Food Drive Next Saturday, Feb 7!

Food Drive for Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry
Saturday, February 7, 2026
9:00am to 12:00pm (rain or shine)
DRIVE UP AND DROP OFF!
South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street
Hosted by South Hadley Democratic Town Committee
In the event of a significant snowstorm, see: southhadleydems.com

All food and monetary donations are accepted (please make checks payable to Neighbors Helping Neighbors). Items most in demand include any and all feminine hygiene products, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, bar soap, pet food for cats and dogs (canned or dry), hot or cold cereal, soups, and canned meats such as Spam, corned beef hash, and beef stew. Please be sure to check expiration dates.

Save the Date!

South Hadley DTC Caucus

Registered and pre-registered Democrats in South Hadley will come together to elect delegates and alternates to represent the town at the 2026 Massachusetts Democratic Nominating Convention on May 29-30 at the DCU Center in Worcester. Eligible voters who are not yet registered as Democrats may register at the caucus.

South Hadley DTC Caucus
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Community Room, SH Public Library
2 Canal Street, South Hadley
Caucus Registration begins at 9:30am
The Caucus begins at 10:00am

For more information: https://www.mobilize.us/massdems/event/888199

Our Historic Gaylord Library

This year's first newsletter is written by Denise Hammon and Katie Van Winkel, both of whom serve as Gaylord Library trustees. The text is based on talks at November's 'Our Roots, Our Voices' event, and discusses the importance of the Gaylord Memorial Library in South Hadley's history and its ongoing service to the area today. The building is an architectural jewel whose beginnings can be traced back centuries to when the land was acquired as the town's first cemetery. Many thanks to Denise and Katie for this newsletter and for their service as Gaylord Library trustees.

• SHDTC Updates Newsletter-Gaylord Library History-011226

Ice Out for Good Weekend of Action

Residents of South Hadley and other area communities are invited to gather in Belchertown, where the community's weekly local Indivisible standout in support of our democracy and constitution will focus on the pattern of unchecked violence and abuse by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies against people across the nation. These activities recently resulted in the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, poet, and mother of three, who was shot in her car at close range by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. 

A broad coalition of groups nationwide will gather for coordinated action this Saturday and Sunday to demand accountability and attention to the human cost of ICE's actions. A core principle behind all ICE Out For Good and Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action and no civil disobedience.  

• Weekly Standout for Democracy--ICE Out for Good
  Saturday, January 10, 2026 from 10am to 12pm
  Belchertown, MA

Jake's Take--2025 Year in Review

Year-end review and newsletter from our State Senator, Jake Oliveira:

• Jake's Take: 2025 in Review--January 6, 2026
  

Friday Breakfast Get-Together Location Change

As everyone may have heard, Tailgate Picnic deli closed its doors on December 31, 2025 after 37 years at the Village Commons. Founded in 1988 by the Magri family and then taken over by Dawn Morey in 2022, the Tailgate was a fixture in South Hadley and our committee appreciated the opportunity to hold our monthly First Friday Breakfast in the back room for many years.

New Location: Our January breakfast get-together will be held at 8:30am on Friday, January 9, 2026 at the Gaylord Library, 47 Newton Street, South Hadley. Please note the date change from the first Friday due to the holiday week. Additional details and parking information to come. Conversation is casual, there is no set agenda, just a chance to talk about local, national, and international affairs and join in community with others, Democrat or not. Coffee and light snacks will be available, and all are welcome. Plan to join us on January 9 at the Gaylord!

Winter Food Drive on February 7

Get ready to help support Neighbors Helping Neighbors-South Hadley Food Pantry, and save the date to DRIVE UP and DROP OFF items at South Hadley High School!

Food Drive for Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry
Saturday, February 7, 2026
9:00am to 12:00pm (rain or shine)
South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street
Hosted by South Hadley Democratic Town Committee
In the event of a significant snowstorm, see: southhadleydems.com

All food and monetary donations are accepted (please make checks payable to Neighbors Helping Neighbors). Items most in demand include any and all feminine hygiene products, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, bar soap, pet food for cats and dogs (canned or dry), hot or cold cereal, soups, and canned meats such as Spam, corned beef hash, and beef stew. Please be sure to check expiration dates. 

Democratic Town Committees in Granby, Belchertown, and Ludlow are also planning food drives in a regional effort to help local families.

Download and share our Food Drive Flyer (pdf)!

Consider running for local office!

South Hadley's 2026 Annual Town Election is Tuesday, April 14, 2026. In-person voting for all precincts is held at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street (Rt. 116). Separate elections for Fire and Water Districts 1 and 2 are held on the same day at South Hadley High School.

For information about voter registration, voting options, and elections, visit the Town Clerk's Elections page at www.southhadley.org/elections. For details about local elected positions on the ballots and how to run for them, see the Running for Local Office Guide and the information sheet about the local election Calendar and Positions Available. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the helpful staff at the Town Clerk's office.

75 stories over 25 hours

On November 7-8, people from communities across the area came to Fellowship Hall at Center Church in South Hadley for Our Roots, Our Voices, to tell stories about their families and their histories. Co-hosted by SHDTC and Center Church, the non-partisan, non-sectarian event highlighted the many ways in which people have put down roots and created lives in this nation, now in its 250th year. Over the course of the 25-hour event, listeners heard 75 different stories shared by participants of all ages, from Gen Z to the Post War Generation. Some stories were moving, while others were delivered with humor, but all were unique, and across the hours a shared appreciation of our country's history as a land of welcome and opportunity was evident. The event made clear that in a country with tremendous diversity, Americans have much in common.

• SHDTC Updates Newsletter-Our Roots, Our Voices-112025
• Town Reminder, November 14, 2025: Our Roots, Our Voices (see page 2)