Rep Jack Lewis Awarded Caring Bear from The Caring Force

Boston- On May 16, The Caring Force held their Eleventh Annual State House Rally. The Caring Force is the grassroots advocacy initiative of the Providers’ Council. The group empowers those who care about the human services sector to advance an agenda that protects our most vulnerable neighbors and creates a stronger economy with the pay, recognition, and respect our workers deserve.

At The Caring Force’s rally, Representative Jack Patrick Lewis was presented with the Caring Bear Award. In presenting the award to Rep Lewis, President and CEO of the Providers’ Council, Michael Weekes, said “In disability rights circles, you often hear the phrase, “Nothing for us without us,” and those words drive Jack’s work. He believes that the people most impacted by decisions need to be at the center, and he always works to elevate the voices of those too often marginalized.”
President Weekes continued, “[Jack] has such deep compassion for people who are oftentimes overlooked and marginalized… [he] can be counted on to show up and help in…public and behind the scenes. From advocating for policies [that] support fair wages, healthcare, workforce development, and education, to sending late-night emails about grant opportunities and handwritten [thank you] notes and newspaper clippings to acknowledge [constituent] successes, Jack is a true public servant and champion for the human services sector.”

Holding the award, Representative Jack Patrick Lewis added “The Senate President and I are so lucky to have such great social service agencies, and great folks like yourself out in the MetroWest area. You do such important work. When we try to help our constituents and hit a dead end, we call on you and you know exactly what to do because you all are in these trenches day in and day out. Again thank you so much for this award.”
The Providers’ Council legislative agenda includes H.191/S.84 An Act Relative to a Livable Wage for Human Service Workers and H.214/S.77 An Act Relative to a Loan Repayment Program for Human Services Workers. Rep Lewis is a proud co-sponsor of both bills.

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