Editor’s note: Newsmakers is a new regular feature spotlighting accomplishments of Newton community members, businesses and organizations.
City Hall housing advocates honored for their efforts
City Councilor Vicki Danberg and former City Councilor Deb Crossley received the Mondshein Award last Tuesday at City Hall from the Newton Fair Housing Committee.
The award recognizes outstanding leadership in fair housing and is named in memory of Sheila Mondshein, founding chair of the Newton Fair Housing Committee, who served on the committee for more than 10 years. Welcoming remarks were made by Mayor Fuller, member and former president of the City Council Susan Albright, and Esther Schlorholtz, current chair of the Fair Housing Committee.
Odysseys Unlimited walks to fight hunger
Odysseys Unlimited of Newton recently laced up for Project Bread’s 56th annual Walk for Hunger.
They were among over 4,200 participants, both in-person and virtual, to walk the 3-mile loop around the Boston Common or in their own neighborhoods. This is the 10th year that Odysseys Unlimited has participated in the Walk for Hunger as an employee-led Walk group, and they have raised over $85,000 in the last decade.
This year, the 27-person team ran an in-office bake sale, led a raffle, and walked on the Boston Common to raise $18,920 so far towards their $20,000 goal for statewide food security.
“We rely on the funds raised through the Walk for Hunger to make our work possible,” said Erin McAleer, Project Bread’s CEO. “We’ve made great strides—but there’s still too many people in Massachusetts who aren’t sure where their next meal is coming from. We have an ambitious goal of $1.3 million—and we’re still working to reach it. The Odysseys Unlimited Walk team understands how we need to work together for statewide food security because our community is what makes us stronger, and their support reflects what the Walk is all about – continuing to step up each year to make sure our neighbors in need can access and afford food.”
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center nurse honored with ‘salute’
Nataliya Maychuk, L.P.N., a Newton resident and a staff nurse at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center Boston, was recently nominated for the 2024 “Salute to Nurses” special report published in the Boston Globe Magazine: https://sponsored.bostonglobe.com/studiob/2024-salute-to-nurses-letters-e-m/.
The annual feature recognizes area nurses whose dedication and caring have saved lives, soothed fears, improved the quality of life and eased the pain of countless patients and their families. The Globe published profiles of 10 individual nurses and 8 memory support team nurses at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale, NewBridge on the Charles, independent and assisted living at NewBridge on the Charles, Home Health and Hospice Care. I thought your readers might be interested in learning about inspirational Newton nurse like Nataliya Maychuk as part of Nurse Appreciation Week through May 12.
Maychuk was nominated by Alla Grinberg because of Nataliya’s “tremendous work as a nurse for my mother. Nataliya works with extreme diligence and care towards her patients and holds extra compassion towards each person. Though it is a very taxing and difficult job, she attends to each patient with individual knowledge, professionalism, and kindness. I have noticed on every occasion that she will take the extra step and go the extra mile for my mother and every patient. Nataliya approaches each patient’s situation with intelligence and concern. She is always accurate and timely, not only in her treatment but in her communication with the residents’ families and visitors. She is always the first to arrive and ready to work before her shift even begins. In the toughest times of COVID or flu, she is a constant and a source of reliability. I have the utmost regard for Nataliya. I thank and recognize her for her continuous compassion, talent, and support.”
