Events

Emily DeMariano, Senior Project Manager, Community Health will be the guest speaker.

Emily DeMariano is the Senior Project Manager for Community Health at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and is responsible for collaborating with the eight Councils within the NWH Community Collaborative to develop, execute, evaluate and track Collaborative strategic priorities, and build and nurture relationships with community members and organizations to advance the work of the Councils. Emily has been in nonprofit management for nearly 25 years, serving in a variety of roles from CEO to Development Director, and has a passion for helping organizations and programs reach their potential for meaningful and sustainable impact.

Prior to joining Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Emily held senior leadership positions at several Massachusetts nonprofits and educational institutions, including Calmer Choice, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Cristo Rey Boston High School, McLean Hospital, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and the Harvard School of Public Health. She received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland, and holds several certificates in nonprofit management. In 2022, she was invited to speak on the TEDx stage about her personal and professional journey through trauma, substance use recovery, parenthood and mindfulness. She lives in Raynham with her husband and two teenagers.

The Spark Hope Poject is dedicated to empowering individuals who bear self-injury or trauma-related scars by connecting them with free scar revision treatments, offering a fresh start and renewed self-confidence. Recognizing the profound impact of these scars on mental health and daily life, the organization collaborates with a network of licensed providers utilizing state-of-the-art technologies to deliver compassionate care.

By partnering with mental health professionals and wellness centers, Spark Hope ensures participants receive holistic support throughout their healing journey. The project is currently active in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, with plans to expand nationwide, aiming to make scar revision accessible to all who need it.

https://sparkhopeproject.org/

Established in 1989, the Wellesley Food Pantry is a volunteer-run source of supplemental food for Wellesley residents.  The Pantry currently serves approximately 400 clients residing in 200 households.  A quarter of those clients are children and 45% are senior citizens.  Our goal is to support members of the Wellesley Community who are food-insecure or have emergency needs.  Clients are welcome to visit the Pantry once per month to choose from food and personal care items that have been donated or purchased with cash donations.  The Pantry is located at 207 Washington Street and the web site is www.wellesleyfoodpantry.org.  

The guest speaker is Seana Gupta. Originally from New York, Seana moved to Massachusetts in 2000 and to Wellesley in 2013 with her husband and three daughters.  She is an engineer by training and has a deep commitment to volunteerism, serving in PTO leadership at Schofield Elementary for 5 years and as a Girl Scout troop leader for 10 years.  She responded to a volunteer job posting for the Wellesley Food Pantry in 2016 and has been serving as its Food Drive Coordinator ever since.  In this role, she works with dozens of schools, community organizations, and businesses to organize food drives throughout the year.  In 2024 Seana joined the Pantry's Board of Directors as the President.

Our Guest Speaker is Dr. Julia Ragland.

Dr. Julia Ragland received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed her residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. After starting her career in primary care, she later transitioned to hospital medicine. She has worked at Newton-Wellesley Hospital since 2002, serving as Chief of the Hospitalist Service from 2005-2009 before transitioning to her role as founding Director of the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Palliative Care Service, a position she held until October 2017. She then served as the Director of Palliative Care Education at NWH until August 2022. Since that time Dr. Ragland has remained an active member of the Division of Palliative Care with a focus on education and clinical care. Dr. Ragland lives in Needham with her husband Bill Paulson and they have 3 grown daughters.

If you are interested in attending this event virtually, please register by visiting 

https://partners.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xVvy3SkFQT-Yt3mRAFFXIA#/registration

If you are attending in person, send an email to nwhcollaborative@partners.org.

Diane Cabo Freniere has been an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court since August 2017.  Prior to her appointment to the Superior Court, Judge Freniere spent much of her career as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s Office in Boston.  She was a nationally recognized federal prosecutor, spending her time investigating and prosecuting economic crime and public corruption, and worked extensively in the area of victims’ rights. Judge Freniere bookended her legal career doing civil litigation, for three years at Hale & Dorr where she blended her engineering and legal training as an intellectual property litigator and at Markun Zusman Freniere & Compton where she maintained a blended practice of criminal defense and complex business litigation. 

Judge Freniere received her undergraduate degree in manufacturing engineering, with honors, from Boston University, College of Engineering.  She attended Boston College Law School, where she was an Articles Editor on the Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, and graduated cum laude.

We will be joined by Elen Pavleyan as she shares with us about her Rotary Club located in Armenia. 

Location: TBD. Check email for updates. 

Every year, the Rotary Club of Wellesley purchases and bags 500 tree saplings for distribution to Wellesley fourth graders.  Susy Jordon, Wellesley Town Horticultural technician, usually hands out the bagged saplings for to Wellesley fourth graders for planting. She also teaches a lesson on Arbor Day conservation while handing out the trees. 

Please Register and come help us bag the trees at the parking lot in front of 30 Municipal Way!

You’re Invited: A Special Evening with Filmmaker Jake Miskin

Hosted at the Wellesley Country Club – Library Room

Join us for an inspiring evening with Jake Miskin, Needham High School alum (Class of 2008) and founder of Nehoiden Street Films. Jake will share the story behind his powerful feature film, Shattered Ice—a moving portrayal that blends the world of high school hockey with the true and tragic stories of multiple student suicides that took place during his years at Needham High.

Shattered Ice recently won the Most Impactful Award at the Sedona Film Festival and is now the centerpiece of a New England-wide school and college tour. Following the screening, Jake and his team lead thoughtful discussions aimed at mental health awareness and student connection.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a local filmmaker making a difference.

Date & Time: 5/6 6:30 PM

Location:

Wellesley Country Club – Library Room

300 Wellesley Ave, Wellesley, MA