Derrick Kiser News Today

Steven Sargent, whose retirement was announced Friday, spent seven years as Worcester police chief.

The city recently announced which organizations it's awarding the federal pandemic relief money to.

Some organizations and officials hope federal funds will even the playing field.

The event was the first of a planned series of monthly antiviolence rallies, to be held the 2nd Tuesday of every month in front of City Hall.

City officials, public health advocates and people with first-hand experience struggling with their mental health said that work is ongoing to end the stigma around mental health at an event Tuesday afternoon outside City Hall.

Even as the Fresh Start’s services earn accolades and are in demand, Kiser has struggled to find consistent funding for his nonprofit, as it survives off his volunteer time and one $60,000 grant it received in the early phases of the coronavirus pandemic.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., Sheriff Lewis G. Evangelidis and District Court Judge Timothy M. Bibaud took turns at the lectern talking about their efforts to reach people struggling with mental health and substance abuse.

For the past four years, court officer Woodrow Adams Jr. has toiled to cut the odds of seeing at-risk kids cycle into the criminal justice system.

WORCESTER — As he eulogized his father, a beloved deacon described as the “Mayor of Jaques Avenue,” four months ago, Woodrow Adams Jr. made a vow.  The Worcester court officer, who’d lost not only his dad but also his uncle and grandmother in a terrible fire, would keep their legacies alive by continuing on the path of serving others.  With the help of the community, Adams is hoping next month to help 3,000.  His nonprofit, 508 Forever Young, is asking for help filling 3,000 backpac...

WORCESTER – Derrick Kiser, the former city gang leader who now leads a nonprofit aimed at addressing trauma in kids, is hosting a community cleanup and vaccination event Saturday at City Hall to kick off Mental Health Awareness Month.  “Mental health doesn’t have a geography, color or race,” Kiser, who has invited leaders from the community, legislature and police, said this week, stressing the importance, especially during the current times, of mental health awareness.  Kiser said th...