Top Reasons to exercise your Right to Vote:

Elections Impact Your Everyday Life and Family: Voting is the language of democracy regardless of political affiliation. Voting is one of the main tools we have to communicate how we wish to be governed. This right to vote affords you the power to make key decisions on the quality of life you want for yourself, your family and the community you reside in. Voting is your opportunity to stand up for the issues you believe in such as affordable housing, immigration, economic justice, reproductive rights, environmental protections, healthcare, education, and etc. Voting also allows you to express your needs, preferences, satisfaction(s) and dissatisfaction(s) as an electorate(voter).

So, make YOUR voice heard! VOTE!

Every Vote Counts: More and More we are seeing that the “non-conventional” or the “abstention” voter become the margin of victory in elections. This has been especially true in local elections. Your vote could potentially sway the election from someone who doesn’t have your best interests to someone who does. Don’t sit this election out! VOTE!

Decide Where Your Tax Dollars Go: Paying Taxes is a universally shared responsibility; therefore, we all should have a say in where that money goes. By helping to elect city council members, town leaders, county commissioners, governors, state legislators, all the way up to members of the Congressional legislature and the President, YOUR VOTE plays an integral role in determining on how your tax dollars are allocated throughout your community, local area, state, and federal areas.

Protect Our Voting Rights: The right to vote ensures that every voice is heard and represented in the decisions that shape all of our lives. Without this fundamental right, democracy as we know it would crumble, leaving a society vulnerable to inequality and injustice. Casting a ballot is more than just a civic duty; it is a powerful tool that can be utilized to empower us all. Historically, the right to vote has been a “battleground” for civil rights and liberties, especially for marginalized communities. Discriminatory practices such as poll taxes, literacy test and etc. were used to disenfranchise certain racial demographic groups from participating in the democratic process. Voter suppression tactics are a persistent threat to participation, therefore voter turnout is essential in significantly influencing policy outcomes.

Make your voice heard! VOTE!

Remember To Vote Voting GIF – Remember …
VOTE
Please refer to the information below for voter registration information, deadlines and voter identification laws by state.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR MASSACHUETTS ARE APPROACHING!

Are you registered to vote? Please refer to the information below for voter registration information, deadlines and voter identification laws by state.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES:

The Voter registration deadlines for the November 5, 2024, election for Massachusetts are as follows:

Online registration deadline: Saturday, October 26, 2024

Register by mail deadline: Must be postmarked by Saturday, October 26, 2024

In person registration deadline: Saturday, October 26, 2024

** Please click here to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission for voter registration deadlines and information by State:

voter registration by state

Registering to Vote in Massachusetts:

Link to Massachusetts voter registration information

How to register and update your registration-Start or update your registration on Massachusetts’s election website here.

To register to vote by mail or in person please refer to this link.

HOW TO CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION:

Not sure if you are registered to vote? Please go to the Massachusetts’s election website to confirm your voter registration status by clicking on this link.

OTHER WAYS TO REGISTER TO VOTE:

If you require additional assistance and/or need access to additional languages, please click here to download the National Voter Registration form in your preferred language (currently 21 languages are available for download)

VOTER IDENTIFICATION LAWS BY STATE:

As of April 2024, 35 states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of the 35 states, 24 require voters to present identification containing a photograph and 11 other forms of identification. Valid forms of identification vary by state; therefore, it is vital that you are aware of the Voter ID laws within the various states.

Please refer to the following links below for more information on Voter ID laws by state:

Find your state’s voter identification laws.

Legislation related to voter ID policies

LINK TO MASSACHUETTS 2024 BALLOT QUESTIONS:

Massachusetts Information for Voters- 2024 Ballot Questions

The post Legislative News You Can Use- Legislative News, Key Dates & Info. You should know! appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

Staff members enjoyed a day filled with delicious food, ice cream, and games, celebrating alongside their colleagues, families, and friends. It was a joyful occasion that highlighted the dedication and hard work of Wayside’s team while fostering a strong sense of community.

Congratulations to all the winners! Here’s a list of our Senior Leadership Award recipients:

The post Yearly Staff Awards Celebration appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

In case you missed it, on July 29, 2024, Governor Healy and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll signed a $57.78 Billion Fiscal Year 2025 Budget with the goal of addressing some of the state’s biggest challenges while building on the many strengths of the Massachusetts economy. This monumental budget passage led to some additional historic changes that followed.

Let’s review some of the legislation that followed the signing of the budget.

• Massachusetts Parentage Act – An act to ensure legal parentage equality. Passed the House and Senate and was formally signed into law on August 12, 2024.

Key Highlights:

-The passage of this bill updated the state’s parentage laws for the first time in
40 years to make them more inclusive. Massachusetts had remained the only New England State without an updated parentage law(s).

– This historic legislation ensures the rights and protections for parents who use surrogacy, in-vitro fertilization and assisted reproduction, while also updating the law to be more inclusive to LGBTQ+ parents.

– Provides all children with access to the security of legal parentage, regardless of the circumstances of their birth (i.e. surrogacy, in-vitro fertilization and assisted reproduction).

– Provides criteria and clarity on standards for courts to resolve competing claims of parentage, enhancing efficiency and consistency, which will reduce unnecessary litigation.

The Healy administration described the act “as a means to codify protections for families regardless of factors such as marital status, sexual orientation of the parents or the circumstances of a child’s birth”. The bill “modernizes the language in statutes governing parentage to make it more inclusive, swapping out words or phrases, such as ‘paternity’ for ‘parentage’ and ‘child born out of wedlock’ for ‘nonmarital child.’”

Versions of the bill received unanimous approval from the House and Senate, and was one of several comprised bills to clear conference committee and pass the formal session.

• Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter Policy Revision(s)- The Healy Administration announced changes to their Emergency Assistance (EA) prioritization program(s) and safety-net sites for families experiencing homelessness with the overall of addressing the system’s capacity constraints.

Key Highlights:

– Beginning August 1, 2024, families will be prioritized for placement into EA shelters they meet the following criteria:
1. They are experiencing homelessness because of a no-fault eviction
2. They are experiencing homelessness because of sudden or unusual circumstances in Massachusetts beyond their control, such as a flood or fire.
3. They are or have at least one family member who is a veteran.

– Families will continue to be prioritized if they have significant medical needs, newborn children, are at risk of domestic violence, or are homeless because of fire, flood, or other disasters.

– Families who are not prioritized for placement in EA shelters (i.e. do not meet the criteria established) will be eligible to stay at a “Temporary Respite Center” for up to five days*. On August 1, 2024, the following state safety-net sites were transitioned to temp. respite centers: Chelsea, Cambridge, Lexington and Norfolk**.
* Families who have been in temporary respite centers prior to the policy change on August 1 will retain their prioritization for placement into EA
shelter, and the state will begin helping them leave these sites accordingly.
**The administration will not be opening additional respite center sites due to operational and financial constraints.

– Families that remain in the TRC will be required to wait at least six months for placement in the state’s emergency shelter system. However, they will remain eligible for the following diversion services:

1. The Reticketing Program: The State covers the travel cost for families that may have the option to stay with family outside of the State of Massachusetts.
2. The Home Base Program: Provides families up to $30,000.00 in financial assistance (over a 2-3yr. period) to assist with rental payments, utilities, furniture and moving expenses.

• Victims Of Crime Act (VOCA) & MA VOCA Bridge Funding update(s):
-What is VOCA? The Victims of Crime Act was created by the U.S. Congress in 1989
to provide federal support to State and local programs that assist victims of crimes.

– What is the MA VOCA Bridge Funding? The VOCA Bridge is a multi-year $60
million funding request to the Massachusetts Legislature to bridge impending
cuts to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) programs to maintain victim services.

Key Highlights & Update(s):
– MA Legislature wrapped up their formal session on July 31, 2024, however, no new movement was made on VOCA bridge funding as of yet.
What does this mean? This will mostly likely be assigned to a conference committee to create a uniform version of the bill to pass to the Governor for signature.
** Please Note: that the Wayside GR department is closely monitoring this legislation and will provide updates on this initiative as it progresses through the legislative process.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE(S) ARE APPROACHING!

Are you registered to vote? Please refer to the information below for voter registration information, deadlines and voter identification laws by state.

Registering to Vote in Massachusetts

Link to Massachusetts voter registration information.

• How to register and update your registration-Start or update your registration on Massachusetts’s election website here.
• To register to vote by mail or in person please refer to this link.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES:

The Voter registration deadlines for the November 5, 2024, election for Massachusetts are as follows:

• Online registration deadline: Saturday, October 26, 2024
• Register by mail deadline: Must be postmarked by Saturday, October 26, 2024
• In person registration deadline: Saturday, October 26, 2024

** Please click this link to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission for voter registration deadlines and information by State.

HOW TO CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION:
Not sure if you are registered to vote? Please go to the Massachusetts’s election website to confirm your voter registration status by clicking
this link.

OTHER WAYS TO REGISTER TO VOTE:
If you require additional assistance and/or need access to additional languages, please click here to download the National Voter Registration form in your preferred language (currently 21 languages are available for download).

VOTER IDENTIFICATION LAWS BY STATE:
As of April 2024, 35 states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of the 35 states, 24 require voters to present identification containing a photograph and 11 other forms of identification. Valid forms of identification vary by state; therefore, it is vital that you are aware of the Voter ID laws within the various states. Please refer to the following links below for more information on Voter ID laws by state:

• Find your state’s voter identification laws
• Legislation related to voter ID policies

The post Legislative Updates & Voter Registration Reminder appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

April has been nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month since its first presidential proclamation in 1983. Click here to view 1983 proclamation. Since that time, millions of Americans have come together to participate in this national campaign by educating themselves on ways to collectively reduce childhood trauma and abuse.

As the African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child”. This African proverb emphasizes the importance of community involvement in child rearing. When “the village” collectively provides a safe, healthy environment for children they are given the security and support they need to develop and flourish. Individuals, organizations and communities across the United States have incorporated this African proverb into their daily lives by planting pinwheels, tying ribbons, organizing trainings, hosting fundraisers and educating themselves and others in support of raising awareness around Child Abuse Prevention.

Here are some things YOU can do to honor and celebrate April as Child Abuse Prevention Month:

• Gain in-depth knowledge regarding childhood trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
• Adverse Childhood Experiences and/or ACEs -are identified as potentially traumatic events that
• occur in children between the ages of zero to seventeen years of age.

Click below to learn more about ACE’s

 ACEs Fast Facts-CDC

 Stop Abuse Campaign -ACE’s 

Gain in-depth knowledge regarding childhood trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

 Test your own knowledge on Adverse Childhood Experiences by taking the ACEs test here.

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Educate yourself on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

Wayside helps children, adolescents and young adults across the state

Michelle Martin,for Wayside Youth & Family Support Network

Children don’t go straight into adulthood. There’s a crucial period during childhood when they are developing and growing – and when support services are needed most.

That’s the reason Wayside Youth & Family Support Network is so important to the communities it serves. The behavioral health organization provides in-home, outpatient and residential services to help children, adolescents and young adults achieve greater independence and well-being. Wayside believes in a strength-based approach, focusing on affirmative and inspirational strategies that promote sustainable change. Wayside honors the power of families, as they possess a wealth of knowledge and strength and are key drivers in the change process.

Employees are inspired by the impact the organization has made in 170 cities throughout eastern and central Massachusetts. Wayside works with families who are under significant stress due to mental illness, behavioral problems, addiction issues and other challenges. It also supports youth who have experienced abuse, trauma and neglect. Our staff tenaciously “do what it takes” to help our clients and families fulfill their hopes for the future.

“Our employees make an important impact on families across the state, and we are proud of the work they do,” said Sara McCabe, president and CEO. “In return, we are committed to providing them with an inclusive, supportive work culture that is committed to DEI and social justice.”

Diversity, equity and inclusion is fully integrated into the culture of the organization. Wayside mirrors the clientele it serves – 59% of employees identify as people of color, just as more than half of its clients identify as people of color – and that is also true at the managerial level.

Read full article here.

The post Wayside Youth serves 170 communities in Massachusetts appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

Wayside is a child welfare and behavioral health agency committed to antiracism, social justice, and advocacy. We continuously seek to grow as a strong model organization that exemplifies Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for the ultimate benefit of our clients, the community, and ourselves. As part of doing so, Wayside is committed to making an ongoing meaningful financial commitment to partnering with a proportionate representation of Supplier Diversity Office (SDO)-certified or recognized diverse vendors, business enterprises or non-profit organizations.

Learn more about the Massachusetts SDO program at the link and our new policy here. Then tell us of any businesses or vendors you may know that could potentially qualify in the form to the right!

III.T. SUPPLIER DIVERSITY POLICY

POLICY

On a business level, our plan for these meaningful financial commitments is as follows:

1. When identifying new vendors to meet agency needs, Wayside will seek to interview and/or receive bids from multiple possible vendors for the identified needs prior to making a financial commitment. At least one of the vendors interviewed in each instance must be an SDO-certified or recognized diverse business enterprise.

2. When identifying new vendors to meet agency needs, Wayside commits to mentoring new vendors who might meet criteria for SDO-certification in becoming SDO-certified.

3. Wayside commits to working with current vendors who might meet criteria for SDO-certification and assisting them through the process of becoming certified.

4. All new purchases/vendors sought over $5000 must be pre-approved by an agency VP/COO/CEO/CFO.

5. Wayside will review our list of vendors at least twice per year to ensure we are following our protocols towards increasing our SDO-Certified vendors.

The post One Antiracist Action You Can Take Today: Increase The Diversity Of Our Suppliers And Vendors appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

Food on the shelfs at the Watertown Food Pantry, which has seen an increase in the number of people using its services since the start of the Pandemic. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
For many, Watertown is a destination for food and eating, with dozens of restaurants, markets small and large, and a farmers market through the warmer months. However, a significant number of residents have trouble affording to feed themselves and their families.

The hunger problem in Watertown is often not visible, but those who provide assistance and services to people in need have noticed a recent increase in the number of people in town facing food insecurity, spiking during the Pandemic. And, while the COVID cases have dropped, the numbers of people going to Watertown’s two food pantries, or needing help to put enough food on their table has remained at about the same level.

Watertown has found some ways to help people have enough to eat, both traditional efforts, including Food Pantries, and new ones, such as the Community Fridge and programs funded by the Watertown Community Foundation to deliver food to some of the City’s most vulnerable residents. Some of these programs, however, will be coming to an end as post-Pandemic funds dry up.

Watertown News and Watertown Cable Access Television joined forces to look back at the rise in food insecurity, speaking to those making use of the local and state food insecurity programs, the people on the front lines providing help, and sought to find out what else can be done. This story is the first in a six-part series on food insecurity, and Watertown Cable will be producing a series of programs looking at the issue airing at a later date. The series is made possible, in part, by a grant provided by the Watertown Community Foundation.

The Pandemic Spike

The Pandemic brought some issues in Watertown into focus, said Jan Singer, the former executive director of the Watertown Community Foundation.At the dawn of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Singer remembers gathering her board members to workout how the organization could help the community weather the Pandemic. They looked at ways to provide COVID kits to those who had tested positive, computers for families who needed it so their children could participate in remote learning, and emergency funds for things like rent, utilities, and food.

Food insecurity was not unknown before March 2020, Singer said, who said the WCF was working with the Watertown Public Schools to send students home with backpacks full of food for the weekend. The program was aimed at children of families in the Watertown Public Schools who qualified for the free lunch through the federally funded National School Lunch Program.

“We had a special grant for this from the Perpetual Benevolent Fund,” she said. “We brought their board members in to see how we were doing it and what was going on, so food insecurity was an issue long before the Pandemic and when the Pandemic hit it just exacerbated it and it has not stopped.”

Kathy Cunningham, coordinator of the Watertown Food Pantry, said she has seen many more people use the pantry in the last few years.

“So, when I first began here, we were doing 40 families a week …” Cunningham said. “And then it graduated up to probably 70 families, and then once the pandemic hit, we were running approximately 200 families every single day that we were open, which was okay. It was fine. We made sure that we did a lot of outreach. We had a lot of feeder programs. We were never without, we never let anybody go hungry or anything on that level.”

After people got back to work and things began to return to normal after the Pandemic, the number of families the Watertown Food Pantry served began to decline, but did not return to previous numbers.

“So after the COVID and things are starting to get back to normal, such as the children attending school, I would say we probably leveled off at around 180 a week, for probably six, seven months at least,” Cunningham said. “And now we’re averaging between 140, 160 each week.”

The Watertown Food Pantry, located in the basement of the former Methodist Church near Watertown Square at 80 Mt. Auburn St., is one of two pantries in town and is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The other is run by the Catholic Collaborative in the basement of Sacred Heart Church, 770 Mt. Auburn St. in East Watertown on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

During the Pandemic, another food source became available, a grass-roots community effort called the Watertown Community Fridge. This started near Francis Market on Belmont Street, and then moved to the same church that houses the Watertown Food Pantry. Food is put in the fridge, an is available for free to anyone. Also, people can donate fresh, frozen, and non-perishable items.

Read full article here….

The post Wayside’s Sophia Suarez-Friedman in the Watertown News on Food Insecurity appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 30, 2023

Contact: Betsy Freedman Doherty
774-287-6418 (cell)
Betsy_Freedmandoherty@Waysideyouth.org

Wayside Youth & Family Support Network Announces Sara McCabe
as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Framingham, MA – After an extensive search process, Sara McCabe, LICSW was unanimously appointed by the Board of Directors to be Wayside’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, replacing long time CEO Eric L. Masi, Ed.D as he retires.

Sara began her career at Wayside in 2003 as a residential counselor and teacher at Wayside’s special education school, Wayside Academy. Since then, she’s held many roles including Assistant Director of Wayside Academy, Training and Risk Management Director and Campus Director.

In 2017 Sara was promoted to Vice President of Campus Services responsible for overseeing six adolescent residential programs, the Wayside Academy, and the psychiatric day treatment program at the Framingham Campus. In addition to her role as Vice President, Sara also oversaw the Marketing and Development Department and led the Agency’s 2020 Strategic Planning process. In September 2021 Sara was promoted to the agency’s first Chief Operating Officer charged with positioning the agency for continued growth in Central, Eastern and Northeastern Massachusetts.

Sara is a strong advocate for the child welfare system and received the Massachusetts National Association of Social Workers Social Policy Award in 2021. Sara is an adjunct professor at Boston University in the School of Social Work. She received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Framingham State University in Framingham, Mass. and her Master of Social Work from Wheelock College in Boston, Mass. She holds her independent clinical license in Massachusetts.

“We are incredibly excited about Wayside’s future with Sara at the helm,” said Loretta Holloway, Board Chairperson. “Sara is a passionate, focused, transparent, and innovative leader and advocate for youth and their families. She is committed to Wayside’s mission and ensuring that Wayside remains the leader in support for families and for being an equity-minded place to work”

About Wayside:
Founded in 1977, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network is a non-profit, nationally accredited human services agency dedicated to Building Strength, Hope and Resiliency through its family-based outreach services, residential treatment programs, and community-based counseling services to thousands of children, youth, and families throughout Eastern and Central Massachusetts.

The post Wayside Youth & Family Support Network Announces Sara McCabe as President and Chief Executive Officer appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

Our annual Staff Satisfaction Survey has earned us the Top Workplace award in three categories:

• Top Workplace – Nonprofit Organizations
• Top Workplace Culture – Purpose & Values
• Top Workplace Culture – Innovation

Energage benchmarks our scores against other agencies like ours to determine which agencies are considered Top Workplaces. We are proud to be recognized for our commitment for creating a positive and innovative workplace culture that is aligned with our mission and values.

The areas in which we scored well above the benchmark include:

• 94th percentile in “My benefits package is good compared to others in this industry”
• 93rd percentile in “I would highly recommend working at Wayside”
• 93% agree “My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful”
• 93% agree “Wayside operates by strong values”
• 87% agree “New ideas are encouraged at Wayside”

“This is a long standing commitment we have had for our employees and rest assured that it will continue,” said Sara McCabe, Wayside President & CEO. “We can celebrate these positive scores and also stay focused on making Wayside an even better workplace for all.”

 About Wayside

Wayside Youth & Family Support Network provides a wide variety of mental health counseling and family support services to children, young adults and families in Massachusetts.

Values

Strength
Wayside believes in a strength-based approach, focusing on affirmative and inspirational strategies that promote sustainable change. Wayside honors the power of families, as they possess a wealth of knowledge and strength and are key drivers in the change process.

Hope
We believe in the power of hope as a central factor in providing the motivational resources necessary for change. Shared hope for a positive future is the underpinning of all that we do. Our staff tenaciously “do what it takes” to help our clients and families fulfill their hopes for the future. Positive expectations promote psychological and physical well-being. Our staff focus on developing hope-inspiring strategies that mobilize internal and external resources for sustaining healthy change.

Resiliency
We firmly believe all people have the inherent ability to rebound, learn and grow from life’s difficult experiences, and we are supportive partners with people as they engage in the process of personal change. We join with them to build the resilience that will see them through adversity.

The post Wayside Youth & Family Support Network named 2023 TopWorkplaces in Nonprofits & Culture appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

We welcome Steve Delbanco, Wayside’s substance use intervention coordinator as he teaches us about teen marijuana use, the risks to their developing brains, and how to see the signs and intervene.

MAY 5, AT
6PM
VIRTUAL

Questions: Louis_Duquetteholmes @waysideyouth.org

The post Parent-Peer Partnership Program – TEENAGERS AND MARIJUANA appeared first on Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.