Stavros Center For Independent Living

At the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Legislative Breakfast this morning. Gratitude to our local delegation for their partnership, and a special thank you to Senator Jo Comerford and Representative Mindy Domb for their continued advocacy for people with disabilities and Independent Living in Western Massachusetts. Their commitment to equity, access, and community strengthens the work we all do.

Hashtags:


Image descriptions:
1. Four panelists sit behind a long table in a ballroom with gold patterned walls and large windows. One person looks up, two look down at notes, and one adjusts their microphone. A person in the foreground leans forward at a nearby table.
2. Audience members sit at round banquet tables facing a presentation screen displaying the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast event slide. Attendees listen attentively in a gold-and-cream ballroom.
3. state Rep Aaron Saunders in a suit speaks at a wooden podium with a microphone, standing in front of a window with patterned drapes.
4. State Rep. Mindy Domb with short dark hair and glasses speaks at a wooden podium, wearing a blazer and orange shirt, gesturing lightly with one hand.
5. Senator Jake Oliveria speaks into a microphone at a podium, smiling as they address the room.
6. Senator Jo Comerford with shoulder-length hair and a patterned scarf speaks at a podium, looking thoughtful as they address the audience.
7. A printed program for the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce 2025 Legislative Breakfast sits on a table, listing speakers and the event schedule.
8. Amherst Area Chamber Director Jacob Robinson in a dark suit speaks at a podium while audience members sit at round tables in the foreground, listening. The ballroom has patterned carpeting and gold drapes.

Everyone deserves access to good food.
If you or someone you know is looking for free or low-cost groceries in Western Massachusetts, the Food Bank of Western Mass has a Food Finder tool that can help you locate nearby food pantries, meal sites, and mobile distributions.

Find resources here:
👉 https://www.foodbankwma.org/get-help/food-finder/

En español:
👉 https://es.foodbankwma.org/get-help/food-finder/

No one should go hungry. Please share widely.

El Banco de Alimentos del Oeste de Massachusetts | Inicio Únete al Banco de Alimentos del Oeste de Massachusetts para erradicar el hambre. Ofrecemos alimentos saludables, promovemos el cambio y apoyamos a nuestros vecinos necesitados.

When BusinessWest calls someone a Woman of Impact, they mean it — and our CEO, Angelina Ramirez, has earned every word.

Angelina’s leadership reflects what Stavros stands for: equity, access, and the right to live on your own terms. Every ramp we build, every wheelchair we repair, every person we help find housing or independence — it’s all part of that vision.

You can honor that work by supporting it.
Your gift today keeps the Independent Living movement alive and growing across Western Mass.

Donate now: stavros.org/donate
Read Angelina’s full BusinessWest feature: https://businesswest.com/blog/angelina-ramirez/

Image description: A large group of Stavros staff stand outside between two white Stavros vans, smiling together. Angelina Ramirez is centered among the team, many wearing Stavros blue shirts. The vans display the Stavros logo and slogan: “Life’s Better When You Make Your Own Decisions.”

Tonight at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Russell Museum, we gathered for the screening of White Nine: Where Broken Bodies Go — a film honoring the roots of the Independent Living movement and the birth of disability rights as we know them.

The film features Stavros founders Bill Martin, Chris Palames, and long-time advocate Joe Tringali — three visionaries whose courage and conviction helped shape a world where access, autonomy, and dignity are non-negotiable.

A powerful night celebrating the past that made our present possible.



Image descriptions:
1. A group gathers in front of a large screen reading White Nine: Where Broken Bodies Go – Film screening and discussion: the evolution of independent living and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
2. A man with white hair and a beard sits in a wheelchair, labeled “Christos Palames – The Philosopher.”
3. Another man with light hair and glasses speaks, wearing a purple shirt.
4. A man in a blue shirt sits in a wheelchair, reading from papers.

Check it out:

Federal layoffs threaten special education for 190,000 Mass. students with disabilities - The Boston Globe Special education advocates warn of how the Department of Education layoffs would hurt services for needy students.