CAI Newsletter - Community Action, Inc.
Transcription
CAI Newsletter - Community Action, Inc.
CAI Newsletter “Opening Doors to Economic Opportunity” Find us on: Community Action, Inc. 3 Washington Sq., Haverhill, MA 01830 t. (978) 373-1971 - f. (978)-469-8392 July/August 2016 www.CommunityActionInc.org Haverhill’s Mt. Washington Neighborhood Awarded $475,000 Federal Reserve Grant House Ways and Means Chairman Brian Dempsey and Mayor James Fiorentini jointly announced that Haverhill will receive $475,000 in the second round of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Working Cities Challenge. Working Cities is a competition for smaller cities in New England focused on building collaborative leadership, a critical element that is needed to promote economic growth for struggling postindustrial cities. Five cities received awards. The City of Haverhill, Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce and Community Action, Inc. are the lead organizations in the program. The initiative will focus on neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, and improving access to economic opportunity in the Mt. Washington neighborhood over a three-year period, accompanied by technical assistance and a learning community for bestpractice sharing. “As a former Mount Washington resident, I am thrilled that this unprecedented coalition has won this prestigious grant to improve the economic, educational, and social conditions of this gateway neighborhood,” said Mayor Fiorentini. “Improving economic outcomes and expanding opportunities for residents of Mount Washington requires a multi- – Continued on Page 2 CAI offices will be closed on Monday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday! CAI Northern Essex WIC participants (6 months and older) can receive $20 to spend on fruits and vegetables at a certified Farmers Markets on the following distribution dates and locations. The vouchers are available on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST basis. pronged, cross-sectoral approach. I am gratified that the Federal Reserve has recognized our efforts and approach by deciding to invest in our community. I am proud to be part of the Mt. Washington Alliance,” added the Mayor. “This grant will enhance access to job opportunities and educational activities while improving neighborhood conditions in Haverhill’s Mount Washington District,” said State Rep. Brian Dempsey. “Bringing together a strong cross-section of partners through the Mt Washington Alliance, the Working Cities EBT/SNAP Card Accepted at Haverhill and Newburyport Farmers Markets Hope Davenport, CAI WIC director said in addition, grants from the Community Action, Inc. (CAI) “Stronger Families for Stronger Communities” campaign and from the Vela Foundation will allow CAI to double a WIC participant’s dollars when they use their EBT/SNAP cards at the Haverhill and Newburyport Farmers Market. For every SNAP dollar spent at the Farmers Market, CAI will match it (For example: $20 on a EBT card plus $20 in bonus cash = $40 to spend…while supplies last). HOLIDAY NOTICE JULY 4 WIC FARMERS MARKET VOUCHERS DISTRIBUTION DATES ANNOUNCED – Continued on Page 2 EBT/SNAP Cards will be accepted at the Haverhill Farmers Market and Newburyport Farmers Market this year. WIC and Senior vouchers will also be accepted. NEWS BULLETIN: • Beverly Farmers Market Veterans Memorial Park Monday, July 11 from 3-6 p.m. • Amesbury WIC office 44 Friend Street Wednesday, July 13 from 3-6 p.m. • Gloucester Farmers Market Stage Fort Park Thursday, July 14 from 3-6 p.m. • Haverhill Farmers Market 40 Baily Blvd Saturday, July 16 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. FIRST TIME HOME BUYER WORKSHOP BEGINS JULY 11 The Community Action Inc. Home Buyer Education Program is pleased to be offering a first time home buyer counseling workshop that begins on July 11, & will run for 3 evenings: Monday, July 11; Tuesday, July 12 and Monday, July 18. The class runs 6–9 p.m. and costs $60.00 per household. Class is held at the Presidential Gardens Community Center, 140 Evergreen Drive in Bradford, MA. Come and learn all the steps to buying your first home. The July workshop is sponsored by Pentucket Bank. Contact Susan Collins to register s.c.c.hanley@ juno.com or call 978-317-8998 or Richard Lynch, 978-373-1971 for more information. The class is CHAPA and MassHousing certified. CAI News - July/August 2016 Working Cities Grant - Continued from Page 1 collaboration ensures a commitment to the Mt Washington District and its community.” “This Working Cities Challenge grant is a testament to the strong public-private sector collaboration embodied in the Mt. Washington Alliance, which has worked diligently to produce an innovative plan to spark economic growth and provide greater opportunities for families in the Mt. Washington Neighborhood of Haverhill,” said State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives. “I want to congratulate the winners of the Working Cities Challenge. Collaborative leadership is at the heart of this competition, and these five cities demonstrated significant capacity to reach across sectors and advance efforts on behalf of low-income residents in their communities,” said Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren. “I look forward to following the progress in the communities in the coming months and years.” According to a statement from Fed President Rosengren, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said, “Together with our partners in the private, philanthropic, and non-profit sectors, we are proud to leverage greater resources to support and prepare communities for success. The Working Cities Challenge elevates local leadership, amplifying solutions from the community level to increase cross-sector collaboration and improve economic outcomes for low-income residents.” John Cuneo, executive director of Community Action, Inc. which will administer the grant, said Haverhill’s initiative, a cross-sector partnership called the “Mt. Washington Alliance” will work to close the social and economic “opportunity gap” between the Mt. Washington neighborhood and the rest of the Haverhill community. The initiative will include efforts to improve employment, education, and an array of neighborhood conditions including housing, health, and safety. Residents will play a prominent role in shaping and evaluating the work of this Alliance. The Alliance’s core team includes: residents of Mt. Washington, the Mayor’s office, Haverhill Public Schools, Rehoboth Lighthouse Full Gospel Church, Northern Essex Community College, Fantini Baking Company, Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board, Merrimack Valley Music & Arts, Inc., Team Haverhill, Mann Consulting, Haverhill Bank, Pentucket Bank, POSE, Inc., Urban Kindness, Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, Emmaus, Inc., Veterans Northeast Outreach Center, St. James Church, Jaffarian Toyota, Tilton Elementary School, Haverhill YMCA, Girls Inc., the Haverhill City Council, Massachusetts 2020, and Community Action, Inc.. … Funding for the competition is not provided by the Boston Fed, but by a consortium of partners including the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Barr Foundation, the Smith Family Foundation, and Living Cities. The other four winning cities are Lowell, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester. A celebration of these five cities’ initiatives will be held at the Boston Fed on July 18. For more information on the Working Cities Challenge, visit: http://www.bostonfed.org/workingcities For more info about the Mount Washington Alliance, visit “Mt. Washington Alliance-Strengthening Community – Building Opportunity” on facebook. ~ CAI receives Essex County Community Foundation Grant The Trustees of the Essex County Community Foundation, upon recommendation of the Grants Management Committee, awarded Community Action, Inc. a grant for $7500 from the Fund for Nonprofit Excellence. CAI thanks ECCF and is grateful and honored by their support. CAI also thanks board member, Nancy Earls, for formerly accepting the award on behalf of CAI at the ECCF Community Leadership Breakfast on May 5 at the Double Tree in Danvers. CAI congratulates all recipients of the Fund for Nonprofit Excellence award. ~ www.communityactioninc.org Farmers Markets Continued from Page 1 “These grants are dedicated to promoting improved nutrition and wellness with an emphasis on underserved communities. The funds allow WIC participants access to fresh, local foods while supporting our local farmers at the same time.” Haverhill Farmers Market The Haverhill Farmers Market opens for the 2016 season on Saturday June 25 and runs through Oct. 29. The market is located next to the Haverhill Police Station at 40 Bailey Blvd. and is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Farmers Market is easily accessible by car, bike, walking, or public transportation, and has plenty of free parking nearby. Customers will find farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, honey, jams, meats, local wines, artisan cheeses, fresh breads, doggie treats and other items. The family friendly market also includes live, local music, food demonstrations, and children’s activities each Saturday. Visit online at: http://www.haverhillfarmersmarket.org Newburyport Farmers Market The Newburyport Farmers Market will be accepting EBT from July 10, 2016 through September 25, 2016. The market is located at the Tannery Marketplace, 50 Water Street and is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Farmers Market is easily accessible by car, bike, or walking and has plenty of free parking nearby. Customers will find farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, honey, jams, meats, local wines, artisan cheeses, fresh breads, doggie treats and other items. The family friendly market also includes live, local music each Sunday. Visit online at: http://www.thenewburyportfarmersmarket.org For further information, please contact: DeAnna Tashjian, Community Action, Inc. by phone at 978-373-1971 x259 or [email protected] Pictured above: CAI Board Member Nancy Earls (back row, left) with fellow grant award recipients at the ECCF Community Leadership Breakfast on May 5 at the Double Tree in Danvers. 2 ~ CAI English for Work Students and Haverhill Business Members Collaborate Students of the English for Work program successfully participated in a mock interview with the generous assistance of local business members on June 9. The mock interview was designed to help the English for Work students practice their job interviewing skills and become more comfortable with the interviewing process. English for Work is a 12-week program serving people who wish to increase and develop English language skills, with job search instruction and guidance and with career exploration advice. This program is one of many educational and training programs offered by the CAI Haverhill Community Adult Learning Center. ~ NEWS BULLETIN: HISET CLASS REGISTRATION & PLACEMENT TESTING AUGUST 10 In the photo, the students, who did so well and put in so much effort, from left to right: Ms. Betsy Pagan, Ms. Claudia Coronado, Ms. Maria Munoz, Ms. Nancy Fabian, and Mr. Carlos Lima. To prepare for the mock interview students first had to acknowledge and become aware of their unique strengths, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Then they had to learn how to articulate them confidently and clearly. For people who are not native English speakers, this means that they had to continue to improve on vocabulary, tense use, word sequence, pronunciation, and other nuances particular to learning another language. The students were given six questions to prepare for the mock interview. In preparation, they wrote and rewrote answers to each question over and over. They practiced in class and outside of class for three weeks before the mock interview. And, of course, they had to manage their fear of the actual interview. Aside from the act of interviewing, the students learned how to present themselves with confidence and professionalism, as well as gaining practice with writing, reading, and understanding English. Lastly, they interviewed with local business volunteers who gave them feedback on their performance and advice for improvement. Students learned that the formalities of interviewing in the United States require considerable research, preparation, and non-verbal projection of confidence. CAI News - July/August 2016 The next waitlist registration & placement testing date for HiSET prep classes will be Wednesday, August 10, 9 a.m. at Community Action, Inc., 3 Washington Sq. 3rd Floor in Haverhill. For more information contact Alisa Povenmire, Career and Education Advisor, 978-373-1971, ext. 216 or [email protected] Please arrive on time! ENGLISH FOR WORK EVENING ENGLISH (ESOL) CLASSES FALL ENROLLMENT SEPT. 13 & 15 Designed for High Intermediate-Advanced Level ESOL Students. Improve English reading and writing, communicate better at work, create a job-winning resume, improve interviewing in English, Explore career interests, Prepare for college or job training and create strategies to meet your goals. Thank you to the local business people who volunteered as mock interviewers and provided such considerate and thoughtful feedback for the students. In the photo, from left to right: Ms. Cynthia Faulkner, Director of Education and Training, Haverhill Community Adult Learning Center, Ms. Dianne McDermott, President, McDermott & Company Marketing, Mr. Bob Lijana, Director of Quality Assurance, Hans Kissle Company, Ms. Lori Callahan, Vice President/ Senior Mortgage Underwriter, Haverhill Bank, Ms. Dede Tully, Mortgage Officer/Underwriter, Haverhill Bank, and Mr. Hector Pena, Operations Manager, Joseph’s Gourmet Foods. Thank you, also, to Ms. Beverly Donovan, Director of Economic Development, Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, and to Ms. Ally Vallieres, Marketing Specialist, Haverhill Bank for their considerable logistical support. The next classes run Mon., Wed. and Thurs., 6–9 p.m. for an intensive 12-weeks, September 26–December 22, 2016. Registration Dates: • Tuesday, September 13, 6 p.m. • Thursday, September 15, 6 p.m. Community Action, Inc. 3 Washington Square Haverhill, MA 01830. For more information, contact: Peter Espiefs, 978-373-1971 ext. 249 [email protected] Join the Best ESOL Adult Education Program in Haverhill Growing up Maria Aguilar learned Spanish from her parents but never had a chance to learn English. Once she moved to the US she realized she had to learn English. “To feel that you’re part of the community, English language is important.” she said. After arriving to her new country, her basic English was just not quite enough to get a job. In 2013, she decided to come to a waitlist registration session at Community Action Inc., (CAI) She wanted to change her life and began working on her English. Living in a new country far from home is not easy but Maria has managed to find happiness and accomplishment through hard work and dedication. In 2016, she finally established better housing and achieved the highest-level ESOL class at CAI. Her dream is to complete high school and go to college one day She has been very determined, dedicated, and eager to learn more. By now she can freely communicate with her boss, with her doctor and feels more confident and secure. Community Action has the largest ESOL program in Haverhill. Its mission is “to provide resources and opportunities for individuals, families, and communities to overcome poverty”. Most of ESOL educational programs cost money for participant. CAI programs are free. The only requirement is to be dedicated and goal oriented. Our excellent ESOL team is ready to help any individuals who can take on the commitment. If you’re ready to take the challenge and learn English by joining in any of our classes, feel free to come to one of our registration sessions. ESOL classes run 2-3 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Class days depend on your class placement. Pictured Right: Last day of ESOL Classes 3 UPCOMING REGISTRATION DATES: Returning students: August 30 at 10 a.m. New students waitlist registration: August 31 at 10 a.m. For more information please contact: Eva Balogh, ESOL Advisor, 978-373-1971 ext. 264. www.communityactioninc.org Community Action, Inc. (CAI) provides resources and opportunities for individuals, families and communities to overcome poverty. Vision: CAI envisions strong, thriving communities free of poverty. Values: We build hope and offer assistance with respect and understanding. Our Programs serve the following Massachusetts cities and towns: Amesbury, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Salisbury, and West Newbury. Some CAI programs also serve: Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lawrence, Manchester, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham. Administration 3 Washington Square, 4th Fl. Haverhill, MA 01830 978-373-1971 Adult Education & Training Head Start / Early Head Start Preschool program for children 0-5 Administration, CAI Fox Center 75 Elm St. Haverhill, MA 01830 (978) 372-5052 ABE/GED/ESOL 3 Washington Sq. 3rd Fl. Haverhill, MA 01830 978-373-1971 Community Services Housing, food and clothing resources & referrals, Drop-in day program Haverhill - 978-373-1971 Amesbury - 978-388-2570 Drop-In Ctr. - 978-241-9621 Consumer Services Consumer Protection North Essex Mediators 3 Washington Square, 4th Fl Haverhill, MA 01830 978-373-1971 Energy Programs Heating Assistance, Heating System Assistance, Weatherization 3 Washington Square, 1st Fl. Haverhill, MA 01830 978-373-1971 Housing Development Affordable Housing Lottery, CAI Rental Management and First Time Home Buyer Program. 3 Washington Square, 4th Fl. Haverhill, MA 01832 978-373-1971 ext.225 Income Tax Assistance Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (January - April) 3 Washington Square Haverhill, MA 01830 978-373-1971 Northern Essex WIC Women, Infants & Children Nutrition Program 10 Phoenix Row, 3rd Fl. Haverhill, MA 01830 978-374-2191- Haverhill 978-388-2575 - Amesbury 978-922-2110 - Beverly 978-281-4540 - Gloucester Family & Community Connection Resources, activities and playgroups for families with children 0-8 years Presbyterian Church 346 Broadway Haverhill, MA 01832 978-914-7893 Family Day Care Community-based network of Family Child Care providers CAI Fox Center 75 Elm St. Haverhill, MA 01830 978-373-1971 Visit us on the web: www.CommunityActionInc.org Family Day Care Provider Earns Early Childhood Associates Degree CAI would like to congratulate Family Child Care Educator, Melissa Lopez, for earning her Early Childhood Associates Degree from Northern Essex Community College on May 21. Melissa has worked as a sub contracted Family Child Care Educator for the CAI Family Day Care program since 2013. Her business started with 6 children and she is eager to expand her license to 10 children. Melissa also recently joined the Early Head Start Partnership program. Melissa provides a caring, and nurturing as well as educational environment for the children enrolled in her home. Congratulations Melissa. This is the newsletter for Community Action, Inc., a private non-profit corporation established in 1965 to serve the Greater Haverhill, Amesbury and Newburyport areas. Board of Directors Lucinda Nolet, Chairperson Patricia Gleason, Vice-Chairperson Harry Korslund, Treasurer Nancy Doyle, Clerk/Secretary Harold Lloyd, Assistant Clerk/Secretary Current Board Members Dianne Avazian, Jennifer Carter, Tabatha Colon, Donna Ducharme, Nancy Earls, Helene Fowler, Reggie King, Claire Koffman, Roger LeMire, Sr., Mary Ellen McEvoy-Lawlor, Michael Nesson, Richard Pettengill, Ricky Pinciaro, Michelle Roldan, Samuel Sasso and Kathleen Shaw. Executive Director John Cuneo Newsletter Writers and Editors: Richard Lynch and Katrina Heisler