Last Friday, September 19, more than 250 members of The Caring Force gathered at Westfield State University for the final regional rally of 2025. The event blended celebration and advocacy, recognizing human services professionals across Western Massachusetts while calling for fair wages and student loan relief.
The rally was organized by seven dedicated organizations: 18 Degrees, Berkshire Family & Individual Resources (BFAIR), Gándara Center, Justice Resource Institute (JRI), Key Program, Mental Health Association (MHA), and Viability.
Stephanie Steed, president and CEO of 18 Degrees and chair of The Caring Force, served as MC. “Today marks the final stop in our statewide rally series,” said Steed. “We’ve come together with a clear message: human services workers deserve fair pay, fair funding, and recognition for the essential work they do every day.”
Two human services workers shared powerful testimonies highlighting the need for legislative action on An act relative to a loan repayment program for human service workers and An act relative to a livable wage for human services workers.
Robert Wild from Viability, both a worker and person-served, shared his mental health journey and financial struggles. “In this field we have many difficulties,” said Wild. “There is legislation to ease student loan burdens and give human service employees a living wage. I support both efforts and hope they become law.”
Yamila Sycz from Gándara Center, an immigrant from Argentina, described barriers to career advancement due to different certification requirements and visa restrictions. “I’m feeling trapped without a clear horizon for my career,” said Sycz. “The barriers to higher education and low wages impact my professional future and the community we serve.”
Four legislators delivered strong messages of support for The Caring Force:
- Senator John Velis (Hampden and Hampshire)
- Representative Shirley Arriaga (8th Hampden)
- Representative Carlos González (10th Hampden)
- Representative Mindy Domb (3rd Hampshire), livable wage bill sponsor
“You are helping vulnerable human beings, and that’s a beautiful thing,” said Senator Velis, sharing his own experience receiving help during his addiction struggles.
The final part of the programming was the Baby QT Raffle. A rally attendee who signed up for The Caring Force was randomly selected to win Baby QT, a mini-version of our Caring Bear Award that we give to legislators at the State House Rally each year.
The rally concluded with music, photos, and dancing, marking the end of the 2025 regional series. If you are interested in getting involved in our 2026 regional rallies, contact Isabella A. Lee at ilee@providers.org.
Read the coverage we received from MassLive about our rally!
Check out some of our favorite moments in the photos below.
