News & Impact

In late September, resident advisors (RAs) from the Public Health Institute of Western MA gathered at Regreen Springfield for a Peer-to-Peer Learning Workshop. RAs from the following 5 coalitions shared successes, challenges, and key learnings. A team of RAs representing each initiative led presentations that sparked dialogue, allowing everyone to learn from one another, ask questions, and deepen their understanding of community efforts. Intergenerational Social Connections (ISC): Focuses on bringing youth and older adults together in Springfield to reduce loneliness, build relationships, and strengthen community across generations. Live Well Springfield Climate Change & Health Equity (CCHE): Focuses on advancing community choice energy for Springfield, creating strategies to address extreme heat, and developing a new Climate Change Action Plan for the city. Live Well Springfield Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI): Focuses on addressing Springfield’s housing needs by improving housing conditions, increasing affordability, and expanding opportunities for homeownership. Healthy Air Network: Focuses on monitoring air quality, exploring transportation issues, developing an innovative app, and tackling climate change challenges. The workshop also served as a warm welcome and orientation for new RAs joining the committees, especially our new Parent Advisors for the Youth Mental Health Coalition (YMHC), which is focused on youth mental health and problem gambling prevention. This was the largest cohort of resident advisors for the Public Health Institute and Live Well Springfield yet.

Samantha Hamilton Named A Pathbreaker by the Kresge Foundation

H ousing Resource Fair Recap

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This month, Live Well Springfield Coalition proudly served as the host site for the National Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) Learning Institute at the Marriott Hotels and Conference Center in Downtown Springfield. The event brought together grantees from nine awarded sites across the country, with participants traveling from as far as Illinois, California, and Michigan. Led by our national Trinity Health partners, Jaime Dircksen , Vice President of Community Health and Well-Being, and Beth Geno-Otto , Manager of Operations & Community Initiatives, the conference provided a dynamic peer-learning environment. Grantees shared best practices and strategies for addressing community-based challenges through a policy, systems, and environmental change framework, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange across sites. Across the nine sites, grantees are tackling critical issues such as housing, food security, neighborhood safety, and mental health. These focus areas were identified through an inclusive, community-driven process following a review of each hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment and additional local assessments conducted over the past two years. During the three-day conference, attendees were welcomed by Jessica Collins , Executive Director of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) , along with Robert Roose , President of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, CT, and Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, CT. Dan Keenan, Vice President of Government Relations for Trinity Health of New England, also provided remarks. Additional special guests included PHIWM Board President Luz Lopez , Board Chair Dr. Edna Rodriguez , and Valerie L. Powell-Stafford , President of Saint Francis Hospital and Syed A. Hussain , MD Chief Clinical Officer. As part of the conference, grantees participated in three community tours across Hartford, Springfield, and Holyoke, each focused on key issues: housing, food access, and mental health. These tours were coordinated by local community sites with support from grassroots organizations working within their respective coalitions. Highlights from the tours included: A visit to Wellspring Harvest Greenhouse , where Trinity Health’s initial investment through the first round of TCI funding helped provide low-interest loans to support community development. A stop at Gardening the Community and Farm Store , where youth leaders discussed urban agriculture and preparations for the spring planting season. A thought-provoking conversation on housing development led by Keith Fairey, CEO and President of Way Finders . We extend our deepest gratitude to the many organizations that welcomed grantees and shared both the challenges and successes of their work, including Arise for Social Justice , Neighbor 2 Neighbor , Gardening the Community , Wellspring Harvest Cooperative , the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts , Revitalize CDC , and Way Finders . Our community partners showcased their dedication to creating safe, sustainable housing, advocating for tenant rights, and ensuring that families have access to healthy homes and thriving neighborhoods. Their work uplifts communities, allowing residents to live in safe, stable environments where they can grow and thrive. As the conference came to a close, Jaime Dircksen shared her heartfelt gratitude and underscored the importance of continuing this work, despite the challenges posed by the current political climate. Trinity Health remains steadfast in its commitment to investing in the nine sites throughout the remaining three years of this five-year grant. Together, we will continue building healthier, stronger communities through collective action and shared vision.

Program Manager for Green and Resilient Springfield

Over the past six years, the Age-Friendly Coalition has dedicated its efforts to gaining insights into the challenges and needs of older adults in relation to housing, transportation, and community support. The report “Healthy Aging with a Criminal Record in Hampden County MA: A Health Impact Assessment,” (HIA) revealed that older adults have been denied housing due to having a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORIs) despite these records being decades old. This obstacle has made it challenging for many older adults to access stable housing. The HIA includes six potential policy changes to help older adults with CORIs secure housing: Establish formal partnerships between housing and service providers; Limit tenant selection criteria to the two types of convictions that HUD denies; Allow applicants to submit evidence of mitigating circumstances before denial; Create explicit criteria for denial that is available publicly; Share statistics about denials; Allow family members to house people with a CORI. Housing is essential to a person’s overall well-being. Securing housing is pivotal for a successful reentry into the community. Advocacy is needed to address the life-long barriers a CORI creates, especially for older adults. Because of this, the Point32Health Foundation provided an additional $94,000 grant to Live Well Springfield to advocate for “clean slate” legislation. The Clean Slate Initiative is a national coalition working with community-based organizations across the country to pass and implement laws that automatically seal the records of people who are eligible, and expand eligibility. The Age-Friendly Coalition, Men of Color Health Awareness , and New North Citizens Council have joined the Clean Slate Initiative with the goal of making Massachusetts the thirteenth state to enact these types of legislation. This would help change the lives of tens of thousands of people in the Commonwealth. To join the movement contact Andrea Freeman .

Mural in the North End of Springfield by World Renowned Artist Betsy Casañas

On May 31, the Live Well Springfield Age-friendly Coalition , in collaboration with the Aging Unbound Department of Alder Affairs Outreach Division , hosted an Age-friendly Health and Tech Showcase for over 125 older adult residents and community participants at the Raymond A. Jordan Senior Center. In the morning attendees participated in two workshops for older adults and caregivers. Tech Spring and Live Well Springfield hosted a workshop with 30 - 40 older adults and caregivers to understand their motivation and hesitation about health solutions at home. The Alliance for Digital Equity hosted the second workshop introducing a cyber senior peer-to-peer model. Participants had the opportunity to visit vendors specializing in health, tech, wellness, and the digital divide throughout the duration of the event. Attendees heard remarks from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Commissioner of Health and Human Services Helen Caulton-Harris, State Representative Bud L. Williams, Public Health Institute's Executive Director Jessica Collins, and Eliana Gutierrez of the Department of Elder Affairs. Press Coverage : Masslive: Age-Friendly Health and Tech Showcase in Springfield WWPL 22 News Age-Friendly Health and Tech Showcase in Springfield Mayor Sarno, HHS Commissioner Caulton-Harris, State Representative Williams and City Councilor Walsh attend Public Health Institute Special Age-Friendly Health and Tech Showcase Highlights from our event can be seen below in our recap video.