Many families in our community are facing food insecurity for the first time. We have discovered that the struggle to feed their loved ones will only intensify during the upcoming holidays. Due to the pandemic, many grocery stores are not able to hold their usual holiday food drives, which will inevitably reduce food donations for holiday meals at our local non-profits. The United Way of Central Massachusetts is partnering with Friendly House and Pernet Family Health to provide festive holiday meals for those in need.
Here’s How You Can Help Those In Need
Donate Via Credit Card Or Venmo
Donate Non-Perishable Food Items
Sign Up For Our Virtual Road Race!
Visit the event website for more details and link to register.

You know your child better than anyone. But even you have a few questions.COVID-19 is putting incredible pressure on families. You might be noticing your child is struggling in new ways, or that old problems are getting worse. Should you worry about your child’s behavioral health? HandHoldMA is here to help you figure that out.

Visit HandHoldMA.org for information and resources on:

Should I worry?Is your kid just being a kid, or is their behavior something to worry about? Learn about signs to look for and get suggestions on what to do next.
What can I do?Tips, tools, and strategies that have worked for other families, sorted by topic, and picked by Handhold. These are things you can learn about or do from home.
Who can help?Our top picks for community organizations and government resources that can help you locate the right mental health service for your child and family.

​https://www.brainfuse.com/highed/helpNow.asp?a_id=C6F3F04A&ss=&r=

Today, October 11, 2020, is internationally recognized as the "International Day of the Girl."  It is celebrated annually to recognize the strength, power, contribution, and potential for girls worldwide.  In 2020, the focus is involving girls and women in the dialogue and decision-making about their lives, their futures, and their bodies.  

from the World Health Organization (WHO):
International Day of the Girl celebrates the importance, power, and potential of girls around the world. 
It is also a day to highlight girls’ needs and the particular problems they can face, and drive efforts that meet these needs and fulfill their rights – not benevolently for them, but in partnership with them. 
While much progress has been made in the last two decades to ensure every girl is able to grow and develop in good health, there is much still to do. For example, 12 million girls are married before age 18 each year. One in five girls globally has experienced sexual violence. In Eastern and Southern Africa, nearly 80% of new HIV infections among adolescents are among girls.   
No decision for girls should be made without them The 2020 theme of International Day of the Girl is “My voice, our equal future.” This is a striking call to recognize girls’ inheritance of the still-unfinished Beijing Agenda, their expertise on the challenges they face especially for their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and their limitless capacity as change-makers. 
To commemorate the day, WHO co-organized a virtual intergenerational dialogue between girl advocates and high-level leaders about putting girls and their rights at the centre of decision-making processes. 
Lubinda, a 15-year old advocate from Zambia, captured the sentiment of the event: “If every child can be given the chance to express themselves and talk about issues that are affecting them, then we can have a wide range of voices being represented.”  
“At the same time, we have to be equipped with the knowledge, because without it, we will not be able to participate [in international systems].” 
*Photo credit (above): WHO

Margarita Santiago’s twin girls start second grade this year in the Worcester Public Schools, and she's not convinced online is the best way for her daughters to learn.
"My kids really didn't enjoy the remote learning" in the spring, Santiago said. "They spent most of the time under the table, going in the bathroom, and grabbing snacks."
While district leadership can’t do much about fidgeting, Sarah Kyriazis, instructional technology and digital learning manager for Worcester Public Schools, said the district is offering other support to help parents make online learning work better for their kids.
The district has launched a Caregivers Technology Academy designed to help parents, and others caring for students, understand the technology tools students will need to attend school this fall. The materials are posted in the eight languages most used by families in the district including English, Nepali and Twi.
GBH News spoke with a half-dozen caregivers for their perspective of the program. No two were alike. And they ranged from finding it useful, to having never heard of the academy.
“It’s going to be a process,” said Kyriazis. “We won’t get everyone ready by Sept. 15."
But, she said, "working through the schools and working through the teachers, we are going to provide as much support as possible.”

https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2020/09/18/how-do-you-manage-child-care-when-school-is-remote-worcester-strives-to-give-families-options

So happy to get some fresh vegetables and bread. Today at the Pernet Food Pantry we will be giving out three pre-packaged bags of food and families get to pick the vegetables from
Worcester County Food Bank
and bread/pastries from
Wegmans
they like.
#ThankYou

​#MaskUpMA #MaskUpPernet
Kudos to our staff who took on Governor Bakers challenge urging residents to wear their masks to protect themselves and others from Covid-19.
Staff continue to practice social distancing and wearing masks when interacting with families we serve

​You are invited to the Worcester’s Latinx/Latino(a) Virtual Town Hall this Monday, September 21, from 7-8 PM. This town hall, will be held on the day of the raising of the Puerto Rican flag and at the start of Hispanic Heritage month will offer you an opportunity to hear from Worcester’s Latinx/Latino(a) community. They will share some history, contributions to the city, and the challenges faced, particularly in the areas of education and civic engagement, as well as ways that to work together to ensure that the City of Worcester continues to thrive.
https://zoom.us/j/96594469817?pwd=bUpONSsvRkJFTXZSdFJXS0RVQjVjZz09
Meeting ID: 965 9446 9817
Passcode: 838940