This Month's News & Updates

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Leadership Worcester Class of 2018

Leadership Worcester engages promising professionals in Greater Worcester's civic life. This community-focused leadership development program guides individuals through a process that leads to a greater understanding of critical public policy issues such as: economic development, education, public health, culture, public safety, and sustainability.
 
Working with a strong network of community partners to build personal and community success, Leadership Worcester offers training and skill development to participants, and connects them with key power-brokers and influential partners. Selected from more than 60 applicants, the Leadership Worcester Class of 2018 represents a variety of industry sectors, cultural backgrounds, and diverse educational experiences.  For more information about Leadership Worcester, click  here .
story10 Youth Grant Committee Seeking Proposals (due Oct 27)

YCI (Youth for Community Improvement), the Foundation's youth-led grants committee, is now accepting applications for its Fall 2017 Grant Cycle. 

This year, the class of 2017 is the largest in recent history with participants from 12 high schools 6 cities/towns throughout the greater Worcester area.

Participants include: Fatimah Ali, Abigail Boafo, Skyler Campanale, Abhinav Chalasani, Isabella Corazzini, Erin Denis, Devin Kelly, Diane Khong, Yunji Lee, Jaquelyn Morales, Megan Nguyen, Therence Ntihinduka, Chelsea Ofosuware, Ohemaa Prempeh, Ariel Rodriguez, Kaiya Saunders, Himasri Shapally, Caleb Talley, Lauren Walsh, Gregory Xenos

Areas of Interest for YCI Fund:
● Youth Achievement
○ Organizations focused on the post-secondary education (college access/success, financial literacy, career development, first generation college students)
○ Organizations promoting youth leadership (Priority for programs focused on environment or the arts)
● Mental Health & Wellness for Young People
○ Organizations focused on peer to peer social supports
○ Organizations providing sexual health education and/or healthy relationship education

● Support for Refugee & Immigrant Families and Young People
○ Organizations providing education & support for immigrant and refugee families (citizenship courses, "Know Your Rights training", social supports programs)

All programs funded by YCI must incorporate "youth voices" in a significant aspect of program planning, implementation, evaluation or leadership. Applications must be received by October 27, 2017.
Click here to discover more on the Youth for Community Improvement program.
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Fall NSC Workshops - Sign Up Today!

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For our many friends who lead local community nonprofits, we are especially mindful of the need to discuss new ideas with peers. The Nonprofit Support Center , a program of Greater Worcester Community Foundation, presents local seminars at little or no cost to help staff and board members, whether new to the role or seasoned veterans.

The following sessions are scheduled for this fall. Click on the individual link to learn more and sign up for the workshop:

Thursday, October 12
12 noon-2:00pm
Presenter: Jake Messier

Tuesday, October 24
4:00pm-6:30pm
Presenter: Gayle Gifford

Thursday, November 2
9am-12noon
Presenter: Panel, moderated by Tim Loew

Monday, November 6
8:30am-12:30pm
Presenter: Simone Joyaux, ACFRE

For more details, including registration requirements, please click here .


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Foundation's president, Ann Lisi, and Board Chair, Gerry Gates, invite you to attend our 2017 Investment Luncheon on Tuesday, November 7, at noon.

Learn about our investment structure and recent performance while discussing the Foundation's plan and philosophy to expand the community's endowment.

To reserve your seat, please contact Kelly Stimson at 508.755.0980 or events@greaterworcester.org
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New Worcester Community Vet Clinic Supported by Rosemary Davis Fund
 

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Second Chance Animal Shelter has been providing comprehensive and innovative care for animals and pet owners in Central & Western Massachusetts since 1999. In August, they expanded their reach with the opening of a state of the art veterinary clinic on Main Street in Worcester.  The Rosemary Davis Memorial Fund has been a longtime supporter of Second Chance and was pleased to support the opening of the clinic with a $20,000 grant.

The new clinic will help alleviate the suffering of pets from treatable conditions through accessible low cost veterinary care. The clinic also supplements the larger network of support and services Second Chance offers which include pet foster & adoption, pet food pantries and the Pets for Life program. 
 
For more information on Second Chance Animal Shelter, Click  here.
For more information on the Rosemary Davis Memorial Fund, Click  here.
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Worcester Comes Together on ACEs
 

With more than 600 people on the evening of September 19th,  Worcester Technical High School was the site for a community dialogue led by Dr. Heather Forkey of UMass Memorial Health Care and featuring Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a pediatrician and founder & CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness . Together we learned more about how ACEs -- Adverse Childhood Experiences -- created by violence, crisis, or family dysfunction have a major impact on health and behavior. The condition is widely understood but the remedies are only recently being adopted. ACEs impact people from all backgrounds and can lead to chronic diseases during adulthood. The call to action: screen, prevent, and heal. The program was organized by The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts and co-sponsored by GWCF's Early Childhood Initiative and other organization committed to a shared future where everyone is healthy and able to learn. With the compelling and informative presentation by Dr. Harris, we are one step closer to coming together as a community. To learn how you can help, contact Kelly Stimson.

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The Foundation Stands with Dreamers
 

Greater Worcester Community Foundation has joined together with several other Massachusetts foundations to express our support for DACA -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as "Dreamers." We signed onto a full page ad in The Boston Globe that ran on September 26th. In doing so we hope to send a message of support to all of the people in the Worcester area who are dealing with this difficult issue. DACA has allowed young people to pursue their careers and build stable lives.

Read Our Blog
We use our blog as a way to engage with you to create an ever more vital and prosperous community and region, where opportunity is extended to everyone. Click here to read our latest blog post. 

Questions? Comments? Contact our Director of Donor Services , Kelly Stimson. Call 508.755.0980  or email at kstimson@greaterworcester.org