Offers and Needs Market set for Sunday

SHELBURNE FALLS — An Offers and Needs Market will be held Sunday, April 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Art Garden, 14 Depot St., Suite 2.

Offers and Needs Markets showcase hidden talents, skills, resources and needs within a community. The markets are often organized using a replicable structure from the nonprofit Post Growth Institute. Some skills that may be showcased include accounting services, beekeeping, coin collecting, design work, editing, agricultural knowledge or grocery delivery services.

Learn more about the program at offersandneeds.com. Register for Sunday’s free event at bit.ly/3xuq1AQ.

Charlemont company gets $10K grant

CHARLEMONT — In celebration of Earth Month, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $167,000 in grants through the Office of Outdoor Recreation to support equitable access to outdoor recreation events. Twenty-one organizations and municipalities, including American Whitewater in Charlemont, received Inclusive and Accessible Event grants to improve ease of access to outdoor recreational activities for low-income residents, people of color and people with disabilities.

With its $10,000 grant, American Whitewater will partner with Zoar Outdoor to host Diversify Whitewater, a July 27 river rafting event on the Deerfield River that aims to remove barriers that people of color face when accessing outdoor recreation opportunities. In addition to this one-day event, the organization will also host Paddling Futures, a five-day kayak immersion program for kids that aims to remove barriers that low-income youth face when accessing the river or learning about paddlesports.

“Western Massachusetts is home to some of the most extraordinary year-round outdoor recreational activities in Massachusetts. The breadth of opportunities provides residents and visitors with the perfect way to explore an area of interest at the entry level, where they may be most comfortable,” state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, said in a statement. “These grants will help in expanding opportunities to welcome all to experience our great outdoors.”

“These grants support the essential work of organizations and municipalities striving to ensure everyone feels welcome and included in Massachusetts’ outdoors. Expanding access to outdoor recreation is the perfect opportunity for grantees to showcase the beautiful rivers, trails and parks that we have to offer to all residents and visitors,” Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Paul Jahnige said in a statement. “Outdoor recreation events in nature support our mental, physical and social health, and the state’s economic health. Investing in the outdoor recreation economy is a step toward strengthening our connections with each other and the natural environment.”