(Pictured above, L-r: Earl Bonett, MA chair of ESGR; Elaine Bussey, clinical director; Jane Breslau, OT; Jerelyn Brousseau, clinical manager; Taylor Sands, OT; Diane Farraher-Smith, chief clinical integration officer of Home Health Foundation; Karen Gomes, president and CEO of Home Health Foundation.)

 

AROUND THE VALLEY

Jerelyn Brousseau Receives US Department of Defense Patriot Award

On September 10, Earl Bonett from the US Department of Defense presented Circle Home Clinical Manager Jerelyn Brousseau, RN, with a Patriot Award. Brousseau was honored for this prestigious award for her support and assistance with flexible scheduling and time off during the military trainings and deployments of Occupational Therapist Taylor Sands. The award also highlights Circle Home as an employer supportive of military employees, their spouses and families.

“We are so proud of Jerelyn for going above and beyond in support of Taylor’s mission of service to our country,” said Karen Gomes, RN, MS, CPHQ, president and CEO of Home Health Foundation. “By their ongoing support of a fellow employee, Jerelyn and her team demonstrate all the qualities of “RiseHI, our agency-wide commitment to a positive and supportive work environment.”

Patriot Awards are awarded to supervisors of employees serving the National Guard or Reserves.  It reflects the efforts made to support service members by providing a wide range of support and assistance such as flexible schedules, time off and leaves of absence if needed. Brousseau was particularly helpful, ensuring Sands had the time off he needed to fulfill his mission to the National Guard.

Home Health Foundation (HHF), which is comprised of Home Health VNA and Merrimack Valley Hospice, has joined forces with Circle Home and Hallmark Health VNA in the development a new, regional, home health and hospice post-acute continuum with a relentless focus on transforming home-based care.

HHF is a highly respected member of the Wellforce health system, which includes four community hospitals campuses, an academic medical center, a children’s hospital, and more than 2,000 physicians who strive to bring care to your community

Methuen Village Unveils Wall to Honor Veterans

Nearly 5,000 veterans reside in Methuen, representing approximately 10% of the town’s population. Methuen Village Assisted Living & Memory Support recently held a barbecue for their residents who are veterans and invited members from the larger community who have served their country. Also in attendance was Thomas Hargreaves, veterans services director for Methuen.

Research Aims To Improve Night Shift Workers’ Sleep

A UMass Lowell expert on sleep is examining strategies to help night shift workers get more restful shuteye, critical to preventing ill health effects.

She is partnering on a four-year, $1.7 million research project funded by the National Institute of Aging to examine how different sleep schedules for night shift employees age 50 to 65 may help them be more productive on the job.

“By next year, a quarter of the workforce will be over 55 years old,” said Yuan Zhang, an associate professor in UMass Lowell’s Solomont School of Nursing. “Inadequate sleep is one of the most difficult problems facing American night workers. Given our increasing understanding of how sleep deficiency contributes to adverse performance, health and safety, finding solutions to this issue has never been more important.”

You can read more about Zhang’s work and the science of sleep here.

Emmaus Launches “Hopeful Soles” Fitness Program

Emmaus, in partnership with the Haverhill YMCA, is hosting a six-week walk-to-run health enrichment mentorship program called “Hopeful Soles” to benefit adults residing in Emmaus housing, the YMCA and the YWCA. The program is designed to help those who are currently experiencing or have formerly experienced homelessness.

Emmaus is seeking enthusiastic, qualified volunteers to assist in leading this program as “Fitness Buddies” who will provide ongoing support to participants. The program will meet at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and each day focus on working toward health and wellness goals.

Artist of the Month Series at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is looking for artists for the 2020 season of the Artists of the Month series. The refuge is inviting one local artist each month to display and sell their artwork. Artwork is displayed in the auditorium of its visitor center and is available for viewing from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. There is no cost to view or display the artwork and a portion of all artists’ proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Parker River NWR. Donated monies help further environmental education and public events on the refuge. Anyone interested in having their artwork displayed can contact Jean Adams at (978) 572-5622 or by e-mail at Jean_Adams@fws.gov.

Greater Lowell Community Foundation Seeks Request for Proposals for 2019 Discretionary Grants

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation will open its 2019 Discretionary Grant Cycle on October 1 and is seeking requests for proposals from nonprofit organizations. The foundation will award $140,000 through the discretionary grant cycle. Funding areas for 2019 include children’s services, elder services, water resources, and social education.

Washington Savings Bank Partner to Finance 21 units of Affordable Housing in Lowell

MassDevelopment has participated with Washington Savings Bank to provide a $3,062,700 loan to Mill Square LLC, an affiliate of Degmar Development Corp. Degmar used proceeds to buy a parcel at 27 West Third Street in Lowell, where it plans to build a 21-unit affordable rental housing facility to be called Residence at Mill Square. MassDevelopment also enhanced the bank portion of the loan with a mortgage insurance guarantee.

Mr. Mac’s “Mac Gives Back” supports Kids Cafe

In May of 2019, Mr. Mac’s Macaroni and Cheese in Manchester announced their “Mac Gives Back” initiative to support the Manchester Salvation Army “Kids Cafe” program. Mr. Mac’s team has donated $1 for every Take and Bake ordered from May through July. On September 10, the team presented Salvation Army Captain Michael Harper with a check for $2,000 to support the Kids Cafe program. Along with the cash donation, Mr. Mac’s also provided dinners to the children.