North Attleboro names Elm Street health center for longtime town nurse Lenore Paquin

The town voted unanimously to name the building at 451 Elm Street the Lenore Paquin Health and Human Services Center, honoring Lenore Paquin’s decades of service to North Attleboro and her role in founding a local food pantry.

The measure was moved by a committee member and supported by several speakers who highlighted Paquin’s public-health work and community impact. The motion, as spoken, included a brief numeric artifact before the address but identified 451 Elm Street as the building to be named. The Chair then called for the vote; the motion passed 7 to 0.

The Chair opened the discussion by recognizing Paquin’s service, noting that “She was the public nurse for, town nurse for 27 years.” Speakers said Paquin founded Lenore’s Pantry in 1972, starting with about 35 families and expanding over time to assist roughly 125 households in the town.

A committee member moved that “the town of North Attleboro name the building located at 451 Elm Street the Lenore Paquin Health and Human Services Center.” Another committee member noted that Paquin’s family was present and referenced a memorandum provided earlier documenting a connection between Paquin and the Elm Street site.

The steering committee chair for the partnership between Lenore’s Pantry and the Y said they had chaired the committee for nearly a year, described working with Paquin’s daughter Leslie, and voiced full support for the naming: “I think it’s absolutely appropriate for her to have a building named after her and to have this building with the purpose of this building, which is exactly what she brought to the town.”

After brief remarks in support, the Chair called for the vote and announced the result: “That motion passes 7 to 0.” The item concluded with the Chair thanking participants.