IINE’s Golden Door Award
The International Institute of New England (IINE) announced Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet, CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, as the 2026 recipient of its Golden Door Award. This annual award is an IINE tradition that honors an individual born outside of the United States who has made outstanding contributions to American society.
Born in London and raised in Ghana and the U.K., Greenstreet immigrated to the U.S. in 2004 and now leads one of Boston’s most influential biopharmaceutical companies.
“Dr. Greenstreet’s decades-long commitment to delivering transformative medicines to patients across the globe is remarkable and exemplifies the ingenuity and drive so many immigrants and refugees bring to our country,” said IINE President and CEO Jeff Thielman. “Dr. Greenstreet’s journey, from training as a physician overseas to leading a revolutionary biopharmaceutical company here in Boston, is an inspiration that embodies the spirit of opportunity that our organization celebrates.”
Greenstreet will be honored at the 44th Golden Door Award Gala on Wednesday, April 15, at the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston.
IINE creates opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement, and pathways to citizenship. It serves more than 10,000 individuals annually from its Boston and Lowell locations, as well as Manchester, N.H.
LWV Civic Social in Westford
The next League of Women Voters of Westford Civic Social takes place on Wednesday, January 28, at 7:30 p.m., at WestfordCAT, 487 Groton Road.
Civic Socials are the League’s informal monthly get-togethers, open to everyone, where people can learn about what’s happening in and around town and hear updates about the League’s initiatives.
Residents will hear from Westford Assistant Town Manager of Strategic Operations Mike Edwards and Select Board member Noëlle Donovan, who will discuss Westford’s new hybrid pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) curbside trash program, slated to launch in July.
Registration is not required.
Under the PAYT program, each eligible household will receive one free 35-gallon trash cart that will be collected weekly at no charge. Households that generate more trash may purchase PAYT bags for the overflow, paying only for the additional disposal they use. Recycling remains unlimited and unchanged.
Residents can see a sample 35-gallon trash cart and PAYT bags on the first floor of Town Hall, 55 Main St.
For more details on this program, visit westfordma.gov/1831/Pay-As-You-Throw-PAYT-Program.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, issues-oriented organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League does not support or oppose any candidate or political party.
Human Service Agencies Explore Merger
The boards of BAMSI (Brockton Area Multi-Services Inc.) and Bridgewell, which has a presence in Lowell, recently voted to initiate merger discussions between the two human-services agencies, with a planned implementation date of July 1.
The new agency will retain a strong focus on BAMSI and Bridgewell’s communities of origin, even as its service area continues to expand.
This planned partnership aligns with a growing trend in the nonprofit community toward consolidation to achieve higher quality, greater efficiency, standardization of services, and ultimately lower costs to the agencies purchasing those services and the taxpayers funding them, according to a press release from the organizations.
While some administrative consolidation is expected, there are no anticipated changes to the relationships between individuals served by these agencies and the staff members who support them.
https://www.lowellsun.com/2026/01/26/the-five-minute-read-1430/