The Garlick Press – Thursday, October 29

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I wanted to share with you all that the Department of Children and Families will be hosting a virtual lunch and learn event for those interested in volunteering to be a foster care case reviewer.

An important part of the foster care system for Massachusetts is foster care review, which is when the individuals working with the child and family meet to review their plan and establish goals. As part of this process, DCF has Volunteer Case Reviewers from the community who participate in foster care reviews.

The importance and value of having an outside set of eyes on these cases cannot be overstated. If you are interested, the lunch will take place Friday, October 30 from 12 – 1 PM. Click here to learn more.

Yours in Service,

Denise

• If you plan to celebrate Halloween this weekend, please remember to follow state and local guidelines to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. The Department of Public Health has shared tips you can read here. Additionally, Needham, Dover, and Medfield have released information and reminders for the holiday.
• In all Towns, the in-person early voting period began on October 17 and will continue until October 30. Early voting is taking place each day during this period at the Needham Town Hall, Dover Town House, and Medfield Town Hall. For information on specific hours for early voting, click here.
• In Needham, the Select Board is seeking candidates for various Town Committees and Boards. Currently there are vacancies on the Commission on Disabilities, Council on Aging, Cultural Council, MBTA Advisory Board, Property Tax Assistance Committee, Taxation Aid Committee, Traffic Management Committee, and Water Sewer Rate Structure Committee. For more information, click here.
• In Dover, the Town has a website with information on resources available in the community. This includes information on community programs and initiatives that provide assistance to our community during the COVID-19 public health crisis. To visit the webpage, click here.
• In Medfield, the Dale Street School Building Project is hosting a Wheelock Neighborhood Public Forum on Monday, November 2 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. This forum is for those living in and around the Wheelock School neighborhood, but this forum is open to the general public. For more information, click here.

• Yesterday, Governor Baker announced he will be nominating Justice Kimberly Budd to fill the role of Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. If confirmed, Justice Budd will fill the seat of Chief Justice Ralph Gants who passed away this fall. For more information, click here.
• Yesterday, Governor Baker announced that Massachusetts will be awarding $5.9 million in grants to address food insecurity for residents of the Commonwealth due to COVID-19. This is the fourth round of funding through the new Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program. To learn more, click here.
• The Mass. Office of Travel & Tourism will host a 90-minute virtual workshop on the My Local MA campaign on Monday, November 2 at 10:00 AM. The workshop will provide an overview of the statewide campaign, and provide examples for local involvement using toolkit materials. Register here.

• The State is currently in Phase 3 of Massachusetts Reopening. If you have questions, input, or comments regarding the Reopening Massachusetts plan, you can submit comments online. These comments can be used by the Administration to support efforts to methodically reopen the economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for the form.

• If you are in need of resources, information, or support, please visit my website for a list of resources. Additionally, our local boards of health, the Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control are continuing to maintain websites with the most updated information regarding COVID-19 that you can access here:

• Needham Health Department Updates
• Medfield Updates
• Dover Updates
• Department of Public Health: Click here or Call 2-1-1.
• Reopening Massachusetts
• COVID-19 Travel Order
• Centers for Disease Control