Home - North Quabbin Community Coalition

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Mission

The North Quabbin Community Coalition is a community-wide alliance committed to improving the quality of life for all those living and working in the North Quabbin region. We are located at 251 Exchange Street, Athol, MA 01331. You can contact us at 978-249-3703 or info@nqcc.org.¹

What does the North Quabbin Community Coalition do for our Community

Collaboration – Coordination – Advocacy

Work started by the Coalition brings over $3.2 million annually to the area in private, federal and state resources.

Promote Economic Development:

Host for the North Quabbin Loan Fund Review Committee distributing over $400,000 capital to local business for job creation and expansion
Host agency for the North Quabbin Woods website promoting the region as a whole
Work closely with the Department of Transitional Assistance Area Office to promote access to resources and SNAP benefits for those who qualify
Work with Athol Credit Union as the local Community Development Financial Institution. to ensure community education of financial literacy, first time homebuyers, and wheels to work products

Support for Children & Families:

Offer the Talking About Touching safety curriculum to all Athol area schools to 325 students
Trainers for the Enough Abuse campaign to end child sexual abuse over 1,200 local people trained
Host of the Children’s Health and Wellness Task Force
Host of the annual Family Fun Day attracting 1,000 people each year
Work with the Department of Children and Families to ensure family voice and children’s safety

Support for Youth:

Member of the Communities that Care Coalition, Partnership for Youth Coordinating Council, and Partner with the Franklin Regional Employment Board on youth employment opportunities
Partner with all North Quabbin schools to identify resources to support programs

Support for Veterans:

Partner with local Veterans Services as well as MA SAVE Team, and the Department of Public Health to promote access for local veterans
Work with Montachusett Veteran’s Outreach Center to provide housing, food and basic needs support to vets

Promote Quality Local Health Care:

Founder of local site of Community Health Center
Partner with Heywood Healthcare on many initiatives to ensure health access for the community, and to promote the opening of the Quabbin Retreat Facility in Petersham
Founder of Healthy Connections and later through access at the hospital

Support for Elders:

Partner with LifePath to advocate for necessary services
Partner with local Councils on Aging to promote programs and services
Home delivery of 230 Thanksgiving meals

Promote Public Safety:

Host of the P.A.R.T Task Force which convenes monthly to partner across county lines and silos to attack the epidemic of substance abuse in the North Quabbin. There are currently 55 diverse members.
Partner with The Opioid Task Force to receive the NOOR grant supporting the spread of Naloxone to local police departments and public education for life saving skills in the event of an overdose.
Host of the North Quabbin Jail to Community Task Force which coordinated the 2016 Sequential Intercept Mapping of The Franklin County Trial Court intersections with community, public safety, Franklin County House of Corrections, treatment providers and beyond
Host of three town National Night Out events to promote police community partnerships

For Everyone:

Provide assistance to municipal governments for accessing grants and leveraging funds
Maintain a comprehensive local resource directory
Monthly newsletter distributed to well over 1000 people a month
Maintain Facebook and social media outlets to promote community morale
Advocate for critical services like transportation, access to health care and other basic needs to be available locally
Nationally Recognized Training and Consultation of the Nurturing Families and Nurturing Fathers Curriculum, and member of the Family Nurturing Center of MA Training Team to spread the work across MA
Provide technical assistance to over 50 non-profits, towns and schools to leverage grant funds and more
Ensure that services are not duplicated to maximize all resources

NQCC’s History

2021 Partnered with OTF on the CONNECT Project
2021 Partnered with the Town of Athol to Assist with COVID 19 Vaccination Clinics
2021 Est. Gems of the North Quabbin Adventure Scavenger Hunt
2021 Est. Getting to “Gnome” Your Community Helpers Scavenger Hunt
2021 Est. Munch ‘N Move Through March Family Program
2021 Partnered with the Young Adult Empowerment Collaborative (YAEC)
2021 Partnered with LifePath as Part of Their Age-Friendly Project
2020 Partnered with the Town of Athol on the Lord Pond Plaza Revitalization Project
2020 INQ Offering COVID 19 Relief Grants
2020 Joined CADCA National Coalition Institute
2019 Est. North Quabbin Housing Task Force
2019 Est. Me FIRST (Finding Inspiration, Respect, Self Love, and Respect) Group
2019 Became a Community Partner for the Census Bureau
2019 Est. Marijuana and the Adolescent Brain Training
2019 Est. Parents Advisory Council
2019 Est. Youth Action Council
2018 Secured Drug Free Community Grant
2018 Congressman McGovern Holds Monthly Office Hours at NQCC
2018 Est. the No Place for Hate Rally
2018 Est. the North Quabbin Recovery Center
2017 Offered Healing Past Pain Classes
2017 Est. Parenting Overload Program
2016 Partnered with The Family Center Offering Nurturing Father’s Program Training
2016 Partnered with North Central MA Development Corporation Offering Free Entrepreneur Seminars
2016 Partnered with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin
2016 Co-hosted First Time Homebuyers Workshop
2015 Est. Invest North Quabbin (INQ)
2015 Est. Community Development Corp. Steering Committee
2015 Est. Prescription and Opioid Use Community Call to Action Series
2015 Est. Jail to Community Task Force
2014 Est. Narcan Training in the North Quabbin
2014 Est. Annual Munch ‘N Move Event
2014 Offered Suicide Prevention Training
2014 Partnered with the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region
2013 Est. Economic Development Task Force & Vibrancy Initiative of Athol
2013 Est. Talking About Touching Program
2013 Est. Connecting Activities School to Career Program
2013 Est. North Quabbin Loan Fund
2012 NQCC Featured in Boston Channel 5’s Chronicle Story
2012 Est. North Quabbin Woods Art Festival
2012 Est. Children’s Health and Wellness Task Force
2012 Co-host for the Vibrancy Initiative for Athol with NQ Chamber
2012 Founded North Quabbin Regional Tourism Council
2012 Founded Strength Through Adversity Scholarship (in memory of Shirley N. Hebert)
2012 Assist with Athol Hospital Transition
2011 Est. Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force
2011 Coordinated Local National Night Out Events
2011 Management support for NQ Chamber of Commerce
2010 Host of North Quabbin Woods Project
2010 Host of North Quabbin School to Careers Partnership
2009 Est. Children’s Behavioral Health Network
2009 Est. Buy North Quabbin (NOW)
2008 Sponsor of North Quabbin Food-A-Thon
2008 Host for Delivered Thanksgiving Meal Delivery Program
2008 Est. North Quabbin Youth CHOICe
2007 Est. North Quabbin Community Health Center
2005 Est. Health Access Physician Network
2002 Est. Healthy Smiles Dental fair
2001 Founded the Faith Exchange Project
2000 Est. North Quabbion Patch
1999 Est. Regional Transportation (Community Transit Services & G-Link)
1997 Est. Healthy Connections
1994 Est. Valuing Our Children
1991 Est. NELCWIT North Quabbin Office
1990 Est. Athol Orange Family Inn
1989 Est. Family Shelter at St. John’s Church
1985 Established Millers River Information & Referral (Later First Call for Help)
1984 Founded as Athol Orange Health & Human Services Coalition

The North Quabbin Community Coalition has provided a community-wide alliance committed to improving the quality of life for all those living and working within the nine-town North Quabbin region since 1984. The model for this Coalition was developed in response to community-identified issues and is focused on developing solutions that are community driven. In a region often referred to as “resource poor”, the network of health and human service providers needed to pay even more attention to the issue of collaboration in order to maximize all existing resources. The spirit of collaboration has allowed the area to develop several unique partnerships, to secure many additional resources and supports and has developed a strong coalition that fosters this growth. The Coalition serves three primary purposes within the community as follows:

Advocacy and Response to Emergent Community Issues

The Coalition serves as liaison to local legislators and helps to inform policy as to the needs of the rural community which is served.

Addressing Community Priorities

The Coalition hosts several task force groups, which serve to address local issues by engaging all stakeholders and developing local solutions to these challenges. Each Task Force serves to provide a forum for area providers to share information and to reduce duplication of services, provide community education and finally, to secure resources to address the needs within the local region.

Information Dissemination & Networking

Staff

Heather Bialecki-Canning
Executive Director
heather@nqcc.org

Sarah Collins
Assistant Director
sarah@nqcc.org

Maranda Whittier
Office Manager
maranda@nqcc.org

Board of Directors

Sandi Walters, President – Clinical Support Options
Lynne Feldman, Vice President – LifePath
Steve Raymond, Treasurer – Athol Selectboard
Chief Peter Buck – Petersham Police Department
Melissa Eaton – North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Center
Nicole Guertin – Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Jamal Hamilton – Community Representative / Athol Fire Department
Chief Craig Lundgren – Orange Police Department
Pat Moore – Community Representative
Heather Bialecki-Canning, Clerk – Non-Voting

Where Do My Dollars Go?

All of your tax-deductible donations go to support local programs, staff and projects. You may choose to make a donation of any size, or dedicate your gift in the name of a loved one. Visit here to donate.