Area briefs: Sojourner Truth descendant to preach here; Northampton summer youth sports programs; Dakin lands $100K grant for capital projects

A sixth generation great-granddaughter of Sojourner Truth will preach in Haydenville Sunday morning before attending an annual celebration at the Truth statue, shown here in Florence, in the afternoon. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Published: 05-22-2025 11:54 AM |
HAYDENVILLE — This Sunday, Barbara Allen, the sixth generation great-granddaughter of famed equality activist Sojourner Truth, will deliver a sermon at Haydenville Congregational Church and also participate in the annual celebration at the Truth statue in Florence.
Allen will preach at the 10 a.m. Sunday service in Haydenville and then participate in the 2 p.m. memorial celebration of her great-grandmother, which includes the presentation of scholarships to high school students active in the cause of social justice. This is the 20th anniversary of the event held at the Sojourner Truth statue on Pine Street in Florence, in the neighborhood where the 19th century activist lived from 1843 to 1857.
Allen currently serves as the Operations and Human Resources Director for Habitat for Humanity in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a neighboring city of Battle Creek, where Truth eventually settled. She is also the author of several children’s books about her great-grandmother (https://www.sixth-generation.com)
For her sermon, Allen told church leaders she would preach on the religious conversion of her great-grandmother, born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree, and how that experience led her to change her name and become a sojouring preacher and advocate for a number of reform and social justice causes.
Allen wrote: “Sojourner Truth, my great-grandmother, embodied how accepting God’s call can transform an individual and an entire society.”
The worship service and the celebration at the Sojourner Truth statue are open to the public.
For more information about Sojourner Truth, her legacy in Florence, the memorial, and the scholarship program visit https://sojournertruthmemorial.org/
NORTHAMPTON — Registration is open for all of the Northampton Parks & Recreation’s summer youth sports programs. These programs are offered to youth of all skills levels interested in learning or developing their sport specific skills. Register online at northamptonma.gov/recreation or in person at the Parks & Recreation Office at 100A Bridge Road, Florence. For more information, contact the office at 413-587-1040.
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The programs are as follows:
■Coed Soccer Skills & Drills (entering grades 2-7): Tuesday-Thursday, June 24-26, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at JFK Middle School Fields with director Brad McGrath.
■Youth Pick Up Basketball (entering grades 7-12): Wednesdays, from 6-7:30 p.m., and Saturday’s from 9-10:30 a.m., June 25-Aug. 23, at the Arcanum Field basketball courts with coach Margie Pierce.
■Girls Lacrosse Skills & Drills (entering grades 1-8): Monday-Wednesday, June 30 to July 2 from 9 a.m. to noon, at Ray Ellerbrook Field with directors Chloe Denhart and Ellie Mahoney.
■Girls Summer Pick Up Basketball (entering grades 5-8): Tuesdays, July 8 to Aug. 26, from 6-8 p.m., at R.K. Finn Ryan Road School basketball court with coach Chase Giroux.
■Summer Field Hockey (ages 10-14 years old): Wednesdays, July 16, 23, 30, Aug. 6 and 13, from 3 to 5 p.m., at Ray Ellerbrook Field with coach Meshia Begin.
■Coed Basketball Skills & Drills (entering grades 2-8): Monday-Wednesday, July 28-30, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Smith Vocational and Agricultrual High School gym with director Joe Mantegna.
■Brazilian Soccer Camp (ages 7-14 years old): Monday-Friday, Aug. 11-15, from 9 a.m. to noon (half day) or 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (full day), at the JFK Middle School fields with certified coaches from Brazil.
SPRINGFIELD — Dakin Humane Society has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, a supporting organization of the Northwest CT Community Foundation.
The funds will be earmarked for a capital improvement project for Dakin’s facility in Springfield, specifically replacement of an aging cooling tower and condenser water pumps. A reliable, efficient HVAC system is vital for the animal shelter’s climate control and creating a healthy environment for animals, maintaining stable temperatures to minimize stress and promote overall animal health, in addition to providing optimum air quality for people working in and visiting the building.
Since its inception in 1969, Dakin has become one of the most recognized nonprofit organizations in western Massachusetts, and a national leader in animal welfare. In a typical year, the organization shelters, treats and fosters more than 20,000 animals and has performed over 134,000 spay/neuter surgeries since 2009, making it one of New England’s largest spay/neuter providers.
Dakin’s Pet Health Center, a non-emergency veterinary resource for pet dogs and cats, has seen more than 12,000 patients since it opened in 2022. Dakin relies solely on contributions from individuals and businesses that care about animals to bring its services to the community. For more information, visit www.dakinhumane.org.