A Tree-mendous Success!

Grassroots Central Mass hosted its third Trees are Treasures Earth Day celebration at Wells State Park in Sturbridge on Saturday, April 22, 2023. We treated families and park-goers to music, stories, climate resources, crafts and activities. Interpretive stops along the nature trails told the story of New England's stone walls and why beavers and muskrats are key to the health of our wetlands. And we gave away 162 trees to plant! Check out the feature in the Quaboag Current, and enjoy some pictures below. Many thanks to our volunteers and our sponsors, Brookfields Fight Fear and Indivisible Mass Coalition!

Why we need to change the Massachusetts flag

Join us Thursday, May 25, 6:30 p.m., at the Merriam-Gilbert Public Library in West Brookfield to learn the history of the Massachusetts flag and seal, and the effort to create a new flag and seal to represent peace, justice, equality, and inclusion for the Commonwealth. A resolution on the June Annual Town Meeting warrants in West Brookfield, Brookfield and Oakham will ask voters if they are in support of changing the flag and seal of Massachusetts. More than 20 percent of the towns and cities in Massachusetts are already formally on record in support of changing the flag and seal.…

Patricia O’Connor organizes Oakham DTC

Patricia O'Connor serves on the leadership committees of Brookfields Fight Fear and Grassroots Central Mass, and is on the Coordinating Board of Indivisible Mass Coalition, representing Congressional District 2. She is chair of the newly established Oakham Democratic Town Committee.

Welcome new member Colin R Brown

From Hardwick, Mass., Colin, 18, is a senior in high school and a state leader for Teens 4 Change. He is an advocate and activist for climate action, climate justice, education, and common sense gun laws.   

Karen Nothe-Valley re-elected to IMC board

I am a member of the Grassroots Central Mass (GCM) leadership team, chair for my hometown Democratic Town Committee (Monson) and a board member for Indivisible Mass Coalition (IMC) representing CD-1. As a member of GCM, we work collaboratively to help drive better policy at all levels of government. As a DTC chair, I inspire members to recruit great candidates for local office or step up and run themselves, help others run, pay attention to municipal government activities in town, become poll workers, or serve in appointed positions. As an IMC board member, I help connect local Indivisible groups with resources and support what they need from the statewide organization.

Ongoing Initiatives

We remain involved in writing letters and postcards in support of candidates on all levels of government and in support of legislation that moves our nation, state, and local communities toward greater economic, climate, racial, and social justice. We remain deeply concerned about climate change and environmental degradation and this has prompted us to remain active in planning events focused on the environment, planting trees, following climate-related legislation, and working to encourage big banks to divest from funding fossil fuel projects. We also are partnering with others to encourage regional police departments to hire mental health workers to assist them in their work, especially when mental health concerns or addiction struggles are central. We continue advocating for the rights of immigrants and will begin work again on getting the Safe Communities bill passed in Massachusetts. Uplifting initiatives that  increase diversity in our schools, uphold the rights of our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ neighbors is also a priority. Finding ways to bring full equality for all is our guiding light.

Rally to Secure and Protect Democracy

Saturday, January 7, 2023Noon-2 p.m.West Brookfield Common Today marks two years since our former president and his conspirators attempted a coup on our nation to thwart our democratic process and disrupted official Congressional proceedings with the intent to stop a peaceful transition of power. Grassroots Central Mass and Brookfields Fight Fear are jointly planning this rally to once again highlight how precious our democracy is and to recall how close we came to losing it on January 6, 2021. Sen. Anne Gobi and Governor's Councilor Paul DePalo will be there along with representatives of the Indivisible Mass Coalition. All around…

Supporting Progressive Candidates and Legislation

Another goal of Grassroots Central Mass members is to support candidates for local, state, and federal elections who advocate progressive policies. We also study bills in the Massachusetts legislature and participate in public hearings on these bills and webinars that help inform us about their details.