News from our members
Comeketo Brazilian Steakhouse of Leominster has launched Comeketo Essentials Online Pop Market – delivering essential products straight to your door. Be their first 10 shoppers & get a $10 gift card for a dine in experience when they reopen to the public! SHOP NOW
Donations part of multi-tiered approach to provide customers with financial assistance
HAMPTON, N.H., April 1, 2020 — Unitil Corporation, (unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, has donated $225,000 to help customers with their utility bills and other pressing needs during this difficult time.
Unitil has created the Unitil Customer Assistance & Recovery Effort (U-CARE) Fund and has donated $150,000 directly to Community Action Programs (CAPs) working locally in Unitil’s service territories to provide direct utility assistance to residential customers impacted by COVID-19 related job loss or reduced wages. The remaining $75,000 will be donated to COVID-19 based programs at agencies, such as the United Way, to combat food insecurity, homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse, while also supporting first responders where we can.
“As an organization, we care deeply about the well-being of our customers,” Unitil CEO and President Tom Meissner said. “The creation of this fund is part of a comprehensive plan designed to give families and businesses as much support as possible as the economic impact of the fight against this virus comes into focus.”
On top of the donations, Unitil has made the following commitments to its customers:
Unitil urges all customers with financial challenges to reach out to their local CAP Agency or our own representatives at 1-888-301-7700 so we can provide assistance to get families through this ongoing crisis.
About Unitil Corporation
Unitil Corporation provides energy for life by safely and reliably delivering natural gas and electricity in New England. We are committed to the communities we serve and to developing people, business practices and technologies that lead to dependable, more efficient energy. Unitil Corporation is a public utility holding company with operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Together, Unitil’s operating utilities serve approximately 106,000 electric customers and 83,600 natural gas customers. For more information about our people, technologies and community involvement please visit unitil.com.
At a special meeting on Thursday, March 26, the Clinton Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to make $150,000 available from the town’s Community Development Fund to create a Small Business Resiliency Program to assist Clinton’s small businesses absorb financial impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 State of Emergency.
Loans of up to $5,000 are available, subject to the availability of funds. Requests for larger amounts may be considered on a case- by-case basis.
“Small businesses, which are historically sensitive to interruptions of cash flow, have been meaningfully affected by the ongoing State of Emergency,” said Clinton Community and Economic Development Director Philip Duffy. “The intent of this program is to get this money out quickly. It’s likely that larger assistance from the federal government will be arriving at some point. In the meantime, we want to address the needs of some of our businesses that are under stress right now, to make sure they’re still here when this is all over.”
Businesses located in Clinton, as evidenced by a commercial lease or mortgage, or Clinton businesses that, in addition to the owner, withhold payroll taxes for at least one employee are eligible.
Small Business Resiliency assistance targets financial impacts of COVID-19 from March 10 to April 30, 2020, including:
If approved, eligible Clinton businesses can use this funding for such things as:
For a loan application and more information, including criteria for consideration and loan terms, GO HERE.
Questions about the program should be directed to:
Phillip Duffy
Director, Community and Economic Development Office
242 Church Street Clinton, MA 01510
978-365-4113
cedo@clintonma.gov
Leominster/Fitchburg, MA (March 26, 2020) – Rollstone Bank & Trust today announced it will donate an initial $19,000 to communities it serves to help cope with burdens resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
The money will be earmarked for meeting critical needs of some of the most vulnerable members of the community, including children and the elderly.
“This is a time when we all must pull together, and we at Rollstone are determined to do our part,” said Martin F. Connors Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust, “We are an integral part of the community and we are compelled to support those who need it most.”
Connors reached out to leaders from across the region to identify gaps in critical services and found that the need varies from town to town. Funds for the City of Leominster will help provide internet access to students so they can continue learning remotely, while the Fitchburg Public Schools will use their grant to provide meals to students and families. Additional funding will also be provided to Montachusett Opportunity Council (MOC), Loaves & Fishes, Townsend Ecumenical Outreach (TEO), and the Gardner Community Action Committee (CAC) for food as well as personal care and other essential items. Connors said he hopes Rollstone’s donations will help improve the lives of many people across the area.
The Rollstone Charitable Foundation is also accepting donations from other individuals and organizations that wish to support the community effort. Donations can be sent to Rollstone Charitable Foundation, 24 Monument Square, Leominster, MA 01453. Checks should have “COVID-19 Relief Fund” in the memo line of the check.
“I encourage anyone who can to donate to this effort,” Connors said.
About Rollstone Bank & Trust
At Rollstone Bank & Trust, we deliver personalized service that goes above & beyond. Our dedication to providing our customers with superior bank and wealth management solutions, along with the support they need to prosper at work and at home, has enabled us to build one of the most trusted banks in the region. With branches located throughout central Massachusetts, customers have peace of mind knowing we are FDIC & DIF insured, and never far from home. Rollstone Bank & Trust – it’s where you matter most.
First batch of hand sanitizer produced in Revolutionary Clinics’ Fitchburg-based cultivation facility to be delivered Monday
FITCHBURG, March 27, 2020 — Revolutionary Clinics, one of the state’s leading providers of medical marijuana, has begun producing hand sanitizer at its cultivation facility in Fitchburg to be donated free of charge to Massachusetts hospitals with the initial batch of 35 gallons to be donated Monday, March 30. Regular cannabis operations will continue alongside and separately from the hand sanitizer production. This initiative is being carried out to support local health care clinicians’ ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and is key component of a broader hand sanitizer partnership between the Commonwealth Dispensary Association (CDA), of which Revolutionary Clinics is a member, and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA).
“I am proud of a Fitchburg-based operation making a pivot from its usual activities to support the fight against COVID-19. Revolutionary Clinics is a prime example of how businesses can leverage their resources to help our communities tackle this pandemic together,” said Stephen L. DiNatale, Mayor of Fitchburg. “Efforts like this demonstrate the potential for good that exists when all members of the community band together to face these historic challenges.”
The COVID-19 outbreak has created a shortage in the availability of medical supplies, including hand sanitizer. While the production of hand sanitizer is not overly sophisticated, the materials involved are expensive and it requires specialized equipment. Given the distillation processes that regularly happen at cannabis cultivation facilities, these operations are well-suited to produce hand sanitizer. A public health emergency order issued by Department of Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, on March 23rd officially granted cannabis operators the authority to produce hand sanitizer for clinicians and health facilities. On March 30th, Revolutionary Clinics will deliver its initial batch of 35 gallons of hand sanitizer to be distributed to local hospitals. The next round, 80-90 gallons, will be ready for delivery by the end of the week.
“In a very difficult time for people across the globe, we felt it was incumbent upon us to step up and use our infrastructure and our know-how to support those who are on the front lines of fighting this pandemic, our health care workers,” said Keith Cooper, CEO of Revolutionary Clinics. “I am extremely proud of our employees who have enthusiastically embraced this project in addition to our continued mission of serving our medical patients and I would also like to give credit to my fellow CDA Board Member, John Hillier of Central Ave. Compassionate Care and Gage Cannabis for bringing this initiative to our attention. The cannabis community is passionate about doing good in our neighborhood and we are always looking for opportunities to do so.”
The production of hand sanitizer at Revolutionary Clinics’ Fitchburg-based cultivation facility is being carried out by Lab Team members Stephen Golden, Danielle Desmond, David Nunes, Ryan Corrazini and Evan Lambert under the supervision of lab manager and Vice President of Product Dan Gillan using protocols and standard operating procedures provided by members of MHA. Gillan estimates that the facility can produce upwards of 200 gallons of hand sanitizer per week that can be fully donated to hospitals. To facilitate the production, Revolutionary Clinics applied the World Health Organization’s guidelines to its cannabis machinery and will fill five gallon jugs so that the hand sanitizer can be transported for use in hospitals. All ingredients were sourced and paid for by Revolutionary Clinics. Hand sanitizer inventory will be transported to Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency for distribution to individual hospitals.
“Recognizing the massive and immediate demand for medical supplies, the biggest challenge for us was getting set up to start producing as quickly as possible so that we could get hand sanitizer to hospitals,” said Dan Gillan, Vice President of Product at Revolutionary Clinics. “Securing the necessary raw ingredients required a couple of days and a couple hundred phone calls to suppliers. After accumulating what was needed, we converted our ethanol extraction laboratory from cannabis extraction to hand sanitizer production and created a sanitary work environment. Since our standard operational needs for cannabis extraction meant that we already had about 90 percent of what it took to produce hand sanitizer, it was a no brainer for us to take on this effort once we were given the go-ahead. The entire team is excited and humbled by the ability to step up and do this for our health care system during such a critical time.”
Earlier this month, Revolutionary Clinics announced that it will donate two percent of all sales through April 20 to the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund which was activated to support residents in Cambridge affected by COVID-19. Revolutionary Clinics currently operates three locations in Somerville and Cambridge and has served Massachusetts medical marijuana patients since 2017 and supports the arts and a host of local charities through its corporate social responsibility program, Cannabis with a Conscience.
About Revolutionary Clinics
Revolutionary Clinics is harnessing the positive power of the emerging cannabis industry to raise the standard for alternative care and generate economic opportunity across Massachusetts. At its three registered marijuana dispensaries in Cambridge and Somerville, Revolutionary Clinics provides the highest quality medical marijuana products and the very best in patient care, and was named best medical dispensary in the state by its peers in 2019. Its state-of-the-art cultivation facility in Fitchburg, Mass. is the largest in the state and supplies over 25 retail establishments with sought-after products and flower. Revolutionary Clinics employs more than 170 colleagues across its manufacturing and retail operations and generated tens of thousands of dollars in tax revenue for Massachusetts’ communities in 2019. Through its corporate social responsibility program, Cannabis with a Conscience, Revolutionary Clinics joins with a range of partners in supporting healthy lives and vulnerable populations, advancing community revitalization efforts through philanthropy and public-private partnerships, and promoting diversity within the cannabis industry. Learn more at RevolutionaryClinics.org.
Princeton, MA, March 26, 2020 – To celebrate the release of its new coloring and activity book, Let’s Go with NEADS Service Dogs Arnie and Zara, NEADS will be donating 1 copy for every book purchased to Franciscan Children’s Hospital (up to 200 copies). Written and designed by Lori Barrett, NEADS Creative Media Specialist, this fun and educational “A to Z” activity/coloring book is centered around words and phrases related to Service Dogs and is ideal for children ages 4-10. Let’s Go can be purchased online through the NEADS Shop.
NEADS anticipates great community support for this initiative and will make an advance delivery of books next week.
“While our day-to-day focus is making sure NEADS dogs and staff continue to be safe and healthy, NEADS wanted to do something to bring joy in these uncertain times,” says Cathy Zemaitis, NEADS Director of Development. “We realize that having children at home unexpectedly can be challenging, and we hope Let’s Go will be a welcome diversion. And people who buy the books can feel good that they’re also helping children in need. NEADS Assistance Dog Marcus works at Franciscan Children’s, so the hospital was a logical partner.”
“Like other hospitals, we’ve had to put strict visitor policies in place due to COVID-19,” says Matthew Lynch, Communications Specialist, Franciscan Children’s. “This will certainly help bring a light to our patients’ lives when they may be receiving fewer visitors than normal, and for that we are so grateful.”
About NEADS Inc.
NEADS Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Princeton, Massachusetts. Established in 1976, NEADS offers the widest array of Service Dog programs in the industry, including Service Dogs for adults and children with a physical disability, Service Dogs for veterans, Service Dogs for Hearing, and Service Dogs for children with autism or other developmental disabilities. NEADS dogs are also partnered with professionals in classroom, therapy, hospital, ministry, and courthouse settings. For more information, please visit neads.org.
About Franciscan Children’s
Since 1949, Franciscan Children’s has served children and adolescents with complex medical, mental health, and special educational needs. As the largest provider of pediatric mental healthcare in Massachusetts and the only solely pediatric post-acute hospital in New England, we are a critical link in the region’s healthcare system.
Open for Emergency Care In Fitchburg
We want the surrounding communities of Fitchburg to know that Watkin Dental Associates is open for Emergency Care.
If you are experiencing a dental emergency please take the following steps:
Our office is located at:
26 Whalon St.
Fitchburg, MA 01420
At this time we are open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8am – 12pm noon.
ECi Stores of Leominster, MA (which includes Cutie Patuties, Cutiques, CP & Company, and Q) have launched an online shopping experience for virtual shoppers at the comfort of your own home. We strongly encourage to support this wonderful community leader.
Hello Neighbors,
Let’s give this a try… I’m Barbara. Chef and Owner of Eating In. A personal chef and catering service based here in Leominster. Like so many of my colleagues in the food service industry along with countless others, my business has come to a grinding halt with this situation.
I can still cook and we know you still need to eat.
My proposal is simple, I will open TODAY, Tuesday (March 24) from 3-6pm, for pick up of delicious house made vegetarian chili (gluten free ) with a few toppings and a side of cornbread. Typically I would charge $12.00 per quart for the chili. Instead, I’m asking you pay as you are able. If you’re stuck right now, no questions asked, take what you need. If possible, a little extra to help cover those in more need.
If this experiment works, and I know it will, look for more offerings in the coming weeks.
I believe in my community to make this happen.
See you Tuesday @
Eating In
12A Lindell Ave, Leominster, MA 01453
Knock on the side door, I’ll come to you
Looking forward to meeting all of you, all be it from a distance.
Barbara
978.242.2519
barbara@eatingin.biz
PS for now, cash is king, no credit cards
Owner, Maggie Surette, helps businesses create practical training programs to improve employee retention and boost company morale.
M.E.S. Consulting is offering a FREE easy course so you can begin taking action during this Coronavirus pandemic, and come out of it on the upside.