Community Action News
FEBRUARY 2023
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COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
WCAC is conducting a community needs assessment to gather information about what YOU think are the greatest needs in your community. This information helps us to make critical decisions about what services to provide and how to best allocate funding. The survey will take approximately ten minutes to complete and is confidential. Results will be shared this summer on our website. Please complete the survey to help keep us informed about community needs! Share with others, too!
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HOME
AT LAST
Earlier this week, WCAC held its 57th Annual Board Meeting - the first in-person gathering of our Board of Directors in three years and our first ever in our new office! It was a wonderful gathering of a diverse body of people committed to supporting the critical programs and services WCAC provides. The afternoon represented the culmination of several years’ worth of work to finally welcome our Board to our new home. On behalf of the WCAC team, I’d like to publicly thank our current and former board members who spent countless hours working in concert with our senior management to help support our move to this new office space and for helping to create a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for staff and clients alike.
WCAC has new openings on our Board, and we’d welcome interested community members and local leaders from Worcester and Southern Worcester County to reach out with an interest in joining our board. As directed by the agency’s bylaws, WCAC’s Board of Directors is a tripartite board comprised equally of representatives of the public sector, private sector, and community. If you share a passion for making a difference in our collective community, I encourage you to consider joining us to fill current vacancies. Please forward a letter of interest to me c/o INFO@wcac.net Together we can truly make a difference!
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Marybeth Campbell, Executive Director |
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TAKING CARE
OF TAXES
With about two months left to go until the tax filing deadline of April 18th, WCAC's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is busy providing free tax preparation for individuals and households with income of $60,000 or less within Worcester and 45 surrounding towns in Central Massachusetts.
In-person tax-preparation is available by appointment only at WCAC's new office at 18 Chestnut Street, Worcester. Appointments available Tuesdays 4-7 p.m.; Wednesdays, 3-7 p.m., Fridays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. – 12 noon. Schedule an in-person appointment here.
Virtual appointments are also available for those unable to travel to Worcester or who prefer not to. Schedule a virtual appointment here.
Through VITA, IRS-certified volunteers prepare taxes and specifically look for tax credits the household may be eligible for, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), Circuit Breaker Tax Credit, and others. Utilizing the free tax preparation services allows families to retain their full refund, avoiding typical preparation fees which can often cost hundreds of dollars.
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YOUTH AT WORK
WCAC's Job & Education Center is hosting a Youth Works winter cohort of 114 local youth which started on January 24. The young people are working 15 hours each week for ten week at 38 sites throughout the City. The cohort offers employment in a diverse cross section of employers, affording youth a diverse array of learning and earning opportunities such as
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences- an opportunity for a Worcester Tech student to work on a genomics research project with a faculty member, involving gene land protein level data analysis in breast and pancreatic cancer.
- South High Community School-Early Childhood Education- Youth were hired as assistant teachers for the High School Day Care Center tailored for teen parents. The Youth Workers will collaborate with teachers on an age appropriate and culturally sensitive curriculum, while maintaining a clean and safe environment, sanitizing equipment and toys daily.
- Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission - offering a unique opportunity to work collaboratively with a dynamic team on a variety of exciting projects related to planning and community development, municipal services, public affairs, resiliency, sustainability, and transportation.
- Transition Program at Worcester Public School -where youth are working on food/customer service and strengthening important job skills related to customer service, money management, and skills related to food preparation.
The winter cohort is funded via YouthWorks and Commonwealth Corporation in partnership with MassHire.
A new spring STEM focused cohort will start next month, with a dozen employers hosting 60 youth that will be working for 12 hours a week through the end of May. The STEM Cohort is funded through MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education- DESE, in partnership with MassHire and Worcester Public Schools.
Young people ages 14-25 interested in future employment opportunities are encouraged to reach out to JECInfo@wcac.net. The application for the popular YouthWorks Summer program is expected to be available in late March.
Applications now being accepted for employers interested in hosting youth for summer 2023. Apply here. Deadline to apply is March 31st. JEC will be hosting an info session for potential summer employers on Tuesday, February 28th. Interested parties should email JECInfo@wcac.net to receive the invitation.
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HOME HEATING HELP IS HERE
Although by meteorological standards this winter has thus far been mild, it's been anything but easy when it comes to home heating bills. With with retail prices for energy at or near multi-year highs across the United States, households throughout the region are struggling. WCAC's Home Heating Assistance program stands at the ready to help as many eligible households as possible secure the help they need.
Financial assistance is available for income-eligible households to help pay home heating bills incurred between November 1 – April 30 of each year. Applications for assistance can be submitted through April 30th. Online application is available here. You may also mail, fax or email documents to the agency after you submit the application. Please mail or bring documents to us at 18 Chestnut Street, Suite 500, Worcester, MA 01608. Office is open to the public weekdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fax number is 508 463-9696. Email LIHEAP@wcac.net to connect with a member of the fuel assistance staff with any questions.
Demand for help has been unprecedented resulting in longer than usual waits for applications to be fully processed. To check on the status of your application, call WCAC's 24/7 automated phone number 508.796.2423 and follow the voice prompts. The public's patience is encouraged as households facing no-heat emergencies are being prioritized to ensure nobody is left in the cold.
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Give Back Bags available at Stop & Shop
545 Lincoln Street, Worcester MA
throughout the month of February
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www.WCAC.net Info@WCAC.net |
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