WOMEN’S COMMISSION TO HONOR LOCAL WOMAN, ORGANIZATION FOR BEST

SOMERVILLE - The

Somerville Health Department and the Office of Somerville Commissions announce

that this year's award recipients for "Best Service Provider to Women" by the

Somerville Commission for Women will be CASPAR and the "Somerville Woman of

Excellence" award will be presented to Regina Bertholdo of the Parent

Information Center in the Somerville Public Schools.  Awards will be presented at the upcoming

reception honoring Women's History Month, held at the Lowell Street Visiting

Nurses' Association (VNA) on March 21^st.   Awards honor one local organization and one

individual for exemplary service to Somerville residents.

"This year we're able to

showcase the many connections and interests of the commission with our award

winners, keynote address and survey announcement," said Sonja Darai, Director

of the Office of the Somerville Commissions. 

"We're happy to celebrate women's history along with looking forward to

the days to come."

The annual Women's History

Reception will be held on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 from 6:00 - 7:15 p.m. at

the Somerville VNA (259 Lowell Street). 

Women's History Month is celebrated in March, dating to the first

International Women's Day on March 26, 1911. 

In 1981, Congress passed a resolution making Women's History Week a

national holiday, and legally expanded the observance to an entire month in

1987.  This year is also the 100^th

anniversary of the Bread and Roses strike.

Past award winners include

the Somerville Police Department Family Services Division, the Somerville

Homeless Coalition, the Brazilian Women's Group, Special Education advocate

Debbie Higgins, and Chile Eng of the Somerville Boys and Girls Club, among

others.

For more information on

the Women's Commission surveys, contact Office of Somerville Commissions

Director Sonja Darai at 617-625-6600 ext. 2406, or SDarai@somervillema.gov.