Tri-Community YMCA, 43 Everett Street, Southbridge, MA 01550, (508) 765-5466

BrightStar Care, Milford

115 Water Street

Milford, MA 01757

www.brightstarcare.com

Shelly Sun founded BrightStar Care in 2002 in the Chicagoland area after facing a challenging personal experience seeking home care services for her grandmother and not finding the breadth of services – both medical and non-medical that her grandmother needed.  BrightStar Care provides medical and non-medical home health care and medical staffing services through a national network.  BrightStar Senior Living and BrightStar Care Homes provide assisted living and memory care in a senior living community setting.  Most recently, the company launched a medical staffing agency.  In 2005, to diversify and localize the company’s operations, franchising was offered, and over the last 20 years, BrightStar Care has grown to more than 365 franchised and company-owned locations nationwide employing 15,000 caregivers and 5,700 registered nurses who oversee the care and safety of clients.

The company’s mission has been to provide to seniors, families, and those needing home care services a full continuum of care and to become a premium home care provider committed to deliver a higher standard of care, evidenced by network-wide nurse-led care and Joint Commission accreditation – the gold standard within the healthcare industry.  BrightStar Care® offers in-home care for people of all ages.  The caregivers and nurses deliver professional and compassionate care in the comfort and familiarity of clients’ homes. They provide a range of services from companionship and hygiene and mobility assistance to in-home blood draws and skilled nursing care that are available around the clock.  The care teams are led by a Director of Nursing who is a Registered Nurse (RN) to deliver expert compassionate personal care that empowers clients to live well at every stage of life in every setting, making it possible for them and their families to receive the support needed to get the most out of life.

Another service they provide is BrightStar® Medical Staffing which delivers staffing solutions to augment a company’s recruiting efforts by providing personnel to hospitals, nursing homes, doctors’ offices, labs and anywhere healthcare staff is needed. This service helps to fill clinical and administrative positions across organizations on a per diem, temporary, contract or permanent basis. National account services range from insurance assessments and IV infusion therapy to home health, and flu clinic services to corporate, commercial, and retail clients.

The company also offers BrightStar® Senior Living for those individuals who don’t want to remain in their homes.  These Senior Living Communities (with Assisted Living and Memory Care) offer suites in a homelike environment with nurse-led care.  In addition, the company now offers BrightStar® Care Homes that are actual houses built or remodeled specifically for up to 8 to 12 residents that provide an attractive staff-to-resident ratio of 1:6 or better.  With made-to-order breakfasts, daily meals tailored to residents’ palates, and the option to bring in special furnishings, residents feel right at home with their caregivers and friends in their new BrightStar Care Homes setting.

BrightStar Care has consistently ranked among the fastest growing companies in America by Inc. Magazine and has made Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list for the last thirteen years.  The company has also continuously ranked on Franchise Business Review’s Top Franchise list, the Franchise Times Top 400 list, and was named a top Women-Centric business by Global Franchise Magazine. On the clinical side, BrightStar Care is the only national home care franchise to receive The Joint Commission’s Enterprise Champion for Quality award every year since the award’s inception.

For more information on BrightStar Care services, call 866.618.7827.

Tri-Community YMCA, 43 Everett Street, Southbridge, MA 01550, (508) 765-5466

Since, 1882 the Tri-Community YMCA has built a strong reputation for having health, fitness and social programs for area residents and families, and has grown to include assistance for at-risk children and families. The Southbridge branch is one part of several locations of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts that also includes Westboro, Worcester (2 locations), Leominster, and Fitchburg.

Pre-school and after school childcare, older adult services, teen programs, summer camp programs, rehabilitation, health and wellness programs, and literacy and family activities have all provided a long history of opportunities for members and non-members to enhance their lives by building healthy spirit, mind, and bodies. And it is through their largest program called the Annual Campaign, that the Y secures the financial gifts needed to deliver the programs and services. And besides memberships, other events such as LIVESTRONG Y Cancer Support Program and the annual Golf Classic also contribute towards fundraising and the delivery of all programs.

The Southbridge branch has had some major capital improvements recently such as an expanded childcare program that can service an additional 25 children; a new HVAC system in the gym; a new concrete floor in the fitness room with additional cardio vascular and other exercise machines; a cancer survivor wellness program; a program called “What’s For Dinner” where people can call ahead or walk in for pre-packaged meals Thursdays through Saturdays (currently serving 300 families every week); and a new water safety swim program for grade 3 school students called “Just Get In The Water”.

Technology has even become part of the organization bringing the “YMCA360” experience that is offered 24/7 on mobile devices, TV, and the web (in participating markets). All branches of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts, including the Southbridge branch, are involved with this new experience, and it is available to all current members to enjoy a collection of on-demand and livestream classes on their devices in cinematic 4K wherever they are and whenever they want.

If you have any questions, please contact the Member Service Center at (508) 770-6451 ext. 0 or send email to: membersupport@ymcaofcm.org.

Over 68 years ago, in May of 1956, a young mother of 10 was encouraged to start a Chapter of the “Association for Retarded Children (Arc)” in the 10-town Southern Worcester County Area. Anita Anderson of Charlton, along with a small group of other parents, began the research to educate themselves and the public about people with disabilities. It was commonly accepted before this movement that all people born with severe disabilities would never improve, so the best course of action was to leave these children in institutions. These advocacy groups changed all that through their grass roots efforts, which locally led to the establishment of a school for children with disabilities named the Center of Hope on Walnut Street in Southbridge (a former garage of the Wells family donated by the former American Optical Company). Since those early $5,000.00 budget days, the agency has grown to serve over 700 families in 64 towns in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The administrative offices in Southbridge are now housed in a 100,000 sq. ft. building at 100 Foster St./1 North St. acquired in 2003.

The expanded agency now has 5 large Day Habilitation Programs, including a location on West Street which is also consists of 9 apartments for folks to succeed living on their own with some supports.

They have a thriving, comprehensive Vocational Program that helps people succeed in competitive employment within the community and/or work in 13 small businesses sponsored by the agency, such as the Noress Corp. (assembly and packaging company); Just the Details (auto cleaning); Vivid Print (printing and graphics solutions); Cans of Hope (can redemption); Yards of Hope (lawn care); Scoops of Hope (ice cream shop); Clean-Out/Removal Services; Hope’s Treasures (thrift store); Fair and Square Construction (renovations); The Festive Home ( wreath décor); Shred of Hope (shredding service); and Janitorial Services.

In addition to day programs, housing, and vocational enrichment, they also have Camp, Individual and Family Supports Programs, an ABI Waiver Program, Youth Internship and Employment Programs, Special Olympics, Recreational Dances, Outings and Trips, Emergency Relief, Volunteers of Hope, Self-Advocates Groups, Legislative Advocacy, and other community programs.

The Center of Hope has grown to be one of the top five employers in Southbridge and has also become a well-respected and vital part of the community involved in many things from renovating town parks, providing volunteers at the local hospital, and being members of committees, boards of directors and chambers of commerce and other business groups. Their goals continue to allow them to move forward, providing innovative and avant-garde services for an ever-widening circle of people with special needs.

To learn more about the current events in Day Habilitation Programs, Family Supports, Employment Supports, and the multiple entrepreneurial business developments, please visit the Center of Hope Foundations website at: https://www.thecenterofhope.org/. To explore current job openings, click HERE.