Last Thursday started out like a typical day in the office. Then around 10:30 my cell phone rang with a blocked number. I answered, and much to my surprise, the caller identified himself as none other than New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft!
It’s that time of year again, when we encourage Waltham residents (and others!) to get out and get to know their neighbors. This year we are especially excited that we have two amazing volunteers who have agreed to head up this effort! In the spirit of getting to know one another, we thought we’d give you a chance to get to know these two volunteers extraordinaire!…
What Serial, the Cosby allegations and other stories teach us about the dynamics of dating violence and sexual assault Fans of the podcast “Serial” rejoiced today when a new episode was released after a 2-week break due to the Thanksgiving holiday. I’ll admit it: I’m hooked. This podcast has become a cultural phenomenon, and after seeing one too many tweets about it, I couldn’t help but…
At a Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) event in late October, some of my colleagues from other organizations noticed how tired I looked and began to commiserate. “DVAM is just so crazy every year,” and “I just can’t wait for November” statements were shared throughout the evening. I listened and laughed with them about all the educational materials living in the trunks of our cars and…
Today marks the first day of October. Domestic Violence Awareness Month – and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Such an important month, such devastating damage inflicted. We have all known someone affected by cancer – and we have likely all known someone who has been impacted by domestic violence, even if we aren’t aware of it. During October, we will hear a lot about breast cancer and…
Today Jared Remy pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Jennifer Martel. While it may seem like this story has ended with a sentence of life in prison without parole, the impact this tragedy has on the lives of the people who knew and cared about Jennifer is far from over. No court can bring back the life of a young woman, a mother, a best…
On Thursday, REACH will join colleagues from other domestic violence agencies across the Commonwealth and head to Beacon Hill for the annual Jane Doe Inc. Legislative Advocacy Day. We’ll be focusing our conversations around three important pieces of legislation, as well as some budget priorities. First, the legislation: S1897: An Act to Establish Employment Leave and Safety Remedies to Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Sexual…
I grew up outside of Chicago and as part of a family of six I don’t remember having many moments of quiet in my life. There were neighborhood kids over frequently, we had a foreign exchange student one year, and often had extended family over for dinners and holidays. My parents made everyone feel welcome. One night, my mom called on her way home from work…
Just when you feel like it’s the dead of winter and there’s nothing to look forward to, you realize: next week is Say Hi to Your Neighbors week in Waltham! For the uninitiated, Say Hi to Your Neighbors Week, now in its 3rd year, is comprised of events across our home city of Waltham encouraging community members to meet new neighbors and build relationships with those…
If your relatives are bolting from the Thanksgiving table to line up for Black Friday sales that start at midnight, if your coworkers seem oddly distracted and glued to their web browser the following Monday, it probably means they’ve been sucked in by the allure of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It seems every year retailers find new ways to entice us to the idea that…
