The Caring Force State House Rally was bookended by two impactful events that underscored the strength and solidarity of the human services sector: the Providers of Central Massachusetts’ 34th Annual Legislative Breakfast on May 2 in Worcester, and the MetroWest Human Services Advocacy Coalition’s 21st Annual Legislative Breakfast on May 9 in Framingham.
The Central Massachusetts breakfast was hosted by The Arc’s Center of Hope Foundation and supported by Advocates, the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers (ADDP), CENTRO, Community Resources for Justice, Justice Resource Institute, Kennedy-Donovan Center, LUK, Inc., Open Sky Community Services, Pernet Family Health Service, Seven Hills Foundation, The Arc of Massachusetts, The Arc of Opportunity in North Central Massachusetts, The Caring Force, Thrive Support & Advocacy, and Venture Community Services.
After recorded remarks from Senator Ed Markey, speakers included Sean Rose, President & CEO of Thrive Support & Advocacy; Maura Sullivan, President & CEO of The Arc of Massachusetts; and Bill Yelenak, President & CEO of the Providers’ Council. The keynote was delivered by Chair of Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Senator Michael Rodrigues.
Central Massachusetts agencies, alongside regional legislators, honored dedicated workers within their organizations with awards.
The full list of awardees were: Deb Van Dyke, Senior Program Manager, Advocates Unsung Hero in Advocacy Award; Jake Bartlett, Case Manager, LUK Exceptional Advocate Award; Tony Sumbury, Individual Support Case Manager, Kennedy-Donovan Center Impact for Life Award; Patrick Tucker, Fiscal Contract Manager, Venture Community Services Legacy Award; Patti Linenkemper, Direct Support Professional, Seven Hills Foundation Heart of Humanity Award; Sean Cristofri, Director of Transportation, Pillar of Service Award; Wilson Chama, Individual Support Services, Arc Ripple Effect Award; Shauna Lamoureux, Program Coordinator, Open Sky Compassion in Action Award; Damaris Mercado, Care Manager, Advocates Heart Award; and Susan Kibe, Family Support Coordinator, Thrive Hands of Service Award.
Legislators who supported the award distribution included Rep. Natalie Higgins (4th Worcester), Rep. Michael Kushmerek (3rd Worcester), Rep. David LaBouef (17th Worcester), Rep. John Marsi (6th Worcester) Rep. Joseph Mckenna (18th Worcester), Sen. Peter Durant (Worcester, Hamp, Hampsh, Middlesex), Sen. Ryan Fattman (Worcester & Norfolk), Sen. Robyn Kennedy (1st Worcester), and Sen. Michael Moore (2nd Worcester).
The MetroWest Human Services Advocacy Coalition (MWHSAC) hosted its 21st annual legislative breakfast on Friday, May 9. The event, which was held atNevins Hall in Framingham’s Memorial Building, was convened by local agencies and initiatives including Advocates, Behavioral Health Partners of MetroWest, Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, Justice Resource Institute, South Middlesex Opportunity Council, The Caring Force, and Wayside Youth & Family Support Network. Approximately 200 guests attended this year’s event, which celebrated two decades of partnership and legislative milestones with a theme of “Strong and Resilient: Together for the Community.”
Charlie Sisitsky, Mayor of the City of Framingham, kicked off this year’s event with welcome remarks, while Phillip Gonzalez, President/CEO of MetroWest Health Foundation served as program emcee.
Diane Gould, President and CEO of Advocates, presented this year’s Bill Taylor Outstanding Human Service Professional awards. The day’s first awards went to Kettia Alexander, a Care Coordinator for Advocates’ Community Behavioral Health Center (ABHC) program. Kettia came to Massachusetts from Haiti at 20 years old, not knowing how to speak English. She worked hard to build a life here and has used her personal experiences to create a positive impact on the lives of each person and family she has worked with.
The second award winner, Amira Elamri, is a member of the Rapid Resettlement Housing Team at Jewish Family Services (JFS) of MetroWest. Amira, who fled war-torn Damascus in 2013, enduring bombings and death threats before arriving in the US and settling in Massachusetts, has a deeply personal commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable populations, particularly refugees.
The day’s third award was presented to the Advocates Community Behavioral Health Center’s (CBHC) Framingham Outpatient Team. Team members were praised for going far beyond their required tasks, such as finding a therapist who can go to a school or an afterschool program for a child who needs to build their communication skills, make friends and strengthen their confidence and coping skills.
The event also featured Courtney Chavez, a Mobile Outreach Specialist at Advocates. As the event’s lived experience speaker, Courtney shared her personal story of finding her calling as a Human Services worker, why the work is important, and gave powerful testimony on the need for increasing wages for workers in the human services field.
The event concluded with a panel of local legislators who spoke about their legislative priorities, particularly as they relate to human services. Panelists included Sen. Jamie Eldridge (Middlesex and Worcester County), Rep. Kate Donaghue (19th Worcester), Rep. Carmine Gentile (13th Middlesex), Rep. Danielle Gregoire (4th Middlesex), Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis (7th Middlesex), Rep. David Linsky (5th Middlesex), Rep. Brian Murray (10th Worcester), Rep. Dan Sena (37th Middlesex), and Rep. Priscila Sousa (6th Middlesex). Issues discussed included improved wages for human service workers, affordable housing, and immigration.
Each event gathered close to 300 participants to advocate for our legislative agenda and The Caring Force distributed gold t-shirts and other materials to get attendees engaged.
Rally with The Caring Force in your area soon:
- Merrimack Valley TCF Regional Rally: June 6, 2025, Haverhill, MA, RSVP here.
- Western MA TCF Regional Rally: September 19, 2025, Westfield, MA, RSVP here.
- Metro Boston TCF Regional Rally: September 26, 2025, Boston, MA, RSVP here.
- South Coast TCF Regional Rally: Planning for Fall 2025
See our photo gallery from the events below!
