Month: June 2020
School Committee Executive Session – Thursday 7/2/20
Here is the link to the agenda for the 7/2 SC executive session meeting.

Attention VA Caregivers – WEBINAR: Virtual Caregiver Support in times of COVID-19 – July 1, 2020 at 4PM
VA Caregivers: hear about resources to connect with your care team remotely, receive self-care messaging and attend an online workshop for caregiving tips. Happening July 1 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Register here: bit.ly/2BWpjQ0
Lisa Pape, Deputy Chief Patient Care Services Officer, Care Management and Social Work at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and members of the VA’s Caregiver Support Program will be sharing, demonstrating, and answering questions regarding virtual resources currently available to support caregivers during COVID-19.
VA’s Caregiver Support Program (CSP) offers a wide-array of services to family members and loved ones who care for Veterans, including on-line courses, face-to-face classes, telephone support, and peer support. These services are offered in addition to the support provided to families and caregivers across VA by clinicians as part of a Veteran’s care. Every VA medical center has a Caregiver Support Coordinator (CSC) who provides clinical support and assists with information and referrals to these programs.
Caregiver Community Connection (C3) is an interactive web series that aims to empower, inspire, and engage America’s military, veteran, and family caregivers. Episode topics include but are not limited to: healthy lifestyle hacks, self-care and self-love, personal and professional development, financial wellness, mental and physical health, leadership, sharing your story, and more.
Powered by Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), C3 seeks to educate caregivers about tools, resources, and strategies to help them thrive; combat isolation in the caregiver community by leveraging a platform that encourages peer connection; and provide uplifting content that promotes positivity and gives caregivers an opportunity to recharge. Additionally, this series helps the Foundation keep a pulse on caregiver needs so we and our partners can work to address them. In addition to WWP, we’d also like to thank the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for partnering with us on this series. For more information about the series, upcoming episodes, and recordings of previous episodes, visit: hiddenheroes.org/c3.

Statewide Small Business Recovery Survey
Statewide Small Business Recovery Survey
If you are the owner of a small business (fewer than 500 employees), we encourage you to please take less than 10 minutes of your time to fill out this statewide small business recovery survey (click here). Small businesses are the backbone of local economies, and how they come out of this crisis is a crucial part of reopening. Your responses, combined with others, will help inform policy makers’ decisions about what support small businesses need as they reopen.
At the end of the survey, you will have a chance to provide your email address for a chance to win one of five $100 Visa Gift Cards. So make sure to complete the whole survey!
Your answers will only be analyzed together with other responses, and will never be used to identify you personally.
This survey will be open for a short period of time. Please respond as soon as possible. If you have questions or comments about this survey, please contact Rich Parr at The MassINC Polling group at rparr@massincpolling.com or (617) 224-1628.
To begin the survey, please click the following link: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5668957/MASmallBiz?fbclid=IwAR2xPRSk9g1Ml3T2Qkm_yMbqvTJBmTEQNSOpw-_mssQK5r40ZulUdjsl4UI
Thank you very much for participating in this important initiative.

Holiday Hours: TBI Recycling Facility, Cyr Recycle Center, DPW Oil Collection CLOSED on Saturday, July 4th, 2020.
4th of July
2020 Holiday Hours
Friday, July 3rd, 2020
TBI Recycling Facility at 210 Holt Road will not be available after 2pm.
Saturday, July 4th, 2020
TBI Recycling Facility at 210 Holt Road will be CLOSED.
Cyr Recycle Center on Sharpners Pond Rd will be CLOSED.
Oil collection at the DPW will be CLOSED.


TODAY AT 5PM: So you got a PPP loan. Now what?
Dear Business Owner,
Do you have a PPP loan? Wondering how you can use it, so you can make sure it gets forgiven?
Join Mill Cities Community Investments TODAY at 5pm for a virtual business owner meetup with special guest Carlos Hernandez from the SBA, who will be available to answer questions you may have about the PPP loan and forgiveness.
Click here to connect to the meeting, or dial in using the call information below:
Dial 929-436-2866
Enter Meeting ID: 842 7861 5947
We will be offering a Spanish-language version of this meetup on Thursday, July 2 at 4pm. Click here to sign up.
Vamos a ofrecer una reunión en español sobre el tema del perdón de los préstamos PPP el jueves 2 de julio a las 4pm. Haga clic aquí para registrarse.
Please email Kristin Wallace at kristin.wallace@mccinvest.org or call 978-242-7362 with any questions you may have.

REMINDER: There will NOT be a delay in curbside collection this week, June 29th-July 3rd, 2020

June 27th is PTSD Awareness Day – Help spread the word that effective PTSD treatments are available!
What is PTSD?
PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) can develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.
Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will have PTSD, many of which are not under that person’s control. For example, having a very intense or long-lasting traumatic event or getting injured during the event can make it more likely that a person will develop PTSD. PTSD is also more common after certain types of trauma, like combat and sexual assault.
Personal factors, like previous traumatic exposure, age, and gender, can affect whether or not a person will develop PTSD. What happens after the traumatic event is also important. Stress can make PTSD more likely, while social support can make it less likely.
It’s normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping after a traumatic event. At first, it may be hard to do normal daily activities, like go to work, go to school, or spend time with people you care about. But most people start to feel better after a few weeks or months.
If it’s been longer than a few months and you’re still having symptoms, you may have PTSD. For some people, PTSD symptoms may start later, or they may come and go over time.
*US Dept of Veterans Affairs, PTSD: National Center for PTSD. (2020, June 26).
Find a PTSD Provider (For Veterans): https://www.ptsd.va.gov/gethelp/find_therapist.asp
Visit the National Center for PTSD website to learn even more about PTSD and treatment http://www.ptsd.va.gov
Wondering which PTSD treatment is right for you?
Use this PTSD Treatment Decision Aid to learn about and compare treatments.
The VA also offers these online programs ~ support you can access on your own:
- VETCHANGE: www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/change
- Take control of your drinking and learn to manage PTSD symptoms without using alcohol.
- PTSD COACH ONLINE: www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/ptsdcoachonline
- Cope with upsetting thoughts and reduce the symptoms of PTSD.
- Cope with upsetting thoughts and reduce the symptoms of PTSD.
- ANGER AND IRRITABILITY MANAGEMENT SKILLS (AIMS): www.veterantraining.va.gov/aims
- Manage your anger and develop self-control over your thoughts and actions.
- MOVING FORWARD: www.veterantraining.va.gov/movingforward
- Improve your problem-solving skills to overcome stressful obstacles and meet your goals.
- PARENTING FOR VETERANS AND SERVICEMEMBERS: www.veterantraining.va.gov/parenting
- Strengthen your parenting skills and reconnect with your children.
- PATH TO BETTER SLEEP: www.veterantraining.va.gov/insomnia
- Improve your sleep habits and get more rest.
PTSD: HELP FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
If someone close to you has experienced a traumatic event, it can be hard to know how to support them. If you or your loved one needs help right away:
- Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) anytime to talk to a counselor. Press “1” if you are a Veteran. The call is confidential (private) and free.
- Chat online with a counselor anytime at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
These resources aren’t only for the person who’s struggling. Family, friends, and loved ones can also reach out to get advice, help, and support. And hotlines aren’t just for crisis situations — it’s okay to call or chat if you just need someone to talk to.
Additional resources available for family and friends:
- Read Understanding PTSD: A Guide for Familiesand Friends to learn more about PTSD.
- Download the free mobile app PTSD Family Coach to get tips to help your loved one with PTSD.
- Use the Caregiver Support Program to access training and tools to help you succeed.
- Visit AboutFace to hear stories about PTSD and treatment from Veterans and their loved ones
- Contact VA’s Coaching Into Care program for support in getting your loved one into treatment.
20 Things Not to Say to Someone With PTSD: https://www.e-counseling.com/ptsd/things-not-to-say-to-someone-with-ptsd/
Don’t forget, we are here to help! Contact Veterans Services for North Andover and Boxford at 978-688-9525 or veterans@northandoverma.gov.

Check out the Exchange Club of Lawrence and the Andovers Field of Honor at the North Andover Town Common, now through July 4th!
The Exchange Club of Lawrence and the Andovers Field of Honor allows the community the opportunity to honor and memorialize veterans, current military, first responders, and personal heroes. The Field of Honor is a dramatic, emotion-filled display of full-size, 3′ x 5′ U.S. flags. 500 flags will be on display Saturday, June 20th through Saturday, July 4th – Drive by to see them any time of the day or night!
Flags are on sale at www.xcflags.org.