Urban PowerHouse
Watching Rachelle Alexandre compete at the USA Powerlifting Ladies of Iron competition, Coach Laurie Maranian was overjoyed: Rachelle was squatting over 400 pounds and deadlifting nearly 400 pounds, far exceeding the goals she’d set upon first joining Urban PowerHouse — which was all the more astounding since Rachelle had given birth to her second child only eight months prior. “Rachelle originally came to Urban PowerHouse with general health goals,” Laurie explains. “But soon after, she became pregnant and wanted to focus on having a healthier pregnancy than her first. Well, we smashed that out of the park! Her energy and confidence were way up, and she kept working out well into her third trimester. When Rachelle sets her mind to things, she does them. She had decided to enter her first powerlifting competition shortly after giving birth, and even postpartum recovery wouldn’t stop her.” “Urban Powerhouse became my anchor during one of the most transformative chapters of my life — motherhood,” says Rachelle. “It’s where I found pieces of myself I thought I’d lost (or didn’t even know I had), pushed past limits, reclaimed my strength, and redefined what it means to show up for myself. In the chaos of motherhood, this space became my sanctuary.” Laurie cofounded Urban PowerHouse (UPH) with partner Joseph Stephen in 2019, but their vision began in 2015. The two had known each other for many years, reconnecting after college to become friends and eventually life partners as well. As a former competitive dancer, Laurie faced a lifetime of body image challenges. “I was running for a while in an effort to lose weight,” Laurie recalls, “but then Joseph showed me strength training, and I realized, oh wow, you can actually enjoy exercise. Later, I went to his sister’s powerlifting competition and was amazed by how inclusive it was: not everyone looked the same.” “At that time, there were no powerlifting facilities in Boston,” she continues. “Sometimes a group of us would go out to a gym in Western Mass, but it took a whole day and was expensive. And I’ll never forget the first time we went, and Joseph and the other men with me stopped at the door of the gym and said, ‘you go in first,’ because they were concerned about entering together as men of color into an environment that was predominantly white.” “There have been so many times in my life when I’ve felt I just didn’t belong,” Joseph says. “So I wanted to create an inclusive space where we could support people on their health and wellness journeys. Laurie and I were thinking of opening a personal training studio and almost bought one. But it didn’t work out, and that was probably fate, because then we decided to narrow our focus to strength sports, including powerlifting and weightlifting, as the modalities to help others.” In December 2019, Urban PowerHouse got their 501(c)(3) nonprofit certification, but three months later, Covid shut down the commercial gym where they trained. “There was a silver lining, however,” Joseph adds. “Everyone was working out with their free time, and companies were being charitable. We rented a 250-square-foot storage space where we could train with the seven athletes we were coaching at the time. Training gear company A7 created and sold a custom shirt collab, donating all the proceeds to us, and other companies were supportive as well.” Joseph and Laurie both had prior nonprofit experience, and Laurie still works full-time at another nonprofit while serving as a coach and VP of Development at UPH after-hours. Joe serves as part-time Executive Director and Head Coach. Both continue to add strength-sports skills to their résumés. Laurie became a Precision Nutrition Level One Coach, and Joe got a second bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Health Science and is now working towards a Physician Assistant degree with a doctorate. And since receiving their first grant from The Lenny Zakim Fund (LZF) this year, Joseph and Laurie have been quick to take advantage of all the grantee webinars and other learning opportunities they can. “We’re working with consultant Rana Kannan right now, through the LZF Catalytic Consulting program,” Laurie says, “And she’s helping us construct a logic model and also define the data we want to collect, both qualitative and quantitative.” So far, that data is quite impressive. Since inception, UPH has logged more than 250 unique visitors and 1,000 community event attendees. UPH athletes have participated in at least 60 sanctioned competitions, with 19 first-place wins. Just over half of the athletes receive financial assistance for individualized coaching. In 2021, UPH created a 3,000-square-foot gym out of an unused basement space in a local Hyde Park business with an app that allows access to the facility when it’s unstaffed. Gym membership is $50 per month for adults and $20 per month for students. “We started out as an adult program, but the youth came knocking at our door,” Laurie says. “Everyone needs a place to go and a community to belong to. With all ages working out together, we have an organic, intergenerational mentorship happening at the gym.” Urban PowerHouse now offers free summer memberships for up to 25 high school students. What’s more, this past summer, a City of Boston youth workforce program allowed them to employ a team of five youth workers, ages 14 to 18, with two supervisors, aged 19 to 24. The teens helped with upkeep and ensured that everyone felt welcome and knew how to navigate the gym environment safely. Working with Laurie and Coach Marcus Brown, they also ran a new six-week program called “High School Summer Slam” and helped to provide free breakfast and lunch six days a week. “We knew we had some food-insecure individuals in the space,” Laurie explains. “So Joseph found a federally funded program through the Greater Boston YMCA that delivers meals to us, three days a week, from a Black-owned vendor called City Fresh Foods.” Avery Covitz was part of the 2025 summer workforce
2Gether We Eat
“Holy Basil” was the name of the product that 11-year-old Ethan was pitching to his fifth-grade classmates with the slogan, “After every bite, you feel like you’re in heaven.” Following his pitch, Ethan handed out business cards, complete with a handmade logo, then watched as classmate Abdul presented his business, D7, and an array of fresh vegetables with the catchphrase, “Eat right, live right.” After each presentation, the students congratulated each other and talked about ways they could sell the greens and vegetables they were growing at their hydroponics farm at the Vernon Hill School in Worcester. “The kids are always eager to show their stuff and compete,” says Charles Luster, who runs the after-school program as executive director of 2Gether We Eat, teaching the clean, organic hydroponic method of growing plants in nutrient-rich water solutions rather than soil. “I’ll put pictures or videos of what they’re doing on social media and say, ‘Look, my Worcester class just got 1500 views, and then all the other classes want to beat that number,” he says. As a former college basketball coach and Marine recruiter, Charles has countless ways to keep kids inspired. “I use no pencils or paper,” he explains, “and if someone doesn’t know the answer to a question in class, everybody else chimes in with the answer because there’s never a reason to hide answers.” Recently, two new ESL students joined the class, and Charles challenged his students to take turns leading class in Arabic or Portuguese so the new members would feel welcome. “They were actually fighting over who got to go learn enough of these languages to lead the class,” Charles says with a smile. “I always tell them teamwork makes the dream work, you know.” Charles challenges himself plenty, too. “When something’s uncomfortable, you know you’re learning,” he says. The start of 2gether We Eat came in 2020 after he decided not to pursue a cannabis business with two friends. “But thinking about how we were planning to grow cannabis made me realize we could grow food in the same way and use it to help kids and the community,” he says, crediting his “little brother from another mother,” Soloe, and longtime “big brother, mentor, friend, uncle, and family member” Carl Paisley, who died in 2023, with helping bring his vision to life. “Carl and my good friend Linda Cavalli, who had just retired from the YWCA, joined me for our first board meeting—on an iPhone in my backyard during Covid,” he says. “Now, this month, we’re celebrating our fifth anniversary!” When you’re trying to get a nonprofit up and running, there are almost no better words to hear than, “I believe in your mission and I’d like to write a grant for you.” That magical phrase was uttered by Debbi Lane of Magic Lamp Consulting after 2Gether We Eat won the first cohort of the Greater Worcester EforAll entrepreneurs’ pitch contest in 2020. “I call Debbie my Agent of Change,” Charles says. “She was in the second cohort, and when she heard about us, she wrote a grant proposal pro bono for me that led to us having two Freight Farms and an electric cargo van. We’ve put 13,370 miles on that van so far without a single gas purchase!” The climate-controlled Freight Farms are metal cargo containers from a Boston company and Worcester-based founder whose business was shutting down. “They allow us to grow up to 10,000 plants at one time,” Charles says. “It’s just amazing to see the kids learn how to plant and germinate the seeds, then watch them grow under LED lights in the freight farm. You never know who could be the next George Washington Carver right here!” Charles signed an MOU with Worcester Public Schools to run the first Freight Farm at Vernon Hill Elementary School, where Principal Craig Dalton was an old basketball friend. “I pitched Craig my idea about hydroponics and said, ‘You give us electrical power, and we’ll give you food and educational programs.’” Now, 2Gether We Eat is running programs in eight locations, including after-school sessions at Vernon Hill, Elm Park, and Seven Hills School, as well as programs at the Leominster and Worcester Senior Centers, Webster Square Day Care Center, African Community Education (ACE), and BAMSI’s Brain Injury Community Center. With approximately 125 participants, the youngest farmers are four years old, and the oldest are in their 90s. Charles has recently been able to purchase hydroponic systems for all the participants to take home so that they can grow green, leafy vegetables right on their countertop. “One out of seven kids go to bed hungry,” he comments. “But if they can grow their own vegetables and find a little protein, they can take care of themselves. At Vernon Hill, we’re adding a pantry, so a kid can grab some canned tuna and some plants and make a meal.” Another recent development is a partnership to grow food for the community with UMass Chan Medical School, which purchased a Freight Farm and hired a young hydroponic farmer named Josh Lighten. “Josh is so excited now that he’s got his UMass ID badge,” Charles says. “He was at the Creamer Center alternative school and none of his teachers knew what would happen with him. I was able to intercept with the help of his teacher, Ms. Brennan, who happens to be my next-door neighbor and a fellow plant lover. Now he’s a full-time college student and I’ve trained him in hydroponics. And though he started out interested in biology, he’s decided to major in broadcasting and communications because he’s found his voice teaching others about hydroponics and food justice.” “Seeing his growth is so rewarding,” Charles continues. “He leads intergenerational exchanges with the kids and seniors, letting the older participants ask him fun trivia questions and encouraging the little ones to talk about their dreams and choices in life. In the end, plants and people are the same— we always need to keep growing.” ——————————————
P&O Behavioral Health Initiative (POBHI)
Octavia Nankunda and Priscilla Rwandarugali met at a party in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2017 and became instant friends. “I recognized Priscilla’s last name,” Octavia recalls. “It was the same as my ‘Auntie Fiona,’ who worked with my family for many years in Uganda.” As it turned out, Fiona was Priscilla’s older sister, and she was just one of several connections the two had between their families back in Uganda. Their friendship deepened in 2020 during the pandemic, as they talked for hours about family and friends, the lives they had left behind when they each emigrated to the U.S., and current events in their new lives in America. “As much as our hearts were hurting for friends back in Uganda, there were so many people hurting here too,” Octavia says. “The need for mental health support in the immigrant community is immense, but there’s still a lot of stigma, and so many barriers.” “So we decided we could help,” Priscilla chimes in. “I had practiced law in Uganda, and Octavia is a psychotherapist with a masters and a concentration in marriage and family therapy and mental health counseling — and we felt like we could make a difference.” They started with mental health group meetings online, and then met in person in Octavia’s backyard. During this time, they got the word out through beauty salons and churches. “We were very intentional about providing services in the immigrant community and for people of color,” Octavia explains, “because they need more guidance and reassurance — to understand how to access resources, how insurance coverage can help, and that counseling sessions are safe and HIPAA-protected. Despite Priscilla’s background as a lawyer, we don’t give legal advice, but we have answers to most people’s immediate questions and can steer them in the right direction. We always say that if we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who can.” That same year, 2020, Priscilla and Octavia officially combined their efforts (and their names) to launch P&O Behavioral Health Initiative, with a mission of elevating marginalized and underprivileged communities by empowering them to achieve success — using evidence-based and culturally competent treatments. “We knew all too well the stresses immigrants face,” explains Priscilla. “For starters, most immigrants to the U.S. have college degrees, but when they arrive, they usually learn that the years of professional experience and academic degrees they bring from their home country are of little use in seeking employment in the States, leaving many to work two to three service jobs, such as geriatric care, to make ends meet.” They also understood how immigrant families needed help bridging the gap between generations. “We see a lot of parents who assume just being in the U.S. will automatically give their kids a better life,” Priscilla says, “because of resources like good schools, books, and computers. But the parents are working so hard they have to leave the children at home with older siblings or cousins, and they don’t get to nurture them and guide their activities and behavior. So what does success mean for each family? The parents might think that just being in America is a success, but meanwhile, the kids are struggling. Seeing a therapist from their own country makes it easier for them to accept help and to feel understood.” On any given day, POBHI is working with clients on a wide variety of issues, from school or work stress to domestic violence. They run counseling groups for kids, teens, and adults, as well as specific groups for mothers, fathers, and seniors, plus a creative group. Meeting virtually, each group can have up to 12 people, but teenagers and seniors also have an in-person meeting at least once a month. Often clients need more individual assistance — sometimes with urgent crises, as when a client discovered her husband was planning to leave the country with their children and POBHI referred her to the police and an attorney. Another time, a client told them she dreamed of opening her own business. “We told her: Of course you can do it,” says Priscilla, “then we helped her figure out the process. She opened her own bodega just a year later. And now she has more time for her kids and can pick them up at school.” POBHI group services are free of charge for those that can’t afford them, thanks to support from The Lenny Zakim Fund (LZF) and The Boston Foundation. “The Lenny Zakim Fund believed in us from the start,” Octavia says. This past year, both women participated in LZF’s Transformational Leadership Cohort (TLC). “My TLC coach, Marianne, was a godsend,” Octavia says. “She has a background in social work and understood the intricacies of what we do for a living as well as the administrative work behind it. I love being a therapist, but the administration makes it so difficult. Marianne helped me get my thoughts organized along with our business, which needed some restructuring. She was good at both sides of it — social services and nonprofit administration.” Now POBHI can see their growth trajectory more clearly, and with two clinical mental health counseling interns joining them this fall, they’ll be able to implement some of their plans. They’re already partnering with several insurance companies, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Harvard Pilgrim, among others and now they want to consider how to address demand for more one-on-one counseling, find office space for at least one day a week, and bring more mental health counseling to colleges. “College students are still just kids, even though we consider them to be adults,” Octavia says. “They’re miles from home and stressed out and stranded and don’t know what to do, and sometimes that means they drink their way through school or flunk out. And international students have all the difficulties of being far from home on top of the normal struggles. So we want to offer sessions that teach them coping skills. And as with all of our services,
Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation
Last summer, Curtis Santos was at a turning point in his career and his life. He was considering leaving his much-loved job in urban ministry to devote himself full-time to his work at Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation (BLU, pronounced “blue”), the nonprofit he had co-founded five years before. With more than 10 ongoing programs and countless get-togethers, BLU had grown to the point that it needed the full-time oversight of an executive director. So, Curtis took advantage of The Lenny Zakim Fund’s weekly office hours and met with LZF Board Member Deborah Seidel, an attorney and former nonprofit executive. “I told Deborah, I have to make a decision here, and I don’t know what that decision is going to be,” Curtis recalls. “It was such an emotional moment. I was so afraid to walk into this space by myself because I didn’t really have the necessary education, and I could so easily fail. But Deborah said, ‘Curtis, you’re going to be okay, my friend. Because you’re doing the right thing talking with me right now, so we can figure all these things out.’” “She walked me through everything I needed to do and connected me with other lawyers to get our organization officially established,” Curtis continues. “I’m so grateful for all Deborah and The Fund did for me during this time. They helped us set up bylaws and board governance and infrastructure, including the best tools for managing our finances. And now that we’re so grounded, we’re really growing in different capacities.” Despite Curtis’ uncertainty, he brought an impressive skill set to the role of executive director, honed from years of frontline experience in health care, violence prevention, housing, homelessness, and youth development. He’s also quick to note the crucial role various mentors played in his career, particularly Dr. Jonathan Spikes, a research scientist, clinician, and nonprofit director in Miami, who Curtis worked with as a clinical administrative assistant for three years. “I was going back and forth from Miami to Boston a lot during that time,” Curtis recalls, “and Dr. Spikes said, ‘You’ll always have a job here if you want it, but you’re clearly needed back in your city.’ He opened the door, and I ran right through it, home to Boston, to devote myself to BLU.” That was two years ago, and since then, Curtis and his team of volunteers and part-time staff have developed 10 ongoing programs and countless special events as part of BLU’s services for the QTBIPOC community. “We use mental health as our catalyst,” Curtis explains, “and create a safe and welcoming space to share experiences and build lasting, healthy relationships. Our goal is to break the cycle of dysfunction in marginalized communities, make medical and mental health awareness a priority, and uplift the voices of our Black/Brown/Latino LGBTQ+ inner-city community.” With nearly 5,000 people on their mailing list and an average of 100 people attending events from all over New England, the BLU mission of empowerment, celebration, and advocacy is clearly having an impact. “We’re mobilizing and activating spaces and trying to get the word out that we exist,” Curtis says. Virtual activities often have a global reach, with participants from as far away as Houston, Chicago, and even Africa. Currently, BLU’s roster of programs includes: A digital equity group for seniors, twice a month A virtual support group for trans men of color, twice a month Walking 1 Stop, a comprehensive LGBTQ+ healthcare program After work networking socials A community-based mentorship program for LGBTQ+ youth NOW Project (Networking, Outreach, and Education) Workshops and training for LGBTQ+ youth The Food Destigmatization Program, providing essential resources and raising awareness of food insecurity to promote empathy and understanding Blue Cares Initiative, a reentry workforce development program helping formerly incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals with job training and finding employment Boston Black Pride, a volunteer-driven initiative that curates Pride-centric celebrations, culminating in an annual parade and festival Boston Black Pride activities ramp up significantly each June during Pride Month and continue into the first week of July. This year, Pride will be celebrated on the Boston Common on June 14th. BLU and Boston Black Pride will be tabling at the festival, and Curtis will be in his fourth year hosting from the main stage. From June 29th through July 6th, Boston Black Pride is hosting a week-long series of events in Roxbury’s Nubian Square, including a fitness challenge, open mic night, health summit, youth pride glow party, educational workshops, pool party, R&B brunch, two galas, and paint and karaoke night at The Pryde senior residence. For the grand finale, on Sunday, July 6th, a parade through Franklin Park will end with a music and arts festival at the Shattuck Grove Picnic Area. In addition to running the organization and helping plan and host so many activities, Curtis finds a way to connect with individual BLU members and make sure everyone finds a place where they fit in. “If someone comes to me and says they’re feeling disconnected, I tell them they’ll be the first person I call the next time we have an event or tickets to a show,” he says. “I tell them: When you’re ready, I will bring you!” Current needs at the BLU Foundation include office and event space and volunteers to help with marketing and public relations, event planning and hosting, financial systems, and setting up a CRM database to track members/clients. If you’d like to get involved, please contact Curtis Santos at 857-492-5360 or info@lesbigayurbanfoundation.org or through the BLU contact page.
East Boston Community Soup Kitchen
For many years, Sandra Nijjar made it a habit to help homeless folks wherever she encountered them, offering food, blankets, and other necessities. Her maternal grandparents in El Salvador had raised her to help others, and after moving to East Boston in 1999, she could see the extensive need in her own new neighborhood. There were often resources for families with children, she noticed, but middle-aged adults living on their own in the streets, with mental health and substance use disorders, had fewer places to turn. “So I started asking around among neighbors, to see if there was anything more we could do,” Sandra says. “But no one had time. No one could take responsibility, and neither could I.” Raising two children with her husband, along with a full-time state job, left only a few hours for Sandra to devote to the community. But in 2016, she and 300 others were laid off in a major downsizing. “One morning soon after, my husband and I were walking our dogs, and we came across a homeless friend,” she recounts. “We helped him with a little money, but as we were walking away, I told my husband, I want to do more than this. I’ve been wanting to create a space people can come and get more help. He replied, ‘Well, maybe now is the time to do it.’” In May 2016, Sandra reached out to Pastor Don Nanstad at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church and asked to use their space for a community meeting. Roughly two dozen neighbors came — some only to oppose the idea, saying the homeless were all addicts who wanted to stay on drugs. But others shared Sandra’s passion and began meeting every Saturday to plan. Just a few months later, in September, they launched the East Boston Community Soup Kitchen (EBCSK). By this time, Sandra knew she was headed back to work as seasonal staff, but didn’t know exactly when. In the meantime, she continued to work on creating a space to care for the local homeless. “We quickly found a perfect space with a commercial kitchen, and it was opening day,” recalls Sandra. “But right as we started serving people, the manager came out and began yelling at me, saying, ‘We can’t have these bums in here.’ ” “Pastora Britta from Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church was there and was shocked — frozen —by the manager turning on me and humiliating me this way in front of everyone. But then she said, ‘Let me ask Pastor Don and the consul at the church if we can help.’ Thankfully, we were up and running in the new location at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church a week later.” The day before the new opening, Sandra walked around Eastie distributing flyers in English and Spanish that invited folks to come for a hot meal. When she spotted a crowd of men sleeping near the Shaw’s grocery store, she rolled up a flyer and placed it in one man’s sneaker. The next day, seven men came into the soup kitchen together. As she brought food to their table, she asked how they’d heard about it, and one replied, “I found a flyer in my shoe when I woke up!” “We laughed when I told them it was me who placed it in the shoe,” Sandra says. “They all look out for each other. If only one or two can make it to the soup kitchen, they take food back to the others. Any money they have, they go to the store to buy food and share it with each other. They are the least selfish people I know. A couple of times, one of them has heard kitchen staff saying we need more creamer, and they’ll be there, offering whatever they have. Even if they only have $1, they’ll say, here, take this.” And the man who found the flyer in his shoe? “That was Dennis,” Sandra says. “He was a young guy who went to detox and relapsed a few times. His mother thought he would die or end up in jail. But now he’s married, fully recovered, and has a small landscaping business. He was my number-one volunteer for several years, first to arrive in the morning and last to leave.” “Like Dennis, some of the guests come to us completely broken, but they find hope in our place,” Sandra continues. “We encourage them to talk to the social workers and recovery coaches who are here on Tuesdays. With the help of these volunteers, partner organizations, and our donors, we turn lives around for the better, get them back into the workforce, walking on their own again, reunited with their families.” The kitchen serves more than 600 people a week, with support from an extensive network of community partners, including Channel Fish, Pine Street Inn, Elliott Human Services, NeighborHealth, Food for Free, Shaws Supermarket in Eastie, and local barbers. On Mondays, the team assembles and distributes bags of groceries, and on Tuesdays, they offer ready-to-eat hot meals. In addition, they distribute clothing, personal hygiene products, and pet food, and connect clients with vital services, including addiction recovery programs and help with housing. “Of course, it’s exhausting — mentally, emotionally, physically — to run an operation that requires so much and has so few resources,” Sandra says. “Plus always being on alert to manage difficult personalities and situations, especially now with ICE troopers cruising past the soup kitchen line. It’s heartbreaking to see people risking everything to get food. But I have a lot of faith in God. And thanks to The Lenny Zakim Fund, I now have a mentor. I meet with Monifa twice a month, and her guidance has been invaluable. And [Executive Director] Allison responds in a heartbeat when I need her, always ready with advice for me. Funders, donors, volunteers, and clients really touch my heart every single day.” Many of EBSCK’s volunteers are also clients who are food insecure. They come to work, then take
Pride Productions Inc.
A new species of hedgehog and a photo shoot featuring models with disabilities are just a couple of the topics covered on Youth Unity TV in the past few months. Watching host Sian introduce his five-minute “Science Drop” segment, it’s hard to believe this impressive young newscaster is only 11 years old, and he and his young colleagues are researching and covering important news in their community and beyond on a regular basis. These videos are just one part of the new 2025 programming at Worcester nonprofit Pride Productions, Inc., which gives young people hands-on experience in media and TV production —and soon radio and podcasting — teaching them technical skills for media industry careers. Ernest (Ernie) Floyd, a former College of the Holy Cross basketball star, created Pride Productions more than three decades ago, in 1994, with a mission to serve youth in and around the city of Worcester. In 2013, he introduced Unity Radio, serving the city of Worcester on 97.9FM and at WUTY.org. And in 2024, the 501(c)(3) organization relaunched with its online Youth Unity TV show for pre-teens and teens, covering education, entertainment, news, health and wellness, and much more. Students of all skill levels are welcome into the free after-school program, where they create and host their own shows and will soon learn how to incorporate audio editing, scriptwriting, and video production. “Worcester is not a media mecca by any means,” Ernie says. “It takes a whole community to make this happen, and we’ve been through some tough times in the past. But we’ve been building momentum since 2013, when I created Unity Radio and was awarded an FCC license in partnership with the former Becker College in Worcester. We utilize studio space donated from Amy Rose Productions and casting and talent management from HumanKind, and also receive sponsorship support from United Way of Central Massachusetts. Thanks to the dedication of our supporters, Unity Radio and Youth Unity are becoming a strong presence in Worcester.” Ernie himself has long been a presence in the city. In 1979, as a Boston English high graduate, he was offered more than 250 athletic scholarships and chose to play basketball at the College of the Holy Cross, where he was best known for a final-second buzzer-beater shot against the home team, Providence College, on network television. In 1984, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the fifth round then went on to play a year of professional ball in France. Returning home, he settled in Worcester and began working in ad sales for the local cable company. Despite the impressive network of friends and colleagues he had built in the city, however, Ernie faced a tremendous backlash in 1994 from certain Worcester residents over his initial efforts to create a community center for youth, with opponents changing zoning laws to block him and claiming he would bring a dangerous element to their neighborhood. In the face of so much wrath, he shifted his focus, but didn’t give up. “Having grown up in Roxbury during the 1970s, I know how important youth programs are to keeping kids out of trouble and keeping them alive,” Ernie says. “I wanted to fight for young people the way others had fought for me at that age. Thanks to my mother and many mentors who saw my potential, I was exposed to music, theater, art, and sports. Later, after college, I was invited to serve on the boards of nonprofits like You, Inc., the Boys and Girls Club of Worcester, and United Way of Central MA. Serving on the boards allowed me to learn about the operation of social services. I learned how to put youth first the way everyone put me first at that age. Now I see a lot of young Ernie Floyds out there who I can help.” After 31 years, Ernie has plenty of success stories to point to for the Worcester residents who originally tried to thwart his youth programs. Pride Productions alumni include Noeliz Irizarry, Principal of Burncoat Middle School in Worcester; Mike Connell, a Santander Bank Manager in Milford; and audio engineer Lisa Chamblee who worked with Prince, Tower of Power, and Bill Withers and is cofounder and COO of Reftone Speakers. Ernie beams when he talks about current participants as well, like 11-year-old Sian, who has an encyclopedic memory, or 11-year-old Angelo, who sang the national anthem at Celtics and Worcester Red Sox games. With his many connections and supporters in the city, including a partnership with Worcester’s Hanover Theater, Ernie helps the young reporters find opportunities to interview local and visiting VIPs. Some recent big names who have visited Unity Radio include the Tuskegee Airmen, the cast of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, the star of Respect – Aretha Franklin Tribute, and the viral sensation tap dancers the Syncopated Ladies. Youth interviews are turned into video clips on YouTube or audio clips for Unity Radio programs. “Through Unity Radio and Youth Unity, we are amplifying the diverse voices of the City of Worcester and beyond, while giving ambitious teens the chance to build a portfolio that showcases their work,” Ernie says. “At the same time, they’re learning teamwork, creativity, self-expression, and communication skills that extend beyond the studio — that help them develop their own place and networks in our city. Our shows are true community spirit, brought to life through social media and the airwaves.” Current needs at Pride Productions include funding/donations and tech-savvy volunteers to help manage the Youth Unity TV channel, social media, and website. For more information or to get involved, please contact Ernie Floyd at efloyd@pridepro.org or use the contact form at WUTY.org.
The Upward Project
Everyone loves success stories about hardworking students who earn full-ride scholarships to elite universities. And often it seems like the stories end there, with an imagined “happily ever after” of acing tests, graduating college, and slotting into well-paying careers. But it’s rarely that easy. How do you navigate the four-plus years it takes to get to that career when you’re the first in your family to go to college? How do you compete for internships and jobs when you can’t afford transportation to the interview, much less an apartment anywhere near the job? Who do you turn to when your family and friends at home don’t even understand the path you’re on? “Stepping foot on that campus was never about culture shock,” says Mindy Wright, Co-founder and Executive Director of The Upward Project, recalling her first year at Colby College. “Even though I was surrounded by many students that didn’t look like me at a predominantly white institution, it was mostly socioeconomic shock for me, just seeing the resources that others had access to that I didn’t. I couldn’t call home when a computer broke or get a tutor when I was struggling in Latin class. I didn’t even know I could drop the class to protect my grade point average.” “Fast forward to when I graduated and became an educator,” she continues. “After working as both a classroom teacher and as director of a college persistence program at a charter school, I kept asking myself why our top kids — valedictorians attending Ivy Leagues and other top-tier universities — were consistently ending up in lower-level jobs not aligned with their impressive degrees, skills, and ambitions?” The initial answer, Mindy explains, is the lack of connections. Students in The Upward Project (TUP) don’t come from backgrounds with a network of people working in the sectors and fields that they’re interested in pursuing. Without that network, it’s harder to learn about opportunities and internships. And even when they learn about an opportunity, cost can be a barrier. When she launched The Upward Project eight years ago, Mindy decided that the program would provide five years of financial assistance in addition to academic and career coaching, career skills workshops, and help with internship placements. Beginning with a two-week summer intensive session before freshman year, students are given a brand new laptop as well as a $500 stipend for books and essentials, plus $350 to spend on professional attire for interviews, internships, and conferences. For the remainder of their five years with TUP, they have access to $10,000 in discretionary funds to use as needed — perhaps to buy a bike to get around campus, or to pay for summer coding bootcamp, or to go on a ski trip with friends for a social and cultural experience. “We’re replicating the opportunities that many of their affluent peers have access to,” Mindy explains. “The money is theirs, but they fill out a quick Google form to request it so that we can help them budget and choose wisely. Over the five years, some of them use all of it, some use half, some a third; it just depends.” The Upward Project is currently serving 57 Scholars, a relatively small number compared to some of the large, national college success programs. “We are really intentional about the relationships we’re building with students,” Mindy comments. “We prioritize getting better over getting bigger. It’s more important to us to go deep with them and foster trust, rather than serving hundreds or thousands of students. We’re often the first phone call a student makes when they’re facing a difficult situation or when they have good news they’re excited to share.” TUP alumna Phuong Nhat Nguyen, who graduated from University of Southern California in 2021, recalls how much she needed that guidance. “I knew nothing about being a professional in the U.S.,” she says, “I grew up with a mother who didn’t speak English and worked factory jobs. We came from a lower-class family of artists and street vendors in Vietnam. But I learned how to dress, speak, and interact professionally at The Upward Project summer events. And it was an Upward Project connection that helped me secure my first job as well. Now, as a young legal professional in the tech industry, I look back on the summer events as my first lessons, though I didn’t realize how crucial they were at the time.” Law is just one of TUP’s targeted fields for their Scholars. “We’re specifically working with students to enter some of the more rigorous pathways that have higher barriers for first-generation and low-income students, such as STEM, law, healthcare, and business,” Mindy states. “Part of our mission is to disrupt the wealth gap in Boston, so we do everything we can to create economic mobility and wealth equity for our students. The average salary of our graduates the first year out of college is $65,000, as opposed to the $45,000 average for first-generation graduates. We help them analyze job offers, health coverage, 401ks, and stock options. And we pay for them to have a year of financial advising so they understand that it’s not just about getting a big paycheck. One of our students is about to become a first time homeowner, just three years out of college, because they’ve been saving and investing wisely thanks to the advice they’ve received.” Nate Francois, a TUP Scholar who will graduate from Northeastern University this spring, credits The Upward Project with his start in finance. “TUP made me feel comfortable asking for help, and I am grateful for that, given my transition to college was extremely difficult,” he says. “Last summer, I had the privilege of participating in the Advancing Black Pathways Fellowship at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and I collaborated with accomplished bankers and investors and was able to demonstrate my growth in both technical prowess and effective communication.” After proudly witnessing the career trajectories of ambitious TUP students like Nate Francois and Phuong
365Dad
Marv Neal was stunned after being denied custody of his son by the Department of Children and Families in 2008. “DCF made assumptions about me, without any knowledge of who I am,” he recalls. “I was married and a homeowner with a house full of kids. I came from an upstanding home with two parents. But they told me I had to prove myself, and the only way to gain their trust was to go through their fatherhood program. It really angered me. But I’d do anything for my children. So I signed up.” Not only did Marv complete the 13-week course, he ultimately decided to make it his life’s work. “It taught me so much,” he says. “On day one, I was a convert. I saw there was a lot I could learn from the Nurturing Fathers curriculum—aspects of parenting I had no experience with. For example, I grew up during a time when we were told that ‘boys don’t cry,’ and I argued with the instructor about my belief that boys always have to be strong. Then I began to understand how that message teaches boys to be desensitized and to hide their emotions.” Through the course, Marv realized how vital it was for men to be expressive and to take their place in their children’s lives. “A lot of fathers think the mother’s got it all taken care of, and their role is just to be a provider and disciplinarian,” he comments. “But it’s so much more than that, and families have much better outcomes when fathers get involved in their kids’ lives.” The program also sparked two important friendships for Marv as he got to know fellow parent Xavier Cardona and DCF employee Patrick Kromah. Together the three men created 365Dad Inc., a nonprofit organization that offers the 13-week Nurturing Fathers program and more. 365Dad offers four sessions a year of the Nurturing Fathers course, and since 2016 has been an official partner of DCF, the same agency that had challenged Marv in the beginning. Each group consists of up to 25 men (fathers, grandfathers, or any kind of father figure) who come together for a weekly two-hour meeting that includes dinner. Roughly 100 fathers complete all 13 weeks each year, and after their graduation, biweekly meetings help keep their relationships and commitments strong. In 2016, Marv also began broadcasting the message more widely through a radio show on the new Urban Heat 98.1 radio station, where he was Director of Marketing. Nine years later, the Sunday afternoon show is still going strong, Marv now owns the station, and he, Xavier, and Patrick have developed a couple of new programs for 365Dad. Currently in process is the Young Announcers program, which will help young people realize their dreams of working in media. They also created the Boys2Mentoring program to teach boys the fundamentals of becoming men. “We help boys understand that being a man doesn’t necessarily mean being tough,” Marv explains. “It can mean a bunch of things, not just one particular thing. A lot of times men are discounted for what they bring to the table, aside from money and discipline. Nurturing is a part of manhood, too. We don’t hear enough as men about how important that role is.” Sometimes Marv takes his teaching outside of the classroom to help participants see the profound changes they can create in their everyday lives, as in a story he tells about one memorable dad. “This big guy, 6-foot-3 with a football player physique, told the group a story about how he was raised. Whenever he acted up, his dad would put a foot in his chest. So that was how he was now disciplining his own son. But his son was constantly getting in trouble.” Marv had met the son and seen for himself that the boy seemed troubled. “So I asked the dad to meet me at the park,” Marv says. “I brought my son, and he brought his. I tossed the dad a football, which he immediately passed to his son, saying, ‘You kids go on and play.’” “I told him no, we were going to all play together, fathers and sons. Then, after a few tosses, I told him I’d be right back, and my son and I left them throwing the ball between just the two of them.” “I had never seen his son smile until then. The dad was laughing. Later, as we were leaving, he said it was the first time he had ever taken his child to the park and played with him. I said, ‘Don’t let it be the last.’ At the group the next week, he came over and hugged me, saying, ‘I don’t know what it was, but my son didn’t get in trouble all week.’” “That’s just the beginning, I told him. You’ve got a daughter too!” “Before the group,” Marv says, “I had no idea how to play with my kids either. But afterwards, I would play house with my daughter, sitting at the table with little cups, sipping tea. I even let her paint my nails!” “Understanding that children have voices—that was all new to me,” he continues. “We were always told children should be seen and not heard. But once you allow your children the opportunity to speak, you learn so much. It’s truly an amazing journey being a father.” Current needs at 365Dad include funding/donations and volunteers who can offer guidance in setting up technical systems and infrastructure, including bookkeeping and tax reporting. If you’d like to get involved, please use the 365Dad contact form or call 617-238-7105.
Think Outside the Vox
The Tactile Tour table was a creative highlight of the December 2024 Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Armed with costumes and props from the show, Ingrid O’Dell, Accessibility Coordinator from Think Outside the Vox (VOX), greeted guests with a chance to feel the damask fabric of a Victorian dress or the holly crown worn by the Ghost of Christmas Past. For Blind patrons in attendance, Ingrid described each of the textiles on the table, inviting guests to pick up and graze the pieces while she gave context about each item’s place in the storyline. Other members of the VOX team made sure theatergoers had show programs in braille or screen reader-friendly digital formats, as well as audio description (AD) headsets, and they greeted patrons in the lobby in ASL or sight-guided them to concessions or their seats. Through the headsets, professional audio describers provided live, play-by-play, physical details of actions and characters on the stage throughout the performance. Much as a language interpreter or sportscaster inserts commentary in the pauses, audio describers find gaps in the dialogue where they can add lines such as: “An elderly white man wearing a silk top hat and tailcoat enters from the left, ambling with a cane.” The VOX team also made sure patrons were comfortable, including reserved spaces for wheelchairs, collecting real-time suggestions, and helping coordinate rideshares pre- and post-show. ASL Vlogs and audio description wayfinding files were provided in advance and posted on social media by VOX and CSC. During the performance, an American Sign Language (ASL) team led by Sabrina Dennison, a Broadway-credited Director of Artistic Sign Language, (DASL) captured the storyline, characters, jokes, and singing visually in front of the stage. The ASL team even included a young Deaf-parented child signing for Tiny Tim. “Three patrons made a point of thanking us and letting us know how much they appreciated the ‘top-notch’ AD and Tactile Tour,” says Samantha (Sam) Gould Kriveshko, who cofounded VOX with Christopher (Chris) Robinson. “It’s all part of an anti-ableist perspective,” comments Chris. “It means we make the effort to stop approaching everything as ableists, just as an anti-racist works to remove racism from their thinking.” “We’re not just checking a box for compliance with disability laws anymore,” he continues. “It’s a paradigm shift. We’re covering the real experiences and impact of certain identities with disabilities through storytelling.” Sam and Chris have both been working in accessibility in the arts for 20+ years. In addition to her work with VOX, Sam is President of the all-volunteer nonprofit Open Door Theater, which she describes as “an integrated disability joy space where we train actors, captioners, audio describers, and ASL interpreters in a community theater setting—like a test kitchen for how we want to bring arts access to the rest of the community.” Since its founding in 1980, Open Door had a mission of inclusion of disabled cast members on stage but didn’t consider audience accommodations until 2006. Their music director that year was a SODA (sibling of a Deaf adult) who wanted to include ASL in the production. Sam consulted with Chris, a Broadway-credited expert ASL interpreter, and the two have collaborated ever since. “Chris and I had been doing the consulting work for free, under the Open Door umbrella, for the longest time because we couldn’t not let it be done and leave patrons without accommodations,” says Sam. “Then about three years ago, we decided we needed to do it properly. So we incorporated a nonprofit, Think Outside the Vox, specifically for consulting with other arts organizations and creating opportunities for disabled artists. We got our first grant from The Lenny Zakim Fund in 2023, and that opened the door to other grants and much-needed nonprofit management training. The benefits from LZF are beyond monetary, the access to nonprofit management resources and professionals and the connections made through LZF have been game changing.” “LZF really took a chance on us,” Chris adds. “Our mission is quite esoteric and hard to digest because of all of the things we’re doing. We were just a fledgling organization at that point, and having someone we could call for advice and questions was invaluable.” In 2022, VOX received an innovation grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to add greater cultural competence and higher quality access by training Blind/Low-vision Audio Describers while also incorporating BIPOC, AAPI, LGBTQIA+, disabled and neurodivergent community members. Upon completion of training, members of the AD cohorts trained by VOX start work in the field immediately and are mentoring the next group of emerging AD professionals. VOX is currently replicating this project in the Artistic Sign Language Space with Deaf professionals and emerging BIPOC ASL interpreters, thanks to an urgent response grant from Haymarket People’s Fund. “In 2024, we won a Performing Arts Award from the American Council for the Blind, for our innovation in Audio Description,” says Sam. “This work is truly changing the face of Audio Description in the Commonwealth, and in the sector as well, figuratively and literally. And it’s creating jobs. Amber Pearcy, for example, is a Blind consultant who quadrupled her income once we began emphasizing the importance of involving Blind experts in AD work. David Heard, a Black, single father and actor, wasn’t able to take a full run of a play because he had a toddler at home, but now he can do the bulk of the AD work at home and only has to be at the theater for three appearances for similar payscale.” “We’ve made a lot of progress, but it’s still really challenging,” comments VOX Marketing & Communications Manager Olivia Reinebach. “Producers can be very protective about what show details they’re willing to share and don’t want to give information to interpreters ahead of time. We’re collaborating with directors to create pauses where descriptions can fit in and to get creative and embed access in the artistic landscape of a play. We’re also working hard to promote all these performances
PSNNC
Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center “I was born and raised in Worcester, in the Pleasant Street neighborhood,” says Adriana Ojeda-Joslyn. “This is where I started my career, where I’ve raised my three children and fought for the resources they needed, and where I’ve always been proud to give back by working in social services. Now, I’m the lead organizer and executive director of PSNNC — the Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center — and it feels like it’s all come full-circle.” PSNNC was founded by a group of Pleasant-Piedmont area residents in 1997, nearly 30 years ago, but a lot of changes were set in motion when Adriana took over in 2022. The building they rented had only ever been used for evening meetings, and there was no heat, no comfortable space for hanging out, and no computers. “We needed a place for connection — for young people and new neighbors who’ve just arrived,” Adriana explains. “We realized we had a brick and mortar space we could be using more effectively, a home outside of the home. Now, we are the community living room!” “People stop by to warm up, have a snack, play cards, charge their phone, or send a fax,” she continues. “The things we do are often small but impactful. Someone can sit here for two hours just to have a place to belong or some room to breathe, whether that’s an elderly person who’s been feeling cooped up or a young person who just needs time out on their own.” The changes at PSNNC have been continuous over the past two years, including a remodel that is currently underway and a stronger emphasis on youth development. Just this past spring, PSNNC took over the administration of Cultural Exchange through Soccer (CETS), a multicultural program that brings together diverse groups of Worcester kids ages 6 to 18, year-round, to share their passion for soccer and learn about teamwork and leadership. The beloved program had a two-decade history of bridge-building and youth empowerment, but it came with a challenge: hosting the annual Worcester World Cup. Coordinating the movements of roughly 2,200 players (adults and youth), fans, volunteers, vendors, and musicians for this three-day event takes nearly a full year of planning. Teams represent 16 countries and all walks of life, and though all the players are Worcester residents, at least half of each team must descend from that country. As they compete at Worcester’s 4,000-seat Foley Stadium, they’re also raising money for CETS, making lifelong connections, and giving their friends and neighbors an occasion to celebrate their former home countries and share the food and music of other cultures. “It’s a proud tradition and an awesome celebration of Worcester’s multiculturalism,” says Adriana. “And the beautiful thing about soccer is that it’s known and loved in almost every culture, so it overcomes the language barrier.” Basketball, music, and arts programs at PSNNC also help bridge cultural and linguistic divides. Adriana makes a point of planning inclusive events, such as a winter solstice celebration, volunteer clean-up days in local parks, and a group project creating a map of Indigenous tribes in Massachusetts. With more young people involved now, PSNNC has created a Youth Advisory Council, comprised of four members this year. Council members meet twice a month during the nine-month school year, with a goal of building capacity and creating a local advocacy “zine” that they self-publish three times per year. Adriana comments that the young members’ energy and tech skills have been instrumental in the organization’s outreach and growth. “We’ve created a hub,” she says. “Last year, more than 600 residents came to the Center for services. We have an annual block party now, too, where you’re likely to hear dozens of languages being spoken among the 200 or so attendees. And the remodel will make our space even more inviting, with better access for wheelchairs and walkers and quiet spaces for neurodivergent people. There will also be privacy pods for telehealth appointments or other private phone calls or meetings.” All the recent changes are resident-informed and led, instigated by brainstorms and concerns voiced at the monthly Pleasant Street Area Community Team (PACT) meeting. “At first, I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Adriana says. “I haven’t had much formal education, but I looked for opportunities and had supportive female mentors who helped me along the way, as well as professional development from the Lenny Zakim Fund more recently. Also, we just received funding for a board retreat that will help us with capacity building.” Adriana’s first job was in a small community center, and she recalls thinking of ideas for what she would do “if she ever had her own community center.” She wanted to teach people how to fish, as the saying goes, and she had a vision of a welcoming space where neighbors could get to know the people they see at shops and in the parks every day. “Now, looking back, it feels like Did I really do that?” she laughs. “People have known me in this city for over 20 years, and now they’re stopping and congratulating me on the street. It feels really good. The impact PSNNC has is not just positive, but collective.” PSNNC is growing quickly and seeking new community partners, funders, donors, and volunteers, particularly those who can help with managing growth, board development, and tech support. If you’d like to get involved, please use the PSNNC contact page or write to psnnc@psnnc.org.