By Executive Director Gail T. Brown, CRC, LRC, LCSW

Like Santa’s elves, employees from our facilities department have been hard at work bringing the spirit of the season to New England Village. They have done a stellar job of decorating—putting up all of the lights, ornaments and other decorations—to create a winter wonderland.

Staff throughout NEV kicked off the holiday season with a potluck “friendsgiving” luncheon. Held in the Ray Assembly Hall, many employees, and some participants, stopped by to have turkey with all the fixings as well as lots of desserts and to mingle with one another.  NEV truly is one big family. Continue reading →

By Executive Director Gail T. Brown, CRC, LRC, LCSW

October was a busy month for us at NEV, filled with lots of events and parties, but before the month ended, our emergency preparedness plan was tested, adding a bit more to our task list. A storm that packed powerful winds blew in on a Sunday night, leaving most of the South Shore, as well as other parts of the state, without any power on Monday morning.  As is typical of New England Village, our staff—from administrative personnel to the DSPs to the maintenance department, rallied together like a high-performing team to ensure that quality supports and services remained in place and that everyone was safe and comfortable during the power outage. Continue reading →

By Executive Director Gail T. Brown, CRC, LRC, LCSW

The importance and value of family and friends cannot be understated and that is why New England Village takes special pride every year in organizing its Family Day event. Over the years, however, this day has become something that staff looks forward to as much as the individuals we serve and, as expected in any close tight-knit community, we have developed personal meaningful relationships with the family and friends of individuals supported. There is no question that this event generates an enormous amount of love, happiness, and joy for everyone in attendance.

Family Day 2017 was a huge success thanks to the efforts of so many.  It really does take a Village to plan and orchestrate this annual event so that individuals supported by our Continue reading →

By Executive Director Gail T. Brown, CRC, LRC, LCSW

It is with great pride and gratitude for our compassionate and dedicated staff that I share the impressive results of our recent Licensing and Certification review conducted by the DDS Office of Quality Enhancement.  We were, once again awarded a two-year license for all of our day and residential programs and the results were outstanding!  Our Residential Services and In- home Supports received a rating of 99%  for licensing standards and 86% for certification standards and our CBDS and Employment Services received 100% for licensing standards and 93% for certification Continue reading →

By Mary Stanley, PR and
Marketing Coordinator, Mary Stanley

“Siblings – the definition that comprises love, strife, competition and forever friends” – Byron Pulsifer

There is no question that the bond between siblings is a special one.  They are the link to our past and the ones most likely to be with us in the future. Who else but a sister or brother has known us from our very youngest self to our present? We cheered for them, shared our secrets with them, celebrated with them and grieved with them. We have seen them at their best and their worst. Siblings are the people we teased and fought with as children and then made up with; they are the people we protected and defended, because they were, above all else, family. Continue reading →

By Mary Stanley, PR and
Marketing Coordinator, Mary Stanley
If there is any question about the benefits of a drum circle, it was answered this past month when music instructor Sean Carr brought his djembe drums to Pembroke Library for a community drumming workshop. This all inclusive circle, which brought together people from the community with individuals from New England Village, had the same results as previous drumming events: lots of laughter, lots of participation, and a little bit of noise!

As Sean so eloquently states at the beginning of each of his circles, everybody has rhythm. If you have a heartbeat, you have rhythm—and then he goes on to Continue reading →

By Mary Stanley, PR and
Marketing Coordinator, Mary Stanley

As the calendar changes over to April, our thoughts may turn to spring and the gardening season. Though I do not have a garden of my own, I have a deep and profound appreciation for vegetables that are locally—and organically—grown. This appreciation was instilled in me by my grandfather, an avid gardener who grew a large variety of vegetables and whose bounty filled our dinner tables from July to November. Continue reading →

A blog post by PR and Marketing Coordinator, Mary Stanley

On March 1^st, we ushered in the campaign to “spread the word to end the word,” referring to the use of the “R” word.  This designated date fittingly rolls into a month-long promotion to raise awareness of Down syndrome. While most people are aware of this disability—and I use the term disability here, loosely—what we really need to stress this month are the abilities of people born with an extra chromosome. Continue reading →

A blog post by PR and Marketing Coordinator, Mary Stanley

February can be a difficult month—usually cold and snowy—providing little motivation to stick to New Year goals and resolutions to stay fit, take better care of ourselves or to try something new. But thanks to community centers like the Sollar Wellness Center, getting healthy or stepping outside of our comfort zone to try new things, whether it’s a fitness program or an art class, has never been easier. Continue reading →

A blog post by PR and Marketing Coordinator, Mary Stanley

New Year’s Eve signifies the end of one year and the start of another—it is a time for reflecting on all that has occurred over the past 12 months and then looking toward the future with a renewed sense of optimism. For many people, 2016 may have been a difficult year—one that was fraught with difficulties or loss and 2017 represents a fresh start and a time to be filled with the hope that the next 12 months will be better than the last. Continue reading →