Library and Community News

MetroWest YMCA: Welcoming Week Sept 9-18 thumbnail Photo

MetroWest YMCA: Welcoming Week Sept 9-18

The MetroWest YMCA is hosting a Welcoming Week Sept 9-18 and inviting everyone in the community to join. All people have to do is visit our website to download a free week pass, bring it to the Framingham Branch or Family Outdoor Center with a photo ID and check in. The pass grants people seven days access to the Framingham Branch as well as our Family Outdoor Center in Hopkinton. They will be able to experience member benefits like group exercise classes, using the gym and wellness center, and even the pool (with reservations). Some restrictions apply, and all of the details are on our website: https://www.metrowestymca.org/welcoming-week.


Additionally, we are holding special events every day next week! These include "try archery" night at the Family Outdoor Center and a GroupExercise showcase - featuring yoga, piloxing, bodyweight bootcamp, and zumba- on Saturday morning (Sept 17th) at the Framingham Branch. 
 

Walk with Ease thumbnail Photo

Walk with Ease

The Arthritis Foundation’s six-week Walk With Ease program can teach you how to make physical activity part of your everyday life safely. For more information, contact Laura Gilbert, (508) 879-4420 x.232 or lgilbert@metrowestymca.org 

MetroWest READ: Reading for Equity, Accountability and Diversity thumbnail Photo

MetroWest READ: Reading for Equity, Accountability and Diversity

About this event:

Feminist writer and civil rights activist Audre Lorde once said, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” In an effort to put these words into action, the MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women and our little sister organization the Athena Council, would like to invite you to join our new book club--MetroWest READ (Reading for Equity, Accountability and Diversity). The aim of this new venture is to engage community leaders, legislators and constituents of all backgrounds and ages, in an exploration of the many identities, experiences and challenges of the people who make up our diverse region and conversations about how we can be of greater support to one another given these realities.

Learn more and register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/metrowest-read-reading-for-equity-accountability-and-diversity-tickets-323287560797?fbclid=IwAR1Si0GO1OhC2YFHPJGY-8Whfkq0DIxKqJnH2Bgus3pdD2oJ3eW6WbZpDb0.

A Night at the Circus thumbnail Photo

A Night at the Circus

Enter a dazzling world of acrobats, aerialists, close up magic, and more as our historic firehouse transforms into an immersive, one night only spectacular. The evening features performances from Cirque-tacular, a legendary NYC-based troupe of elite artists and performers guaranteed to amaze. Ringmaster Dewie Decimator hosts as guests enjoy games, #WrongAnswerOnly fortunes, and the summer air. At 9pm, our VIP burlesque show kicks off indoors while DJ They$exy holds down the outdoor party, providing festive jams that pair well with treats from Trolley Dogs, Uncle Joey’s Cannoli, and Minuteman Kettle Corn. We’ve got specialty cocktails from our cash bar for the grown ups, too. It all culminates in a multi-performer fire show finale for all to enjoy!

A Night at the Circus is also ātac’s annual Party for the Arts bash—a core fundraising event that helps support the production of high quality performing and visual arts events year round. 

When and Where:

Friday, June 10, 2022

7:00 – 11:00 PM

ātac
160 Hollis Street, Framingham, MA
atac160.org/circus.

 

For more information click here: https://www.atac160.org/.

Understanding Intimate Partner Violence in LGBTQ+ Relationships thumbnail Photo

Understanding Intimate Partner Violence in LGBTQ+ Relationships

Thursday March 24, 2022 | 4:30-5:30pm | Virtual Event

Did you know that LGBTQ+ people face an increased risk of violence, including by an intimate partner, when compared to non-LGBTQ+ populations? Join us for a discussion with FSU’s own Dr. Xavier Guadalupe-Diaz, associate professor of sociology and criminology, who will share his academic expertise on intimate partner violence within the LGBTQ+ community. Join us by registering for a Zoom link.

Sponsored by the Center for Inclusive Excellence.

Dr. Sy Stokes: Freedom of Speech and the Politics of Morality thumbnail Photo

Dr. Sy Stokes: Freedom of Speech and the Politics of Morality

Wednesday March 30, 2022 | 4:30-5:30pm | Virtual Event

Dr. Sy Stokes is this year's Olivia A. Davidson Voices of Color Speaker and will deliver a talk titled Freedom of Speech and the Politics of Morality: Campus Racial Climate in the Modern Era. This is particularly timely given events that have taken place at FSU and across the United States.

Dr. Stokes directs Coqual's qualitative research team in identifying solutions for advancing equity in the workplace. Prior to Coqual, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the National Center for Institutional Diversity at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Stokes is also the recipient of the 2021 University of Southern California Rossier School of Education Ph.D. Dissertation of the Year Award for his dissertation, Into the Wildfire: Campus Racial Climate and the Trump Presidency. His research interrogates capitalism, nationalism, white supremacy, and racism; and examines the ways that college students respond to campus racism through activism and political engagement. As an undergraduate and graduate student, Dr. Stokes gained national acclaim for his spoken word performances of "The Black Bruins" and "Dear White Counselor."

Please register for a Zoom link.

Sharing the Afghan Refugee Experience: Voices, Culture & Cuisine thumbnail Photo

Sharing the Afghan Refugee Experience: Voices, Culture & Cuisine

Sharing the Afghan Refugee Experience: Voices, Culture & Cuisine
Learn about the local Afghan refugee experience through engaging conversations and authentic Afghan cooking demonstration.
Let’s come together to:

  • Have interactive dialog with people affected by and interested in Afghan resettlement in Metrowest and Greater Boston.
  • Connect with other curious and compassionate neighbors who want to make a difference.
  • Support Hospitality Common’s mission to serve and support immigrant and refugee families while building bridges of hope, understanding, and opportunity.
  • Support and encourage a local food business owner during this challenging pandemic crisis.

HCI is a faith-based nonprofit organization providing educational and community services to immigrant and refugee communities. An important element of their mission is to build bridges of hope into our community through education, dialogue, and volunteer service opportunities.

HCI is partnering with Open Kitchens Project, a community platform for food and conversation events, while supporting BIPOC and Immigrant food entrepreneurs. It offers community leaders and influencers a proven approach to create community spaces for dialogue around the dinner table.

Sun, March 27, 2022

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM EDT

Register here.