Nonotuck’s Neighborhood JUNE 2026
Nonotuck staff recently joined advocates, caregivers, providers, and legislators—including State Representative James Arciero, pictured here—at the Massachusetts State House for AFC Awareness Day.
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elcome to June at Nonotuck in this issue, we cele rate the stories and accomplishments of people who em ody our values in many ways—through community involvement, compassionate care, and even the sharing of a meaningful meal. ur omens History Month profile of Carrie ona highlights a woman whose legend looms large at Nonotuck. hether serving as a Nonotuck oard mem er, greeting people with her trademark smile at her jo at the local oodwill, or e ploring local trails on her icycle, Carrie rings energy and enthusiasm to everything she does. She spoke elo uently in cele ration of omens History Month, reflecting on the women who helped shape her journey and ecome the person she is today. e also recogni e atricia Fletcher, a nota le presence on rooklyn Street, whose tenacity has earned local recognition through a Citi enship Award and guided her through college and into the career of her choice caring for animals. atricia is ringing her passion for animals to multiple local usinesses in the North Adams area. ur AANH Heritage Month cele ration, highlighted y a shared Cam odian meal and thoughtful conversation, reminds us that elonging grows when we take time to learn from one another. y sharing culture, stories, and traditions, we deepen our understanding and strengthen the onds that connect us as a community. Finally, during Nurse Appreciation Month, we honor the e traordinary nurses who serve alongside the people and families who rely on Nonotuck. heir work e emplifies the mutuality of care, respect, and commitment that lies at the heart of our mission. t is no surprise that we were a le to assem le such a thoughtful tri ute to many of Nonotuck s nurses, including the late itty Curtin. hank you for eing part of the Nonotuck community, and thank you for joining us for the June Newsletter.
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eorge H. Fleischner resident
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For omen s History Month, we sat down with Nonotuck oard Mem er Carrie ona and asked her a few uestions a out her role at Nonotuck, women that inspired her, and what omen s History Month means to her personally.
How would you describe your role as a Board Member at Nonotuck? My role on the oard of directors is listening to data and reports, vote on decisions, give advice if needed and participate in meetings.
Is there a mentor, teacher, family member, or colleague who helped shape the person you are today? How did they do so? My mom played a ig part in shaping me into the person am today. She advocated for me to e included and get the services needed. She encouraged my interests, like cooking and irl Scouts.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you personally? t impacts my life as a woman with disa ilities. am a le to vote, work, and e part of things that would not have een possi le for women in the past.
Why do you think it’s important for organizations and communities to recognize Women’s History Month? omen s History Month is dedicated to cele rating how much work women have done to support women s rights.
o en’s istor onth ro i e rrie on How do you see the work we do at Nonotuck connecting to the spirit of Women’s History Month? omen s History Month is a out eing seen and heard. At Nonotuck, my voice matters. make choices a out my life and help lead on the oard. am proud to e a woman with a disa ility and a leader.
ou can also read our hhrech.
omen s History Month profiles of aimie oucette and amantha
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etcher onored ith iti enshi rd For atricia Fletcher, receiving the Dream Award is recognition of a lifelong goal working with animals. atricia recently completed her online degree in pet grooming and dog care—with support from many friends in the rooklyn Street community—and has since landed a jo with erkshire ups eople in illiamstown, Massachusetts, where she helps with dog daycare and walking dogs. n addition, atricia is completing an internship with the grooming center Just Fur ets in North Adams. atricia received the award at the erkshire Area ffice Citi en Advisory oard s annual meeting. For her, earning the award—and completing her college studies with impressive grades—is a major point of pride, especially ecause she says high school was often a struggle. was happy to get the award, atricia says. had a dream to work with animals and accomplished that. atricia is also a prominent mem er of the Brooklyn treet community in North dams, an intentional community supported y Nonotuck that rings together people of all a ilities through shared spaces, meals, activities, and mutual support. Designed to foster oth independence and connection, rooklyn Street emphasi es authentic relationships, cooperation, and long term elonging, creating what organi ers descri e as an ideal alance of privacy and community. he neigh orhood supports residents in pursuing their goals and uilding meaningful lives within a close knit, multigenerational environment. atricia credits mem ers of the rooklyn Street community with helping her achieve her educational and career goals, including support with coursework, studying, udgeting, and encouragement along the way.
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ste o bodi rings Nonotuck ogether or N erit ge onth Nonotuck staff from across Massachusetts came together on May for a special Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and acific slander AANH Heritage Month cele ration, A aste of Cam odia. Hosted y our Diversity, uity, nclusion elonging D Committee, the virtual event com ined food, culture, and community as staff gathered in offices across the organi ation to learn a out Cam odian cuisine and traditions while sharing a meal together. he event featured two popular Cam odian dishes Cha roeung eef Cha roeung Sach o , a stir fry made with lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and vegeta les, and eef ok ak Shaking eef , a stir fried eef dish traditionally served with fresh vegeta les and a pepper lime dipping sauce. Staff in participating offices enjoyed the dishes while joining colleagues throughout Nonotuck via Microsoft eams. eading the cooking demonstration was Saoling Chhit, ice resident of AFC Services for the Northeast Region, who prepared oth dishes live while sharing insights into Cam odian cooking techni ues, ingredients, and family traditions. hroughout the presentation, Saoling e plained the importance of kroeung—a traditional Cam odian her and spice paste made with ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and chili peppers—and discussed how these flavors form the foundation of many Cam odian meals. articipants learned a out the role of food in Cam odian family gatherings and cele rations while gaining a deeper appreciation for the country s culinary heritage. ur owell office e panded on the e perience y hosting a Cam odian themed potluck and sharing additional traditional dishes, including lea Sach o Cam odian eef salad , Mee Cha Cam odian stir fried noodles , and Nong Nong, a traditional Cam odian donut with a chewy rice flour center and crispy e terior. Food has a uni ue way of ringing people together and creating opportunities to learn from one another, said Nonotuck resident and C eorge H. Fleischner. vents like this help us cele rate the diverse cultures that strengthen our organi ation while uilding connections across offices and communities. e are grateful to Saoling—and all the owell staff who rought their own uni ue dishes— for sharing their knowledge, traditions, and hospitality with all of us.
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Nurse
ntro from Nonotuck C
reci tion
resident eorge H. Fleischner
As we cele rate Nurses Month, it is fitting that we pause to recogni e not only the e traordinary nurses who serve Nonotuck today, ut also the person who laid the foundation for the Nursing Department they proudly represent. A little more than twenty years ago, Nonotuck hired its first salaried nurse, itty elly Curtin. rior to itty s arrival, our nursing support consisted of a consultant who worked only a few hours each week. itty was initially hired on a part time asis, ut it uickly ecame clear that her vision, dedication, and energy would re uire much more. hat followed was one of the most remarka le chapters in Nonotuck s history. itty single handedly launched our Adult Family Care program in leadership grew the program from a single mem er to more than passing in July of .
and then with hands on mem ers y the time of her
oday, Nonotuck s Nursing Department has grown from one nurse to thirty eight. et the principles that guide our work remain the same principles itty championed every day. remem er itty once telling me that a great nurse lends clinical e pertise with deep human empathy. She elieved that e ceptional nurses are defined not only y what they know, ut y how they care. hey provide compassionate support, advocate fiercely for those they serve, communicate effectively, and never lose sight of the dignity and humanity of the person efore them. hat was itty. And those are the values she e pected from every nurse who joined our organi ation. he stories that follow, shared y staff from across Nonotuck, are tri utes to our nurses today. ut they are also a testament to itty s enduring legacy. n the compassion shown to a family during a difficult moment, in the advocacy provided to a vulnera le individual, and in the countless acts of kindness that occur every day, we see the continuation of the standards she esta lished more than two decades ago. As we honor our nurses during this Nurses Month, we cele rate not only their skill and dedication, ut also a tradition of care that egan with one remarka le nurse whose influence continues to shape Nonotuck every day.
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ear of er ice Ro ert owen, A Data Analytics Manager, Ferry Street asthampton Date of Hire June ,
mily oyle, Registered Nurse, Ferry Street asthampton Date of Hire June ,
ears of er ice ears of er ice Dianne Moody, ntegration Specialist, ee Date of Hire June ,
Sochanviphea och, Assistant to of Nursing and AFC Services, ynn Date of Hire June ,
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ears of er ice loria Saunders, ntegration Specialist, ee Date of Hire June ,
ony hiv, Assistant rogram Director of N AFC Services, owell Date of Hire June ,
Matthew Ferris, Staff Accountant, rospect Street, Northampton Date of Hire June ,
Carlos atista, Care Manager, rockton Date of Hire June ,
ears of er ice ears of er ice yle Monahan eorge, Direct Support rofessional, Ferry Street asthampton Date of Hire June , Mary McCarthy, RN Assistant rogram Director, lymouth Date of Hire June
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athleen Hucknall, Clinician, Au urn Date of Hire June ,
Daniel immerman, Care Manager, Ferry Street asthampton Date of Hire June ,
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