Senator Adam Gomez

09/02/2026

Youth teams from the Springfield YMCA and Holyoke YMCA faced off Saturday in a friendly basketball game at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. The competition aimed to promote yout…

09/01/2026

Saturday was a night that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Gathering youth athletes to play at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame celebrated community, friendly competition, and of course basketball. The kids had a blast, and myself and Senator Velis couldn’t have been happier to coach these young athletes in a tournament between the YMCAs of both Holyoke and Springfield. Of course, none of this would be possible without the help of John Doleva, President & CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Dexter Johnson, President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, Conor Bevan, CEO of the Greater Holyoke YMCA, and of course a big thank you to the local Springfield’s Dominos. The kids had worked up a big appetite after playing ball!

This can’t be the first and last of this collaborative community effort. Some people might see this as a simple game of friendly competitive basketball, but for some of these kids it meant everything to them. I’m so thankful to be a part of this.

09/01/2026

09/01/2026

Even in Massachusetts, where the overall median net worth is $374,000, deep structural inequities persist.

09/01/2026

At 16, Yanisha was struggling to learn how to be a young mother while surviving an abusive relationship. She was heavily involved in the streets, constantly getting into fights, getting into trouble with the law, and was eventually kicked out of school.

In her own words:
"At the time, I didn’t always think about how the decisions I was making could affect my future. I was reacting to everything happening around me and trying to survive the only way I knew how. Over time, Roca helped me learn how to slow down, think before reacting, and make different choices even when every part of me wanted to respond the way I always had. My past could have easily stopped me from believing that I was capable of more, but it didn't."

Now Yanisha is a high school graduate, she's completed Roca's Transitional Employment Program, earned her driver's license, moved into her first apartment—and this week, she graduated from Roca Springfield alongside 15 other young women who have gone through transformations of their own.

Congratulations to each of the Springfield grads, and a big thank you to Carlos Gonzalez State Representative and Senator Adam Gomez for coming out to the graduation ceremony to celebrate our amazing young women! These two legislators have been steadfast champions of Roca and the Young Women's Program and we were humbled by their belief in young people.

08/31/2026

International Overdose Awareness Day is observed on August 31st. It’s a campaign that draws attention to the three words that some people have the hardest time saying: “I need help.” It could be a friend, a loved one, a neighbor, but most of us know someone or perhaps you yourself have been in times where support matters most and the world feels that much heavier. I want to thank Tapestry for joining the local delegation, the Chicopee Mayor’s office, and City Council for remembering and advocating for prevention discussions. This is a reminder that no one should feel alone, and that a hand up is ready and willing to meet those struggling with substance abuse where they’re at. My office, as well as my colleagues’ offices, are nothing short of supportive for prevention and education efforts.

08/31/2026

Happy Birthday Mother Carrie M Roberson