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Summer 2007, Vol. 3, No. 3 | Index
Human Resources News
Benefits Update | MBL 2007 Employee Picnic | Commuters Take Note!
MBL Receives 4-Star Charity Rating | Catching Up with Carpool #2
Benefits Update
Last January Human Resources introduced you to The Wellness Corporation (TWC), our new Employee Assistance Program. This edition of the Collecting Net spotlights several of the topics on which they can provide help.
Are you a poor financial planner? TWC’s website, www.wellnessworklife.com, provides worksheets to help you get started with a budget and to understand your financial health. (To enter the website click on “New Members Register Here,” enter MBL, and create a password.) In addition there are articles on topics such as Student Loans, Strategies for Repaying Debt, Credit and Debit Cards, and Bankruptcy. By calling 1-800-828-6025, you may speak with a counselor and if you qualify for debt consolidation, TWC will pay the initial fee.
Another topic that is covered in the website is one which many people avoid—the making of a will. TWC’s website offers fill-in-the-blank will forms as well as answers to many questions such as “What are the requirements for a will?” and “Do I need a lawyer to make my will?” If your issues require more information than the website offers, TWC offers a free 30 minute consultation or a 25% reduction in fees to a referral attorney.
Millions of people in the U. S. suffer from depression. <www.wellnessworklife.com> is an excellent resource for those trying to understand the disease. There are quizzes and articles explaining depression as well as strategies for dealing with it. In addition, the website offers resources to help those dealing with children and teenagers who are suffering from depression.
While the website offers information on a wide variety of topics, remember you may also call The Wellness Corporation at 1-800-828-6025 to speak with one of their counselors. These calls and up to three counseling sessions are free to you and are comp
MBL 2007 Employee Picnic
This year’s picnic was held on September 6th, in the Quad. Food was provided by Sodexho. Thank you to the following volunteers for their help with setting up, cooking, and cleaning up afterwards:
Kate Ahern-Wolseley
Gary Borisy
Bill Brosseau
Horace Bryant
Barbara Burbank
Don Burnette
Carol Coughlan
Rich Cutler
Lenny Dawidowicz
Chris Dematos
Phyllis Doheney
Matthew Erickson
John Furfey
Kasia Hammar
Grant Harris
Pam Hinkle
Kelly Holzworth
Bob Howell
Bob Kaski
Diana Kenney
Louie Kerr
Alan Kuzurian
Homer Lane
Herb Luther
Jane MacNeil
Jim Marcello
Matt Margetta
Jessica Mark Welch
David McLean
Bob Meisel
Leslie Murphy
Johnny Murt (and brother)
Melissa Newman
Rudolph Oldenberg
Marshall Otter
Carol Pooser
Anton Post
Diane Rielinger
Carol Schachinger
Cathy Schmidt
Don Settlemire
Mike Shribak
Bob Silver
Nancy Stafford
Mike Toner
Alex Valm
Bill Villineau
Jen Walton
JC Weber
Commuters Take Note!
The City of New Bedford is offering a pilot ferry service to better link the marine science community in Woods Hole with academic and industry research groups throughout the South Coast.
The pilot service consists of daily low-cost ($5 each way), high-speed “Fast Ferry” service between the Terminal at State Pier in New Bedford and the Woods Hole ferry terminal. Free parking is available at the Whale’s Tooth Parking Lot at the State Pier in New Bedford.
Schedules, directions and notices are available at:
<www.nbwhferry.com>
Contact Kristin Decas, executive director of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission at Kristin.decas@ci.new-bedford.ma.us with your feedback on arrival and departure times or any other concerns.
MBL Receives 4-Star Charity Rating
Charity Navigator, the nation’s premier independent evaluator of charities, has awarded the MBL a 4-star rating, its highest, in recognition of our excellence in successfully managing our finances in an efficient and effective manner. A four-star ranking means the MBL exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause. The MBL was one of 61 charities in Massachusetts to receive the four-star rating. The evaluations are based on the financial information each charity provides annually in its tax returns.
Catching Up with Carpool #2
Let’s face it. Parking at the MBL can be a challenging feat. So imagine coming to work and finding a spot that’s reserved and waiting just for you. Sound too good to be true? Just ask Dixie Berthel, Carol Coughlan, and Pam Oldham, otherwise known as MBL Carpool #2, how it feels.
The three MBL employees started carpooling to work at the beginning of last summer. Carol lives in Marstons Mills, exactly four miles away from Pam who lives in Mashpee. Dixie’s house in Sandwich is just a mile away from Pam in the opposite direction.
Carol and Pam take turns driving, alternating each week. “The main reason we carpool is to save money and wear and tear on our vehicles,” says Carol, Accounts Receivable Assistant in Financial Services. “By carpooling, we only have to drive to work two weeks out of four,” adds Pam, an Administrative Assistant in the Communications department. “Since we all live approximately 20 miles away from Woods Hole, it’s a huge savings.”
Besides saving money, members of Carpool #2 like spending time together during the ride in to work. “I enjoy the people I carpool with, so it’s fun to ride to and from work in their company,” says Dixie, an Administrative Assistant in the Ecosystems Center. Dixie has always carpooled to work, so to speak, because she doesn’t drive. “If you count my eight years at WHOI before I started working at the MBL, I’ve been ‘carpooling’ to Woods Hole for 29 years,” she says. “And nothing starts the day off better than being among people you enjoy!”
Through carpooling to work, the trio is also doing their part to help the environment. “There are so many cars on the road now, especially in Woods Hole, I think every little bit helps,” Pam adds.
Interested in starting your own carpool? Carpool parking permit applications are available in the Transportation Services and Grounds Department. Carpool requirements are also listed in the MBL Policy Manual (Policy No. D.1.5).
The Collecting Net is an employee newsletter published by the Communications Office. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Call (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at
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