August 19, 2024 newsletter

 

Good morning friends. It's with a heavy heart that I write to you today and report that the last chance public hearing concerning the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center will be held this evening. The first one, in-person, was an exercise in frustration as it became evident almost immediately that the Department of Public Health was merely there to check off a box: “Public hearing #1...check!” It's likely that the virtual hearing tonight will be even more frustrating, but I don't feel we can give up. The residents of 16 towns are being impacted, not to mention even more as the ripple effect moves outwards to Leominster, Worcester, Lowell, and beyond. I have been sending letters, calling, and generally making a pest of myself with every political and news contact that I have. If you care to read the letter, it is here:

Living in a Healthcare Desert

Here is the information on the meeting this evening:
Monday, August 19, 2024, 6:00 PM. Members of the public and other interested parties may join the hearing by phone using the following information: Phone Number: 800-593-9954, Passcode: 3281952

Here is some good news for you, because we always have to try to balance out the bad with the good. Otherwise, we might just be tempted to give up. But there is so much good to live for, and so much that we can still do to improve people's lives. Our Saturday morning coffee station is an example: Like the homemade cookies that many of you bake for us to distribute, coffee is also a thing that touches people's hearts and helps to create community. We had two generous people donate ice makers this week so that we could easily keep up with the demand for iced coffee! Thank you Kris L and Geof T...it is very much appreciated. Debbie E and Lin M have been working hard to tweak the project, and they've been doing a great job. On Saturday morning, we had a couple of our neighbors meet each other for the first time and discover that each of them were fluent in 4 or 5 different languages. There was so much laughter coming from the coffee station that we thought for a moment that someone was over there doing a comedy routine!

We hold these moments and experiences close to our hearts during troubling times. I hope hearing about them will be uplifting for you as well 💕

If you can shop for us this week, we are still low on some of the same popular basics: small boxes of plain instant potatoes, soups, 18 oz containers of oatmeal, boxed mac + cheese, canned pasta, baked beans, spaghetti pasta, cereal, and 1 lb bags of rice. There is a grocery cart in the lobby of the Ayer Police Station for your drop-offs, as well as at Shop n' Save, and as always, you are invited to leave a note in your bags so that we know whom to thank. We'll be at the pantry on Wednesday from 10 to noon, Friday from 4 to 5:30, and Saturday from 9 to noon for drop-offs too.

Have faith and continue the good fight...I love you all! 

Cyndi

Image via Rachel Bailey