As Seen In
Community interest in Northampton Neighbors (NN) has been blossoming since early spring, when NN resumed providing essential services to the city’s older adults and added new programs and events.
Summer’s a great time to try new things, and NN offers lots of free activities that are open to all. You might want to start with one of these:
- Monthly Insights: This group provides “news you can use” on topics such as home-care services and avoiding scams and fraud.
- Sandwiches and Stories: At lunchtime gatherings, neighbors connect through shared stories on topics such as “What decision or choice affected your life in an important way?”
- Community Forums: This group debuted in May, with Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra addressing issues important to the city’s older adults.
- Dementia Friends: Nurse Practitioner Kathy Service facilitates sessions covering ways to communicate with and support adults with memory impairment.
- TrashWalkers: At this group’s first event, 14 people filled three large bags with litter, cleaning up parts of downtown Northampton and Florence.
These new programs are in addition to NN favorites, such as our member-driven interest groups.
Jeanne Henry Hoose, an NN call manager, says there’s been a recent “uptick in new memberships and requests for Welcome Visits,” during which volunteers match a member’s needs with NN’s offerings. “The Monthly Insights events and community forums that feature government officials or local agencies seem to draw a lot of participation,” she adds.
Hoose says “people seem generally very grateful, especially for rides to go grocery shopping, to medical appointments, and to visit the Senior Center.”
NN events are listed in the calendar at northamptonneighbors.org. We welcome all who are interested; please spread the word. If you have questions, please email info@northamptonneighbors.org, or call 413-341-0160.