Happy Thanksgiving

Sending warmest wishes to all for a wonderful Thanksgiving. Here at Springfield Partners, we started celebrating at the beginning of the week. Our childcare center, New Beginnings, hosted a holiday luncheon for the children, staff and parents. The food was donated and prepared by the parents and served by the staff. Of course, the week before was busy with lessons about the meaning and the importance of this holiday.

Here are some photos of our children enjoying the meal as well as a few games beforehand.

You will agree that they are all adorable!

Happy Thanksgiving and drive safely if you must travel.

Staff Retreat: A Fun Day

Last Friday we all trooped over to Springfield Technical Community College. It was time for some training, some awards and recognition, and even some games. Organized by our very own committee who called themselves the LOCA Committee (stands for Laborer Occasional Celebration Association :D) it was a nice day away from the office.

We recognized many staff for their long service to the agency; the longest being Bob Stovall at 29 years!!!
We also awarded Cynthia (Sinde) Rivera, Employee of the Year, who gets to take a day off for winning.

Congratulations, Sinde! You really deserve it!

We played some games guaranteed to have everyone laughing. They allowed departments to interact and get to know each other better. Have you ever tried to build a tower with spaghetti and marshmallows? How about decorate a pumpkin face while wearing a blindfold? Seriously! Try it! Hysterical :D

Many thanks to the LOCAs: Heather Rose, Tabitha Desplaines, Rosa Echevarria, Cynthia Rivera, Synthia Scott-Mitchell, Carmen Santiago, Jennifer Picard, and Lina Villalongo.

And last but not least, here is a shot of our view from the 7th floor, Scibelli Building at STCC.

National Immunization Month!

August is National Immunization Month! Walk in to your local Walgreens or schedule an appointment to make sure that you are up to date with your vaccinations, that your kids are ready to go back to school and that the entire family stays happy and healthy. You can also click on the link below to see the recommended immunizations for each age group.

https://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/immunization/immun_recommendations_and_appointment.jsp?_requestid=57026

One Jar of Peanut Butter at A Time

Kids love peanut butter. It is a good source of protein for a growing body. But what you may not know is that the price of peanut butter has doubled in the past year. This makes it difficult for food pantries to supply this nutritious food to children and families that need it.  But peanut butter isn’t the only thing that hungry families need. Without adequate and nutritious food, our children are not able to build healthy bodies and support a strong mind. In order to reach their full potential children need to have a stable nutritious diet. But it’s not just the children of America who are going hungry. Many times parents themselves struggle with hunger while they fight to give their kids the nutrition they need. Local organizations such as food pantries help provide local families with that nutrition, and they need your help to continue.

Some desperately needed items at local food pantries are:

-Tuna Fish

-Peanut Butter

-Spaghetti Sauce

-Pasta

-Canned Fruit

-Rice

-Soup

Contact:

Open Pantry at 413-737-5353

Community Survival Center at 413-543-3930

Salvation Army at 413-733-1518

The next time you’re in the grocery store pick something up for one of your local food pantries. We may be able to help end hunger in our community, one jar of peanut butter at a time.

Can you help?

New Beginnings Childcare Center, a program of Springfield Partners, could really use some donated items.

Our new Childcare Director, Tabitha Desplaines (welcome, Tabitha!) would love to hear from you if you have any items you can spare that are on the wishlist. Check it out at http://www.springfieldpartnersinc.com/donate/fundraisingnewsevents/wishlist/

Thank you in advance for your support!

Stock the Shelves Food Drive

Come out to help our neighbors in need at a local food drive!

The Stock the Shelves Food Drive will be on Tuesday, July 31 from 3 to 7 pm. Stop by and drop off any donations you may have at the Super Stop & Shop at 1277 Liberty Street in the Springfield Plaza, non-perishables only please.

Donations will benefit Springfield's food pantries.

We're also taking canned goods and cash donations through July 31 at Springfield Partners, 721 State Street, Springfield.
   
Some high demand items include peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, tuna, canned raviolli, pasta, canned fruit, rice, and soups. Every little bit helps so come out with your donations and give your support. Thank you, and we hope to see you there!

  

Alzheimer's and Risky Sleeping Patterns

We’ve mentioned before that we have an Alzheimer’s program here at Springfield Partners and that we like to stay updated on the new findings; but here’s an interesting one. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a new relationship has been discovered between the amount of sleep you get and the risk of cognitive decline. But what’s surprising about this is that too much sleep is just as risky as not enough sleep!

We think this is very important information to know, especially since there are over 120,000 people suffering from Alzheimer’s in Massachusetts alone, with the number continuing to grow. The more we educate ourselves about this disease, the better! Read more about this new discovery here:


http://www.alz.org/aaic/mon_1030amct_irregular_sleep.asp