Saint Paul's Elder Outreach at Lincoln Village

Saint Paul's Elder Outreach Director Vo Robert received a call from Lincoln Village, an apartment complex for seniors in Worcester, that a number of seniors needed food. Vo was receiving food donations from Team Generous Hearts around the same time, and was able to help about 20 residents at Lincoln Village through the invaluable assistance of Team Generous Hearts!

Saint Paul's Elder Outreach Director Vo Robert and several wonderful volunteers continue to deliver emergency food, household, and personal care items to isolated at-risk seniors in Worcester 5-6 -7 days per week, through the support of a number of organizations, the City of Worcester, companies, and foundations.

"We are blessed to be accessing a lot of food from a number of food pantries in the city, but food items for those with special diets, household items, and other supplies not found at food pantries make up a lot of what we provide seniors." Robert states. "We're always thrilled to receive donations of grocery store gift cards, as well as help provided by Team Generous Hearts and other community organizations--without which we could not help nearly as many seniors as we do!"

Team Generous Hearts is a group of people from the area who are truly making a difference by contributing food to a number of organizations, including Saint Paul's Elder Outreach and Lincoln Village. What a great blessing and community resource!

Saint Paul's Elder Outreach and Team Generous Hearts

For the past couple of months, as the coronavirus crisis worsened, Saint Paul's Elder Outreach Director Vo Robert, aided by several wonderful volunteers, has continued to deliver emergency food, household, and personal care items, as well as pet food and supplies, to isolated at-risk seniors in the City of Worcester, 5-6-7 days per week. While Vo and Saint Paul's Elder Outreach partners with a number of food pantries in Worcester, food panties, as great as they are, are unable to provide foods for special diets ( diabetes, renal, heart, gluten - free diets for example ) or important foods such as mustard, mayo, ketchup, jar pasta sauce, pancake mix that can be made with just water, etc.

A fantastic group stepped up to help! Team Generous Heart has donated these kinds of items a number of times to Saint Paul's Elder Outreach! "We're constantly searching for ways to meet the needs of all the isolated seniors we assist, and being able to help those with special diets, and provide condiments so the food we deliver tastes great, is so vital to what we're doing!" Robert says.

"Team Generous Hearts has volunteered to donate whatever we need several times, I've provided them with a list of some of our most pressing needs, and they have come through each time." Robert continues. "They are truly helping so many seniors here during this most difficult time, and we're so appreciative!"

Saint Paul's Elder Outreach and Worcester Animal Rescue League Partner!

Saint Paul's Elder Outreach and the Worcester Animal Rescue League have been partnering to provide food for the pets of isolated at-risk seniors in the City of Worcester, Massachusetts! Saint Paul's Elder Outreach Director Vo Robert continues to deliver emergency food, household, personal care, and pet food / supplies 5-6-7 days per week. "Many of the seniors we assist have pets in their household, and those pets are truly family members." Robert explains. "We're very grateful to the Worcester Animal Rescue League for donating pet food and supplies so we can provide this important service to seniors in Worcester, and ensure those "family members" have enough to eat!"

Those We Put At Risk

I'm very enthusiastic about the need to begin helping people --encouraging people--supporting people --and help businesses and charities and congregations re-open.

Given that, we also have to consider how we're putting several "new groups" of people at risk by doing this. Priests, Rabbi's, and Ministers / Elders are going to resume, in some way, coming into direct contact with members of their congregations. A percentage of those clergy have underlying health conditions. Additionally, a number of clergy, particularly in "mainline" denominations such as Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Baptist, Lutheran, UCC, as well as Rabbi's --are over 60 years old. Around Easter, I was fortunate enough to interview the Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester, Bishop Robert McManus. In the course of that conversation, he related that over 50% of the active priests in that diocese are over 60 years old, putting them in the "at-risk" category--underlying conditions or not. While many of us want desperately to attend services / Mass again, doing so puts a lot of clergy at risk.

We're also approaching decision time when it comes to re-opening schools in the fall. One of the considerations that I'm sure superintendents are having to think about is the age of staff, including teachers, principals, and janitors, among others. A lot of discussion, and appropriately so, is going on about students, as well as their families. In many schools, we also have staff who, in a percentage reflecting the rest of the population, have health conditions. My guess, and I'm reading more reports that verify this, is that a significant percentage of teaching staff is over 55. I've read estimates that 20% of current teachers might choose to retire rather than be exposed to the dangers of the virus. Other staff percentages will vary from community to community.

So, yes, we need to sort out how to re-open every entity, in some way. I do think we're going to see a lot of "starts and pauses" as we identify situations we've never dealt with before. Going to be a long haul!

Meet Miss Massachusetts

A background in bat morphology, a future dentist, soon-to-be-participant in American Ninja Warrior, Team USA Obstacle Race member, an anchor-host of the Obstacle Race Media Network, dance instructor, and Miss Massachusetts, all wrapped into one person; Lyndsey Littlefield.

A chance encounter in 2013, when she was just 13, with a past Miss Taunton led Littlefield to take this exciting and successful path! “I attended an event where the Miss Taunton made an appearance, and had the opportunity to talk with her there.” Littlefield explains. “Two weeks later, at a yogurt shop, my mom and I ran into this terrific woman, not wearing her sash or crown, and she remembered me, by name.”   That Miss Taunton determined, without knowing it, Lyndsey Littlefield’s path, at least a significant part of that pathway.

In that yogurt shop, Littlefield learned about the Miss Taunton pageant program, and how scholarships were offered. No one in her family had been able to attend college, but Littlefield already had an interest in becoming a dentist.  She entered the teen pageants. When she was a senior in high school, Littlefield turned 17, which meant she could enter the Miss Taunton pageant, and she was the 4^th runner – up.  As 4^th runner up, she received scholarship money, enough to pay for her costs to apply at colleges, and her first semester at Bridgewater State University.

Littlefield continued to enter pageants, and continued to be awarded scholarships as she promoted what she believed in, that every woman is perfect just as she is.  In 2020, she graduated from Bridgewater State University with a degree in biology, and the background in bat morphology.  More on that a little later!  She graduated college debt – free, in large measure because she had received $30,000 in scholarships! 

As she was attending college, she found time to compete in a number of sporting events, including Obstacle Course Racing. “It’s sort of along the lines of mudder events.” Littlefield explains.  Along the way, she attracted the attention of Team USA’s Obstacle Course Race team, and was asked to -while now Miss Massachusetts already—to represent Massachusetts on Team USA.  At the North American championships, Littlefield won 1^st place!

Littlefield also anchored a number of competitions for the Obstacle Course Racing Media Network.  Somehow, she also found time to become a dance instructor, focusing on ages k-12.   

In the course of her college work ( this is all about the bats ) Littlefield had to do a thesis. One of her professors had an interest in bats, and Littlefield became a supporter of bats ( so necessary to our environment ) and intrigued about how, why, and what insects bats ate, and how different bats seemed to eat very selectively. ( in terms of what insects they ate )  Littlefield explored that she developed a methodology to study of the bats’ jaws and teeth might affect how which bats choose which insects they eat, and how that affects our environment. Researchers are now taking her results and methodology around the country ( Littlefield studied bats in Bridgewater ) and doing studies of their own.

Littlefield’s participation in NBC’s American Ninja Warrior has been delayed by the corona virus, and the crisis shutting down the competition for the time being. “I’m doing what training I can at home, as there are no facilities available to anyone right now to train at.” Littlefield says. “It’s not ideal, but many of the competitors have some restrictions, and I’m just doing what I can to train.”

In the meantime, Littlefield was just asked to continue as Miss Massachusetts for an additional year, as the 2020 pageant was scheduled for June.  She happily agreed to stay on another year, and will continue her efforts to bring people together and empower young women.  “I’m looking forward to expanding my social impact initiative that focuses on helping young women, no matter what resources may or may not be readily available to these young women and their families, to develop better skills in decision making, as well as encouraging them to like who you are, and self-identification.

Littlefield works a great deal with Girls INC chapters around the state ( Worcester, Lynn, Lowell, and Brockton among the chapters that currently exist ) in the course of this work.  Girls INC and Littlefield work with local school systems in developing the programs as well as recruiting resources. “If anyone is spending this quarantine time cleaning out their homes, and they would like to dispose of un-needed kitchen supplies, or dance costumes, or school supplies, we could use them!” Littlefield says.  She’s also involved in helping chapters expand, and recruiting more volunteers.

If you think about it, what a fabulous example of what anyone would hope for in a Miss Massachusetts. If you think you’re busy –how about keeping up with Lyndsey Littlefield?  

Editor’s Note: 

I have not had the pleasure to work with Lyndsey, but over the past twenty years have been fortunate enough to work with a number of title holders, in conjunction with charities I was serving as either a staff member or volunteer.   Without exception, I found these young women smart, accomplished, focused on goals, committed to helping others, and interested in learning through experiences such as talking with youngsters at an expo or presenting to a group of business leaders.  Too many people have a mistaken notion, perhaps because of television or movies portrayals, of the pageants and why / how young women benefit from participating in the pageants. 

Hopes of Christmas Future

Thirty years ago, Scott and Denise Weikel began a holiday tradition, partly because they both loved celebrating Christmas, and partly as a way for Scott to purchase meaningful birthday gifts for Denise, whose birthday is right after Thanksgiving. Thus, began what has become perhaps the largest residential Christmas light display in Massachusetts, the Leicester Christmas Display!

"We both love doing this, although it takes a great deal of work to set up 200 to 220 inflatables, along with lights and other decorations throughout the almost 2 acres we own." Scott Weikel says. "Because we have so much land, as well as a workshop (which becomes a Christmas Village) that we use too, we can accommodate baby strollers and wheelchairs." The Weikels will begin (providing that things are back to some sort of normal, and we all have to anticipate they will be!) setting up the displays in October, although the planning process is already well along, as is the construction of new display pieces and repairs to older ones. Last year the Weikels added a church to the display.

"I work at my business (high end kitchen cabinet refinishing and painting) 7 days a week all year until we turn on the lights on Thanksgiving night." Weikel continues. "We don't charge admission, and the electric bill alone is steep!" The display is open to the public on weekends through Christmas.

"But it's really become our entire life." he says. "Our neighbors enjoy it, and have begun decorating their homes and yards too, and we get tremendous support from the people in Leicester."

Santa is on hand for photos with youngsters most every evening, and some of the characters also on hand include Rudolph, the Grinch, and Snoopy. "We set aside some of the trees to be decorated as "Cancer Trees" that are decorated by visitors with ornaments which often include written notes in honor or memory of a friend or family member who has been affected by cancer." Weikel adds.

The local food pantry sets up across the street selling hot chocolate and cookies. Students do community service by helping at the venue. "We do put out a donation box, and last year raised over $10,000 which we distributed to local charities such as Nazareth House." Weikel says. "We also donate candy canes to Friendly House and other organizations."

"The police details have great fun, talking with our visitors and handing out decals." Weikel states. "Right now, the folks at The Great American Light Fight on ABC are talking with us about our being spotlighted on the show, which would be good for the town of Leicester."

The Weikels have created a non-profit 501(c)3 organization to help defray the costs, particularly the $8000 needed for police details. The Weikels' street becomes one way on weekends throughout the weekends the display is open, and police details are essential. "The support we get is mind-blowing" he exclaims. Anyone interested in donating as a way to support the display, or anyone who wants more information, should visit the Leicester Christmas Display Facebook page.

Myfm 101.3 Brings Joy to Neighborhoods!

MyFm101.3 Brings Joy to Neighborhoods

Radio station Myfm 101.3 is bringing joy and fun to neighborhoods as well as the airwaves through the Myfm 101.3 Rolling Party!

DJ “Johnny on the Drive” ( John Wilbur ) accompanied by coordinator Sue Grady drive the Rolling Party van through neighborhoods and the Main streets of communities from Milford to Westborough, Millbury to Uxbridge to Wrentham, several days per week. The Rolling Parties will continue through June, at least.

The “Rolling Party” slowly makes it way through communities, bringing upbeat music, birthday shout-outs, and bringing meals to people working on the frontlines of the pandemic.  “People come out, and dance in yards, in doorways, and on balconies!” according to MyFm 101.3 Outreach Director Darlene Hayes. “It’s a way for us to support all the communities we serve, and bring some joy to this difficult time.”

For information about upcoming appearances by the “Rolling Party” listen to Myfm 101.3, or visit the station’s Facebook page. 

The LOVE 01760 Project

“The Natick Cultural District is partnering with a number of local artists in creating the LOVE 01760 Project.” Athena Pandolf, Executive Director of the NCD organization says.  “In these days of having to cut back Downtown Natick promotions and events, this project is a way to bring people together in a very real, if not physical, sense.”

Anyone interested is asked to decorate half a heart on paper, then bring or send to an artist studio. Local artists are combining the “half hearts” from different participants’ “half hearts.”  The completed hearts will be laminated, and connected with all the other hearts, and will comprise a large outdoor display that will be located somewhere in Natick Center, at a time that will be determined. 

“The LOVE 01760 Project is also selling special tee shirts, with the proceeds going to the Natick Service Council.” According to Pandolf.  “The Natick Service Council has always been, and continues to be, such an important resource to residents of Natick!”

Information about the tee shirts and the “hearts” projects can be found on the LOVE 01760 Project Facebook page!

The Natick Cultural District organization is also involved in developing promotion ideas for later in the year, as well as the upcoming “Porchfest event” that involves musicians performing live on their Facebook or YouTube pages. 

“We’re very grateful for the support of so many businesses, organizations, and individuals for supporting as well as participating in the organization.” Pandolf continues. “For instance, we recently received a five thousand dollar grant from Mathworks and the Foundation For Metrowest, wonderful community partners, and I’m so very grateful.”

Despite the challenges, Athena Pandolf and everyone associated with the Natick Cultural District and downtown Natick are developing creative ways to bring people together, in-person ( when that become possible) and online. 

RIP Medical Debt

“Americans owe seventy- five billion dollars in medical debt that is in collection and on credit reports!” Craig Antico, co- founder of RIP Medical Debt states.  “That works out to forty- three million Americans who are in medical debt.”

RIP Medical Debt has, since 2014, eliminated one billion dollars of the medical debt owed by Americans who have been often financially crippled by this kind of debt.

A chance encounter RIP Medical Debt’s other co-founder, Jerry Ashton, had with members of the New York City Occupy Movement in 2012 led to the organization’s inception.  Both Antico and Ashton were debt collectors in the medical debt industry, where hospitals and other healthcare professionals pass along debts that they are unable to collect, and those debt portfolios are sold to debt collection companies, usually at pennies on the dollar.

Jerry Ashton

Ashton went outside his office building to learn more about the Occupy Movement, and ended up developing relationships with a number of the Movement’s leaders, some of whom had a specific interest in the crushing weight of medical debt on so many people, from so many income levels, in the nation.   The Occupy leaders moved on to other topics, but Ashton and Antico had learned about the enormity of the problem, and had decided they were, because of their expertise, to evolve from being part of the problem to helping people who often experience financial ruin from medical debts.

“Then we had to figure out how to do that!” Antico says. “We had no non-profit experience, and there was no model to follow.”

Antico and Ashton experimented with ways to help, at very significant financial loss.  “My wife thought I’d lost my mind, as we truly ran through all our savings as we set up this organization, and took out loans.” Antico says.

The organization’s big breakthrough was a report nighttime show host John Oliver presented on his program.  “John Oliver talked about it, and our donations sky-rocketed!” Antico exclaims. Shortly after that, other news outlets such as the New York Times, CBS, The New Yorker, and others, began spotlighting RIP Medical Debt, and donations flowed, along with interest from associations and faith -based organizations who raised funds for RIP Medical Debt.

“We still conduct no outbound fundraising.” Antico states. “People will see a news story about us, and appreciate the extent of this very real crisis for families of all income brackets and demographic groupings around the country, and work with us to create a fundraising campaign.” The organization’s fundraising has doubled and tripled every year over the past four years.
For every ten dollars raised, RIP Medical Debt is able to eliminate about one thousand dollars in debt through purchasing that debt in the debt market.

“So far, roughly five hundred thousand families have had their debt eliminated!” Antico continues.  “We send the family or individual a yellow envelope, which contains the surprise, the news that their medical debt is gone!”

“This is a random act of kindness.” Antico explains.  “Our recipients are selected randomly, sometimes because the association or faith-based organization requests that people in a geographic area receive this assistance, sometimes because the folks raising funds belong to a group, such as the Massachusetts Nurses Association, who raise fifteen thousand dollars that was used to assist nurses in the state who had this kind of debt, or because the folks raising funds for us were specific to an illness or condition, and people who have that illness or condition.”

But the people at RIP Medical Debt never know specifically who they are assisting, with families and individuals selected without knowing names, strictly on the basis of data pulled together within the general perimeters.

“We’d encourage anyone, any association, foundation, or faith-based organization to contact us and discuss how they can be of our efforts to eliminate the next billion dollars in debt!” Antico says.

“We’re still working with just a small percentage of hospitals and healthcare providers, and really have just begun letting people know about what we do!”

“The Coronavirus will, sadly, affect so many individuals and families, and a percentage of those folks will incur medical debt through having to undergo treatments they have no health insurance to cover, and we anticipate an increase in the levels of medical debt throughout this year.” He says. “So we’re looking for more people to join our work!”

For additional information, or to learn more about how to organize a fundraising campaign, please visit their website: www.ripmedicaldebt.org.

Fitness Asylum --Adapting to the Virus Crisis

As part of my series highlighting ways businesses, organizations, and congregations are adapting to life in the midst of the pandemic, I interviewed Bonnie LeFrak, owner of four Fitness Asylum facilities in Central Massachusetts and the Metrowest.  Bonnie's Fitness Asylums have been a successful, popular business and program for years now, and Bonnie also plays a role in the INBF Northeast Classic, a major competition for male and female amateur bodybuilders, held in Worcester.

"We've had to pivot our business, and have been able to keep the majority of our members because of the services and programs we are now providing." LeFrak says.  "We are helping people via Facebook Live, Zoom, and other online media."

Through utilizing all these internet based mediums, LeFrak and her staff have been able to offer a Kid's Boot Camp; Storytime for Children, Cooking programs focused on teaching and encouraging learning how to cook and prepare good tasting healthy meals, a Dance Party, and other entertaining but educational projects.

LeFrak has used the Facebook page: Fitness Asylum Community Page to "hold / host" her physical training. "Our page, which we've managed for quite some time, used to be informational, now it's also about providing health and help." Lefrak suggests.  "We're communicating with a number of people who are stressed out, using food and alcohol to to deal with the often overwhelming stress this crisis has brought on."

Through the Facebook page, members have access to live workouts, and find a great deal of encouragement. "We've been offering special programs online, such as our 30 Day Sprint Nutrition program, and have lowered the price for both members and non-members." she continues. "The responses we've been getting about this program have been so very positive!"

"My team has been, and continues to be agile in developing changes through this crisis." LeFrak suggests.  "We found ways to give people what they need, coaching as well as a community."

LeFrak and her team are developing additional virtual classes and training. "We've been able to support parents, teachers, healthcare workers, and many of our neighbors who all have one big thing in common, a need to stay healthy and work out."

"This pandemic is going to change a lot of things for businesses, and every business is going to have to be relationship based, which we always have been." LeFrak says. "We used to do a lot of one to one training, then stopped doing much of that, and now people may ask us to do more of that, in their homes."    Every business, including hers, has to consider how to serve clients / customers, probably in very new ways.

Since 2014, LeFrak has been involved with helping members participate in Bikini Boot Camp and bodybuilding competitions, including the INBF Northeast Classic.  "The event was planned for June 21st at Worcester State College, and even with the pandemic, we had about 85 people register, which was down from the usual 300, but still, about 85 men and women were hoping to participate." she states.  The event timing / date is, at the moment, up in the air. 

"We're still working with people who want to participate, holding posing classes on Zoom for instance, as well as providing diet, nutrition, and exercise assistance." she says.

The Fitness Asylum is adapting to changing conditions, and will continue to do so.  Every business is going to have to do the same.

Editor's Note:  I'll work to provide updated information about this competition as it becomes available.

Airports in the Crisis

Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis is one busy man!   In addition to running the jail and a number of recovery and crime / addiction prevention programs around Worcester County, Sheriff Evangelidis is also Massport Board Chair.  In that capacity, Evangelidis and the Board oversee both Worcester and Logan airports, and the Port of Boston.

The coronavirus crisis has dramatically affected the operations at all the Massport facilities. A

“At Worcester Airport, we’ve seen a 75% decrease in passenger counts, and that number is trending downward.” Evangelidis states. “As of the moment, the New York flights are still leaving in the morning, and returning in the evenings.”  Flights to Florida are now running on alternate days, and flights to other destinations are not running as regularly.

“Some flights have been cancelled because no passengers purchase tickets.” Evangelidis continues. “This is consistent with the trends at airports around the United States, especially the smaller airports.”

“But we’ve made a 100 million dollar investment in Worcester Airport, and we’re going to see this through!” Evangelidis states.  “We’ve been through downturns before, such as after the 9-11 attacks, and we will rebound again.”   The Massport Board and staff are preparing strategic plans based on 3 possible alternatives affecting all the Massport operations. One alternative is a rapid decline in passenger and freight which also translates to revenue, followed by a rapid incline. The next is a rapid decline followed by a slower, perhaps year-long incline. The other alternative strategic plan is based on a rapid decline followed by a very slow, perhaps 5 year, rebound. 

Logan Airport has seen a similar 75% decrease in passenger loads, and that continues to trend downward. “We’d anticipated going from about 37 million passengers to about 43 million in 2020, Evangelidis says. “Clearly, those numbers won’t be approached.”

“We’ve invested 100’s of millions of dollars into the airports and the Post of Boston” Evangelidis continues. “The Port and the airports involve hundreds of jobs, the delivery of produce and products, and a number of construction projects, a lot of moving parts that benefit all of Central and Eastern Massachusetts, in fact the entire state.” Massport’s investments have generated growth in cruise lines that sail to and from Boston, as well as freight ships that bring products to the port, and leave with freight.

While there was no way to anticipate the coronavirus plague, Evangelidis and the Massport Board and leadership are doing what they can to plan for a return to the success the Port of Boston, Logan, and Worcester airports were experiencing.  As Evangelidis said, we all just have to see it through. 

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