Helix Human Services celebrates 160 years
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – One Springfield non-profit celebrated its 160th anniversary Tuesday morning, marking nearly two centuries of helping families and children in Hampden County.
To put it in context, Helix Human Services predates the automobile by about 20 years. In that time, they've held true to their mission of helping those in need. The non-profit started as the Children's Study Home after the Civil War. Their work with children who've experienced trauma has been renowned by local and state officials over the years.
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CEO Mark Paglia spoke about the continued support from the public, 'I'm incredibly pleased that the community has continued to support us, and politicians, stakeholders, social workers, and a lot of our employees came to celebrate the work that we do.'
Reports suggest that Massachusetts has at least 8,500 children in foster care, with only around ten percent of them adopted each year. Helix also provides trauma support for adults and families.
Helix is also Springfield's oldest non-profit and the oldest family service organization in Massachusetts.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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