Freedom Credit Union raising money for Coalition for the Homeless

SPRINGFIELD — Throughout January, Freedom Credit Union is collecting donations at all its branches to benefit the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.

“In the cold New England winter, individuals and families experiencing or facing homelessness are at peak risk,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said in a statement. “The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless has been working on their behalf since 1981, providing programs to identify and address the accelerating challenges of poverty and homelessness. We are proud to play a role in supporting their efforts.”

In 2023, the coalition:

■Assisted 3,683 households in 298 Massachusetts communities.

■Provided 1,598 children living in poverty with a bed of their own.

■And helped 7,924 individuals representing 1,981 households avoid homelessness and displacement.

In 2024, the coalition aims to escalate its efforts to continue enhancing its mission, which is “to create lasting solutions to housing, income, health, education and racial inequalities in all parts of the commonwealth.”

Freedom Credit Union has branches across western Massachusetts, including in Greenfield and Turners Falls.

Locals among food award finalists

Colrain’s Stoneman Brewery and Greenfield’s Real Pickles have been named finalists for the Good Food Foundation’s 2024 Good Food Awards.

According to Stoneman Brewery owner Justin Korby, the beer that is a finalist is called the Vert Frisson Saison, which was brewed as part of Stoneman Brewery’s Beer Share Collaborative ale series with Forest Kitchen, an art project/dinner club based in Montague. This beer is brewed with 100% Valley Malts Northeast grown grain; hops from Champlain Valley Hops and Hoppy Valley Farm, both in Vermont; and evergreen tips and nettles picked at the Colrain property.

In 2019, Stoneman Brewery won a Good Food Award for its Tractor Ryed IPA.

Real Pickles, meanwhile, was named a finalist for its organic sauerkraut. Real Pickles sources all of the organic produce used in its naturally fermented products from farms in the Northeast, primarily from eight organic farms located within 40 miles of Real Pickles. As part of its commitment to supporting a regional, organic food system, Real Pickles’ products are only distributed in the same region. The organic sauerkraut being recognized as a finalist is made from organic cabbage grown by Northeast farms, including Atlas Farm in South Deerfield, Kitchen Garden Farm in Sunderland and Harlow Farm in Westminster, Vermont.

According to the Good Food Foundation, this year’s selection of 311 finalists from 44 states “showcases the best of the best in the culinary landscape.” The companies were selected — out of a total group of more than 1,650 entrants — for their dedication to sustainable, tasty and responsibly crafted food and drinks.

The 2024 Good Food Award winners will be announced on April 29 at a ceremony in Portland, Oregon. To view the full list of finalists, visit goodfoodfdn.org/awards/finalists.

Job fair at GCC

GREENFIELD — The MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center invites residents to a job fair on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at Greenfield Community College.

Participating employers include Community Action Pioneer Valley, Community Health Center of Franklin County, Covestro, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Greenfield Savings Bank, Judd Wire, Mayhew Steel Products, Northfield Mount Hermon School, Pete’s Tire Barn, The Salasin Project, ServiceNet, L.S. Starrett Co., The Rowe Center, Valley Medical Group and Travel Kuz/F.M. Kuzmeskus, to name a few.

For more information, visit masshirefhcareers.org or call 413-774-4361. Translators are available.