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Immigrant mask makers provide pandemic PPE
The im2: Immigrant Mask Makers of Western Massachusetts team. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
An assortment of masks made by the im2: Immigrant Mask Makers of Western Massachusetts team. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
A seamstress with im2: Immigrant Mask Makers of Western Massachusetts works at a sewing machine. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Published: 3/1/2021 3:43:37 PM
NORTHAMPTON When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the U.S. last March, lockdowns left many without jobs, while public safety measures created a scramble for face masks to protect against virus transmission.
A Northampton-based group, im2: Immigrant Mask Makers of Western Massachusetts, soon went to work creating masks and jobs during the crisis. Today, the team, consisting of 16 immigrant women and co-founders Amy Ben-Ezra and Allie Aguirre, have sewn and coordinated the creation of hundreds of masks.
Editorial: Meeting hunger needs
Volunteers at Stone Soup Cafe and members of the Greenfield Police and Fire departments unload food boxes to be distributed at Stone Soup Cafe on Main Street. STAFF FILE PHOTO/MARY BYRNE
Published: 2/28/2021 7:08:22 AM
A few years ago, Congressman Jim McGovern toured the region’s farms touting an initiative that would allow those who received a food budget through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to spend their benefits buying fresh produce at local farmers’ markets.
It was an innovative approach to meeting the nutritional needs of vulnerable populations creative, but unsurprising, given the region’s affinity for compassion, especially when it comes to those facing food insecurity.
Immigrant mask makers provide pandemic PPE
The im2: Immigrant Mask Makers of Western Massachusetts team. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
An assortment of masks made by the im2: Immigrant Mask Makers of Western Massachusetts team. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
A seamstress with im2: Immigrant Mask Makers of Western Massachusetts works at a sewing machine. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Published: 2/21/2021 7:09:31 PM
NORTHAMPTON When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the U.S. last March, lockdowns left many without jobs, while public safety measures created a scramble for face masks to protect against virus transmission.
A Northampton group, im2: Immigrant Mask Makers of Western Massachusetts, soon after went to work creating masks and jobs during the crisis. Today, the team, consisting of 16 immigrant women and co-founders Amy Ben-Ezra and Allie Aguirre, have sewn and coordinated the creation of hundreds of masks.
McGovern: Models for combating hunger ‘are here in Franklin County’
Community Action Pioneer Valley employee Tatyana Pirozhkov bags fruits and vegetables to be distributed at the Center for Self-Reliance Food Pantry, which was previously operated out of Federal Street School in Greenfield. The pantry has since moved to the former World Eye Bookshop space. STAFF FILE PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ
Volunteers and staff prepare vegan meals at the Stone Soup Cafe in Greenfield. STAFF FILE PHOTO
People line up outside the Stone Soup Cafe in Greenfield for a to-go meal. STAFF FILE PHOTO
McGOVERN
Published: 2/5/2021 4:14:45 PM
While hunger continues to be a “huge” issue in Franklin County and beyond, and there’s still a long way to go to solve it, those working on finding a solution feel that Franklin County might serve as a model for other communities across the nation.