honoring the winners, who will each receive an engraved plaque and monetary award in recognition of their achievement, along with generous tuition incentives and scholarships offered by the following colleges and universities in the region: American International College, Bay Path University, Elms College, Springfield College, Western New England University, Westfield State University, and the University of Massachusetts.    

Winners also receive a three-month membership to one of the six regional YMCAs and a one-month membership to the Springfield Jewish Community Center.  

The Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards program, now in its 23rd year, is made possible by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation and supported by the American International College, Smith College,  Arrha Credit Union a division of BrightBridge Credit Union, Country Bank, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka.  

For a complete list of the 2026 award winners, please visit the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation website: hgcf.org. 

Comerford receives statewide honor

BOSTON — Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, was recently recognized by the Children’s Trust Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) for her leadership in advancing policies that support children, families, and communities across the Commonwealth. 

The Northampton senator received the 2026 Valuing Our Children Award from the Children’s Trust Massachusetts on April 14 at the trust’s annual Step Up for Kids event, alongside Rep. Jay Livingstone. 

She was honored for her leadership on An Act protecting benefits owed to foster children, passed into law during the 2023-2024 legislative session. The law ended the practice of diverting Social Security and other federal benefits away from young people in foster care. Since its passage, more than $11 million has been preserved to support young people as they transition to adulthood.

The Children’s Trust Massachusetts is a public-private organization dedicated to strengthening families and ensuring that policy is grounded in the real experiences of those it serves.

On April 15, Comerford received a Community Development Champion Award, along with Sen. Jamie Eldridge and Reps. Sam Montaño and Andy Vargas, from the MACDC at the Association’s annual Lobby Day. 

She was recognized for her leadership on An Act enabling a local option for a real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing. In her remarks, Comerford also highlighted the work of Franklin County CDC, Valley CDC, and NewVue in the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester district.