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5 Things You Need to Know Today in Worcester – December 9

By Tom Marino | December 9, 2022
Last Updated: December 8, 2022

In today’s daily 5 Things You Need to Know feature, ThisWeekinWorcester.com explores five important items and stories that Worcester and Central Massachusetts residents should keep a close eye on.

These five things can cover a whole range of subjects and issues that we feel are pertinent to understanding what’s going on in the city and the cities and towns surrounding Worcester.

In today’s edition – Friday, December 9 – the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office warns of scammers, the Human Rights Campaign rates Worcester 100% in equality index for the eighth straight year, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau releases a new report on Worcester Public Schools, Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts receives $15,000, and QCC students work with St. John’s Food for the Poor program.

Scammers Using Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Name and Number

Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis is warning residents about a recent phone scam in which the caller claims that they’re a Sheriff’s Office employee and tells victims that they have an arrest warrant in their name or the name of a loved one. To avoid going to jail, the caller tells the individual that they need to pay a fine.

Other popular phone scams involve claims of missed jury duty that also result in fines. In some instances, the caller requests that payments be made in the form of gift certificates.

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office encourages people to be aware of calls like this and to never give personal or financial information over the phone to anyone whom you didn’t call yourself.

Sheriff Evangelidis said, “Our department does not contact residents and demand payment or ask for credit card information. Today’s scam artists are always testing new tactics. Residents need to beware of any unsolicited calls that ask for their personal or financial information.”

Human Rights Campaign Rates Worcester 100% in Equality Index

The Human Rights Campaign released its 2022 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), ranking Worcester 100% for the eighth straight year.

The MEI examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there, the municipality as an employer and other factors.

The Worcester Regional Research Bureau Releases New Report on Worcester Public Schools

The Worcester Regional Research Bureau has released a new report, “Strategizing for Excellence: Status of the Worcester Public Schools Strategic Plan.”

As WPS nears the end of the Strategic Plan, this report explores the available data as WPS begins to develop its new plan.

Download the report here.

Girl Scouts Receive $15,000 from George I. Alden Trust

Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM) announced it received a $15,000 grant from the George I. Alden Trust in Worcester.

Girl Scouts provides enriching and progressive programs, including day and overnight camps, to enable members to realize their own potential and gain critical skills they will carry throughout their lives.

The Girl Scouts mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

QCC Students Work with St. John’s Food for the Poor

Quinsigamond Community College Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) students took part in hands-on learning on Dec. 7, with members of Worcester’s unhoused community at St. John’s Food for the Poor Program, located at the St. Francis Xavier Center in downtown Worcester.

The occupational therapy assistant students hosted various activities that fostered social participation and health management. The students set up stations at the Xaiver Center that offered participants small first-aid kits, access to information on housing, food and health resources, as well as picking up a winter care kit.

This outreach event was part of the fieldwork that all occupational therapy assistant students must complete as part of their degree.

St. John’s Food for the Poor program at the St. Francis Xavier Center serves over 500 meals a day, five days a week, all year long.

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