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Date: 6/29/2022
BOSTON – Two Hilltown women at the forefront of helping people in their communities who are most in need were among 121 Massachusetts women recognized as Commonwealth Heroines at a special celebration on June 22.
Deb Leonczyk of Huntington and Kathi Cotugno of Montgomery were selected for this special recognition by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW). This is 19th year that the commission has recognized women with this honor.
Leonczyk, executive director for Berkshire Community Action Council (BCAC) in Pittsfield, and Cotugno, former coordinator of the Coalition for Outreach Recovery and Education (CORE) for Greater Westfield, were nominated for the heroine award by their legislators.
Both women said their awards were unexpected.
“I was surprised because there are so many other women in Berkshire County who do far more than I do,” said Leonczyk. Cotugno said she was “surprised” and “honored” to receive the award. They added that it is important for the work of women to be recognized by MCSW with its Commonwealth Heroine awards
“I believe there are many people in communities who do work for projects that help their communities and are not recognized or are looking for the spotlight. We have a passion to help, educate and make things better,” said Cotugno.
The awards celebration in Dorchester was a perfect example of “women uplifting women,” added Leonczyk. “I was just proud of the women in the room and how they supported each other. It was wonderful.”
MCSW Chairwoman Denella Clark said the awardees were selected for their “extraordinary acts of service, making a big difference in their communities but not necessarily making the news. They perform unheralded acts daily that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live.”
As a mother who lost her own son to an overdose, Cotugno advocates for and implements effective substance abuse and overdose mitigation. She has been part of CORE, formerly known as the Westfield Drug Task Force, for six years. For the past three years she was the coalition’s coordinator.
Cotugno brought in a post-overdose program, the Drug Addiction Recovery Team, or DART, a free service that supports people at risk for an opioid overdose or family members affected by an overdose.
Just days before the MCSW awards, Cotugno left CORE to become the coordinator of Hampden County DART. Made up of specially trained recovery coaches, harm reduction specialists, and first responders, it serves 11 communities.
State Sen. John Velis said one example of her work is that she was instrumental last year in efforts to bring a “harm reduction van” to Westfield each month. This service allows those with substance use to receive health care, including exchanging used syringes for new ones, which reduces health risks to those suffering from addiction.
Velis said he was honored to nominate Cotugno to recognize her work.
“Kathi does tremendous work in the area of substance use prevention and intervention in our local youth and adults,” he said. “She’s gone above and beyond to raise awareness on the impact and danger of substance use. Kathi has educated and helped so many in our community, from young kids all the way to adults.”
Leonczyk was nominated by state Rep. Paul Mark.
Leonczyk joined the BCAC 10 years ago as its executive director, when the agency was in crisis. She partnered successfully with leaders and other service providers throughout Berkshire County to rebuild its status and reputation.
“But perhaps most importantly,” said Mark, “while doing an amazing job and running a successful agency, she has shunned the spotlight and avoided any focus on personal recognition or credit. That’s rare in such an important role and sets an example of service and dignity that has truly earned her the honor.”
He added that the leaders and people of Berkshire County are grateful for Leonczyk’s work and wanted her to know that her work has a positive impact on the lives of many people every day.
“Deb never looks to take credit or get into the spotlight,” said Mark. “It’s so refreshing – and makes me have so much respect for her and the work she does.”
BCAC, an anti-poverty agency, serves about 12,000 people each year. Its mission is to “find creative and sustainable solutions that promote economic stability and alleviate the destabilizing effects of poverty.”
As a designated antipoverty agency, BCAC received about $600,000 from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, an economic stimulus bill passed by Congress in 2020 in response to COVID-19. Leonczyk said BCAC worked with schools, daycare providers, housing agencies, food banks, and other groups to find out where the gaps in funding were so it could distribute the money where it was needed the most.
Among the ways BCAC used its CARES funds: purchased Chromebooks for low-income students; provided laptops to seniors to do telehealth meetings with their doctors and to keep in contact with their families; assisted daycare centers with transportation costs; distributed food vouchers to immigrant families; provided boxes of fresh produce and meat to low-income families to supplement dry goods from food pantries.
“We did a lot with the money. We didn’t sit on it or save it for any of our programs – we got it out into the community as quickly as we could. We worked with the communities to meet their most immediate needs,” explained Leonczyk.
The MCSW is an independent agency created by the state Legislature in 1998 to advance women of Massachusetts to full equality in all areas of life and to promote their rights and opportunities.