The City of Somerville’s Prevention Services Division, in partnership with Cambridge Health Alliance, will host a virtual photovoice exhibition facilitated by Somerville youth to raise awareness about underage problem gambling. Photovoice is a method of exploring social issues that empowers individuals to tell a story through photography. The event will be held on Thursday, January 28, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Visit somervillema.gov/ProblemGambling at that time for a link to attend.

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Enjoy a box lunch from the Somerville Council on Aging on January 22. While they are not able to share lunch together, they hope you can stop by for this fun treat. Begins at 10:30am, Ralph & Jenny Senior Center, 9 New Washington Street. RSVP to Connie at 617-625-6600 ext. 2319. Masks are required.

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Groundwork Somerville (GWS) is hiring an Executive Director. Are you passionate about youth jobs, urban agriculture, and environmental justice? This may be the job for you. If you are an experienced manager interested in working with an amazing group of staff and board, GWS might be the place for you. This is a 25-hour a week position for 2021, with the intention of moving to full time in 2022. Check it out today: http://www.groundworksomerville.org/groundwork-somerville-seeks-a-new-executive-director/.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: A big happy birthday to our own Dorothy DiMarzo, who gives us all those delicious recipes every other week in our paper. Dorothy is great! We wish her the very best of birthdays this week. Check out her recipes in our print edition and online. Another popular birthday person this week is Philip Ercolini, from East Somerville. We wish him a very special birthday. Happy birthday to Katie Lathasha Harris, who is also celebrating this week. We wish her the very best of birthdays as well. To Nancy Huber Coutoumas, who is celebrating this week as well, we wish her the very best. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Rosemary Ardagna, Joseph William Schenkenfelder, Bob Crowley LeBlanc, Roy Moulton, Linda LoPresti, Eddie Hardy and James Casazza, a very happy birthday. We hope everyone has a great day. To all the others we may have missed, we sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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Attention dog owners: You are required to license your dog each year, so it’s time to start thinking about it if you haven’t already. Registering for a dog license has never been easier, with online licensing through our website and mobile app. You also get access to an online pet community, with lost-pet alerts and significant savings for your pet supplies and services. Learn more and license your dog at bit.ly/SomervilleDogs.

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The Somerville Public Library (SPL) is launching a new Pathways to Citizenship program for English-language learners seeking U.S. citizenship. With funding provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the two-year program will create a 14-week combined language and civics class, provide naturalization workshops, and expand related library materials offered at each of Somerville’s three branches. The naturalization workshop series will begin in February, and the first cohort of up to 15 participants will begin English and civics classes in March. All workshops and classes will be held virtually on Zoom, led by instructors and volunteers from St. Mark Community Education Program. Registration is now open at tinyurl.com/beginneresolclass.

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The first phase of COVID–19 vaccinations is underway. Somerville Public Safety personnel are getting vaccines next week. Cambridge Health Alliance has been steadily vaccinating health workers with success, and now the city has just received 500 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that were administered to first responders and 911 staff starting January 12 as part of Phase 1 vaccinations. For information on where you fall in the state’s vaccine rollout plan, check the timeline on the state’s website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccination-program. This is rapidly evolving information that may be subject to change, and city staff will continue to keep you updated via emails, their website, and other outreach. Have more questions about the vaccine? The Department of Public Health has a list of FAQs online and watch for a continually updated list of more FAQs at somervillema.gov/covidvaccine.

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The city reports that in December, Somerville had at least 1,135 new COVID-19 cases. That’s more cases than the three previous months combined, and that number may rise as end of the month tests are reported. As we move into our tenth month of dealing with this pandemic, it is vital that we all continue doing our part to stop the spread. That includes wearing a face covering that covers your noses and mouths whenever you’re in public, not gathering with anyone you don’t live with, and staying home if you feel ill or have been exposed as a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Taking these steps helps protect you; your family, friends, and neighbors; essential workers; and those who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. As of January 7, a total of 3,474 Somerville residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since March, another 222 are considered probable positive cases (some current, some in the past), and sadly there have been 53 deaths. See more Somerville case data at somervillema.gov/covid19dashboard.

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Our hearts go out to the Ferro family. Our own photographer, Claudia Ferro, and her family lost their home to a fire. The community has been stepping in and helping them out however they can, and for that the family expressed how grateful and overwhelmed with happiness they are towards everyone. If you would like to help out, a gofundme fundraiser for Claudia Ferro page has been set up by their granddaughter, Arianna Andujar: https://gofund.me/a0fcdde3. It also gives an address where things can be dropped off. They are also looking for temporary housing, if anyone knows of an apartment that is vacant.

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Somerville’s Winter Farmer’s Market takes place Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., through April 10, at 191 Highland Ave. Offering the best locally grown and produced agricultural items and more. Online pre-order market with a small outdoor “live” shopping market. They offer a diverse range of local and New England produce, as well as cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, pastries, chocolate, and wine. They feature rotating guest vendors each week, as well as live entertainment and activities. Check out the schedule and map here: http://maps.managemymarket.com/1610. They accept SNAP/EBT, CREDIT and DEBIT cards. $10 SNAP match for EBT customers. For market information visit: http://www.somwintermarket.org/

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Apply for small business relief funds. The City of Somerville has made $5 million available to small businesses in its third round of the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Fund. Eligible businesses can apply for grants of up to $25,000. Applications are now available and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Learn more about the funding, including eligibility requirements, or apply for funds online.

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The Pandemic – Electronic Transfer (P-EBT) Program created spring 2020 to provide eligible families funds to purchase food while schools were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended through the end of the 2020-21 school year. Visit https://www.map-ebt.org/home/#ihdtab for additional information.

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The city is still accepting homemade face masks as part of their 10,000 Mask Drive. They have passed the 5,000 mask milestone. Can you help get it to 10,000? If you’re a crafty Somerville resident who has been sewing reusable face masks, please consider donating some to our 10,000 Mask Drive. After being laundered, masks are distributed to seniors and other vulnerable populations. If you would like to donate masks, put them in a sealed bag and bring them to the drop box at either the Central Library, 79 Highland Ave., or the East Branch Library, 115 Broadway.

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CHA Somerville Hospital offers free COVID-19 testing at Assembly Row. To make an appointment, call 617-665-2928, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The mobile COVID-19 testing unit also offers testing in our neighborhoods. Mobile testing schedules and more information on both can be found under the “Symptoms, Testing, & Medical Info” tab on somervillema.gov/covid19. The state also operates several Stop the Spread testing sites, including in the nearby communities of Chelsea and Everett. For more information, visit the state’s website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread.

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In collaboration with The Beautiful Stuff Project, the City of Somerville, and with generous support from Cradles to Crayons and individual donors, Somerville Family Learning Collaborative volunteers distribute free diapers to Somerville families every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., outside of the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St., (Glen St. side) and West Somerville Neighborhood School, 177 Powderhouse Blvd. Home deliveries will be provided for emergency and quarantined families. You can help raise awareness and resources to address diaper need by contributing here to The Beautiful Stuff Project’s diaper wish list, or contacting SPS/SFLC Volunteer Coordinator JCapuano@k12.somerville.ma.us to volunteer or donate diapers.

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If you need assistance accessing food, there are several resources available to you locally. Visit the COVID-19 Help page at https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/covid-19-help-food-housing-and-financial-assistance to learn more. There you will find a chart that includes local food pantry schedules, contact information, languages spoken at the food pantry, and whether or not you need to bring ID.

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Hate incidents impact victims as well as the community. In an effort to make reporting hate incidents easier for the residents of Somerville, you may now report them using an online form. Visit the Somerville Police website under the Home tab and submit your Hate Incident report: www.somervillepd.com/home/.