Alternatives
Alternatives
Alternatives

Articles

December 2011
Alternatives Hosts Human Services Professionals
Alternatives hosted an international group of professionals from the field of human services on Thursday, Dec. 8. The group, composed of people identified as leaders in the field of mental health recovery and rehabilitation, attended a week long global institute hosted by the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University. more

December 2011
Alternatives Recognized for Innovative Project
Blackstone Valley Tribune
The Fall 2011 issue of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal features an article highlighting the innovative work being done by Alternatives, in conjunction with the Department of Mental Health to help long-term residents of Worcester State Hospital prepare to transition to community settings of their choice. more

November 2011
Whitin Mill To Host Holiday Readings
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Alternatives and ValleyCAST will present "Two for Christmas," a performance of holiday readings featuring Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" and Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory." more

November 2011
Alternatives Volunteer Program at Maples Center Provides Valuable Service
FoxboroughPatch
In many ways, Cathy Avery of Foxborough and Phil Champagne of Attleboro are just like any civic-minded individuals eager to make a difference in their community, they volunteer their time and talents. more

October 2011
A Successful Job Placement - 8 Years Later
Upton & Mendon Town Crier
"He really takes it seriously. It's the one time I don't have to hurry him up to get ready," comments Anne Adams of Mendon about her son Everett and his job at Shaw's in Franklin. more

November 2011
Serenading Louie Earns 4-Star Review
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Lanford Wilson is certainly a popular playwright on the local theater scene these days. While Gateway Players' "The Rimers of Eldritch" concluding its run this weekend, Pilgrim Soul Productions brought Wilson's "Serenading Louie" to Whitinsville on Friday night with all of the play's domestic despair fully intact. more

October 2011
4th Wall Debut Shines With O'Neill's 'Moon'
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Eugene O'Neill's "A Moon for the Misbegotten" is a masterpiece of confession and denied expiation, a dramatic and comedic aria that offers Josie Hogan (Jessie Olson) and James Tyronne Jr. (David Anderson) a brief respite from their blighted lives and thwarted hopes. more

October 2011
Alternatives Partners with Library to Clean Books
The Daily Northbridge
Kelly "Cooper" Trainer and Jane D'Amelio have committed to being good citizens and the fact that they have a developmental disability isn't stopping them from making a difference in the community. more

September 2011
Alternatives Celebrates at 35th Annual Thank You Reception
On Wednesday, September 14, over 700 people gathered at the Holiday Inn at Boxborough for Alternatives' 35th annual Thank You Reception. more

September 2011
Take Delight in the Valley on Saturday
The Daily Northbridge
Alternatives Unlimited Inc., a non-profit agency that serves more than 1,200 adults with developmental and psychiatric disabilities, believes in partnerships, working in collaboration with other organizations to better the community. more

September 2011
Sinacola Exhibit Opens Friday at Aldrich Gallery
The Daily Northbridge
She stood back a little, eyed the placement of the painting, and shook her head. "I like it centered better, and maybe a little lower," she said. more

September 2011
A Light Touch at Alternatives
The Daily Northbridge
Karen Goldenberg, director of marketing and development for Alternatives Unlimited Inc. on Douglas Road in Whitinsville, ordered a bunch of hats recently, all shapes, sizes and colors. more

September 2011
'Bus Stop' is a Creative Blizzard of Human Interaction
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
William Inge's "Bus Stop" cleverly pulls us in with its touching and funny take on involuntary confinement. more

August 2011
2011 40 Under Forty: Jennifer MacNeill
Worcester Business Journal
This year's impressive crop of honorees joins a storied group. The Worcester Business Journal has been identifying 40 business leaders under the age of 40 since the year 2000. more

August 2011
Exhibit at Alternatives Takes a Look at History of State Lunatic Asylum
The Daily Northbridge
An exhibit at Alternatives Unlimited Inc. features a peek at the history of Worcester State Hospital, contrasting past treatment of psychiatric disorders with the current services now provided. more

August 2011
Alternatives Unlimited Inc. Celebrates LEED Gold Certificate
The Daily Northbridge
A beautiful, sunny Friday morning seemed fitting for the ceremony held at Alternatives Unlimited Inc., as the non-profit organization unveiled the Leadership in Energy Design (LEED) Gold Certificate. more

July 2011
'Third' Career is Best Fit for Joe Marshall
The Provider
Joe Marshall has been a ship fitter and has also trained and raced horses, but it was a family matter that eventually brought him to human services. more

August 2011
'Green' Actions Lead to Award for Whitin Mill
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Alternatives Unlimited's multiyear, multimillion-dollar effort to restore the historic Whitin Mill has caught the attention of the U.S. Green Building Council. more

May 2011
Participants Gear Up For Valley Friendship Tour
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jon Frieswick, 26, of Whitinsville looks forward to once again tackling the "Golden Mile" walk as part of Alternatives Unlimited Inc.'s 26th annual Valley Friendship Tour on June 4. more

May 2011
Stepping Stone Theater Has Set The Stage For Inclusive Performance
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
In the magic of theater, amid the colorful costumes, pageantry and music, people and places are transformed. It's that belief in possibilities that erases distinctions between people, including those with disabilities and those considered able-bodied; and it's the foundation of Stepping Stone Community Theater, an inclusive theater company in residence at the G.B. and Lexi Singh Performance Center at Alternatives Unlimited's Whitin Mill. more

April 2011
Advocate for the Arts
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Kathleen M. Penza was teaching kindergarten and first grade in Uxbridge in 2002 when she watched the town's 275th anniversary parade with disappointment. Ms. Penza, a graduate of the University of Lowell College of Music and an accomplished trumpet player, was sorry that the local parade had to bring in marching bands from other towns. "I just felt like we needed to use our own citizens," she said. more

March 2011
Artwork Reflects Émigré's Experience
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Laurence Neufeld remembers sitting by his aunt Kate Neufeld's elbow, as a child in New Milford, Conn., and watching her sprinkle powdered glass on copper frames to make enameled ashtrays, pendants and display pieces. more

March 2011
Neufeld Art On Display At Alternatives
Blackstone Valley Tribune
The art of Kate Neufeld, born the eldest daughter of a prosperous German speaking Mennonite family in Russia in 1905, will go on display at the Aldrich Heritage Gallery at Alternatives Inc., in the Whitin Mill this Friday, March 4. more

March 2011
'Shirley Valentine' at Alternatives
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Betty Kristan took the stage last Friday, Feb. 25, for the opening performance of "Shirley Valentine," the first production of the year for Pilgrim Soul Productions. more

February 2011
'Shirley Valentine' Conjures Up Full Cast
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Playwright Willy Russell certainly has a thing for the emancipated woman, as does Pilgrim Soul Productions. more

January 2011
Central Mass. Gems Featured in New Alternatives Gallery Exhibit
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Alternatives unveiled its newest art exhibit last weekend, revealing local landmarks and hidden gems through the eyes of painter Christina O'Neill. more

January 2011
Soulful Expression
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Rachel King has struggled with mental illness for more than half her life, including a year spent at Worcester State Hospital. That painful year, however, led Ms. King to discover the healing potential of art, through involvement in an arts workshop affiliated with the arts and culture program at Alternatives Unlimited Inc. in Whitinsville. more

December 2010
Alternatives Receives Innovator of the Year
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Alternatives was recently named Innovator of the Year by the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers. more

December 2010
Whitin Bell Returned
Blackstone Valley Tribune
For families in the neighborhood between Whitins and Meadow ponds, the chimes of the bronze bell on Paul Whitin's Douglas Road textile mill were a part of daily life. more

September 2010
Friendship Flowers in the Garden
Town Crier
A patch of land that had lain fallow for many years is again full of life as flowers bloom. Under the watchful eye and sage advice of Willard Banning, and with staff and individuals from Alternatives providing the plants and labor, vegetables and flowers are being grown again. more

September 11, 2010
'Grace & Glorie' in Perfect Balance
Telegram & Gazette
Grace Stiles (Bonnie Stockdale) is a resolutely tenacious 90-year-old woman who's outlived just about everyone in her life, including her husband and all five of her sons. Illiterate and dying of cancer, she's checked herself out of the hospital to spend her remaining days at her cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. more

July 13, 2010
Dennis Rice of Alternatives Given Prestigious Award by US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
The Daily Northbridge
Alternatives' Executive Director Dennis H. Rice has been awarded the prestigious Irvin Rutman Award by the United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA). more

August 16, 2010
Photo Finish From Aug. 16, 2010 Issue of the WBJ
Worcester Business Journal
Savers Bank of Southbridge has donated $5,000 to Alternatives Unlimited. more

Thursday, August 5, 2010
Savers Bank donates $5,000 to Alternatives
Telegram Towns
Savers Bank has donated $5,000 to Alternatives in Whitinsville. more

July 29, 2010
Farmers Market at Alternatives in Northbridge starts Sunday
The Daily Northbridge
A patch of land that had lain fallow for many years is again full of life as flowers bloom. more

Thursday, July 22, 2010
Arts take center stage at old mill
Telegram Towns
The monthly jewelry-making class is one of several arts programs offered this summer by Alternatives at its historic Whitin Mill complex. more

July 15, 2010
Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band comes home to its roots during concert series
The Daily Northbridge
Like a lot of great bands, the Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band erupted largely by accident. more

July 15, 2010
Painter remains in 'Light' with exhibit
Telegram & Gazette
Norman Ringdahl was a college junior when he decided on a painting major. His next decision: what to paint? He didn't have to look very far. more

July 14, 2010
Dennis Rice of Alternatives given prestigious award by US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
The Daily Northbridge
Alternatives' Executive Director Dennis H. Rice has been awarded the prestigious Irvin Rutman Award by the USPRA. more

July 13, 2010
Farmer's Market with food, crafts and more coming to Alternatives next month
The Daily Northbridge
ValleyCAST! and Alternatives will open their Heritage Market on Sunday, August 1 from noon to 3 p.m. more

July 12, 2010
Northbridge grabs three spots on state's 1,000 Great Places list
The Daily Northbridge
The state's official list of 1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts was released Monday more

June 23, 2010
UniBank Donates $5,000 to Alternatives
Milford Daily News
UniBank is pleased to announce that a $5,000 grant was awarded to Alternatives Unlimited, Inc. more

Friday, May 21, 2010
Free Your Mind
Fitchburg Pride
Sixth graders from ten schools in central Massachusetts were able to enter the contest, sponsored by Alternatives Unlimited Inc. more

Friday, May 21, 2010
Schools 'mark' Mental Health Awareness Month
Blackstone Valley Tribune
To mark the occasion of Mental Health Awareness Month, Alternatives sponsored a bookmark design contest with fifth and sixth graders... more

May 6, 2010
First place and people's choice awarded to Assumption School students in
The Daily Millbury
The winners of the more

Friday, May 7th, 2010
Alternatives takes a 'Stand Against Racism'
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Alternatives joined thousands of other organizations across the country Friday, April 30 to "Stand Against Racism," a YWCA-sponsored campaign... more

Friday, April 30, 2010
Historic bell returns home
Blackstone Valley Tribune
"Alternatives is very grateful to the board of directors and administrators of Old Sturbridge Village," said Rice. more

Friday, April 23, 2010
George H. Holbrook bell comes home to Whitin cotton mill
Northbridge Times
The George H. Holbrook bell, which once hung in the cupola of Paul Whitin's original cotton mill in Whitinsville has come back home. more

Thursday, April 22, 2010
Ceremony heralds return of 1833 bell
Telegram & Gazette
After more than 30 years, the George H. Holbrook bell has come home. more

Thursday, April 15, 2010
Rice chosen for first Beacon of Hope
Telegram Towns
The Beacon of Hope Award, will be given to Dennis H. Rice, executive director of Alternatives Unlimited Inc., for outstanding service to the community more

Friday, March 19, 2010
Knights To Honor Rice
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Dennis Rice, executive Director of Alternatives, has been named to receive the local Knights of Columbus' first annual Beacon of Hope Award. more

Friday, March 12, 2010
'Educating Rita' a smash at Singh
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Molding away at his desk in a small professor's study stacked with books and liquor, middle-aged Frank is about to have his universe shaken... more

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Corridor Grants Add A Surprise
Telegram & Gazette
Legislation that would turn parts of the Blackstone Valley into a national park could be filed this year. more

Sunday, March 7, 2010
'Rita' captivates, is exhilarating
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Early in Willy Russell's "Educating Rita," Rita asks Frank what the meaning of "assonance" is. He explains it's the use of similar vowel sounds... more

Thursday, March 4, 2010
'Rita' continues education of actress
Telegram & Gazette
The set and costumes for "Educating Rita" were part of the learning process for Aimee Kewley as she got ready to take on the role of Rita... more

February 15, 2010
What To Do When The Top Executive Isn't The Boss
Worcester Business Journal

February 15, 2010
Alternatives art exhibit looks at life -- magnified
The Daily Grafton.com

Friday, February 12, 2010
Alternatives' praised, accreditation renewed
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Whitinsville-based Alternatives has earned high marks from the state Department of Developmental Services' Office of Quality Enhancement. more

Thursday, January 28, 2010
Larger Than Life
Blackstone Valley Tribune
From an enormous M&M to the passion of artists for their craft, participants in Alternatives' Arts and Culture Program have been living large. more

January 22, 2010
Life Magnified as oversize sculptures take over Alternatives
Northbridge Times
Everything is oversized in the exhibition opening February 5 in the Spaulding R. Aldrich Heritage Gallery at Alternatives' Whitin Mill. more

Friday, January 22nd, 2010
Horizons of Memory
Blackstone Valley Tribune
Nick Hollibaugh's Midwest roots are revealed in his exhibit at Alternatives'Spaulding Aldrich Heritage Gallery. more