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Amherst resident Jan Eidelson was recently recognized through the state’s Commonwealth Heroines program. -
State Rep. Mindy Domb, right, nominated Amherst resident Jan Eidelson for the state’s Commonwealth Heroines program. The honor included a recogition ceremony in June at the State House alongside 125 other women from across the state.
AMHERST — Though she much prefers to work behind the scenes as a volunteer to make her community a better place to live, longtime Amherst resident Jan Eidelson couldn’t avoid the spotlight entirely late last month.
That’s because state Rep. Mindy Domb nominated Eidelson for recognition as part of its Commonwealth Heroines program representing the 3rd Hampshire District, an honor that led to a ceremony in June at the State House alongside 125 other women from across the state.
“The Commonwealth Heroines are women who don’t make the news, but make the difference” is how the state describes its annual initiative, and that best fits Eidelson.
During her time as president of the Amherst Survival Center, Eidelson led the effort to create a new building for the center’s programs and continues to serve as a volunteer there.
She also served on the boards of the Amherst Survival Center and Tapestry Health and provided assistance to asylum-seekers on the border between Mexico and Texas through Team Brownsville.
This year, Eidelson helped spearhead Amherst’s first Pride march and resource fair, coordinating a celebration that drew several hundred people to the Town Common to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
“I was honored to nominate Jan Eidelson as a Commonwealth Heroine,” Domb said in a statement. “Jan is a mentor for many, demonstrating what it means to treat every person with dignity, respect and caring and creating a warm and welcoming community for all of our neighbors. In these times, when caring for our whole community is not only needed but a strategy for resistance, Jan builds our community in every way.”
Eidelson said in a text that she was “touched and humbled by this award,” but otherwise didn’t want to be interviewed for a story.
Commonwealth Heroines are leaders in industry, business, nonprofit, advocacy and more. Each year, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) partners with state legislators to honor women who make outstanding contributions to organizations and communities across the state.
“Thousands of women in every community across the Commonwealth perform unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities and towns better places to live,” MCSW Chairwoman Mary-dith Tuitt said in a statement. “They are mentors, volunteers and innovators — they are the glue that keeps a community together.”
Domb noted Eidelson’s dedicated extensive time and energy to community service, to making sure folks get food and find safety, to connecting neighbors with each other and with needed resources.
“She does this with deep caring and a profound respect for the dignity of every person,” Domb said. “Her volunteering has strengthened organizations, and her commitment has inspired many younger people to assume leadership in the important work of public service.”