GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — This evening the Greenfield Human Rights Commission will host the 2025 Greenfield Human Rights Award Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. in the Greenfield Public Library Community Room where the Commission will honor Larry Thomas for his extraordinary service to the unsheltered population in the county.

The Commission also unveil their new logo, drawn by a Greenfield Middle School student in a logo artwork contest. 

From the City of Greenfield:

Greenfield Human Rights Commission to Celebrate 2025 Award and Unveil New Logo at Ceremony

The Greenfield Human Rights Commission will host the 2025 Greenfield Human Rights Award Ceremony on December 8, 2025, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The ceremony will be held in the Greenfield Public Library Community Room.

The ceremony honoring Larry Thomas will celebrate his extraordinary service to the community and honor him for his tireless efforts to support people who are living unsheltered in Greenfield and across Franklin County. The public is invited to join in celebrating his extraordinary service to the community. Light refreshments will be served.

Drawing on his own 15 years of lived experience being unhoused, Larry brings compassion, understanding, and peer support to those facing homelessness. He is a trusted and consistent presence in the community—responding to people in crisis during severe weather, flooded campsites, or encampment evictions. His work often happens quietly and without public recognition, yet his impact is profound. Over the years, he has supported hundreds of individuals, preventing further harm and even saving lives.

In addition to his outreach work, Larry serves as a key advocate for systemic change through the Unhoused Community Ad-Hoc Committee and Opioid Task Force, promoting more humane and effective responses to homelessness and addiction. He previously worked at the RECOVER Project and has served with the Wildflower Alliance for more than seven years.

Others nominated for the award will be given certificates recognizing their service.

In addition to celebrating the award, the new logo of the Human Rights Commission will be unveiled at the ceremony. During the past two months, students in the Greenfield Public Schools had an opportunity to enter their artwork in a contest for a new HRC logo. The winner, Cecily Paterno, a student at Greenfield Middle School, will receive their prize, and other students who submitted entries will receive their certificates.