November 8, 2023: Active meals and toys to dance

We reach wide today.

And that’s active voice. You’ve almost certainly heard of it and its counterpoint: passive voice. But did you know there’s a voice that exists between those two? Our resident wordster, Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster in Springfield explains how to get your sentences within that liminal space.

Speaking of Springfield, there will be dancing there this weekend. This Saturday, Nov. 11th, Pathlight hosts “Let’s Dance”, which brings folx together to raise money for their organization that supports children, teens, and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. We chat with Syndy Meininger and Billy McBride who make up the team The Ballers and will be dancing onstage that evening, their instructor Loryn Englebrecht, and Pathlight Communications Director Leslie Tane all about the many programs the organization provides, as well as the fun of getting everyone to dance.

Not everyone thinks that toys can be for everybody, but The Toy Box in Amherst is out to change that opinion. They will hold an event on Nov. 9th, “So you think you’re too old for a toy store” which encourages adults to find joy in more things they may have thought they’ve aged out of. We speak with proprietor Liz Rosenberg about the joy that can be found in games, novelties, and play.

And as we get closer to The March for The Food Bank 14, we take a look at the some of the organizations that The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts helps along its mission. One of those is the largest food pantry in Berkshire County. The South Community Food Pantry services over 1100 families each week, and we speak with director Mary Wheat and Treasurer Pam Kueppler about the ins and outs of their operations, an incredibly successful drive they’ve just finished, and the many needs they still have to meet the demands of an increasingly hungry population.