Seniors Archives - Natick Report

The Natick Council on Aging has been awarded $32,472 in state funding to contract with JFK Transportation to facilitate non-COVID-related non-emergency medical transportation.

Separately, MetroWest Regional Transit Authority, which serves Natick on its bus routes, received $176,842. It will use this award “to contract with Tommy’s Taxi and JFK Transportation to facilitate prescription deliveries, meal deliveries, food pantry deliveries, grocery or other essential shopping trips, non-COVID-related non-emergency medical transportation, transportation needs of the homeless, and workforce transportation for essential workers,” according to a press release issued by MassDevelopment and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Those organizations awarded just over $1 million to 25 cities and towns, municipal agencies, regional transit authorities, and health and human services transportation providers through the Urgent COVID-19 Taxicab, Livery, and Hackney Partnership Grant Program to support transportation and delivery needs for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is funded through a portion of MassDevelopment’s allocation from the Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund.

MassDevelopment is the state’s finance and development agency, and it works with businesses, nonprofits, banks, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth.

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Dave & Buster’s reopening

Natick Mall’s Dave & Buster’s sports and arcade restaurant/bar is slated to reopen on Friday night, just in time for game 5 of the Celtics-Heat NBA game.

The business recently announced plans to whack more than 100 employees at the location, though said it would hire back those needed to operate when it reopens. Presumably, the facility will reopen with a more limited capacity to adhere to state pandemic rules, but the good news is that locals will have another place to go and at least some employees will be back in action.

P.F. Chang’s issues jobs warning

As obligated under federal law, P.F. Chang’s restaurant at the Natick Mall has alerted the town and state that up to 75 of its employees will continue to have reduced hours due to the pandemic’s impact on the business.

The restaurant is operating, but at reduced capacity.

Sweetwaters grand opening

Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea has its grand opening in Natick Center on Saturday, Sept. 26.

It will get off on the right foot community-wise by contributing some portion of proceeds from the hours of 9am-3pm to the Natick Center Cultural District.

This will be the first Sweetwaters in Massachusetts. It has dozens of other locations across the country, with lots in Michigan (where it’s based) and Texas.

Elder-Well adult day program debuting

An adult day services outfit called Elder-Well has announced plans to open at a 1,500 sq. ft. space at 12 Washington St., in Natick in mid-October.

Services, provided daily between 8am and 4pm, and will include group and individual therapeutic and educational activities; health and wellness monitoring; community outings and presentations; breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack; gentle exercise programs; and more.

Specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia supportive services for clients and family caregivers will also be offered. Part of service here is giving family caregivers a respite.

Foundation for MetroWest amps up fundraising

The Foundation for MetroWest has launched ONEmetrowest, seeking to get 1,000 donors by year-end to help it address needs among 33 cities and towns in the region. As of this writing, it had more than 200.

The foundation has granted nearly $3.5 million in emergency relief funds during the pandemic, supporting everything from food insecurity to personal hygiene.

Among other efforts, the foundation will offer a series of virtual town hall events to seek out diverse voices regarding what needs to be done to boost metrowest communities.