In partnership with Anton’s Cleaners, Community Teamwork is pleased to announce that families can pick up clean, gently used coats every starting in December (and through January) at Saint Anne’s Church, 10 Kirk Street (the entrance directly on Kirk Street).
Mass PIRG advises us to read the “Trouble in Toyland” report before making holiday purchases this year.
Community Teamwork’s Children Corner hosted this year’s public announcement by the Massachusetts PIRG’s (Public Interest Research Group) of dangerous and toxic toys people should avoid this holiday season. PIRG spokesman Matthew Wellington, referring to the group’s newly published “Trouble in Toyland” report, noted that among the offenders are The Captain America’s Soft Shield that contains 29 times more lead than allowed by law and numerous products by Hasbro and Mattel being sold by Walmart, Kmart, Toys R Us and Babies R Us. The key dangers are toxicity, choking, exposure to magnets and unsafe noise levels. Also on hand to provide testimony on toy hazards were City of Lowell Mayor Patrick Murphy, Professor Ainat Koren of UMass Lowell’s School of Nursing and State Committee Woman Eilzabeth Coughlin.
You can download the full “Trouble in Toyland” report at www.uspirg.org.
The 2013 Applications for Community Teamwork Clients are available now through the department that you normally work with. Ask for an application and complete it, and return it to the person you normally work with, on or before November 29th, 2013.
When you return it, be sure that you get a receipt for your application that you have submitted. Your receipt will have your pick up time and location.
If you are not a Community Teamwork client you can still go to www.toysfortots.org and apply online.
You will be asked for an email address. We have found that going to www.gmail.com is the easiest way to get an email address.
You can check your gmail at any public computer including the library and at the Community Teamwork Resource Center, located at 17 Kirk Street, Lowell.
Be sure to check your email for information from Toys for Tots regarding where and when your pick up will be.
Community Teamwork’s YouthBuild staff and students hosted a ribbon-cutting Thursday, November 14th, 2013 to showcase their newly rehabilitated home at 32 Dana Court in Dracut.
In rehabbing the home, students worked alongside licensed professionals in various construction trades, gaining valuable experience and work credits toward their graduation. Below, from left are YouthBuild’s Charlie Liebermann, YouthBuild Program Director Thula Sibanda, Community Teamwork’s Executive Director Karen Frederick, YouthBuild student Jose Gomez and YouthBuild Construction Supervisor Joe Braga.
Thula Sibanda, YouthBuild Director, noted that, “The students took pride in restoring this home that had been abandoned and neglected, causing blight on the entire neighborhood. They also fully appreciated that they were creating an “affordable” home for a family of more modest means.
Executive Director Karen Frederick praised the YouthBuild students for the hard work they put into developing their work and leadership skills, noting that a number of them also went on to earn their GED high equivalency diploma.
Retiring Dracut Town Manager and Community Teamwork Board Member Dennis Piendak remarked how the rehabilitation had “restored the entire neighborhood” and that he was “pleased to be part of the ribbon cutting as one of my last official duties.”
The U.S. Census Bureau released new poverty data this week. Based on a revised formula that considers not only income but also benefits and expenses, more people are experiencing poverty than originally understood.
Even without this adjustment, the poverty rate in Lowell increased by more than 17% from 2011 to 2012. Today nearly 1 in 5 Lowell families live in poverty. In addition to climbing poverty rates, Census Data indicate that Lowell families have experienced a staggering reduction in household income. The median household income in Lowell dropped from $52,131 in 2011 to $45,271 in 2012.
When families have less money to spend at area businesses and contribute less to the collective coffers the economy suffers. Businesses struggle, fewer jobs are created, public safety is jeopardized, and our community deteriorates. We’ve come too far to let that happen. A strong economy benefits everyone.
Community Teamwork is working to strengthen our economy by acting as a catalyst for social change and by delivering vital services and collaborating with key stakeholders to create housing, education and economic opportunities.
Please join us to keep Lowell vital and to ensure that every Lowell resident has the opportunity to contribute to a stronger economic future for us all.
Consider contributing to this effort by visiting our DONATE page.
Read the full report here.
In Massachusetts, the public schools identified more than 15,000 homeless children attending classes during the 2011-2012 school year. This number represents a 15% increase in the number of homeless children served by the public schools in the past two years.
Over the 2011-2012 school year, 1.166 million school age children and youth across the country experienced homelessness as defined by the Department of Education (ED), according to a new report. The report found that the vast majority of the children, 880,000, are doubled up. Another 287,000 reside in emergency shelter or transitional housing programs, motels, or are without shelter altogether. While this report focused on school-age children, homeless school liaisons typically report working with 30,000 preschool children and 15,000 children under the age of 2 who also experience homeless as defined by ED over a school year.
Learn about Community Teamwork from those who know us best. We partnered with our terrific web development team to capture the heart of Community Teamwork through the eyes of our staff and those we serve.
Housing Consumer Education Center Financial Assistance/SMART Tenant WorkshopAre you homeless and need financial assistance to be rehoused? Do you need some help finding and apartment?
This ONE HOUR workshop will provide a brief overview of services offered by Community Teamwork, discuss eligibility for financial assistance, review housing search, tenancy preservation, eviction prevention, Fair Housing, Tenant’s Rights and termination of tenancies.
**PRE-REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED!**
Monday –Friday 12:00pm–1pm and Wednesdays 5pm-6pm
Workshops located at Community Teamwork – 17 Kirk St. Lowell, MA
Questions about this workshop, call 978-459-0551.
Join us at 4pm on Tuesday, October 22 for a visit and presentation from the Commissioner for the Massachusetts Dept of Agricultural Resources, and the Northeast Regional Administrator of the USDA. Film Starts at 5pm. Tonight is made possible by a partnership between CTI, LGH, the Merrimack Valley Food Bank and the Lowell Film Collaborative.
“A Place At the Table, with talking heads ranging from Jeff Bridges to Tom Colicchio, all of them articulate and impassioned, is a film that should make you furious.” –Huffington Post
“A shocking indictment of how people are starving in the land of plenty …”-Linda Barnard, Rotten Tomatoes
“As important and eye-opening a documentary as you’ll see this year,” –New York Daily News
Preview this important film at http://www.magpictures.com/aplaceatthetable
BOSTON — The Massachusetts House has approved an additional $20 million to help low income families pay their heating bills.
The Wednesday vote came as winter approaches and after more than two weeks of a federal government shutdown that appeared to be coming to an end.
The funding was included in a supplemental spending bill that also included extra money to help shelter homeless families in hotels and motels and to cover the cost of the recent special U.S. Senate election, which was won by Democrat Edward Markey.
The Senate meets in a formal session on Thursday and could take up the supplemental budget plan then.
In states like Massachusetts, heating assistance benefits typically begin to go out Nov. 1. The state received $133 million in federal heating help last year.
– See more at: http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/10/mass_house_oks_extra_20m_in_heating_assistance#sthash.bKBG9nwT.dpuf
