Boston (March 25, 2024) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today announced their successful efforts to secure an additional $1,744,000 in federal funding to Pioneer Valley organizations to create career pathways in healthcare, support minority-owned small businesses, and expand access to mental health care.  

The funding announcement comes in addition to more than $10 million in federal funding for energy and water resources, housing and urban development, science, and rural developments in the Pioneer Valley announced by the delegation earlier this month. 

“Community and civic leaders in the Pioneer Valley are dedicated to making the state a healthier, cleaner, safer, and more just place to live. I am proud, with my congressional delegation partners, to bring important investments directly to local communities and initiatives to further their goals,” said Senator Markey. “These investments in clean drinking water, expanded access to early childcare, recreational, educational, and workforce development opportunities, municipal infrastructure, small business support, expanded access to mental health services, and technology to hold polluters accountable and ensure clean air for our children to breathe, will make a meaningful difference in the lives of residents.” 

“I’m glad to have worked with the Massachusetts Delegation to secure over $12 million in federal funding for community projects in the Pioneer Valley,” said Senator Warren. “From bringing in clean drinking water and technology to ensure clean air for our children and families, to creating community spaces for our municipal members and for childcare centers, this funding will make a real difference in our communities.”

Additional projects receiving federal funding include: 

• $1,000,000 for Holyoke Health Center to develop a workforce training facility and grow its integrated health care teams. 
• $550,000 for the Latino Economic Development Corporation to support its work of providing minority-owned businesses with leveraged financial and business support for Latino and minority-owned businesses in Massachusetts.   
• $194,000 for the Franklin County and North Quabbin Children’s Advocacy Center to expand Mental Health Services for Children and Families Impacted by Sexual Abuse in the North Quabbin Region. 

These projects come in addition to five earlier awards in the Pioneer Valley, including: 

• $4,642,000 for the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission to design a new drinking water treatment plant to serve 250,000 people in the lower Pioneer Valley, including vulnerable and environmental justice populations in Springfield. 
• $4,000,000 for the Town of Deerfield to preserve, rehabilitate, and repurpose a 135-year-old former school building to serve as the town’s municipal offices.  
• $1,000,000 for the Springfield Jewish Community Center to provide funding for facility renovation and the expansion of early childhood and K-8 childcare spaces.  
• $427,000 for the Community YMCA of Greenfield to capital improvements at Camp Apex. 
• $370,000 for the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts to develop digital resources, including a mobile app and website, to expand public access to real-time air quality data collected by the Healthy Air Network.  

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