February 2020
Happy February Everyone! This month we’ve been making plans for the coming year and lining up dates to spread self-advocacy. Here’s what’s happening:
We held a holiday dance in December raising $381 to help with costs to attend the national Self Advocates Becoming Empowered Moving Mountains Conference in October. Our next event will be a Spring Fling. Stay tuned for more details.
Our regional elections for Treasurer and Secretary were held at our January meeting. Congratulations to Paula Mione on being re-elected to the role of Secretary and to Christina Kalafatis as our new Treasurer. We discussed registering to Vote and speaking up for transportation at the public meeting in Haverhill on January 23rd. We have rights and we have a responsibility to speak up. We do make a difference! Speaking of making a difference, MaryEllen Grelle represented self-advocates in the Merrimack Valley at a Legislative Forum with over 100 people in Lawrence on Transportation. MaryEllen raised the need for longer evening bus service hours and connections between areas so everyone can go to meetings, to work and see loved ones!
Merrimack Valley members attended a public meeting on The Five Year Transportation Plan on January 23rd. Thanks to new MASS Board Member, Sandy Jones, and Peer Support member, Nichelle Delgado, for raising the issues of extended service hours for busses and EZ Trans, and needing more flexible services. Their ideas will be part of the official five-year plan for the Merrimack Valley!
We will be presenting on Speaking Up with youth at Northern Essex Community College on January 30th. We will do this presentation again on February 26th at Opportunity Works.
We will give our Voting Rights Training at Communitas in Beverly on February 13th and Northeast Arc on September 24th.
Therese L is going to present to the Threshold Program at Lesley University on February 20th about the importance of self-advocacy.
NE Arc will have Donna Jay present about the marriage penalty to their self-advocacy group at their February Meeting.