YouthBuild staff recognized, Squirrelwood and progress at Rindge! 🏆🐿️👷‍♀️

NOVEMBER 2023

Celebrating YouthBuild Staff

and their commitment to inspiring and empowering young people

Congratulations to Andrea Chery, Case Manager and Counseling Program Manager - YouthBuild Just A Start, who received a Rising Stars Award from MACDC at its Annual Meeting. The Rising Star Award is presented to one person who is a CDC Director, staff, or board member, 40 years old or under, and has demonstrated outstanding innovation and achievement by bringing new ideas, energy and leadership to the community development movement in Massachusetts.

Under Andrea's passionate leadership, the Case Management team at YouthBuild is an integral component of the program, providing important services for young people.

"I have always had a strong passion in helping others. I believe that people who are struggling or feel lost need at least one person to walk with them; one person to believe and see the greatness and change that's waiting to be unlocked."

Read more about the Annual Meeting and award recipients HERE.

Kat Baena Garces, Alumni Support Coordinator, AmeriCorps VISTA - YouthBuild Just A Start, was selected as a YouthBuild alumni leader to work as a Group Leader to support YouthBuild student leaders from all over the country for a week of leadership training and activities in Washington D.C.

"AmeriCorps can really be life changing in the best way. It can truly make us feel as if we are doing good things for those around us. Working and giving back to the communities that I serve has made me feel like I have made an impact on others."

Read more about the Leadership Conference HERE.

What's Happening at Rindge Commons

Thanks to your leadership, generosity, and partnership, Rindge Commons is making a lot of progress! Here, a group takes a hard hat tour of the site to view the progress, which is over 80% towards completion and slated to open in Spring 2024.

We welcome Cresa Partners Boston to join many leadership donors to support the Economic Mobility Hub at Rindge Commons. With the rising cost of construction, we need your donation more than ever. Gifts of any size make a difference. Your gift of $1,000 or more is eligible for Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC), refunding you 50% in tax credit when you file your 2023 tax. Gifts must be received before December 30th. Donate HERE and contact Carmen Chan, Director of Philanthropy at CarmenChan@justastart.org with any questions.

Squirrelwood Apartments Earns Excellence in Construction Award

Just A Start's Squirrelwood Apartments was awarded an Excellence in Construction Award (EICA) from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts (ABC MA).

The project, constructed by Callahan Construction Managers (Callahan), is a 12-building, 88-unit affordable housing development that overcame various challenges throughout its construction. This included extensive, historic renovation of existing buildings (one being a former candy factory!) and building to Passive House energy efficiency standards, in order to meet a critical need for affordable housing in Cambridge. Click HERE to read more. Congratulations, Callahan!

Photo: Callahan Construction earned an ABC MA Eagle Award for its work on the 12-building, 88-unit affordable housing development located in Cambridge. (Photo by Andy Ryan)

We Are Grateful - October Funders

Ameriprise Financial

Callahan Construction Managers

Cresa Partners Boston

Webster Bank

Winchester Co-Operative Bank

Did you know you can get a rebate for your donation to Just A Start?

If you make a donation of $1,000 or more to Just A Start, you're entitled to the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC), which provides a 50% refundable state tax credit. Give an impactful gift to the Cambridge community that pays you back! Your generous gifts allow Just A Start to build affordable housing, create career pathways for adults and youths, and financial counseling to many families. We have limited CITC credits left for 2023. Please contact giving@justastart.org if you have any questions.

Our mission is to promote equity by creating access to stable housing and building pathways to economic opportunity.

1035 Cambridge Street #12 | Cambridge, MA 02141 | 617-494-0444