HOUSE MINORITY LEADER Brad Jones (R-North Reading) recently presented a citation recognizing Pocahontas Way resident and autism advocate Terri Farrell for receiving a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine Award. Jones nominated Farrell for the Commonwealth Heroine Award. (Courtesy Photo)
BOSTON – The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) recently selected Pocahontas Way resident and autism advocate Terri Farrell as a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine.
Farrell was among more than 125 award recipients from across the state, ranging in age from 18 to 90, who were honored at the MCSW’s 21st annual Commonwealth Heroines Celebration, which was held in the State House’s Gardner Auditorium last month. A reception in the Great Hall of Flags was held after the celebration.
House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr. (R-North Reading) nominated Farrell for the award and presented her with an official House citation in recognition of her selection.
“I was surprised and honored to be nominated by Rep. Brad Jones to be recognized as a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine for my work in the autism space,” said Farrell. “It was an honor to be among women across the commonwealth who are doing incredibly selfless work to improve the quality of life for its residents.”
As the mother of a child with autism, Farrell has been an outspoken advocate for the needs of autistic individuals and their families. She currently serves as the senior project director of the Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health at UMass Chan Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, which assists families, providers and agencies with information related to both private and public insurance, including MassHealth.
In 2013, Farrell was appointed as the chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts (AFAM), the commonwealth’s leading autism advocacy nonprofit. As the event chair for AFAM’s annual Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day at the State House, Farrell has worked to educate legislators about AFAM’s budgetary and legislative initiatives and has presented at local conferences focused on autism insurance, transition and issues affecting homeless youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
“Terri is the epitome of what it means to be a Commonwealth Heroine: Someone who gives back to the community and is constantly working to help enrich the lives of others,” said Jones. “I was proud to nominate Terri as a 2024 Commonwealth Heroine, and I commend her on this well-deserved award.”
Created by the Legislature in 1998, the MCSW is an independent state agency that works to advance the women of the commonwealth by offering policy recommendations to improve access to opportunities and equality. Since 2004, the MCSW has recognized over 2,000 women from across the commonwealth for their contributions to their local communities. Originally known as the Unsung Heroine Award, the MCSW renamed its award as the Commonwealth Heroine Award in 2020.
“The Commonwealth Heroines are women who don’t make the news, but make all the difference in their communities,” said MCSW Chairwoman Dr. Sarah Glenn-Smith. “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. Commonwealth Heroines use their time, talent, spirit and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others in their community. They are mentors, volunteers and innovators – they are the glue that keeps a community together.”
For more information about the MCSW, visit https://masscsw.org/.
