St. Philip’s consignment sale

EASTHAMPTON — St. Philip’s Episcopal Church is preparing to host its 13th semi-annual All 4 Her Consignment Sale of gently-used spring and summer women’s and teens’ clothing and accessories, footwear, jewelry, and new cosmetics, as well as small household, gift, and seasonal items.

The sale will be open to the public at St. Philip’s Parish Hall, 128 Main St, Easthampton, on Friday evening from 6 to 9 and on Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., with most items reduced to half-price from 1-2 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information about the sale, visit facebook.com/stphilipseasthampton. Proceeds from the sale will help fund the church’s ministries to help support 100-plus local adults and 250-plus children and teens who are currently food insecure.

Velis receives award for leadership in suicide prevention

BOSTON — The MA Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP) presented its Leadership in Suicide Prevention award to Sen. John C. Velis, D-Westfield, last month. The award follows years of dedicated work by Velis to bolster behavioral health resources, including suicide prevention programs, among both the civilian and military connected populations.

The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention is a statewide organization of community activists, health care professionals, crisis works, and those impacted by suicide. Over the last 20 years MCSP has been actively working to reduce barriers to mental health, substance addiction recovery, domestic violence shelters and other community services.

Following reports last summer that showed that the Army’s suicide rate in peacetime has now exceeded total combat deaths in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Velis held a roundtable at Holyoke Community College on how suicide can be prevented among the commonwealth’s service members.After the award ceremony, Velis shared that he will continue to demand a comprehensive response across the nation to address these alarming statistics.

Cancer Connection to host 3 programs in April

NORTHAMPTON — The Cancer Connection will host three upcoming programs this month at its location at 41 Locust St. To register, call Cancer Connection at 413-586-1642, ext. 104.

They programs include:

*Self-Care Techniques for Lymphatic Drainage, with Saskia Cote, on Thursday, April 3, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The workshop will cover a short review of the lymphatic system and what people can do to reduce swelling, followed by questions and answers. The program is open to anyone with a cancer diagnosis or is a primary caregiver and is free of charge.

*A three-class series called Time to Heal: Coming Home to Yourself and Your Body After Cancer with Linda Tumbarello. The series will take place on Tuesdays, April 8, 15 and 29, from 5:30-7 p.m., and participants must be able to attend all three.

A cancer diagnosis often arrives unexpectedly — sometimes from a routine screening, without any warning signs. The urgency to begin treatment can leave little time to process the shock, grief and fear. This three-session workshop series offers a gentle, supportive space to begin that process.

*Healing Song Circle, with Mariah Freemole, on Wednesday, April 9, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. This program provides the opportunity to be in nonjudgmental, joyful connection through the healing power of singing. Join the community for an evening of learning simple rounds and songs.

Mount Holyoke’s to host Trailblazers of Color Leadership Conference

SOUTH HADLEY — Mount Holyoke College’s 11th annual Trailblazers of Color Leadership Conference will be held Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with keynote speaker Susana Morris ‘02.

The 2025 Trailblazers of Color Leadership Conference theme is “Metamorphosis: Embracing Our Intersecting Identities.” The conference aims to promote the principle of embracing each other’s diverse intersecting identities and life experiences while excelling and growing in careers, education and journeys of self-growth.

The conference will include workshops as well as a people of color networking business expo, where attendees will have the opportunity to connect with each other as well as with businesses owned by people of color or organizations that serve people of color.

The conference is free for all Mount Holyoke and Five College Consortium students, faculty and staff. For all other attendees, the conference is $15 which includes breakfast and lunch. For more information, information about group rates and to register, visit https://events.mtholyoke.edu/event/trailblazers-of-color-leadership-conference-2025.

Keynote speaker Susana Morris ‘02, who will speak at 4:30 p.m. in Chapin Auditorium, is a scholar of Black feminism and a cultural critic who has dedicated her career to studying the interior lives of Black women. She is an associate professor of literature, media and communication at Georgia Tech. The event is free and open to the public and does not require registration for the conference.