2021-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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sent on to Plymouth for further processing.For the first The Mashpee Substance Use Task Force time South Shore Community Action made it possible continues to meet on the third Wednesday of the month. for first time Applicants to also complete the initial Each month at the Task Force meetings we sometimes application online. However,this was not an option for have partners from Drop-In Night present their latest residents in any type of emergency heating situation. programs and services. This is very helpful as many We had many situations where there was an emergency resources and agencies had to shift their helping model where there wasn't any heat or residents or had due to COVID-19. The Task Force continues to problems with a furnace and needed Fuel Assistance to prioritize Drug-Take Back as not just one day every few help with emergency repair. In emergencies this months, but every day an important deterrent to the Department is able to fax any pertinent documents to fight against addiction. Fuel Assistance to expedite the process. In early 2021, Mary Lou Palumbo retired as The Department has five overall initiatives which Executive Director of the Mashpee Chamber of are continually being addressed and new programs are Commerce. Mary Lou was such an integral part of the proposed and initiated. They are: The Department has Mashpee Substance Use Task Force and Drop-In Night. five initiatives which are continually being addressed I want to take a moment and recognize her wonderful and new programs are developed: Substance Use; passion and contributions. From the inception of the Mental Health; Homelessness; Advocacy for the Mashpee Substance Use Task Force,Mary Lou wanted Disabled and Supporting Regional Initiatives the Chamber to be a part of it, she was instrumental in getting Cape Cod coffee as our coffee sponsor for The Mashpee Substance Use Task Force began its Drop-In Night and the Mashpee schools in supplying sixth year of meeting in September, 2021, with a delicious sandwiches and food. Mary Lou attended consistent group of twenty two members. When I every Drop-In Night and would be a smiling, started the Task Force back in September, 2016, my welcoming presence at the Food Table. In December plan was focused on a multi-sector approach which 2017, I started a Business Subcommittee, this delineated the many different groups and sectors of the Subcommittee was instrumental in organizing and Community. The importance of this was to have running the first ever Business Forum on Cape Cod, representation from the complete community to reach titled, "Let's Connect: Opioids & Our Workplace individuals across the life span.I have tried to keep the Business Forum", This was held at New Seabury group as cohesive as possible over the years. There Country Club with presentations by Attorneys have been many requests to join the Task Force but I discussing Substance Use Disorder and the workplace have tried to keep it to the intended multi-sector model. and many local businesses attended. Subsequently,the This year since Gosnold was unable to make the Bourne Coalition modeled their Business Forum after meetings anymore,Duffy Health Center will be joining the Mashpee one. Thank you to Mary Lou for all of in their place. her wonderful ideas and contributions to the Town of Mashpee. Katy Acheson has taken over as the new Mashpee Drop-In Night was held for three years Executive Director of the Mashpee Chamber and as an until the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down in March important member of the Mashpee Substance Use Task 2020. Drop-In Night was very successful in connecting Force,she has been wonderful in promoting Substance both individual and families to resources and treatment Use resources in the Chamber newsletter. for Substance Use Disorder. Members of the Task Force and our 23 Partner Agencies would be there the In March, 2021, we saw Kathleen Mulherin first Tuesday of the month to provide resources and stepping down as President of St. Vincent De Paul. direct connection to help. Due to the ongoing Kathleen and all of the volunteers at St Vincent DePaul challenges the coronavirus brings, alternative worked tirelessly over the years in helping those suggestions being discussed to continue with this residents in need of financial help. St.Vincent De Paul model but in other forms. This type of Proposal was was a critical support for so many Mashpee residents, being drafted as we ended 2021 and hope in 2022 a new when I would get a call on a Friday at 4:OOpm, model can be a Pilot program. Kathleen and her team were ready to help, it didn't matter what the problem was. It could have been someone without heat or needed gas to get to a Drs. 118