Community Organizations

In a town of 1,643 the community organizations are not a garnish on civic life, they are load-bearing: the health center, the watershed volunteers, the library, the scouts on the Moses land. Every one of them takes volunteers.

Organizations Serving Russell

Organization	What they do & contact
Hilltown Community Health Center	A community health center serving the hilltowns, listed by the town on its own Community Links page.
Westfield River Watershed Association	Volunteers working on the river that runs the length of Russell. It runs an annual canoe cruise, a river cleanup, and a fish ladder open house.
Jacob’s Ladder Trail Scenic Byway	The organization for the historic Route 20 corridor that runs through Russell and on across the Berkshires.
Gateway Education Foundation	Raises money for programs in the Gateway Regional School District that Russell students attend.
Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation	The scout camp in the South Quarter uplands, on land Horace A. Moses assembled around Russell Pond and sold in parts to the Hampden Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Town & Senior Resources

Organization	Notes
Russell Public Library	Books, programs, computers, and a card that works at libraries across Massachusetts, at 162 Main Street. Director Jennifer Waldorf. 413-862-6221.
Council on Aging	Programs and outreach for older residents. Coordinator Carrie Florek, 413-862-6217.
Recreation Committee	The town committee for Russell Pond, the beach, and youth programs. Chairman Missy Castro, 413-454-5678.
Strathmore Park	A town park available for rental for events, booked through the Selectmen’s office at 413-862-6200.
Country Journal	The weekly newspaper of the hilltowns, published by Turley Publications, whose masthead names Russell among the towns it covers. 413-283-8393.

For current hours and a fuller list, see the town’s own Community Links page at townofrussell.us.

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