West Springfield Boys and Girls Club awarded $250,000 for renovations

The West Springfield Boys and Girls Club was recently awarded $250,000 from the Baker-Polito Administration and the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF), with its affiliate the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC). Altogether, these organizations awarded $7.5 million in Early Education and Out of School Time Fund (EEOST) capital improvement grants to 36 organizations across the state of Massachusetts. These awards are to be utilized for renovations on childcare facilities that serve primarily low-income families.

Through a press release provided by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, the grants to child care centers and out-of-school time programs range from $100,000 to $250,000. Therefore, the Boys and Girls Club received the most aid possible.

With these grants, the focus was on providing necessary funds and addressing health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The EEOST grants are financed through the state’s capital budget and provide matching funds that leverage private investment,” read the press release.

Dan D’Angelo, executive director of the West Springfield Boys and Girls Club, said they applied for this capital improvement grant back in December. On July 9, they were notified that their grant was accepted and awarded. Through his understanding, D’Angelo believes that there were over 100 applications across the state.

To utilize this grant, D’Angelo said they began with the renovation of the Boys and Girls Club lobby.

He explained that this project is two fold: “One is to open up more space – more space to congregate and for our families – and the second part is security of the building.”

The club has installed security cameras both inside and outside of the building. D’Angelo said the security system will protect everyone, especially their younger population, i.e. preschoolers. He explained that to get into the preschool, you must know someone or show a proof of I.D. These doors are always locked, however, the entire building will now be more secure.

The other area of renovation addresses the “dead areas,” as described by D’Angelo. The dead areas include the showers and locker rooms that are no longer utilized.

“All programs are licensed to the EEC (Department of Early Education and Care),” said D’Angelo. With this, the policy and procedures are that there must be one toilet per 20 kids. In an effort to bring in more kids, the Boys and Girls Club decided to expand their facilities.

In addition, there will be a new office and program space constructed, along with a steam and art program. D’Angelo said that this phase of renovations will cost about $565,000.

“When we applied in December, we were just about to go out and bid and start the process,” explained D’Angelo. Renovations began in February and are predicted to be completed within a few weeks.

Currently, the lobby and program space is being utilized.

“It’s worked out well,” claimed D’Angelo. “We’re thrilled for the new program space and we’re proud of the lobby. It’s welcoming and people feel safe.”

When the club closed for four months during the pandemic, D’Angelo said that all of the renovations they had in place were gone, along with the finances and rainy day funds.

“When we were awarded this grant, it finished off a lot of the project,” he said.

D’Angelo expressed his gratitude to Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.

Although it’s been a long time coming, D’Angelo said, “It’s more than worth the wait.”

SourceThe Reminder (https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/west-springfield/west-springfield-boys-and-girls-club-awarded-25000/)

Lt. Governor Announces State Grants for Child Care Centers in East Boston

Last Tuesday afternoon, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Early Education and Care Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy stopped by the East Boston Social Centers (EBSC) in Central Square for a tour, and to announce $7.5 million in Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund (EEOST) capital improvement grants to 36 organizations to renovate childcare facilities that serve primarily low-income families like EBSC.

Polito said the Baker-Polito Administration teamed up with the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF) and its affiliate the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) for the $227,000 in grant money towards the Social Centers. EBSC and the other thirty-five recipients all received grants between $100,000 to $250,000 to provide capital funding needed to address health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.

“These awards announced today – which mark the largest total amount awarded since the inception of the EEOST grants – will improve child care programs across the state,” said Polito last week at the Social Centers. “Now more than ever, as families return to workplaces, investments in early education and care settings are vital to provide necessary resources to children and their families through high-quality early childhood education and out-of-school time programs.”

The capital grants will help continue to support major renovation and construction projects at EBSC and improve the quality of learning environments for the over 300 children they serve.

The Social Centers previously received an EEOST grant last July and EBSC Executive Director Justin Pasquariello was excited to show Polito how the previous round of funding helped improve the Social Centers’ facilities. He also thanked the Lieutenant Governor for continuing to support EBSC’s capital improvements with the latest round of funding.

“We at the East Boston Social Centers were honored to host Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and EEC Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy for a tour of our early education and school age programs,” said Pasquariello. “We were grateful to show them the high-quality, safe facilities the EEOST grant has funded at the East Boston Social Centers. The Commonwealth’s recognition of the increased cost of providing high-quality, safe care during the COVID pandemic has been essential for our ability to be fully open for early education, school age programs, and full-day in-person remote learning support from July 2020. Their investments in our facilities, commitment to paying parent fees, additional grants, and investments in our workforce are critical as our essential sector continues to meet the needs of children and families across the commonwealth.”

The Early Education and Out of School Time capital improvement grants are financed through the state’s capital budget and provide matching funds that leverage private investment. More than $200 million in public and private investments have been leveraged throughout the life of the grant program. The Baker-Polito Administration’s FY21 Capital Budget Plan included funding for the Early Education and Out of School Time capital improvement grant program.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn in high-quality, safe, healthy, and joyous education environments,” said Commissioner Aigner-Treworgy at last week’s event. “Well-designed classrooms and play spaces can greatly enhance early learning and support children to grow and thrive.”

In a statement after the event Gov. Charlie Baker said his administration is committed to supporting childcare providers like the Social Centers who have worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to care for children and support families returning to work.

“Since the start of this grant program, we’ve invested more than $39.2 million in capital funding at childcare programs that impact the learning experiences of more than 9,000 children in communities across Massachusetts,” he said.

SourceEast Boston Times- Free Press

Early education programs get financial boost from state

The state has awarded $7.5 million in Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund (EEOST) capital improvement grants to thirty-six organizations across the state to renovate childcare facilities that serve primarily low-income families.

The Baker-Polito Administration and the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF), with its affiliate the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) is providing grants to child care centers and out-of-school time programs range from $100,000-$250,000. This year the emphasis shifted to provide capital funding needed to address health and safety concerns related to COVID-19, including major renovation and construction projects at facilities.

“Our Administration is pleased to support childcare providers across the Commonwealth who have worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to care for children and support families returning to work,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Since the start of this grant program, we’ve invested more than $39.2 million in capital funding at childcare programs that impact the learning experiences of more than 9,000 children in communities across Massachusetts.”

The Early Education and Out of School Time capital improvement grants are financed through the state’s capital budget and provide matching funds that leverage private investment. The Baker-Polito Administration’s FY21 Capital Budget Plan included funding for the Early Education and Out of School Time capital improvement grant program.

The following organizations received grants:

Project Location	Applicant	Funding
Beverly	Beverly Children’s Learning Center	$207,000
Boston	Kwong Kow Chinese School	$146,000
Boston	United South End Settlements	$250,000
Brockton	Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro South	$177,000
Brockton	Fuller Arts & Sciences dba Westfield Child Center	$115,000
Brockton	Brockton Day Nursery	$131,000
Brockton	Old Colony YMCA	$247,000
Dorchester	Catholic Charities Yawkey Child Care Center	$179,000
Dorchester	Greenwood Shalom Outreach Community, Inc.	$250,000
Dudley	Boys and Girls Club of Webster-Dudley	$204,000
East Boston	East Boston Social Centers	$227,000
Framingham	SMOC	$250,000
Gloucester	Pathways for Children	$250,000
Haverhill	YMCA of the North Shore (Haverhill YMCA)	$242,000
Holyoke	Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke	$250,000
Holyoke	Holyoke YMCA	$200,000
Lawrence	Community Day Care Center of Lawrence, Inc. (d.b.a. The Community Group)	$102,000
Lawrence	YWCA of Northeastern Massachusetts	$243,000
Lynn	YMCA of Metro North	$186,000
Lynn	Boys and Girls Club of Lynn	$250,000
Nantucket	Small Friends on Nantucket	$129,000
New Bedford	PACE	$250,000
New Bedford	YMCA Southcoast	$250,000
New Bedford	West End Day Nursery	$250,000
North Adams	Child Care of the Berkshires	$207,000
Revere	For Kids Only Afterschool	$247,000
Roxbury	Hattie B. Cooper Community Center	$250,000
Roxbury	Paige Academy	$250,000
Roxbury	YMCA of Greater Boston	$221,000
Somerville	Elizabeth Peabody House Association	$205,000
Springfield	Springfield Day Nursery (d.b.a Square One)	$157,000
Stoneham	Boys and Girls Clubs of Stoneham and Wakefield	$225,000
Waltham	Waltham Boys and Girls Club	$105,000
West Springfield	West Springfield Boys and Girls Club	$250,000
Whitinsville	George Marston Whitin Memorial Community Association (d.b.a. The Whitin Community Center)	$250,000
Worcester	YWCA of Central Massachusetts	$142,000

SourceWWLP.com

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $7.5 Million to Early Education Programs

The Baker-Polito Administration and the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF), with its affiliate the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), awarded $7.5 million in Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund (EEOST) capital improvement grants to thirty-six organizations to renovate childcare facilities that serve primarily low-income families. Lt. Governor Karyn Polito made the announcement today at East Boston Social Centers, a child care provider in East Boston that serves more than 300 children.

The grants to child care centers and out-of-school time programs range from $100,000-$250,000, and this year the emphasis shifted to provide capital funding needed to address health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.

The capital grants support major renovation and construction projects at early education and out-of-school time facilities to improve the quality of learning environments for children in Massachusetts.

“These awards announced today – which mark the largest total amount awarded since the inception of the EEOST grants – will improve child care programs across the state,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Now more than ever, as families return to workplaces, investments in early education and care settings are vital to provide necessary resources to children and their families through high-quality early childhood education and out-of-school time programs.”

EEOST was designed to support the learning and healthy development of young children, many of whom spend more than 40 hours a week in early learning and after-school settings. Approximately 80% of the children in EEOST-funded programs are from low-income families. EEOST grants transform these learning environments so that children have safe, developmentally appropriate spaces.

“With these critical investments, we can help child care providers, serving low-income communities, improve their facilities in order to boost quality and provide young learners with resources to succeed in the classroom and beyond,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “We are pleased to provide these critical resources necessary to sustain the Commonwealth’s essential childcare infrastructure.”

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn in high-quality, safe, healthy, and joyous education environments,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy. “Well-designed classrooms and play spaces can greatly enhance early learning and support children to grow and thrive.”

“This year’s grants will reach five times as many providers as last year,” said Theresa Jordan, Director of the Children’s Investment Fund, an affiliate of CEDAC. “It is funding critical improvements needed during the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing the enormous effort undertaken by child care providers over the past year to create safe environments for children.”

The following organizations received grants:

Project Location	Applicant	Funding
Beverly	Beverly Children’s Learning Center	$207,000
Boston	Kwong Kow Chinese School	$146,000
Boston	United South End Settlements	$250,000
Brockton	Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro South	$177,000
Brockton	Fuller Arts & Sciences dba Westfield Child Center	$115,000
Brockton	Brockton Day Nursery	$131,000
Brockton	Old Colony YMCA	$247,000
Dorchester	Catholic Charities Yawkey Child Care Center	$179,000
Dorchester	Greenwood Shalom Outreach Community, Inc.	$250,000
Dudley	Boys and Girls Club of Webster-Dudley	$204,000
East Boston	East Boston Social Centers	$227,000
Framingham	SMOC	$250,000
Gloucester	Pathways for Children	$250,000
Haverhill	YMCA of the North Shore (Haverhill YMCA)	$242,000
Holyoke	Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke	$250,000
Holyoke	Holyoke YMCA	$200,000
Lawrence	Community Day Care Center of Lawrence, Inc. (d.b.a. The Community Group)	$102,000
Lawrence	YWCA of Northeastern Massachusetts	$243,000
Lynn	YMCA of Metro North	$186,000
Lynn	Boys and Girls Club of Lynn	$250,000
Nantucket	Small Friends on Nantucket	$129,000
New Bedford	PACE	$250,000
New Bedford	YMCA Southcoast	$250,000
New Bedford	West End Day Nursery	$250,000
North Adams	Child Care of the Berkshires	$207,000
Revere	For Kids Only Afterschool	$247,000
Roxbury	Hattie B. Cooper Community Center	$250,000
Roxbury	Paige Academy	$250,000
Roxbury	YMCA of Greater Boston	$221,000
Somerville	Elizabeth Peabody House Association	$205,000
Springfield	Springfield Day Nursery (d.b.a Square One)	$157,000
Stoneham	Boys and Girls Clubs of Stoneham and Wakefield	$225,000
Waltham	Waltham Boys and Girls Club	$105,000
West Springfield	West Springfield Boys and Girls Club	$250,000
Whitinsville	George Marston Whitin Memorial Community Association (d.b.a. The Whitin Community Center)	$250,000
Worcester	YWCA of Central Massachusetts	$142,000

All the programs receiving a grant award serve publicly subsidized families and have demonstrated financial need. All the grantees are non-profit corporations or organizations in which a non-profit corporation has a controlling interest. The Department of Early Education and Care partners with CEDAC’s affiliate, the Children’s Investment Fund, to administer the grants.

###

SourceMass.gov

A $5 million investment in kids at Greater Lowell YMCA

A $5 million “investment in the future of our kids” should be ready by September as the Greater Lowell YMCA embarked Friday on a renovation and expansion project to its Thorndike Street building.

Executive Director Kevin Morrissey welcomed Lowell officials and others “to celebrate our investment in the facility and our children.”

When completed the project will mean 12,000-square-feet of renovated and added space providing “a state of the art learning center for kids,” Morrisey said.

A $1 million grant from the state Department of Early Education and Care got the project off the ground.

The state agency visited Lowell a year ago to evaluate the YMCA’s facility and programs before making the award.

“It really felt great here,” said Theresa Jordan of the Children’s Investment Fund, which oversees the grant for the state.

State Sen. Edward Kennedy, state Rep. Tom Golden and Mayor John Leahy shared memories of the YMCA growing up in Lowell. Golden and Leahy both learned how to swim at the Y pool. Kennedy also learned to swim at the Y, but the old Y on Merrimack Street, which was located between Old City Hall and what is now Enterprise Bank.

The new YMCA opened 45 years ago, so Kennedy took some ribbing from Golden and Leahy.

Golden called the Y “a real asset for the community” and added that it is a safe place for the children of Lowell. Leahy agreed and remembered coming to the building when it first opened.

City Manager Eileen Donoghue reminded the audience that the YMCA is more than 150 years old. “It’s been a labor of love from then until today,” she said, adding, “The YMCA is more important now than ever.”

While construction is underway, the early childhood programs and day care have been moved temporarily offsite. Windows in that area of the building are boarded up and the interior has been gutted. The gym and other areas at the front of the building are still open, but signs of construction are still evident.

Project Manager Robert Samaral of Kaplan Construction was on hand outside to answer questions. He has done a lot of work for YMCAs in the state, including several in Lawrence. But this is his first project in Lowell.

SourceLowell Sun

Belchertown Day School buys land at former State School site for early childhood education center

Belchertown Day School has purchased two acres the former site of the Belchertown State School, where it plans to build a 8,600-square-foot early-childhood education center and afterschool facility.

MassDevelopment announced the sale in a news release Wednesday.

“We no longer will be renting; we will have a school to call our own that will be a forever home,” the school’s executive director Pat Bruni said in an interview Wednesday. “This new school means so much to us.”

Belchertown Day School paid $133,333 for the land, according to documents filed Dec. 11 at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds. The seller was the Belchertown Economic Development industrial Corp.

Also on file is a document requiring Belchertown Day School to build the childcare facility and to start construction within six months of buying the land.

MassDevelopment also said a new road at the 55-acre site, called Carriage Drive, opened in December.

At over a third of a mile, Carriage Drive opens the Carriage Grove neighborhood for residential, commercial, and industrial uses and realigns Jackson Street to move traffic away from an established neighborhood. The Day School site is on Carriage Drive.

MassDevelopment calls Carriage Grove a “new neighborhood” at the State School site, part of a master plan for up to 581,000 square feet of mixed-use development.

“MassDevelopment is proud to oversee the development of Carriage Grove from a former state school into a first-rate mixed-use neighborhood,” MassDevelopment President and CEO Lauren Liss said in a statement. “The addition of Belchertown Day School, Inc. and the recent completion of Carriage Drive mark two exciting milestones in our redevelopment efforts, and create momentum toward the build-out of this community.”

Carriage Drive opened Dec. 1, 2019. Funding included a $3 million grant from the Commonwealth’s MassWorks Infrastructure Program, according to the release.

Founded in 1977, Belchertown Day School is a nonprofit providing early childhood education for more than 100 children between ages 15 months and 12 years old. It has toddler and preschool classes, before and after-school programming and vacation and summer programming, according to a news release.

Belchertown Day School currently operates out of leased space at 432 State St. in Belchertown.

Deeds documents show at least $2.9 million in funding for the project. The new building will be financed by Children’s Investment Fund’s Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund, according to deeds documents. Additional financing is from Blue Hub Capital and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Facilities Program.

At least a quarter of the 110 slots in the new school will be set aside for children from low-income families.

Following the Belchertown State School’s closure in 1992, the Belchertown Economic Development and Industrial Corporation purchased the Carriage Grove site from the state, according to Wednesday’s news release. The main campus of the property contained almost 400,000 square feet of abandoned buildings and utility tunnels with significant environmental issues that required abatement and demolition.

MassDevelopment is the state’s finance and development agency.

The Belchertown Planning Board approved a site plan for the Day School in February 2019.

Jim Russell contributed reporting.

SourceMassLive

Making room for growth, GLCAC makes final push to fund new, bigger daycare center

Sharing the parking lot with a Dunkin’, the building looks a lot like a strip mall.

That’s because at one time, it was.

From the outside, the Child Care Center at 581 Andover St. is quite non-descript. A bunch of cars, some buses, the aforementioned Dunkin’ are all visible from the street.

Then there is the building, emblazoned with the sign indicating it is a school facility owned by the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, or GLCAC.

Once a supermarket, the inside of the pre-school for low-income children and their families has been transformed over the years into a warm, inviting learning environment.

Teachers have created beautiful murals in the hallways. Classrooms are adorned with decorations. Mini chairs and low tables are filled with smiling children, eating raspberry yogurt “and granola,” as one young girl with curly red hair explains.

But the building, and the grounds around it, have outlived their usefulness. Quietly, almost stealthily, the board of directors of GLCAC over the past three years has raised $7.9 million to build a new school on the same piece of property. The group just received a $1 million donation from the state, bringing the total raised to $8.96 million.

Another $440,000 is needed to meet the goal of $9.4 million, and school officials are bullish about the project and the fund-raising.

“We looked for another building,” said GLCAC Executive Director Evelyn Friedman. “We wanted to stay in Lawrence and build a facility for 250 kids. Everything we found was too big or too small, so we decided to rebuild on-site.”

The existing building is about 20,000 square feet on one level. The new building will be 30,000 square feet on two levels and the number of students will increase from the current 200 to the goal of 250.

“We only have $441,000 left to raise,” said Jennifer Carter, director of program planning and evaluation, who is also responsible for grant-writing. She said $660,000 has been raised from individuals and family members, another $70,000 from staff and board members.

Sara Morin works with Carter and helps organize the annual gala in April. She said she is hopeful that event will put the organization over the top and that the white tip of the oversized fund-raising thermometer will turn red by spring.

In obvious need of expansion

During a tour of the facility last week, it became clear very quickly how much the school needs more space.

Items were stored in the hallways. Classes were doubled up in many cases.

A gym, also known as the “gross-motor room,” is tiny and can only handle 10 children at a time.

The new facility will have two much larger gross-motor rooms, enabling more children to play at any given time.

Classrooms will no longer be doubled up: In the current facility, one classroom has 20 kids on one side with two teachers. A makeshift wall of cabinets and desks marks a boundary of sorts, inside of which are 10 kids with one teacher.

In the new facility, there will be 20 kids per classroom, with two teachers in each. No shared space.

Jessi Surette, whose title is “inclusion coach” and whose job is to help children with behavioral difficulties, is looking forward to the new facility.

“It will be so much bigger, with more room for classrooms, and it will serve more children,” she said.

Adelaida Guzman, a teacher of 10 years, said she was hopeful about the new school, noting that with more room comes “more decorations which will make the kids more interested” in learning.

Other problems abound in the old school.

For example, the 13 employees in the transportation division are jammed into a small room in the center of the building. A room for teachers to do lesson plans is even smaller, but it is the only place in the building with WiFi.

The new school will offer larger rooms for these and other programs, as well as more and larger administrative offices, where employees are now doubled-up.

The new facility will have one, large kitchen, where food will be prepared for the six schools under the GLCAC banner throughout the city. The agency will hire at least 20 new teachers and staff.

Grateful for grants, donations

Outside, the differences will also be dramatic.

The way the construction is planned, the new building will be adjacent to the existing building, on top of the playground for the older kids and on top of what is now the parking lot for buses. It will go from the back to the front of the property at Andover Street.

When the new building is done, everyone will be moved over and the old building will be razed, making way for a brand-new playground, more parking, and a driveway that will carry buses and cars out the side of the property, onto Diamond Street.

Currently, buses trundle into the front entrance, pick up students, and then back up and out the exit/entry. Making matters worse is that customers going to Dunkin’ have a tendency to use the entrance to the school before going left to the drive-through.

Under the new scheme, the Dunkin’ driveway will be isolated from the rest of the property with landscaping and curbing.

Friedman said she was very thankful for all the support the agency has received for the new school, especially the $1 million grant from the Baker-Polito administration through the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation.

The grant was announced last month as part of a $6 million gift to child care programs across the state.

“Our administration is pleased to support facility improvements at early education and care programs throughout the Commonwealth to provide families with the resources necessary for success in and out of the classroom,” Baker said during a ceremony Dec. 19 at the YMCA Cape Cod in Hyannis, one of the facilities benefiting from the state program.

“Renovating and repairing child care facilities helps achieve the administration’s goal of providing quality early education and care in all Massachusetts communities.”

SourceThe Eagle-Tribune

Cape Ann Y gets $1M for early ed center

With help from a state grant, the new Cape Ann YMCA will be able to provide more space for in-house educational opportunities for young children.

The new YMCA, which is slated to open in the fall of 2020 at the site of the former Fuller School, will include, among other features, an expanded early education center with more staff and programming than is currently offered in the Y’s building on Middle Street. This will be funded, in part, by a $1 million capital grant the YMCA of the North Shore — the parent entity of the Cape Ann Y — received from the Baker-Polito administration.

The grant award also brings the Cape Ann Y’s overall capital campaign to a total of $20.4 million, closing in on the $22 million fundraising goal for the new complex.

“We are so grateful to the Children’s Investment Fund, the Department of Early Education and Care, and the entire Baker-Polito Administration team for their overall commitment to high-quality, affordable early learning across Massachusetts,” said Chris Lovasco, President and CEO of YMCA of the North Shore. “Our Cape Ann Y is honored to have been selected and truly appreciates the confidence the administration has expressed in our Y’s ability to deliver on its mission here in Cape Ann.”

The plan going forward is for the new Cape Ann YMCA to have a state-of-the-art licensed childcare space.

“It is going to be 6,000 square feet,” Cape Ann Y’s Executive Director Tim Flaherty said. “That does not include shared spaces.”

The entire new facility will have 65,000 square feet of recreational and educational space, compared to 44,000 square feet now at the Middle Street location.

The new early education space and increased staff will allow the Y to accept infants into its programs and increase space for toddlers to play and learn. This, in turn, is expected to enable the Y to double its enrollment in early education programs.

In 2019, the Cape Ann YMCA provided early education (including preschool) and after-school care for more than 200 children while offering more than $150,000 in financial assistance.

“With this increased enrollment, we are going to help all people from those who can’t afford to those who can afford child care,” Flaherty said. “It is going to be reflective of the community.”

The Cape Ann YMCA was one of six agencies in the state to receive this money in Early Education and Out of School Time capital improvement awards to establish Early Learning Centers and to repair and renovate facilities serving children from low-income households.

The other agencies receiving grants of $1 million each include the YMCA of Cape Cod, Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Greater Lowell Family YMCA, Horizons for Homeless Children in Boston, and YWCA of Central Massachusetts.

As the YMCA’s dream of a new Cape Ann location begins to draw closer to reality, they are looking to the next few months as instrumental ones in reaching their fundraising goal of $22 million.

“The Y continues to push to the finish line to reach its goal by raising the final $2 million in the coming months,” said Pam Sullivan, of YMCA of the North Shore.

Anyone interested in volunteering to help the campaign may contact the Y’s Chrissy Cahill at cahillc@northshoreymca.org

Staff writer Taylor Ann Bradford can be reached at 978-675-2705 or tbradford@northofboston.com.

SourceGloucester Daily Times

Women-led YWCA construction project breaks ground in Worcester

Poised to “meet the challenge of the new downtown,” as YWCA Central Massachusetts President Roberta Brien announced, the all women-led construction team for the YWCA’s $24 million renovation broke ground Thursday morning.

The ceremony, attended by some 50 people, was held inside the YWCA’s gymnasium, because of frigid temperatures. Thirteen project and organization executives and contributors dug shovels into a large sandbox as cameras clicked.

The construction project at 1 Salem Square features building system upgrades, a new two-floor early education and care center, expanded transitional housing units, increased space for domestic violence services, reconfigured wellness and health areas and overall site enhancement, including a shared play area with Worcester Public Library.

YWCA’s $7.5 million capital campaign has already received $5.25 million in pledges, said YWCA President-elect Christienne Bik.

The state has committed $3.6 million in bond funds.

Included in that, the YWCA received a $1 million Early Education and Out of School Time capital improvement grant in December through the Department of Early Education and Care, one of six grant recipients to receive the largest investment the state has made in child care facilities, said Early Education and Care Commissioner, Samantha Aigner-Treworgy.

What makes the project unusual is that its field management and supporting staff teams are all women.

“We knew that their (YWCA’s) mission was empowering women,” said Jody Staruk, project executive for Consigli Construction, the project’s construction contractor.

When Staruk was approached to arrange a team, she said, “I had a significant pool of women to pull from.”

Women conduct the estimates, preconstruction management, virtual design and construction modeling, and superintendent and engineer positions in the field, Staruk said.

While women have worked on numerous separate teams, to pull them together on one project is a first for Consigli.

The owner’s project manager, Pinck & Co., an Anser Advisory company, and architects Fennick McCredie Architecture Ltd. are also part of the women-led team.

“When we sit in a meeting, it’s a dozen women in the room, solving world problems and getting work done,” Staruk said.

She called the process, “collaborative and creative.”

Women aren’t just involved in leading the project. Some women working on site will have come through the Worcester Jobs Fund, a training program for low-income residents.

“Because the percent of women working in construction is so low, a lot of women don’t think of construction,” despite the high pay, said Kelsey Lamoureux, director or the Worcester Jobs Fund. The program is housed at MassHire’s Central Region workforce board.

She said that nationally, 3% of workers on construction sites are women. In Massachusetts, it’s closer to 8% to 9%, with union efforts helping to push the numbers.

Women make up about half the training program in Worcester.

Lamoureux said she was looking for more women interested in construction for the next training program, which begins at the end of February.

Construction started last week and is expected to finish by the end of the year.

SourceTelegram

Worcester YWCA begins $24M renovation

The YWCA Central Massachusetts began construction Thursday on a $24-million renovation of its Worcester facility.

The construction project has already hit a milestone: what the nonprofit says is the city’s first community benefits agreement, which ensures an all-women led construction management team. It’ll also promise living-wage jobs with benefits, and an emphasis on diversity by employing union contractors, local women and people of color.

The project will remake the YWCA’s Salem Square location with a relocated playground, a new shared play area with the Worcester Public Library, and four new rooms for residents to stay in the transitional housing program. Other improvements include an increase space for domestic violence services and the addition of a multi-use fitness area.

Other work is more utilitarian, including upgrading heating and air conditioning, repairing roofs and installing new windows and doors. The work is set to take about one year.

The YWCA Central Massachusetts was one of six community nonprofits to win a $1 million grant each in December from the Gov. Charlie Baker Administration and the Massachusetts Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation. The funds support facility improvements at early education and care programs that serve low-income children.

SourceWorcester Business Journal