Hello [firstname],

I wanted to take a moment to share some photos of my work on your behalf throughout the Second District over the past week! From maple sugarhouses to new    grant announcements, I held meetings with local organizations, met with constituents, and delivered some exiting news. Come along with me and take a look at what's happening across the Second District.

I visited three vital community organizations to announce federal funding I secured through the new bipartisan appropriations package. These three groups are a part of the over $11.3 million in federal funding I fought to obtain for 10 exceptional projects.

My first stop was at Worcester nonprofit CENTRO. I announced that they will receive $975,000 to purchase a state-of-the-art, electronic health record platform that will allow real-time connectivity with acute-care providers that monitor and support home-based patients. We need to address health inequities that exists in our communities, and this funding moves us one step closer to that goal.

In Leominster, I announced that the Spanish American Center will receive $110,000 to help address high rates of food insecurity. The funding will enable them to purchase a food truck to bring hot meals to underserved communities in North Central Worcester County. They will also be able to purchase a refrigerated van to deliver cold meals to children participating in summer and afterschool programs.

My last announcement was in Athol, where nonprofit LaunchSpace received over one million dollars to help renovate a vacant school building that will house employment training, business incubation, affordable childcare, and a community kitchen. When completed, the site will support 15 new jobs, 30 immediate affordable childcare slots, and more than 400 students and workers who will take part in skills training programs.

I stopped by the new Treehouse Brewing Company in South Deerfield to check out their community space, dining, and live performance areas. Visiting businesses like Treehouse Brewing helps me see firsthand the exciting economic development going on in our community and highlight how we can continue building on the economic growth happening in our region.

Now for the sweetest part of my week. I led the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association on a maple sugarhouse tour to visit the North Hadley Sugar Shack, Brookledge Sugarhouse in Whately and Boyden Brothers Maple in Conway.

Visiting sugarhouses in the Pioneer Valley and tasting the best maple syrup this country has to offer was a fantastic reminder of how lucky we are to call Massachusetts home. Don't worry, I even bought some goodies to bring home to Lisa, Patrick and Molly!

I love meeting one-on-one with small business owners, community leaders, and constituents here in the Second District. My favorite part of this job is connecting with you. I had so many interesting conversations and listened to the issues that folks care deeply about.

As I head to Washington D.C. to bring your voice to Congress, please don't hesitate to reach out to any of my offices if I can be of assistance. Stay tuned for more updates!

Sincerely,

James P. McGovern

Member of Congress