Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2023 Melrose Alliance Against Violence awarded generous $8,000 from Foundation Trust T he Melrose Alliance Against Violence (MAAV) has been awarded a Premier Partner grant by the Foundation Trust to develop and implement a Children’s Domestic Violence Support Group to be held in person and support those in and around Melrose, Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? IfNot, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 Dan - 1972 Mass. MAAV will work in collaboration with Foundation Trust personnel and resources to establish this group. The grant will fund the program from inception through the fi rst year. MAAV was established in 1995 and has a strong track record of partnering with schools and community agencies to prevent interpersonal violence. The core of MAAV’s mission is to prevent domestic violence (DV) before it begins, but MAAV also strives to support survivors where they are currently. MAAV off ers resources and referrals as well as a support group for adult survivors of DV, and expanding these services to include the children impacted by these traumas is a need and a natural fi t. The Foundation Trust is a private operating foundation whose mission is to improve overall worldwide response to trauma through training and education disseminated through their resource website, www.complextrauma.org. They also strive to actively develop new programming for highrisk populations in partnership with small New England-based nonprofi ts. With four tracks of focus, Foundation Trust has awarded this grant under the program area of “overcomOur 50th Anniversary We Sell Cigars & Accessories! 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The pilot Children’s Domestic Violence Support Group will run twice in FY24, with eightweek sessions to be held in fall 2023 and spring 2024, and will be off ered to two separate cohorts of children who will be offered spots based on confi dential referrals. MAAV’s Executive Director, Crystal Johnson, shares, “We [MAAV] could not be more excited to pilot this project. There is a huge need for targeted, trauma-informed services for this population. Many clinicians are at full capacity, don’t have the proper training, or are unable to off er free or aff ordable clinical services. I believe this project is an intervention in nature, but also deeply preventative ensuring children gain the skills and have opportunities to build resilience in order to break free from the cycle of abuse.” Adds the Foundation Trust’s Executive Director, Dr. Joseph Spinazzola, “We share MAAV’s excitement about this partnership project. It aff ords a unique opportunity for us to join forces to create a vital new resource that will benefi t vulnerCOGLIANO | FROM PAGE 3 Members in cities and towns and states, “A charter commission shall consist of nine registered voters of the city or town elected at large and by offi cial ballot, without party or political designation, at an election held in accordance with this chapter.” “Clearly the election of charter commission member is an at large, town wide election to a town offi ce,” Vasapolli said. “Additionally, Article 2 Section 6 of the Town Charter entitled, Multiple Offi cers, provides that a member of the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, or Finance Committee shall, during the term for which they were elected or appointed be ineligible either by election or appointment to hold any other town offi ce,” he said. Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian requested the opinion from Vasapolli. Manoogian said a able children from Melrose and surrounding communities for many years to come.” According to the 2011 Juvenile Justice Bulletin on “Children’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Other Family Violence,” 17.9% of children of all ages have been exposed to physical intimate partner violence in their lifetime, or about 13.6 million children. Witnessing this behavior and living in an environment fi lled with toxic stress and trauma has lasting eff ects on the children’s academic success, health and even their own relationships well into adulthood. This programming will help the children: break their silence, know they are not alone, work through their grief of the loss of their family unit and stop the cycle of abuse. MAAV is committed to sustaining the Children’s DV Support group beyond the grant through fundraising eff orts and donations from key donors so MAAV may continue to off er a safe space outside the family unit for children impacted by domestic violence and provide them with the tools to overcome their trauma and go on to have healthy lives and relationships as they move forward. For more information, please visit www.maav.org. To learn further about Foundation Trust, visit www.foundationtrust.org or www.complextrauma.org. number of Saugus residents have approached him, wanting to know whether or not a member of an at-large Saugus elected board can serve on the Charter Commission. “In 2009 it was clear the answer was ‘no’ and that has not changed. In fact, since 2009 the charter was revised restricting candidacy to only ONE town wide offi ce,” Manoogian said this week. Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Debra Panetta recalled that she was forced to make a choice in 2009 between running for selectman or running for a seat on the Charter Commission. “I got the signatures for the Charter Commission and I got the signatures for the Board of Selectmen,” Panetta said. “At the time, I was told I couldn’t have my name on the ballot for both offi ces and I was told to choose between the two. It was a diffi cult decision because I wanted to run for selectman. But I ran for the Charter Commission,” she said.
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