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A Day of Caring – OCES Volunteers Team Up with United Way & American Red Cross to Help Local Residents

OCES employees participated in the United Way’s 98th Day of Caring.

Employees from Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities, participated in the United Way’s 98thDay of Caring.

On September 12, 2019, 15 employees from OCES’ Brockton and Plymouth offices volunteered with United Way of Greater Plymouth County in partnership with American Red Cross of the Cape, Islands, and Southeast MA to educate residents about fire safety and install smoke detectors in the homes of more than 30 residents in the greater Brockton area. 

“OCES supports and encourages staff to give back and get involved by helping others. Our volunteer team was pleased to assist staff from the American Red Cross in supporting those in need in our community,” said Nicole Long, CEO of OCES. 

To learn more about United Way of Greater Plymouth County, visit https://www.uwgpc.org.

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 25 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency offers a number of programs to serve older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org. 

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Where does your content come from?

Plymouth PR Agency Owner Steven Dubin and Yaz. Dubin owns PR Works.

Lack of content. It’s one of the main reasons people give for not posting more frequently to their social media channels and website. But is it really lack of content or imagination?

That may sound harsher than intended. The fact is you probably do have sufficient content to post with some frequency. It just takes a little imagination. And perhaps cleaning out your desk of old photos like PR Works Steve Dubin recently did, coming across this great photo:

Now, you’re probably wondering what an old picture from Steve during his reporter days does to promote PR Works? Well, it does demonstrate the level of his experience. They actually did let him into Fenway Park and interview Yaz. More importantly, it shows another side of Steve—a much younger one with more hair.

The point here is not to take shots at Steve, though that is quite fun. But when creating content for your business, it doesn’t always have to be about your business. Business may not be personal. But people do run businesses and people are who we do business with. So, why not occasionally show your customers—and staff—you are one. A person that is.

High school graduation photos, first car snap shots and other things can often make for an entertaining social media post that engages your audience and gets people to comment. Like Steve’s post, which drew 15 comments and 22 thumbs ups. Not bad.

If you would like to create some original content about your business and need some help, drop us a line.

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The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Promote Long-Time Employee KayLyn Romeo to Multi-Media Franchise Manager

The Brothers That Just Do Gutters has grown from two brothers in a truck to 12 locations across the country and counting. As the operation evolves, so have the roles of some of their team members. KayLyn Romeo is one such team employee. Her title has been expanded from Franchise Marketing Associate to Multi-Media Franchise Manager.

A lifelong New Yorker, KayLyn was born in Long Island raised in Poughkeepsie – where she currently resides. This makes for a (relatively) easy commute to The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Headquarters in Arlington, NY. She received her bachelor’s degree in-state from SUNY Oneonta in Mass Communications with a concentration in production.

KayLyn also donates her time and expertise to a project she co-founded with fellow Brothers Gutters employee, Danielle Kolachik, called The dKol la femme Project. This non-profit focuses on healing through various modes of therapeutic artistic expression – including KayLyn’s own photography. They raise funds to support the telling of individual’s stories through artistic expression (free of charge to the participant) to foster healing and create awareness.

The specialized training she received in higher education and real-life experience is applied to every Brothers That Just Do Gutters Franchise and the entire company. She strategizes and deploys engaging multi-media awareness campaigns that comprised of blog posts, social media, video and most recently; podcasts. This engaging content raises visibility for individual locations and the brand as a whole. The most satisfying part of working at The Brothers That Just Do Gutters is for KayLyn is “the creative aspect of the job.”

The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Story

The Brothers That Just Do Gutters was born out of Ken Parson’s vision for a better contracting service. While working as a gutter installer for an independent company during summers between teaching history in the mid-1990’s, he determined exactly what qualities such an operation should embody. In 1999 his plans were solidified with the opening of what is now called The Brothers That Just Do Gutters.

Ken was able to recruit his brother Ryan, trained and educated as a graphic designer, to join him as Chief Solutionist of their growing operation. The siblings haven’t looked back since.

Fast forward to 2019. Ken and Ryan have helped dozens of other motivated individuals, partners and couples realize the American Dream by opening The Brothers That Just Do Gutters franchises of their own. Today, there are 11 Brothers Gutter franchise locations and one corporate own location including Hudson Valley, NY, New Milford, CT, Monmouth, NJ, Lehigh Valley, PA, Richmond, VA, Lynchburg, VA, Virginia Beach, VA, Jacksonville, FL, Seattle, WA, Dallas, TX, San Antonio, TX, South Charlotte, NC and Columbus, GA. Their proprietary system enables speedy growth and ample return on investment with direct training, ongoing consultation and strategic marketing. 

For more information about Brothers Gutter system, visit www.brothersfranchise.com or call (845) 705-7276.

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Marshfield company offers tips. Kryptonite to Hackers. Simple Ways to Prevent Hack Attacks.

With credit card transactions, the migration of hardcopies to digital files and even simple online communication, virtually everyone utilizes computers. As legitimate commerce transitions from the physical realm to cyberspace so do crafty criminals.

Brian MacFee of Secure Systems Corporation (SSC) based in Marshfield, MA put together a list of simple practices that employers and employees can begin utilizing to become part of the top 3-5% of computer users least likely to be victimized by hackers and cyber-attacks.

Strong Passwords

Hackers can crack simple passwords in just minutes. Don’t make their job easy. MacFee recommends creating passwords that are at least 10 characters and feature a mix of numbers and symbols as well as uppercase and lowercase letters. Replace passwords at least once every four months.

Secure Email Providers

Email is the fastest growing method of infiltrations for hackers. The security of free services like Yahoo, Hotmail and AOL usually reflect their price. Keep your sensitive conversations private with more robust email clients like Microsoft Office 365.

Best Practice for Reading Email

Check the email address of the person communicating with your before you open their message instead of simply reading the subject. Fake emails from FedEx, UPS and other shipping providers are common and increase in frequency around the holiday season. An authentic email will have a legitimate domain name (ex: @ups.com).

Never open an attachment in an email unless it’s from someone you know. The damage caused from malicious attachments could turn your laptop, smartphone or other device into an expensive paper weight.

MacFee also reminds us that these tips come with no guarantee but are helpful guidelines when considering how to approach basic cyber security. He concisely sums up his philosophy in a seasonally appropriate rule of thumb, “Hackers are like vampires. They have to be invited in to do any damage. Remove the welcome mat from your digital environment with strong passwords and secure email providers. Keep the door closed by avoiding sketchy emails and attachments.”

If it is too late for these precautions and your system is already infected, professionals like the team at SSC can provide a virtual wooden stake of sorts to get you up and running again.

Systems Support Corporation, located at 462 Plain Street, Suite 206,

Marshfield, MA  02050 delivers first-class computer support to companies aiming to increase productivity and efficiency. With a comprehensive approach to network services, Systems Support are a single source for all things IT.

For more information, visit  https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/embed?mid=19l3doOuKBRcIu2t37DqICUSBiB2Znbfw or call (781) 837-0069.

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Haunted Car Wash Raises $5K for Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield

Nearly 200 cars cruised through Briteway’s Haunted Car Wash, held October 29-30th at their Marshfield location. All proceeds, totaling $5,000, were donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield in support of programming.

Briteway’s Haunted Car Wash

The Haunted Car Wash was an entertaining event that featured spooky scenes such as a graveyard, witches lair and sunken ship. Volunteers from the Boys & Girls Club donned creepy costumes – vampires, werewolves, mummies, zombies and other creatures – and provided patrons with a haunted experience.

“The Haunted Car Wash was a tremendous success and a truly memorable event. We’re grateful for Briteway’s ongoing support and thank them for their generous donation,” said Jim Bunnell, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield.

To learn more about Briteway Car Wash, visit their website at https://www.britewaycarwash.com/briteway_car_wash.php

Club Programming

The Boys & Girls Club’s programming is extensive. The afterschool program provides a social and recreational room for elementary school students, a full court gymnasium, as well as an active art center. Students can learn about healthy food choices and discover the art of cooking in the Club’s commercial kitchen. Tutors and instructors help children with their homework in the Club’s learning center, and there is a computer center for STEAM and STEM programming.

About the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield

The Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield’s mission is to enable and inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens as well as become tomorrow’s capable leaders. The Club provides programming opportunities in the Boys & Girls Club of America’s (BGCA) five core areas including leadership, education, health, arts, and fitness.  

Currently, the Club serves hundreds of families with children ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old, providing afterschool, vacation week and summer programs, as well as youth athletics, teen, social recreational and leadership opportunities. For more information, visit their website www.marshfieldbgc.com or call 781-834-2582.

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Behavioral Concepts Expands Services to Fall River, MA

Headquartered in Worcester, MA, Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Massachusetts, has expanded their services to Fall River, MA.

BCI now provides specialty Early Intervention Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services in Fall River to families with children. Early Intervention services are designed to assist infants and toddlers (birth to age three) in making significant strides in their development, and are evidence-based, tailored to their needs, and usually provided in the home or day care center. 

BCI is a partner agency that receives Early Intervention referrals from the Department of Public Health for children under age three with a diagnosis Autism Spectrum Disorder. BCI was approached by the Department of Public Health and has contracted with them to serve the Fall River area.

Sally Burke, M.S. Ed., BCBA, Director of Early Intervention, oversees all Early services at BCI. The organization’s South Coast region, which encompasses 53 towns, now includes Fall River and New Bedford, and is led by Tracy Miele, M.A., BCBA, LABA.

To learn more about BCI’s Early Intervention services, visit https://bciaba.com/how-we-can-help/specialty-early-intervention-services/

About BCI

Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in central Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and afterschool services through private and public health insurance. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey R. Robinson. Further information on BCI is available at https://bciaba.com.

BCI is part of the LEARN Behavioral family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at https://www.learnbehavioral.com/.

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OCES Announces Special Holiday Meals at Community Dining Sites in Brockton, Kingston & Wareham

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities, will offer special holiday meals at several community dining sites in November.

OCES has planned delicious meals in celebration of Thanksgiving, which will be served at noon at the following community dining sites:

A “Thanksgiving Day Special” will be served at the Kingston Senior Center, 30 Evergreen Street, Kingston on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 The meal features roasted turkey breast with giblet gravy, savory stuffing, whipped potato, cranberry sauce, parslied buttered carrots, corn bread and apple pie (or diet cinnamon apple slices) for dessert.

A “Home Cooked Special” of homemade pot roast with gravy, mashed potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes, whole wheat dinner roll with butter, and chocolate eclairs (or diet sugar-free chocolate pudding) for dessert will be served on the following dates:

On Monday, November 25, 2019 at the Wareham Council on Aging (COA), 48 Marion Road, Wareham.

On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at the Brockton COA, 10 Father Kenney Way, Brockton.

On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at the Kingston Senior Center, 30 Evergreen Street, Kingston.

Reservations are required and may be made by calling each town’s COA directly.

Daily Meals at Community Dining Sites

OCES’ community dining sites provide hot, nutritious noontime meals Monday through Friday to adults age 60+ and individuals with disabilities under the age of 60. Meals are planned by a nutritionist and meet one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowance for major nutrients. The meals do not include high sodium foods and no salt is added. Low-fat milk is provided.

Community dining information is published in COA newsletters and on OCES’ website at http://www.ocesma.org/. A sample menu may be requested by calling OCES at (508) 584-1561.

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 25 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency offers a number of programs to serve older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.

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Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield’s Classrooms Transformed Thanks to Volunteers from HarborOne Bank

Two classrooms have been updated at the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield thanks to the hard work of volunteers from HarborOne Bank.

As part of United Way of Greater Plymouth County’s 98th Day of Caring, employees from HarborOne Bank’s corporate office and local branches volunteered a day of service at the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield. On September 12, 2019, HarborOne’s team of 12 volunteers spent the day cleaning and painting the Club’s Learning Center and Teen Center in a project that would have taken the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield weeks to complete.

“Thank you to HarborOne’s amazing team for all of their hard work on our classrooms, which in turn helps us to deliver programs that are the cornerstone of youth development,” said Jim Bunnell, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield. “Our mission is to enable and inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive and responsible citizens, as well as become tomorrow’s capable leaders. HarborOne’s team sets a great example. We truly appreciate their efforts and support.”

To learn more about HarborOne Bank, visit https://www.harborone.com.

About the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield

The Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield’s mission is to enable and inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens as well as become tomorrow’s capable leaders. The Club provides programming opportunities in the Boys & Girls Club of America’s (BGCA) five core areas including leadership, education, health, arts, and fitness.  

Currently, the Club serves hundreds of families with children ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old, providing afterschool, vacation week and summer programs, as well as youth athletics, teen, social recreational and leadership opportunities. For more information, visit their website www.marshfieldbgc.com or call 781-834-2582.

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Middleboro, MA Web Design Firm Launches “Adaptable” Digital Accessibility Service

Regardless of vision, hearing, physical and cognitive ability, everyone should be able to access information found on websites and in apps.  But, when it comes to digital accessibility, many businesses and organizations are falling short.

Adaptable, a new service launched by Middleboro, MA-based Shotgunflat, Inc., helps businesses and organizations of all types and sizes ensure accessibility for their websites, apps, and other digital resources. 

As many as one in four adults in the U.S. have some type of disability. Many people with disabilities rely on adaptive tools to use technology. For example, a visually impaired user can utilize a screen reader to help browse a website. If a website is not programmed to meet today’s accessibility standards, adaptive tools will not work correctly, and the user will be left at a disadvantage.

“ADA website accessibility complaints are on the rise and currently there are thousands of cases nationwide,” explained Mike McKenna, president of Shotgunflat. “Adaptable is committed to ensuring that the information found on websites and in apps is accessible to all users, regardless of ability.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. This includes employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government programs and services, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Adaptable is stepping up to implement best practices for ADA online compliance. With nearly two decades of website design experience, the parent company, Shotgunflat, is helping companies get ahead of the curve and avoid costly liability.

Adaptable follows a specific set of guidelines that are considered the industry standard and are available to web developers to ensure that the information on a website is accessible to people with disabilities. This also pertains to portions of a company’s website where job seekers may apply for employment.

Adaptable works with businesses and others to analyze their current digital accessibility status, formulate a remediation plan, execute the required changes, and monitor the product going forward to ensure that companies remain compliant over time. 

Adaptable is currently offering a free website audit to businesses, non-profits and other organizations.

To arrange for a free website audit, or to learn more about Adaptable, contact Chris Herlihy at 781-801-5803 or ch@adaptablelab.com or visit  www.adaptablelab.com.

About Adaptable

Adaptable is a service of Shotgunflat, Inc.  Since 2002, Shotgunflat has been designing and building compelling websites and apps for small businesses and non-profits, as well as marketing, branding, PR and advertising agencies across the U.S. The firm’s comprehensive suite of services includes Adaptable digital accessibility, web design and development for enterprise, and website maintenance and support.

An innovative leader in accessibility compliant websites and apps for retail, dining, Internet and other industries, Adaptable is based at Shotgunflat headquarters in Middleboro, MA. For more information about Adaptable, contact 781-801-5803 or visit https://www.adaptablelab.com.

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