Dear Friends,
I hope your summers were pleasant and filled with adventure. We are welcoming autumn with a much needed respite from the heat and humidity. I am pleased to announce some new and exciting news that has convalesced during our last quarter. Our agency has undergone the biennial Office of Quality Enhancement (OQE) audit and overall things went well. One highlight noted by the OQE team was our strong clinical department.
Quarter Three Highlights:
- The 5k Cider Run is nearly here and we have 106 people registered so far
- The 5k Cider Run continues to partner with businesses for sponsorships
- Our art show was a successful and wonderful event
- Hand painted rocks by program participants are in your communities
- Mike Barrett assumes the role of Chicopee Program Manager
- Amanda Nieves is promoted to West Hatfield Program Manager
The 5k Cider Run has added more sponsors including Greenfield Savings Bank and Whittlesey Forward Advising. A big thank you goes out to PeoplesBank for being our Silver Sponsor and Greenfield Savings for being a special sponsor this year. We have several generous donors: Central Rock Gym, Bueno y Sano, Nick’s Nest, Enjoy Life Foods, Big Y, Applebee’s, Costco, and Interskate91, who are contributing items to the race bags for our runners. The race registrations are coming in; we are a month ahead on the number of registrants. Proceeds go directly to day, vocational, and supported employment programs for our participants. Your registration cost makes opportunities possible for adults with developmental disabilities that they would not have on their own. Visit our website to register today.
We hosted our first ever art show at Holyoke Hummus Company and it was a great success! Participants from all three of our programs made beautiful paintings and works of art. Holyoke Hummus Company has our art displayed and it looks striking against the black walls. I highly recommend taking a peek at the complete gallery at https://valleyeducational.org/arts/. We plan to put the art up for sale soon with participants receiving a large portion of the proceeds and the remainder going back into the program’s art fund.
In tandem with our art debut, participants have been creating smaller works of art on river rocks. These rocks, with an informational label on the back, have been placed in your neighborhoods and communities. Our goal is that people discover these tiny canvases and go online to learn about programs for adults with different abilities. They have been having a great time thoughtfully placing these rocks in the community on outings.
It was with great pride, I announced the staff change of Mike Barrett to Chicopee as program manager and the promotion of Amanda Nieves to West Hatfield program manager in late August. Mike has been with us for thirty years and is an invaluable asset to our management team. I expect great things to come for the Chicopee program site. Amanda has been serving directly under Mike, in West Hatfield, for the last 20 years. She will continue to serve as the community-based day service coordinator in addition to her new role. I have no doubt she will successfully lead the West Hatfield program site.
Our board of directors recently voted and agreed to make a scholarship available to two staff members per year who are accepted into the Direct Care program at Holyoke Community College. We feel that the skills the staff will learn at HCC can be immediately applied to their day-to-day functions at Valley Educational Associates. In other board news, we have welcomed two new board members: Carol Rowe and Donna Walden. I look forward to the positive impact they will have on our organization.
I hope the last quarter of the year finds you and your family abundance, peace, and success as we move through the holiday season ahead.
Best Regards,
Kate DaSilva, MS
Executive Director