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Building Communities
Changing Lives
March 2022
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Dear Friends and Supporters,
This month, we are happy to join with you in the celebrations of Irish American Heritage month, Gender Equality month and National Women's History month. We are so fortunate to be part of a community which recognizes and celebrates the contributions of our rich and diverse residents and ancestors.
This is also the time of year where we ask for your help.
Every three years, we conduct a Community Needs Assessment which helps shape and inform our strategic plan to meet the needs in our community. We would greatly appreciate it if you could kindly fill out the survey below and share it with your organizations so we may obtain the most information we can. We will publish and share the results of our Community Needs Assessment this coming summer.
Please read the details below to learn more about our recent Head Start Grant, our new QuickBooks program to support small businesses, and a number of other programs and service offerings such as tax preparation assistance through our VITA program and heating assistance through our LIHEAP program, as well as other Community Teamwork happenings.
We are also holding our first ever Wicked Fun Corn Hole Tournament on March 25th, to help raise money for our Volunteer Center, which includes Mill City Mentors and our many senior programs such as Bone Builders and the Foster Grandparent Program. We hope you can join us for a fun day of play to raise money for a great cause.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Gratefully,
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Karen Frederick, CEO
Community Teamwork
New:
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U.S. Rep Lori Trahan Announces $4.5 million for Community Teamwork's Head Start Program
‘THESE HANDS ARE GONNA DO BIG THINGS’
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With filing deadlines, bill negotiations and legislative agendas, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan’s day-to-day life in Washington, D.C. can often be filled with the minutiae and red tape of Congress. Thursday, February 16 was not that kind of day. In a room of eight preschoolers at the James Houlares Early Learning Center, Trahan read a children’s story, received a big thank-you card filled with little handprints and presented a check of more than $4.5 million to Lowell’s Community Teamwork Inc., a nonprofit that will use that federal funding for its Head Start programs. Having grown up in Lowell, the Congresswoman said she had admired CTI and the organization's multifaceted work before she was elected. When people ask Trahan where to go for assistance, she said CTI is “the first place” she suggests they turn.
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The Entrepreneurship Center Announces New QuickBooks Program for Small Businesses |
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The Entrepreneurship Center (E-Center) is launching a new program - QuickBooks for Small Businesses - available to businesses in Middlesex and Essex Counties. The QuickBooks Program offers small businesses educational training and usage of accounting software to enhance their ability to manage and grow their companies, providing increased ability for economic success. Through a group setting of classes and one-on-one thereafter, business coaches will provide ongoing support to small business owners to ensure they are on the right track.
“Financial reporting is a vital component for any small business to obtain and measure their growth, inventory and other factors that are the essence of running a business. We recognized the strong need for small businesses in our community to develop their capacity for financial reporting, as this is often a barrier for their growth and financial stability,” stated Charles Smith, Director of the E-Center. “Our ability to offer QuickBooks as an option for entrepreneurs and provide a dedicated Coach to train them on installation and use is a game changer for small and micro businesses that often don’t have access to these tools or for whom it may be cost prohibitive.”
For more information on the QuickBooks Program, please visit our website
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Amy F. Weatherbee has recently accepted the position of Director of Planning and Quality Improvement at Community Teamwork. In this role, Amy will provide leadership in advancing the mission of the agency by ensuring effective, high-quality strategic planning and program development strategies. In addition to support of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and United Way Funding, Amy will work with the Planning and Grants team to gain additional federal, state, and local resources to further the work of Community Teamwork, and will focus on compliance, quality programming, achieving Strategic Plan goals and objectives, and exceeding the expectations of our funding partners.
Amy has been with Community Teamwork since early 2019, in the role of Manager of Grants and Planning, and elevated that position with expanded work on program development, sustainable funding, program performance tracking, and Agency-wide Strategic Planning. In FY’22 to current FY’23, Amy has stewarded and supported grant applications that have resulted in one-time or multi-year contracts totaling nearly $50 million and supporting all Divisions.
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Jenny Pickett Honored with Craig Ryder Excellence Award from the Key Foundation Inc.
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The Key Foundation, Inc. is proud to announce the 2023 Craig Ryder Award Recipients for excellence in developing and providing outdoor programs for children and young adults – including our own Jenny Pickett, Intake Manager, Child and Family Services.
Last year, Community Teamwork brought inner-city kids (some of whom were homeless) to the Lantern Light Camps (Wah-Tut-Ca), a residential camp in Northwood, NH. We also sent an incredible staff of dedicated professionals. Jenny was one of those staff members and the person who coordinated the agency’s camp adventures. With her enthusiasm and hard work, she overcame many challenges by providing a “life-changing experience” to the young people at camp. Then, while at camp, we learned….
Jenny grew up in Dunstable, MA. This is the town where Camp Chadwick, Wah-Tut-Ca’s predecessor Camp, was located. Her father, David Kimpton, started Boy Scout Troop 28 in Dunstable. One of the children who joined was a young boy named Craig Ryder. Jenny’s brother Peter Kimpton was a fellow scout and also a recipient of the Craig Ryder Award. Jenny’s enthusiasm for Wah-Tut-Ca and the youth of CTI is a perfect combination to assure that the camp remains viable for youth.
Next summer, Jenny and staff will be on the reservation for four weeks and will be more than doubling the number of kids. We are looking for Camp Counselors for this summer as well. Please visit our Careers Page for more information and to apply.
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Pictured Left: Bradley Eckelkamp (Waterfront Director), Dennis Livoli (Chief Operations Officer), Jenny Pickett (Outreach and Compliance Manager), Gus Desgroseilliers (Nurse)
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The Results are In – YouthBuild Culinary
Wins First Place!
Exciting News! Congratulations to our YouthBuild Culinary Team. They won Best Presentation and First Place in Lowell’s Winterfest Soup Competition this year, beating out many Lowell Restaurants.
Congratulations to Anna Jabar and her rock star culinarians!
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Community Teamwork is a catalyst for social change. We leverage our programs, our partnerships, and our collective voice to foster equity, compassion, and community engagement to create housing, education and economic opportunities.
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Your participation in our Wicked Fun Cornhole Tournament, will help support our
Volunteer programs like Mill City Mentors
Meet Julina and Cristina (pictured left to right)
They were recently matched through CTI’s Mill City Mentoring Program. The picture shows the first chance they had to get into the community together and enjoy what will hopefully be a long-lasting match relationship.
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Are you the Boss of the Toss?
Please Join Us!
Bags fly @ 1PM
Community welcome remarks @12:30PM
Check-In; Snack & Cash bar open @ 12noon
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Thank you Sponsors
$2,500+ Cornzizzle Sponsorship Level
New England Medical Insurance
United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
$1,000+ Four Bagger Sponsorship Level
Enterprise Bank
Robert and Bernadette Wheeler
$500+ Sponsorship Level
$250+ Dirty Bag Sponsorship Level
Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union
J.P. Rivard Trailer Sales
Ricky and Ann Sirois
In case you are new to cornhole - anyone of any age or ability can play!
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VITA IS HERE!
Can you believe it is tax season?
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Keep your eyes open for Community Teamwork’s Financial Education Center information on how to schedule an appointment for Free Tax Assistance through our VITA - Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. VITA provides free tax prep to anyone qualifying for the Earned Income Tax Assistance Credit (EITC).
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Community Teamwork introduces its new Fair Housing Program. Everyone is entitled to housing without discrimination. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, family status, disability, and source of income are all prohibited.
The Fair Housing Program offers free Fair Housing trainings (virtually or in-person). Fair Housing is housing without discrimination. Tenant and advocate trainings focus on rights, self-advocacy and enforcement. Trainings for housing providers (landlords & property management) focus on rights and best practices. Every Thursday, the Fair Housing Program also hosts an open house where questions can be answered virtually.
CONTACT THE COMMUNITY TEAMWORK FAIR HOUSING PROGRAM
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Accepting New Applications for Fuel Assistance 2022-2023 |
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Electricity and Gas prices have recently skyrocketed. Individuals and Families at most income levels are struggling to keep up with inflation and soaring food and energy prices. Fortunately, help with fuel costs is available to more families than may be realized.
Please see details below and/or visit our website to see if you or your loved ones qualify.
UPDATE: WITH THE EXTENSION OF THE WINTER SHUT-OFF MORATORIUM TO APRIL 1, 2023 BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES - DHCD HAS EXTENDED THE LIHEAP (FUEL ASSISTANCE) APPLICATION PERIOD FROM APRIL 28TH TO MAY 12TH. The heating season remains November 1st through April 30th. Applications may be updated with any changes to household size or income through May 12th.
With the extension of the application deadline, other program related deadlines are extended as follows:
• Last day to complete incomplete applications- June 12th
• Local appeal deadline- July 10th
• Primary payments should be made by the end of July
• Deadline to issue local appeal decisions - August 7th
• State appeal deadline – September 11th
• Deadline to issue State Appeal decisions - October
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Calling all Housing Provider Partners in Lowell and Lawrence
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Community Teamwork is looking for 2 and 3 bedroom units in Lowell, Lawrence and surrounding towns.
Units must be deleaded. We can offer longer term leases. This is a special program in which CTI is the “Tenant” and responsible for paying the rent (some extra benefits to the owners).
If interested, please send the following information:
Address, # of BR and requested rent.
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CAREERS AT COMMUNITY TEAMWORK
Special Career, Excellent Benefits
Sign-On Bonus $3k* Full-Time (*Teachers, Assistant Teachers, Bus Drivers),
$1k Part-time
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This newsletter is sponsored by our Premier Partner, Enterprise Bank, who continues to support Community Teamwork's mission each and every day.
We appreciate all of our Sponsors whose continued generosity allows us to fulfill our mission.
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There are ALWAYS Ways to Help |
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If you find yourself in a position to help, your contribution will aid our efforts on every front as we work together to defeat COVID-19, care for our clients and families in their hour of greatest need, and emerge stronger than ever. |
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COMMUNITY TEAMWORK
978.459.0551
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