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All I only know about it is what’s in today’s Boston Globe, but it sure seems like a great business, government, and nonprofit partnership ripe with winners for the City of Lawrence. (How can we do it in Lowell?) The article, entitled “Employer eases path to citizenship” explains a partnership where a businessman—Salvatore Lupoli of Lupoli’s chain of pizzerias—earmarked company funds to pay attorney and application fees for his employees to apply for citizenship while area nonprofits provide English and citizenship classes. Also sponsored by the City of Lawrence, the plan helps legal immigrants prevail over a citizenship process that can often be mired in bureaucracy and expensive fees. This pilot initiative is expected to impact 10 immigrants to start, but the plan is that as more businesses that rely heavily on immigrant employees see the impact in terms of turnover and staffing, it will grow. Can’t you just imagine such a partnership here in Lowell between employers, our Adult Education program, which is the largest and most respected in the state, and the many nonprofit groups in the area? This model would provide yet another way to build on already successful citizenship programs.

If you’re like me, you probably know several women who have battled breast cancer. I have seen up close how this disease has wreaked havoc in the lives of dear friends and family members, from young mothers in their thirties to women in their seventies and all ages in between. Yet today, thousands of Massachusetts women are not getting the breast screening services they need because of access and funding gaps in our healthcare system. This Friday, April 11, starting at 11 a.m. in the Great Hall of the State House, the Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure invites you to attend a legislative luncheon and policy forum on closing the gap in care, featuring former State Treasurer Shannon O’Brien, Senator Dianne Wilkerson, and Dr. Jane Mendez, as well as breast cancer survivors, advocates, community leaders, and healthcare providers.

While Massachusetts has made strides in ensuring healthcare for all, important work remains. You can get involved and add your voice to others in support of making sure all women have an equal chance at beating breast cancer: Attend the luncheon (ok, perhaps not feasible for most of us), but you can easily send an email to state legislative leaders as a show of support…and even connect to your Congressional representatives with information provided here. (Hey, we’re not asking you to walk 20 miles or write a check, although that could be arranged!)