Reflecting on 2013

It is hard to believe that we are reaching a new year. So many things still to do! As I reflect however, there are also so many things that we accomplished. There will always be more to do but a bit of year end reflection can be nice.

So, we weathered government shutdowns and threats to funding. We saw more people in need, started new programs, and served a whole new group of people.

In a partnership with Soldier On, we focused on serving veterans and their families throughout the four counties of western Massachusetts. For those of you not familiar with our area, that is Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Berkshire Counties.

A group of Springfield veterans decided that more assistance was needed and so formed the Veterans First Comprehensive Outreach Center and we were, and are, happy to house that program.

A huge feather in our cap this year was getting NAEYC accreditation. That is the gold star for early education and care centers. All the staff at our childcare center, New Beginnings, worked diligently to achieve accreditation. The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.

To earn NAEYC Accreditation, New Beginnings Childcare went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation Criteria. The program received accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to ensure that the program met each of the program standards.

Congratulations again to Childcare Director Tabitha Desplaines and every teacher and staff member at New Beginnings Childcare. We are so proud of you.

One of our New Beginnings teachers started a support group this year. Herself the mother of a child with autism, Carmen Miranda saw the need for help and established Gifted Families. This group is for families of children with special needs. They meet monthly to aid and support each other and to provide information about needed resources.

We also started a Job Readiness Program this year. We hired two energetic, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable young women to provide assistance with all the components needed to help someone get a job; resume writing, interview skills, job search, and much more. The program is only a few months old but already they have facilitated workshops, brought in guest speakers, and even landed a couple of jobs.

We were extremely proud and pleased for Elsa Dones, our Community Health Worker and Alzheimer’s Project Coordinator. She was presented with the Self-Sufficiency Employee Excellence Award in a ceremony at the State House in Boston. The Massachusetts Association of Community Action Programs, or MASSCAP, presents this annual award to Community Action Agency employees for their achievement of and dedication to the goals of self-sufficiency.

A citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives in recognition of Elsa’s compassion to improving the lives of those with Alzheimer’s was presented from State Representative Cheryl Coakley-Rivera. Congratulations, Elsa!

So, some highlights of our year and a gentle reminder that we can always use your help – whether as a volunteer, a donor, or a friend telling others about our work, we appreciate you. Don’t forget to like us on various social media venues and stay tuned for upcoming information as we get ready to mark our 50^th year in the fall.