06 May May 2025 Newsletter

May 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to the May 2025 edition of the Daniels Foundation Newsletter. In this issue, we explore the following topics. Click on the links to read the articles!

Program Spotlight: Worcester Chamber Music Society! The WCMS has been in existence since 2006 and has rapidly become a key connector among the Arts and Culture community in Worcester County… Click here to read more…
Grant Recipient Essay: Pathways for Change, Inc! This is Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Start by Believing… Click here to read more…
Board Member Profile: Timothy Morse! My name is Timothy L. Morse, and I was born in New Haven , CT. to Sarah and Harvey Morse… Click here to read more…
Program Spotlight: Worcester Youth Cooperatives Worcester Youth Cooperatives was founded by 6 high school students in 2020 during Covid… Click here to read more…

Program Spotlight: Worcester Chamber Music Society

by Emily Daignault-Salvaggio

Music fills the room. First the playful flute dances through its progression with a trill of whimsy to the path it portrays. Then the more serious vibrato of the Cello alludes to the patient guide of a storyteller, slowing the fantastical chords of the young and replacing them with more of a mid-range chord progression. All of that then allows the viola and piano to join the chorus and transport the listener into a mix of folly and fun while imbuing a stellar concert of the Worcester Chamber Music Society concert.

The WCMS has been in existence since 2006 and has rapidly become a key connector among the Arts and Culture community in Worcester County. While chamber music was the primary impetuous and being able to create a better path forward for Musicians facing challenging ways to gain employment as professional musicians, the 501c3 founders quickly realized that there were opportunities to work with other local not-for-profit organizations to create cooperative events and programs. With a little bit of time for ideas to mesh, and voila! The program now called Neighborhood Strings was brought to life. From their website it’s described as:

“Neighborhood Strings is an El Sistema inspired, community-based program of the Worcester Chamber Music Society (WCMS) that offers free music lessons in violin, viola, and cello to youth from Worcester’s Downtown and Main South neighborhoods. The program provides affordable, high-quality arts education, fosters family involvement and is open and accessible to the neighborhoods. Youth learn to make music together with musicians and friends from WCMS. In the process, they discover a creative outlet that hones life skills like discipline, cooperation, imagination, and leadership. Teachers work to forge strong relationships with students that strengthen WCMS’s ties to the community. The focus is not just on the child as a musician, but the child as a citizen and a contributing member of society….The program runs 5 days a week. Students, ages 6-18 receive weekly lessons, daily orchestra, and performance opportunities both in and after-school hours.”

While the students of Neighborhood Strings are learning to play their new instruments, they also work hard toward performing in public to better aid the children in a world of diverse learning experiences. They work cohesively and understand that music improves when it becomes a collaborative sequence of many voices.

The magic in the world of chamber music is the way that the artists choose to work together. They each pick their own variations of performing their part in the whole piece while rehearsing in concert with their group. The absence of a conductor simply bonds them deeper in planning each instrument’s place in the collective sounds of the melody and then spurring each other on to be better and rise the tide with the whole of the group. Done well it can take your breath away, and WCMS is no exception.

They have been a grantee of the Daniels Foundation since 2011 and are so well deserving of the funds we have allocated to them. In fact they have recently received an anonymous grant for $1 million dollars that will allow them to expand the Neighborhood Strings program further. Tracy Kraus, the outgoing Executive Director and one of the organization founders, said it simply when asked about the best parts of WCMS: “We are better together.” Whether that describes the 5-person group of adult association founders performing at one of their concerts, or a group of 6th graders learning to play in harmony seems not to matter. They do have numerous ways to enhance the experiences of many, and maybe not just for the musicians themselves, but for everyone around them.

Grant Recipient Essay: Pathways for Change, Inc.

This is Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Start by Believing

by Kim L. Dawkins, President & CEO, Pathways for Change, Inc.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) has been observed nationally every April since 2001, although its origin stems from the early 1970s, when survivors of sexual assault came together and began to speak out about their experiences. They held rallies, forums, “Take Back the Night” marches and other survivor/community-led efforts. Rape Crisis Centers (RCCs) and their 24-hour hotlines (like us/Pathways for Change, Inc.) emerged from community organizing during that time, beginning what has now come to be known as the “Rape Crisis Movement.” Those early rape crisis efforts coincided with the social movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s to increase women’s freedom and equality – also known as the women’s rights movement or the women’s liberation movement – and was considered by many as the “second wave” of feminism.

Since 2001, it has had a heightened focus on awareness and prevention during the month of April. At the time, there was little public scrutiny or understanding of the silent epidemic of rape and sexual assault. This is an epidemic deeply rooted in multiple forms of oppression, including racism, sexism, ableism and homophobia. And this epidemic is “silent” because it is an uncomfortable subject to even talk about within our culture, particularly for survivors, who, more often than not, are blamed for their own assaults – “She was asking for it, look at what she was wearing”, “They shouldn’t have gone there alone” and “She shouldn’t have been drinking” are just some of the common victim-blaming beliefs. The problem in building awareness and creating real social change is that sexual assault is a subject that no one wants to talk about – let alone take steps to address, and we (Pathways) have been doing this important work for 52 years in our effort to “End the Silence… End Sexual Violence”.

“Sexual Violence” is now the more generally accepted term used in the rape crisis movement, as it includes more than just sexual assault. Rape, attempted rape, child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, drug-facilitated sexual assault, incest, prison rape, ritual sexual abuse, stalking, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and elder sexual abuse (just to name a few) all fall under the umbrella term of sexual violence, and it does not discriminate. It can happen to any of us (regardless of gender, age, ability, race, religious beliefs, socio-economic status, etc.), at any time (day or night), anywhere (home, school, office, military, prison, campground, church, etc.). It may have happened to you or someone you know, recently or long ago. Based on the current statistics, one in three women in the United States have experienced completed or attempted rape in their lifetime, nearly a quarter [24.8%] of men in the U.S. have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime, and every 68 seconds, an individual living in the USA is assaulted. You most likely know someone – be it a child, grandchild, sibling, friend, parent, grandparent, neighbor or significant other – who is a survivor that may or may not have disclosed their experience to you, or anyone.

Most sexual assaults are not reported, often because of the negative responses they receive. So, what can each person do to help in our efforts to support survivors, end victim-blaming attitudes and help prevent sexual violence? The first is the simplest; if anyone discloses their experience to you, Start by Believing. Tell them “I believe you”. Tell them “It’s not your fault”. Ask them “What can I do to support you?” and let them know that healing is possible and refer them to us/Pathways for free & confidential support, 24/7.

We also know that Sexual Violence is preventable! So here are some other ways that you already make a difference during SAAM and every month of the year, supporting our efforts to prevent Sexual Violence and dream of a world without violence. The Daniels Foundation funding deeply impacts our work, as your family’s funding allows us to apply it where most needed. So… in addition to the 24/7 crisis intervention & survivor support services we provide (across 47 towns/cities within Central Mass), the Daniels Foundation funding also helps support our efforts in the provision of our Sexual Assault Youth Education (SAYE) programming (prevention education to over 4000 students per year, teaching them about healthy relationships, healthy boundaries and informed consent), our Campus Advocacy Program (where we partner with local higher ed institutions, supporting student survivors and educating faculty/staff/administrators); trauma informed training to first responders; the only statewide 24/7 Video Phone Hotline support via ASL to Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Survivors; and so much more. In essence, the breadth and vital impact of our services (both crisis intervention/support and community/prevention education) would not be as robust without your ongoing support, and for that, we are truly grateful.

As one survivor/client shared in an anonymous survey: “From the moment I reached out to the Pathways Hotline, I was heard, I was believed, my experience was validated, and I was supported. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel alone or blame myself. You [Pathways] are in the healing business, and I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for you, I would not be alive today.”

So, what else can I say except that your support matters. It matters to survivors. It matters to their significant others. It matters to the communities we serve. It matters to us.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of Survivors… it is through your ongoing and heartfelt generosity, that survivors learn that they are not alone, and that healing is possible, for them and the communities we serve.

Editor’s Note: The Daniels Foundation awarded $5,000 to Pathways for Change in March, 2025.

Board Member Profile: Timothy (Tim) Morse

by Tim Morse

My name is Timothy L. Morse, and I was born in New Haven , CT. to Sarah and Harvey Morse. I have two older brothers, Jamie (who is part of foundation) and Nate. We primarily were raised in Wallingford, CT spending summers on Cape Cod in Falmouth, MA. I attended Tabor Academy for High School where I was part of the theatre program, as well as a hockey and lacrosse player. After Tabor I attended Roanoke College where I majored in Health and Human performance. I also was a lacrosse player (goalie), 4-year starter and played in the North/South All-American game my senior year.

After my academics were complete, I shipped off to Europe where I was a teacher for five years. I taught one year in Germany and four years in Italy. Both were with the Department of Defense Education Activity. While in Europe, I travelled extensively, motorcycled, skied, and played semi-pro hockey with Forno Di Zoldo ice hockey club. In 2008, I made a bold career change, moved to New York City and became a bond broker. I stayed in this career until 2022.

In 2009, I met my future wife, Lindsey, and we began the journey to where we are today. In 2014 we were married in Charleston, South Carolina. We currently live in Jersey City, NJ with our two kids, Leighton Otto Morse and Isla Sienna Morse. Leighton will be six in October and Isla is 8 months old. My current hobbies include motorcycling, especially on my sidecar with Leighton, fitness and nutrition, and Autism awareness.

In 2022, our son Leighton was diagnosed with autism. This has had a profound impact on Lindsey and me, but we are grateful he is receiving the help he needs and is thriving now. However, I have also realized the impact autism has on families with limited resources. I am actively involved in awareness in my community, and this will be a lifelong passion of mine.

I am excited to be part o the Daniels foundation and am looking forward to knowing the community of Worcester, MA!

Program Spotlight: Worcester Youth Cooperatives

Worcester Youth Cooperatives
Worcester Youth Cooperatives was founded by 6 high school students in 2020 during Covid. With the slogan “Youth are the present, not just the future”, the group aims to move towards post-exploitative world by supporting the power of young people to organize cooperative solutions to social issues they care about.

Early key projects include growing vegetables and hand delivering within the community, participating in local harm reduction by distributing 2,830 Narcan doses in 2024, launching and expanding a bookstore info center, and supporting other street based organizations.

Long term goals are to strengthen a network of youth led cooperatives that provide economic opportunities and community support. They also seek to expand their alternative education and workforce programs, such as providing hands on training in trades industries and cooperative management. They hope expanding these programs will create career pathways beyond exploitive labor markets.

The Daniels Foundation approved a grant for $5,000 at the March 2025 meeting. These funds will help expand their programs, replenish harm reductions supplies, as well as sustain their work, ensuring that youth-led cooperatives and mutual aid initiatives remain viable alternatives to economic exploitation and systemic marginalization.