This week at the State House we welcomed one final group of Chapman Middle School 8th graders and 3rd graders from the Seach School in Weymouth. Both groups of students took a tour of the building and I was able to speak to them in the Senate Chamber. All of the students received official Senate recognition for their commitment and curiosity regarding civic engagement.
I am always honored to speak with the young people who come to the State House to visit, thank you to their teachers and chaperones for making the day possible. It was great to meet you all, and I hope you will make your way back to Beacon Hill soon!
Superwash on Main Street in South Weymouth hosts Laundry Love events, providing free laundry services to families and individuals in need, sponsored by St. John's in Hingham. Volunteers assist on-site to help with machines and cleaning supplies. This service takes place the second Tuesday of every month from 3:30 to 5:50 PM. I was able to stop by during one of the sessions this week and experience first hand all the hard work these volunteers do.
Laundry Love is a national organization that partners with others around the country to help people do their laundry, allowing individuals and families to redirect their money toward food, medical, gas or transportation costs as well as school supplies and other necessities.
I was able to secure Laundry Love $5,000 in the FY26 State Budget to aid in their operations. I am looking forward to continuing to support them in the future.
Thank you for all the work that you continue to do for our community here on the South Shore and beyond. Find a Laundry Love location here /find-a-location/
Earlier this week, I took part in the annual Springtime Gala to benefit @cushingcenters . Proceeds from the Gala will go towards maintaining their education, residential care, and employment training programs.
For over twenty years, supporters of Cardinal Cushing have attended the Springtime Gala to hear from their CEO, the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, and, most importantly, to meet some of their exceptional students and adults and watch them perform.
Dinner, music, auctions, art displays, and a fashion show were just some of the highlights of the evening. Great job to Julie Ellis, who I had the pleasure of taking part in the show with. This was a wonderful event and thank you for including me as a part of it!
In April, the Senate approved a 1.8 billion dollar supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2026. This "fair share" surtax revenue aims to fund transportation, education, and municipal relief across the Commonwealth.
I am proud to have secured funding for public schools on the South Shore, but would like to highlight $235,000 for @weymouth_public_schools . Of that amount, $35,000 is specifically designated to work in coordination with the Murphy School Parent Council to support the construction of a new playground at Frederick C. Murphy School. The remaining funds, if any, may be used by the school district for other eligible educational purposes.
I'm excited to see the progress made with this new playground and for the possibilities it will provide for all those who wish to use it.
Over the weekend, I attended the 14th annual 2026 International Great Famine Commemoration hosted by the Consulate General of @irelandboston . This event honored victims of An Gorta Mór (the Great Hunger) and highlighted the deep, lasting impact of Irish migration on the region.
Cohasset is a town with not just a deep tradition of Irish settlement, but also bore witness to one of the great tragedies of famine migration when the Brig Saint John sank off the shore in 1849.
I appreciate the opportunity to observe the Great Famine here on the South Shore alongside other legislators, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, and members of our community.
The Fiscal Year 2026 supplemental budget bill has been approved, funding several local initiatives across Massachusetts. While the Senate debated this, I was proud to rise to speak on Amendment #313, in support of directed spending of $500,000 to Weymouth Public Schools to continue providing free feminine hygiene products to students through a partnership with @free.period.ministry .
Founded in 2021 by Kenzie Blackwell of Hingham, Free. has now distributed more than 3 million feminine hygiene products to students across the state. The reality is clear, period poverty remains an equity issue impacting thousands of students throughout the Commonwealth. I have had the opportunity to witness Free.’s work firsthand, from volunteering at packing events to helping distribute products to local schools.
I remain proud to support Free.'s mission and I'm grateful for the leadership of Kenzie and her team of volunteers.
Luminaria, a heartfelt display of luminary bags in memory of or in honor of loved ones, has been hosted by @weareempower_ since 2020. Thousands of people joined together Friday night to pay tribute to their loved ones to kick off Mother's Day weekend. This year, Luminaria took place at the Old Scituate Lighthouse, where Empower was founded and this tradition first began. 100% of proceeds from Luminaria support Empower programs for children and young adults grieving the loss of a parent.
This was a very meaningful evening and thank you to Cara, Sam, and the rest of Team Empower for continuing on this beautiful community event. I look forward to keep working alongside you and I appreciate all that Empower does for young people here on the South Shore, and beyond.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there on the South Shore and beyond. I hope you are able to enjoy your day surrounded by your family and friends.
A special Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom, Terry, and my sister, Erin. I appreciate all the love and support you have given me. I would not be where I am today without you.
Yesterday and today, Representative Murphy and I welcomed two more groups of eighth grade students up to the State House from Chapman Middle School.
The students went on a tour of the State House and we were able to speak to them in both the Senate and House chambers about what we do as elected officials who represent them, their friends, family, and neighbors. We were happy to present them with official recognition from the legislature for their interest in civic engagement.
I hope that you all had a great field trip up to Beacon Hill and thank you for taking the time to listen and learn! @weymouthpublicschools
Yesterday was the Love of Literacy Reception and Luncheon hosted by @southshorestars at Alma Nove in Hingham.
This was an afternoon of connection, conversation, and inspiration centered on the power of reading and the impact of literacy in a child’s life. It was great to speak with everyone over our shared commitment to helping children become confident readers.
Proceeds from Love of Literacy support literacy initiatives across all Stars programs, expanding access to high-quality reading instruction and support for children with language-based learning differences. This event was inspirational and I am grateful to have been included.
Congratulations to Steven Nelson of Weymouth for receiving the Advocate of the Year from @massmova . This award recognizes an individual from a public and/or community-based agency who has made extraordinary contributions to the lives of victims and survivors. The 2026 Victim Rights Awards Ceremony was held at the State House last week to recognize organizations and individuals for their notable contributions to the victim services community.
Over the past 15 years, Steven has worked for the Norfolk County District Attorney's office as a Victim Advocate, operating within the criminal justice system to aid individuals to find strength and justice during difficult times.
Thank you for all the work that you continue to do for the betterment of our community.
All eight towns that I represent have recieved Fire SAFE and/or Senior SAFE Grant Awards. The Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE grant programs support trained firefighter-educators in delivering age-appropriate fire and life safety education to communities.
The SAFE grant program is designed for school-age children and provides fire-related safety, prevention, and protection education that increases in sophistication by grade level. Since its inception in 1995, SAFE has been associated with a 79% decline in child fire fatalities.
The Senior SAFE grant program, established in 2014, focuses on older adults, who are disproportionately at risk of injury or death from fires at home. This program supports fire and life safety education at senior centers, councils on aging, and through home visits. Services may include smoke and carbon monoxide alarm replacement, fall prevention education, and other safety initiatives.
Congratulations to these towns for receiving these grants. The SAFE programs have been imperative in maintaining community wellness and keeping fire education as informative as possible.
