SPRINGFIELD — During April, Freedom Credit Union is inviting the community to donate money at any of its branches throughout western Massachusetts to benefit the Springfield-based Way Finders, an agency that helps people facing challenges to secure housing.

Way Finders provides services such as emergency financial housing assistance, support for renters and help for those facing foreclosure. The agency also helps people secure employment, economic mobility and home ownership.

Donations help fund efforts to build and manage affordable housing in urban, rural and suburban settings; to help more than 5,000 families access emergency assistance and housing subsidies every year; to help people become first time home buyers; to provide emergency shelter to families experiencing homelessness; to support young parents and survivors of domestic abuse; and to foster housing stability through financial education and employment.

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AMHERST — Three architects at Kuhn Riddle Architects and Designers have achieved the prestigious designation of PHIUS Certified Passive House Consultant, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to sustainable and energy-efficient design.

Thom Barry, Brad Hutchinson and Ruoqi Zhong recently completed the rigorous training and certification process required by the Passive House Institute United States (PHIUS).

Passive House design principles focus on dramatically reducing energy consumption while maximizing indoor comfort and air quality. These high-performance buildings will also meet the Massachusetts Stretch and Opt-In Energy Codes.

By integrating Passive House principles into residential, commercial, and institutional projects, Kuhn Riddle is designing cutting-edge, high-performance buildings that are both environmentally responsible and cost-effective in the long term.

AMHERST — Cynthia Jacelon, UMass professor emerita at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and senior advisor at the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation, has been tapped to receive a 2025 Living Legend in Massachusetts Nursing Award by the American Nurses Association Massachusetts (ANAMASS). She was honored Friday, April 4, at the 2025 ANAMASS Awards Gala in Framingham.

Jacelon developed a concept of attributed dignity in older adults known as the Jacelon Attributed Dignity Scale (JADS), first published in Research in Gerontological Nursing in 2009. It is used widely across the globe, has been translated into Chinese, Greek and Persian, and is currently being translated into Finnish and soon, Japanese.

More recently, Jacelon was the lead investigator and director of the National Institutes of Health-funded UManage Center for Building the Science of Symptom Self-Management at UMass Amherst. The center focused on using wearable and handheld devices to help people manage symptoms of fatigue and sleep disturbances.

Her work in gerontological and rehabilitation nursing and such leadership roles as president of the National Association of Rehabilitation Nurses have earned her many honors over the years, from the Paul Winske Award for Improving Access for Disabled Individuals in 2014 to the Elviria Whiting Ball Award for Improving the Lives of Older Adults in 2019. She also was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

More than 30 years after she joined the nursing faculty at UMass Amherst, Jacelon — who has three married children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren — is still teaching and doing research, helping with a study on educating caregivers of people with dementia.

NORTHAMPTON — Alignable, the largest online networking platform for small businesses, has elected Judy Herrell of Herrell’s Ice Cream as Northampton’s 2025 Business Person of the Year.

Alignable’s 2025 Local Business Person of the Year Contest logged more than 333,000 votes, more than 77,000 recommendations, and 4,750 winners across the U.S. and Canada.

The largest online networking platform for business owners, Alignable.com invited its 9 million-plus members to shout-out local business leaders who’ve gone above and beyond guiding peers and supporting communities, amid challenging economic conditions.

The 2025 contest is Alignable’s most popular competition in over six years, with participation surging 20% compared to 2024.

During the 2025 contest, held from Jan. 14 to March 7, 4,750 business owners — spanning over 4,500 communities — were recognized as winners.

“In our local business community, we look out for each other and refer businesses down the street or around the corner to help make everyone in town as successful as possible,” said Herrell. “And the challenges we’ve all encountered have compelled many of us to offer counsel to peers fighting to keep their businesses afloat. While I’m thrilled to receive this award, it’s really a testament to our entire community.”

Herrell received a special badge on her Alignable profile to acknowledge this achievement.

Founded in 1980, Herrell’s supports sustainable farming practices and provides customers with the freshest ice cream and baked goods available.