Nonotuck’s Neighborhood MARCH 2026
Our Northampton and Easthampton offices came together around the holidays to celebrate the season with bowling and lunch!
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s we mo e toward the end of arch and welcome the early signs of spring this season offers a natural moment to reflect on growth both in the world around us and within our community at Nonotuc pring is often associated with renewal and throughout this past month we ha e seen that spirit reflected in the wor happening across our organi ation rom celebrating the accomplishments of our own staff to strengthening the systems that support our wor each step forward is grounded in our shared commitment to the people we support and to one another Our recent piece on staff promotions from the past year demonstrates the importance of commitment recogni ing the dedication of staff who grow alongside Nonotuc and continue to build meaningful relationships within our community e also share the successful completion of our SharePoint transition an effort that reflects not only growth but collaboration and trust across teams his wor strengthens how we communicate share nowledge and support one another ensuring that we continue to operate in ways that are thoughtful responsi e and aligned with our mission Our Black History Month panel offers another opportunity to listen learn and reflect hese con ersations are essential to fostering a culture rooted in authenticity mutual respect and belonging imilarly our DEI&B Digest brings together months of reflection resources and shared learning reinforcing our ongoing commitment to creating a community where e eryone feels seen heard and alued Each of these stories in different ways remind us that the wor we do is not only about ser ices but about relationships growth and the shared effort to build inclusi e and supporti e communities s we enter this new season want to than each of you for the care dedication and compassion you bring to your wor e ery day t is through your efforts that Nonotuc continues to grow in meaningful ways ith appreciation eorge leischner resident EO Nonotuc esource ssociates
Nonotuck t ro otions Nonotuc honors and respects its employees it s one of the reasons we e been named a op Place to ork One of the ways we do that is by promoting from within our own ran s e re celebrating the following promotions from around Nonotuc in t Nonotuc belie e our staff are one of the greatest gifts the organi ation recei es says Nonotuc resident EO eorge leischner E ery day they bring their indness compassion and commitment to the people we ser e hen someone gi es you a gift the natural response is gratitude and a desire to reciprocate eadership carries a responsibility to honor that gift and treat it with the respect it deser es One of the most meaningful ways we can do that is by in esting in the people who ha e already dedicated themsel es to our mission romoting from within allows us to de elop leaders who understand our alues our wor and our community while e pressing our gratitude for the e traordinary contributions our staff ma e to Nonotuc e ery day feel fortunate to wor in a place where leadership belie es in de eloping people from within he support e recei ed from my super isors has helped me grow into my role while staying grounded in the mission that brought me here in the first place says a uel llah rogram irector in our ynn office ecause of that support m able to focus on building strong teams and deli ering uality support to the indi iduals we ser e m grateful to be part of a culture that alues growth trust and purpose One of the things alue most about Nonotuc is its commitment to promoting from within says Nichole our e rogram irector in our Northampton office t creates opportunities for staff to grow professionally while also ensuring that leadership understands the wor from firsthand e perience O erall appreciate being part of an organi ation that prioriti es both the people we support and the staff who pro ide that support t has been a true honor to grow with Nonotuc alongside countless employees who consistently pro ide informed and thoughtful care and support to people who need it says oshua urray irector of ar eting e wor ed at places where the employees were ind and places where the employees were passionate about their wor but ne er in such e ual measure as Nonotuc employees
Nonotuck o etes h re oint r nsition Nonotuc recently completed a full transition of its institutional data to hare oint adding another technological inno ation to its operations hare oint a secure cloud based platform de eloped for document management collaboration and internal communication now ser es as the organi ation s centrali ed system for storing and sharing information he pro ect which began in ay was led and completed by ice resident of nformation echnology on arnes he transition mar s an important step forward in strengthening collaboration across all locations y impro ing access to shared documents and enhancing o erall security the new system pro ides a more reliable and consistent foundation for communication throughout the organi ation eyond the technical impro ements the change supports employees in wor ing more efficiently and consistently regardless of where they are located ith a stronger infrastructure in place the organi ation is also better positioned to embrace future technology enhancements and continued growth on says the pro ect is made possible by Nonotuc s forward thin ing philosophy on emerging technologies eorge is a EO who embraces technology e belie es in technology e doesn t belie e it replaces the personal one to one or personal ser ice or something but it s a tool to help e says continuing n the long run we re helping the people we ser e because we re helping the employees who ser e them hat stood out to me most throughout this process was not ust the amount of wor in ol ed but on s positi e attitude and indness towards staff says Nonotuc resident EO eorge leischner n the meetings had with him d as for an update on the process on consistently responded to my uestion by tal ing about how helpful program staff were and how much he appreciated getting to now people from e ery department and e ery office
Nonotuck o etes h re oint r nsition on concurs saying got to wor with e ery department and probably e ery person in e ery department he s and rogram irectors were central to the success of this t wouldn t ha e been successful without their cooperation he harepoint pro ect is another in a long list of ad ancements from Nonotuc s department including the embrace of rtificial ntelligence with the hiring of obert owen among other e pansions of our department
E D MO E
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ne Nonotuc s i ersity E uity nclusion elonging ommittee was proud to host an intergenerational con ersation e ploring lac life in merica past present and future osted in celebration of lac istory onth the e ent too place irtually on arch he e ent e plored the lac e perience across generations reflecting on progress made challenges that persist and the e ol ing ways community acti ism identity and healing continue to shape life as a lac person in merica anelists reflected on historical realities such as segregation discrimination and ci il rights acti ism and compared them with contemporary issues including digital racism mass incarceration and the role of social media in modern ad ocacy he con ersation also highlighted the importance of community unity and shared responsibility across cultures along with growing openness around mental health and healing hroughout the discussion panelists shared personal e periences and perspecti es from different generations emphasi ing the alue of continued dialogue education and community engagement in shaping a more e uitable future his con ersation was a reminder that history is not ust words on a page but an e ol ing process that must be ac nowledged said Nonotuc EO and resident eorge leischner earing perspecti es from different generations helps us better understand both the progress that has been made and the wor that still lies ahead eature Panelists Hasan
att
asan att is a lifelong resident of pringfield assachusetts and a dedicated educator in the pringfield ublic chools is family immigrated from amaica in the late s and s shaping his understanding of both cultural heritage and generational perspecti e s an educator asan wor s directly with young people na igating today s educational landscape bringing insight into how history identity and opportunity intersect in classrooms and communities
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eorge roo s was born on ugust and has li ed a life defined by ser ice resilience and meaningful connection n No ember he enlisted in the nited tates ir orce beginning a distinguished year military career uring the ietnam ar eorge ser ed as a taff ergeant and flew missions aboard the is courage and dedication earned him the ir edal with two clusters in recognition of outstanding aerial achie ement e retired from the ir orce in No ember ollowing his military ser ice eorge continued ser ing his country with years at the epartment of efense lifelong e plorer he has tra eled e tensi ely around the world and dri en across the nited tates at least fi e times embracing new places and perspecti es is life e periences offer a powerful lens on generational change ci ic duty and resilience eanelia Domon eanelia omond is a storyteller media strategist and community ad ocate whose wor reflects both the historical struggles and contemporary realities of the lac e perience rofessionally eanelia ser es as a edia uyer at d ertising where she is the only lac female eam ead in her department hose she leads ha e described her presence and leadership as deeply meaningful particularly in pro iding isibility and representation for lac women in professional spaces four time self published author eanelia has tra eled across fi e continents intentionally see ing out lac histories and ancestral ties approaching tra el as a form of historical in uiry he ser es her local community through food pantry leadership founding the inter onderland e ent for underser ed families and participating in ci ic and social initiati es hile she ta es pride in her lac identity she remains e ually committed to broader human de elopment and collecti e growth
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Nonotuc s i ersity E uity nclusion and elonging E ommittee helps create opportunities across our organi ation to learn listen and celebrate the many cultures identities and e periences that ma e up our community hrough panel discussions educational presentations and community reflections the committee in ites employees to deepen their understanding of complicated topics in meaningful ways ead more below about the e ents the E ommittee has presented since uly o learn more about oining the committee email co chair oshua Murray at murray@nonotuck.com or ichole Bourke at bourke@nonotuck.com embership is fle ible and employees are welcome to participate in whate er way wor s best for their schedule and interests B
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Disa ility ommunity Panel
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n celebration of Disa ility Pri e Month this uly Nonotuc s i ersity E uity nclusion and elonging ommittee hosted a irtual screening of select clips from a powerful panel discussion co presented by Massachusetts ocates Stan ing Strong M SS and Mass amilies he e ent amplified the oices and e periences of people at the intersection of the and disability communities pea ers shared deeply personal stories about see ing acceptance within both their families and broader society hemes included the importance of chosen family the parallels between disability and se ual or gender identity as intrinsic parts of self and the emotional toll of constant self ad ocacy anelists also spo e about systemic barriers particularly within medical and ser ice settings that can ma e it harder for people to be seen and respected as their authentic sel es d ocacy respectful language pronoun inclusion and meaningful representation were highlighted as essential steps toward creating safer more inclusi e spaces
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n ugust uring ational i ility Month Nonotuc hosted an internal discussion led by the E ommittee with co chairs ichole Bourke and oshua Murray facilitating the con ersation he session opened with a short ideo compiled by Marketing ontent Specialist ustus Perry featuring reflections from staff across the organi ation about what ci ility and indness mean in their daily wor and relationships fter iewing the ideo employees participated in discussion scenarios centered on wor place communication and conflict resolution opics included responding to difficult emails managing interruptions during meetings and practicing empathy in professional interactions Presi ent an EO eorge H leischner emphasi ed that ci ility and indness are foundational to Nonotuc s culture and essential to building trust both among staff and with the people Nonotuc supports ele rating atin
Hispanic Heritage Month at onotuck Octo er
n Octo er Nonotuc hosted a celebration of atin Hispanic Heritage Month featuring two nurses from our u urn office armen Pare es estrepo and Daihyana oo taff from across the state attended the session which highlighted personal stories cultural traditions and perspecti es from their wor in healthcare armen shared her ourney from olom ia to the nite States reflecting on the role of family alues and the importance of bilingual nursing in building trust with the people and families ser ed in healthcare settings aihyana spo e about growing up between two cultures and how that e perience helps her connect with families and pro ide culturally sensiti e care oth presenters emphasi ed the central role of family respect for elders and traditions such as food music and community celebrations
Nonotuck u ont ati e merican Heritage Month E ent
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n o em er Nonotuc mar ed ati e merican Heritage Month with a presentation by on a o ey a linician in Nonotuc s Plymouth office who has wor ed with the organi ation for more than ten years onda s presentation e plored the concept of historical trauma among ati e mericans e amining the profound and lasting effects of coloni ation forced relocation and cultural genocide on ndigenous communities he discussed the roots of this trauma through e ents such as the rail of ears the resi ential school system and assimilation policies designed to erase Nati e cultures he presentation pro ided important historical conte t and encouraged reflection on the long term impacts of these e periences M
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n anuary in recognition of Martin uther ing r Day Nonotuc gathered to reflect on he oice e Need but o Not ant a E tal by Dr regory hompson a scholar of r ing s wor n the tal hompson e amines how r artin uther ing r is often remembered in simplified ways that o erloo the depth and difficulty of his message e reflects on ing s emphasis on lo e ustice and moral responsibility and e plores why these ideas can be challenging to accept or sustain particularly during times of social tension and ine uality he iewing created space for thoughtful dialogue among staff about r ing s legacy and the continuing rele ance of his call for ustice and compassion
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Intergenerational Black History Month Panel March e were proud to host an intergenerational con ersation e ploring lac life in merica past present and future osted in celebration of lac istory onth the e ent too place irtually on arch he e ent e plored the lac e perience across generations reflecting on progress made challenges that persist and the e ol ing ways community acti ism identity and healing continue to shape life as a lac person in merica anelists reflected on historical realities such as segregation discrimination and ci il rights acti ism and compared them with contemporary issues including digital racism mass incarceration and the role of social media in modern ad ocacy
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