MassFamilies board members and advocates were honored to be part of the The Arc of Massachusetts 45th Annual Legislative Reception last week on March 7, 2023. View our photo gallery from the event below. We were moved by The Arc of MA Executive Director Leo Sarkissian’s recap of the event and thought you might want […]
A Wonderful Week of MassFamilies Training
There has been lots happening here at MassFamilies recently and we wanted to share an update with you! On February 28, 2022, our Northeast Regional Coordinator, Maryann Welch, presented to the Seven Hills community on Charting the Life Course. 105 participants registered for this presentation where Maryann shared the framework’s core belief, principles, and the […]
Have your Voice Heard at the Children’s Mental Health Campaign Listening Sessions
Our partners at Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) sit at the table with partners on the Children’s Mental Health Campaign. PPAL is the only family organization at the table to provides the family voice. The Campaign partners have asked PPAL to bring families to listening sessions (Starting next Monday, February 28th – see schedule and links […]
Southeast Family Leadership Series Kick-Off a Huge Success!
The Southeast Regional Coordinator Karen Claudio of MassFamilies welcomed Family Leadership Series class 29 to the Conference and Resort of Hyannis the first weekend of October. The Family Leadership Series kicked off a six-month long training for parents and caregivers for individuals with disabilities Participants of the Family Leadership Series were lucky enough to hear […]
Southeast and Northeast Family Leadership Series Dates Announced
For over 30 years, the Family Leadership Series has helped grow family leaders who create positive change within their families, communities, across the state and beyond every day. GET READY FOR A SIX MONTH, LIFE-CHANGING CRASH COURSE IN: Advocacy & Leadership Creating a Vision Policy-Making Self-Care The Family Leadership Series focuses on supporting families & […]
MassFamilies Welcomes Team Members
A lot has been changing here at MassFamilies! We’d like to introduce you to some new faces on our team. Karen Claudio, Southeast Regional Coordinator For the past 7 years, I have dedicated myself to never letting a parent feel the way I did during a team meeting. I felt overwhelmed, alone confused, and frustrated. […]
HUGE SUCCESS: MassFamilies Our Voice Community Call Kickoff
More than 70 family members, self-advocates, professionals, and policymakers showed up to share with and listen to one another on April 5 for our kick-off OUR VOICE community call. A BIG THANK YOU to Representative Kip Diggs Representative Andres X. Vargas Neha Singh Senior Policy Aide for Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz Danielle Allard Chief of Staff […]
Family Leader in Action: Valeryia Pedersen
It is with pride we congratulate Valeryia Pedersen for her new position as Southeast Regional Coordinator for the Family TIES program (Together In Enhancing Supports) at the Federation for Children with Special Needs. Val graduated in 2018 from the Family Leadership Series in the Southeast region. “Her positive attitude and supportive nature were evident throughout […]
Coping with Covid-19: MFOFC Family Leader featured on ABC News
A current member of this year’s Southeast Family Leadership Series, Michelle Winchell, has been collaborating and sharing the experience and insight she gained from her background in education to help others navigate remote learning during the Coronavirus pandemic. We were stoked to see her featured in this ABC news story. Moriah is her beautiful daughter. […]
Meet Heather Baylies-Grigoreas, family leader in action
MFOFC wants to introduce you to the movers and shakers in our state, the family leaders who are working to make change for people with disabilities in their communities and beyond. The ones who are imagining better and then making their ideas happen. This week, we’d like to introduce you to Heather Baylies-Grigoreas. Heather is […]