Athol Daily News – Orange uses $4K grant to hire intern focused on healthy food systems

ORANGE — The city has utilized a approximately $4,000 grant to employ a summer intern concentrated on healthful foods systems.

Siobhan Davis, an Orange resident and a college student at Clark College in Worcester, began an 8- to 10-7 days internship on July 5, according to Alec Wade, Orange’s community enhancement director. Wade reported Davis will function out of the City Offices at 62 Cheney St. and collaborate with the network of food units that was formulated when the town partnered with Quabbin Food Connector, the Franklin County Community Foods Software and the Orange Farmers’ Market place.

“We are absolutely ecstatic. This will be the first summer internship that the section has hosted,” Wade commented, noting that the town necessary local residency for this internship. “We’re just genuinely enthusiastic.”

The $3,996 grant awarded to Orange is section of the Healthful Summer months Youth Positions Grant System operate by the Massachusetts Legal professional General’s Office environment.

Wade described Davis, who makes use of they/them pronouns, graduated from Ralph C. Mahar Regional Faculty in 2021 and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in group, youth and instruction scientific studies. Their internship will expire on Sept. 2, per the grant’s phrases.

Wade said he learned of this grant income mainly because the city was put on a mailing listing of the AG’s office environment in 2020 just after acquiring a grant to aid compact organizations. He mentioned Orange had desired to offer an internship like this for a while, but experienced beforehand been not able to deliver an intern with the interest they are entitled to.

“When we do internships,” Wade stated, “we always want to make absolutely sure we can … have a positive expertise for the two sides.”

The grant income is section of at least $262,000 becoming dispensed to 70 corporations throughout the state to fund overall health and wellness-targeted summer work opportunities for younger individuals. This is the eighth year the AG’s office is running the application funded with honest labor-similar settlement revenue.

“For eight several years, we have worked intently with inspiring corporations in each and every corner of the point out to produce harmless, good summer season activities for youthful individuals,” state Legal professional Standard Maura Healey mentioned in a statement. “These summertime careers deliver Massachusetts teens with priceless alternatives to problem by themselves, obtain new skills and make a change in their possess communities by endorsing balanced dwelling.”

Get to Domenic Poli at: [email protected] or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.