United Way of Massachusetts Bay

👩 Meet Karian, a determined mother of two, whose journey with Horizons for Homeless Children reflects resilience and the power of holistic support. After struggling with postpartum depression, housing instability, and single motherhood, Karian received the guidance she needed from her Family Advocate, Teresa Harris. Karian secured stable housing, earned her GED, completed culinary training, and became a cafeteria manager with Boston Public Schools, offering her family stability and flexibility. Her daughter Anais has also made great strides, improving significantly in her development. Now, Karian is working toward her dream of opening a Puerto Rican restaurant. 💪 🙋 This is the power of Horizons' two-generational approach—empowering families to break cycles of hardship so both parents and children can thrive together. 🔗 Share Karian’s story and see how Horizons is creating lasting change: https://bit.ly/3WsTUvk

Each winter, during the last week of January, volunteers across Massachusetts brave freezing temperatures to conduct the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count—a snapshot of homelessness in our region. The 2024 count showed an 18% rise in overall homelessness, with 36,000 more children lacking stable housing—a 33% increase. However, there's hope: veteran homelessness dropped 8%, proving that coordinated investments in housing and services can – and are- helping reduce homelessness for veterans, and can work with other populations as well. We count because every community member matters, but true change requires listening to those who’ve experienced homelessness. 🛠️ The solution to homelessness isn’t one-size-fits-all. But through programs led by our New Way Forward partners Justice 4 Housing, The Haven Project , Horizons for Homeless Children, we’ve seen firsthand how housing transforms lives and how we can replicate solutions that work. The stories of their participants—Alba, Vanessa, Karian, Pablo, and Devon—show us what 'having housing' truly means and underscore a powerful truth: housing is not just shelter—it’s the foundation for health, healing, and new beginnings. But they also remind us that addressing homelessness cannot wait. Every day without action deepens the hardships of those experiencing it. This year let’s do more than count—let’s connect, uplift, and advocate. Together, we can make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. 📖 Read the full blog here to learn about the 5 Real Results of Regional Strategies to End Homelessness: https://bit.ly/3Q2wxVK #PointInTimeCount #EndHomelessness #HousingFirst #CommunityImpact #HousingMeansHealing #NewWayForward #TransformativeHousing

📣 We are delighted to share the news that the Board of Directors of United Way of Massachusetts Bay (UWMB) has unanimously approved the appointment of Marty Martinez to serve as our President and Chief Executive Officer. Marty will begin serving on March 31, 2025. In this role, he will lead our work to eradicate the conditions that lead to poverty and improve the financial wellbeing of individuals and families across the region. Marty is a visionary leader who is poised to lead United Way of Massachusetts Bay as we uplift solutions that create pathways to opportunities for families across our communities and mobilize the resources necessary to fund them. His professional experiences and personal background make him an ideal candidate to lead us in our next chapter to create more equitable communities across our region. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/dgZMypgZ

🏠 After experiencing homelessness and personal loss, Pablo found hope through The Haven Project. With their support, he secured emergency housing, accessed health services, and enrolled in their Job Training Program, which equips young adults with skills, coaching, and opportunities to overcome barriers and build brighter futures. 👦 Pablo not only earned a MassStep IT certification but also landed a full-time job, marking the start of his path to stability and success. Now thriving in stable housing, he’s working in IT at North Shore Community College and planning to pursue his associate’s degree. 💙 Stories like his show the life-changing power of community support. 💙 🔗 Learn more about Pablo’s journey and The Haven Project’s transformative work here: https://bit.ly/4g7Rk4E

Family childcare entrepreneurs are the workforce behind the workforce - new research about how to strengthen the sector. Plus more stories about how we're entering 2025 strong!

The cohort had another great program day focused on Education. Our morning started with a panel discussion centered around Early Education, where all education conversations should start! From identifying and addressing potential issues at an early age, to the challenges with Early Education since Covid and workforce issues/shortages, to behavioral and mental health concerns….this panel discussed it all. Most importantly we learned of the research and funding (including grant opportunities) provided by the State through @Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, and other important partnerships and collaborations. Thank you Michelle Badger, CFRE, State Representative for the 1st District Plymouth (and longtime School Committee member), BettyAnn Burghardt, Clinical Director Sargent Child and Family Services, Corp. Kate Kerr, Senior Director, United Way Mary Spargo, Early Learning Center Director, South Shore YMCA and Ashley White, Director of Research,Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and moderator Kristine Swan, VP Youth Development at SSYMCA. After touring two of the SSYMCA’s Early Learning Centers (Hanover and Norwell both so impressive!) we headed to South Shore Vocational Technical High School. Superintendent Tom Hickey greeted the cohort and brought us up to date on the plans to build a new school to address the space needs of the current building.  The need for the Technical School model as an option for as many students as possible is evident not only in the year over year increase in applications…but in the local business community that continually looks to SSTHS for their workforce needs. After a delicious lunch prepared and served by the culinary students in their Brass Lantern Restaurant, we were given a tour of the building and each of the twelve vocational programs offered. Paul Bello. MBA , Director of Career and Community Development discussed each program alongside a student leader from each vocation. To say these students were impressive is an understatement! We ended our day in the lecture hall with Paul Bello discussing the many partnerships and collaborations the school is involved with, including the Cooperative learning for the high school students and the Community Night Classes and their Career Technical Initiative to train adults looking to advance their skillset. We were fortunate to have Stacey Kaminski, Executive Director at CONNECT Partnership, a consortium of six public higher education institutions in Southeastern Massachusetts, on hand to discuss their goal to expand education access, enable cost-savings, and advance student achievement. Special thanks to LSS alumni that planned this impactful day: Michelle Badger, CFRE, Jane Dever Barry and Kristine Swan South Shore Bank, South Shore Chamber of Commerce #LeadershipSouthShore #Community #Leadership

🧔 After a nine-year incarceration, Jose Lorenzo faced rejection, housing instability, and the heartbreak of being separated from his young son. His turning point? Connecting with Justice 4 Housing (J4H)—a program that not only helped him find stable housing but also empowered him to advocate for others like him. Now, as a SHARP case manager, Jose helps others rebuild their lives while pursuing his own dreams of homeownership and civic leadership. 📢 Jose’s story reminds us what’s possible when we invest in people, challenge stigma, and fight for equity. J4H is more than a program—it’s a movement breaking barriers, decriminalizing housing, and reducing homelessness and recidivism for justice-impacted individuals. 🔗 Learn more about Jose’s journey and Justice for Housing’s groundbreaking work https://bit.ly/40svWBf

Childcare is infrastructure, the proverbial "workforce behind the workforce" - and family childcare providers are key community leaders, small business owners, and trusted sources of knowledge. Last year, the #MAECFC coordinated research from Kimberly D. Lucas and Wendy Robeson to understand structural barriers and solutions to support these amazing educators (https://lnkd.in/gsH2QV5P). Family childcare is truly an engine for #economicgrowth. And, it will be a core part of our work in 2025. In fact, two weeks ago, we co-sponsored a Legislative Briefing at the #Massachusetts State House on that very topic. It was a packed room (in-person and virtual!) of #legislators and their colleagues, #funders, and #earlychildhood #advocates hearing from key leaders in the field, especially those driving innovative solutions, like: 💠Melinda Weber (United Way of Massachusetts Bay ) 💠Rosemary M Hernandez, MBA, MS (CLARENDON EARLY EDUCATION SERVICES INC), 💠Jock Payten, CFA (Nubian Square Investment Advisors), 💠Undersecretary Ashley Stolba (Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), 💠Commissioner Amy Kershaw (Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care), 💠Kristin McSwain (City of Boston), and 💠Karley Ausiello (United Way of Massachusetts Bay ) As our Executive Director Brian Gold shared virtually, "Now is the time for action . . . [and the Massachusetts Early Childhood Funder Collaborative is working to] facilitate partnerships, connections, and coordinate funding, including supporting leadership development of family child care providers. Thank you to United Way of Massachusetts Bay for your leadership in the briefing and in the work! Follow, learn along with, and help drive action forward with #MAECFC and Massachusetts Early Childhood Funder Collaborative!

We’re so excited for our next annual Real Estate Industry Event where we will honor Lisa Brothers, PE, ENV SP, LEED AP of Nitsch Engineering for her leadership and longstanding commitment to our community! Become part of our signature event that brings together influential industry leaders to help build a region that leaves no individual behind. Together, we invest in our belief that our vibrant communities can be even more prosperous, healthy and equitable. Sponsorships are going fast so we hope you can join us for this great night of networking and showcasing impact in our community. ℹ️ For more information, please contact Kylee at kchristensen@supportunitedway.org.

🌟 Family Childcare: A Powerful Start to the Year 🌟 Family childcare entrepreneurs are the workforce behind the workforce—educators, community builders, and economic drivers shaping brighter futures for families and children. The Shared Services MA program of United Way of Massachusetts Bay is making a meaningful difference by providing tailored support to help these businesses thrive. On January 7th, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and the Massachusetts Early Childhood Funder Collaborative hosted a legislative briefing at the State House, bringing together leaders, policymakers, and family childcare experts to advocate for greater investment in family childcare businesses. Commissioner Amy Kershaw and Executive Office of Economic Development Undersecrtary Ashley Stolba emphasized that family childcare is a “critical part of the infrastructure” and a key driver of local economic development. Expert panelists Kristin McSwain of the City of Boston Rosemary M Hernandez, MBA, MS of Clarendon Early Education , Jock Payten, CFA of Nubian Square Investment Advisors and Melinda Weber VP, Shared Services MA, shared insights on overcoming challenges and creating opportunities to sustain these essential businesses—key to expanding access to quality care. Key Takeaways: 💡 Family childcare is vital to local economies and family stability. 💡 Tailored support and flexible funding are critical for FCC businesses to thrive. 💡 Clear policies are needed to enable family childcare operations in affordable housing. 💡 Public-private partnerships are crucial to unlocking growth. Together, we can advocate for strategies that work, raise awareness for increased funding, and expand equitable access to quality childcare across the Commonwealth. 👉 Join the movement! #FamilyChildCare #EarlyChildhood #Advocacy #SharedServicesMA #UWMB