The Town of Franklin recognized for another first - "first municipality in the country to adopt social prescribing"

via Town of Franklin:

"Franklin's Social Prescriptions initiative was recently featured by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism (BINJ).

In 2025, the Town of Franklin became the first municipality in the country to adopt social prescribing, a healthcare approach that connects residents with arts, culture, recreation, and other community-based activities to help address social isolation and support overall well-being.

More than a year later, the program continues to make an impact through partnerships that connect residents to meaningful community experiences."

Read the full article -  https://binj.news/2026/06/16/creative-remediation-the-mass-municipality-bucking-trends-with-social-prescriptions

Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/188aJ536gT/

Additional info on the Art Pharmacy program

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/art-pharmacy-officially-launching-5125.html

The Franklin TV video of the May 2025 launch of Art Pharmacy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKvpBwHdyNE

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Friday, November 14, 2025 ???

Friday, November 14

• Yard waste pick up this week

What's happening in Franklin, MA

10:00am Knitting Group (Franklin Public Library)

10:00am Art Pharmacy Check in (SAFE Coalition)

1:00pm Library Book Sale (Franklin Public Library)

1:00pm Thrifty Threads (Franklin Federated Church)

1:30pm Italian Roundtable: Experiences of 20th Century Immigrants (Franklin Senior Center)

6:00pm Jennifer Tefft (live music) Sunshine Tomato Pizzeria)

7:30pm Cabaret (Dean College Main Stage Theater)

For additional details on Library events -> 

https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events

For additional details on Senior Center events ->   

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

Library & Senior Center events

**   NO  Town Meetings today   **

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Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar

ART PHARM | 6 month Check-In scheduled for Nov 14 at the SAFE Coalition

Since its official launch in May 2025, the Art Pharmacy partnership in Franklin has successfully integrated arts and culture into support systems for individuals in treatment for opioid use disorders and prevention efforts. The program established a custom referral workflow, trained Care Navigators, and engaged over 50 prescribing partners across schools, municipal departments, and recovery services. 

Community members referred to the program have participated in diverse arts and culture events, with costs covered for them and their companions, supported by bilingual navigation services. 



Click here for the quarterly report ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7495/Quarterly-Report-with-our-Partners-at-Art-Pharmacy?bidId=

___________________________________________________

ART PHARM | 6 month Check-In scheduled for Nov 14 at the SAFE Coalition

We're back this November for a follow up community conversation to welcome new partners and neighboring communities on learning more. Community conversation will take place with Emily Devlin, Art Pharmacy and Erik Holgrem, Massachusetts Cultural Council.



Presented at the Safe Coalition, 31 Hayward St Suite 2C, Franklin, MA 02038

Friday, November 14 10-11:30 AM

Please register here ->  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-pharm-community-check-in-tickets-1821512365519

This event is free and open to the public.

Art Pharmacy check in scheduled for Nov 14; Report now available

Art Pharmacy check in scheduled
for Nov 14; Report now available 

"The Art Pharmacy Quarterly Report highlights the program’s impact, artist partnerships, and community engagement, offering a snapshot of participation trends and future goals as it grows within Franklin’s creative economy."


For the full report = Art Pharmacy report ->    https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7495/Quarterly-Report-with-our-Partners-at-Art-Pharmacy?bidId=

Register for the November 14th program -> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-pharm-community-check-in-tickets-1821512365519

Shared from ->   https://www.instagram.com/p/DQl_pLEFRZ7/

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Friday, July 18, 2025

Yes, Franklin has it's own radio station -> wfpr.fm. Franklin Public Radio has a brand new schedule for the locally produced shows that fill our air waves. 

It is available anywhere, anytime at wfpr.fm or in the local Franklin, MA area at 102.9 on the FM dial.

Tune in to listen to the following:

 

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Friday

8:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 6:00 PM - Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock covering Franklin, its local government, services, and events 

• This features the audio from the introductory presentation on Art Pharmacy in March 2025 ->   https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/use-of-opioid-settlement-funds-to-bring.html

9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 7:00 PM

10:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 8:00 PM - Talkin’ the Blues – Jim Derick & Nick Remissong. 2 hours of awesome blues music, info, interviews

11:00 AM, 4:00 PM, and 9:00 PM - “The Vibe” show plays music for everyone searching for some enjoyment, some dance, a happy or thinking mood, and most importantly, having fun.  Tune in to wfpr.fm and listen to “DJ Vibe” spin music across many genres and join this new vibing experience

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

Art Pharmacy Officially Launching 5/1/25

Franklin Arts & Culture | April 30th

Officially Launching May 1st - Art Pharmacy in Franklin Massachusetts Dear Community Partners, We're excited to officially announce the launch of Franklin's Art Pharmacy Program, beginning May 1, 2025! Art Pharmacy is a creative well-being initiative launched by the Town of Franklin, grounded in the belief that art can be a powerful path to healing. Backed by opioid settlement funding, this visionary program is led by the Town administration in partnership with local cultural organizations, prescribing partners, and community leaders. It connects residents with transformative arts and cultural experiences—offering "prescriptions" for creativity that nurture mental health, reduce isolation, and restore a sense of community connection. As noted by Erik Holmgren, Manager of Advancement and Strategic Partnerships at the Massachusetts Cultural Council, 'Franklin is the first municipality in the country to invest in Arts Prescriptions as a public health response to the opioid crisis—prescribing music, dance, visual arts, and more as a new tool for care.' "Funded through the Town's opioid settlement funds, their Arts Prescriptions initiative is designed to support substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery efforts within the community. Arts Prescription is a proven tool for improving mental health and fostering resilience, and since 2020 Mass Cultural Council has been investing in and developing cross-sector partnerships to establish Arts Prescriptions in the Commonwealth. The arts have historically played a positive role in substance abuse recovery, helping to reduce withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and depression while increasing motivation, treatment eagerness, and enjoyment. By integrating the arts into wellness strategies, the Town of Franklin aims to provide inventive, accessible support for those in need." Read more from the Massachusetts Cultural Council Blog here. We're proud to recognize our inaugural Cultural Partner Organizations, who have already signed on: Franklin Recreation Department Franklin Art Association Pete's Nerd Emporium Franklin Senior Center Creative Corner Art Studio Franklin Public Library Franklin School for the Performing Arts THE BLACK BOX Mass Audubon – Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary Franklin United Methodist Church Town of Franklin: Department of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy Painting Venus by Amy Adams LLC Rise Up Franklin Franklin Historical Museum Here's what Pete from Pete's Nerd Emporium had to say about joining: "Signing up was super easy, especially for how much good the program can do! No cost, no risk to the business; nothing but up side for all involved. Was an absolute no-brainer to sign up." Registration remains open on a rolling basis for cultural organizations and prescribing partners who want to join the network. Please help us spread the word to others who may want to get involved! To learn more, please visit the Town of Franklin's website a franklinma.gov or the Art Pharmacy landing page to access all forms and details. Thank you for helping make Franklin a more creative, connected, and compassionate place to live. We can't wait to see the positive ripple effect the Art Pharmacy will have across our community.  Click the image to go to Enrollment form. Click the buttons below to link up cultural events in Franklin! Franklin Community Calendar Franklin Matters Franklin.TV Town Calendar Town of Franklin Franklin Culture District | 355 East Central Street | Franklin, MA 02038 US

Another first for Town of Franklin with implementation of Art Pharmacy

of-franklin-launches-arts-prescriptions-to-support-community-well-being/

"The Town of Franklin recently became the first municipality in the United States to invest in a new, innovative tool to combat the ongoing impacts of the opioid crisis: Arts Prescriptions, the practice of referring patients to creative experiences such as music, visual arts, dance, and theater.

Funded through the Town’s opioid settlement funds, their Arts Prescriptions initiative is designed to support substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery efforts within the community.

Arts Prescription is a proven tool for improving mental health and fostering resilience, and since 2020 Mass Cultural Council has been investing in and developing cross-sector partnerships to establish Arts Prescriptions in the Commonwealth."

Read the full article online at Mass Cultural Council ->   https://massculturalcouncil.org/blog/the-town-of-franklin-launches-arts-prescriptions-to-support-community-well-being/

Shared from -> https://x.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1906703774229348527?

Performance by Dean College. Photo courtesy of the Franklin Cultural District

.

You can view the video of the Art Pharmacy event at THE BLACK Box on March 5

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/use-of-opioid-settlement-funds-to-bring_01941360544.html

Use of Opioid Settlement Funds to bring Art Pharmacy to Franklin "another first of many" (video)

The Art Pharmacy Community Conversation was held at THE BLACK BOX on March 5, 2025. Cory Shea, Director of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy opened the event with 3 panelists who made brief presentations and then participated in a Q&A session.

Panelists:

• Michael Bobbitt, Mass Cultural Council

• Emily Devlin, Art Pharmacy

• Amy Friguiletti, Deputy Town Administrator

Franklin TV video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKvpBwHdyNE

The audio version (minus the Q&A section) can also be found online here ->

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/use-of-opioid-settlement-funds-to-bring.html

Use of Opioid Settlement Funds to bring Art Pharmacy to Franklin "another first of many"

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Franklin Public Radio is available anywhere, anytime at wfpr.fm and in the local Franklin, MA area FM radio dial at 102.9

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Wednesday, March 19, 2025

8:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM   Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock 

Franklin and its local government, services and events  (repeats Saturday at 2 PM)  

This segment features the my conversation the Community Conversation about Art Pharmacy held at THE BLACK BOX last Wednesday

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/use-of-opioid-settlement-funds-to-bring.html

9:00 AM, 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM  The Wonderful World of Wine – Mark Lenzi, Kim Simone    All about wine, its culture, lore and finer points.    (repeats Saturday at 1 PM)  

Mark & Kim talk conduct an Interview with Jim Spadaccini on the Immersive Wine Experiences: The Future of Tasting with Ideum

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/the-wonderful-world-of-wine-www-episode.html

 

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule for Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Franklin Public Radio is available anywhere, anytime at wfpr.fm and in the local Franklin, MA area FM radio dial at 102.9

Time/Day			Wednesday
7:00 AM	12:00 Noon	5:00 PM	Jazz
8:00 AM	1:00 PM	6:00 PM	FM Radio - Sherlock
9:00 AM	2:00 PM	7:00 PM	Wonderful World of Wine - Lenzi/Simone
10:00 AM	3:00 PM	8:00 PM	Frank's Music - Falvey
11:00 AM	4:00 PM	9:00 PM	Music

8:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM   Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock 

Franklin and its local government, services and events  (repeats Saturday at 2 PM)  

This segment features the my conversation the Community Conversation about Art Pharmacy held at THE BLACK BOX last Wednesday

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/use-of-opioid-settlement-funds-to-bring.html

9:00 AM, 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM  The Wonderful World of Wine – Mark Lenzi, Kim Simone    All about wine, its culture, lore and finer points.    (repeats Saturday at 1 PM)  

Mark & Kim talk conduct an "Interview with Kelli A. White"

 ->  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/the-wonderful-world-of-wine-unleash.html

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm Schedule