2017: The Year in Impact
It’s been a year of moments – some that have been months or even years in the making and some that took us completely by surprise.
In one of the most exciting news events we’ve heard this year, our “Youth Unleashed” Youth Venture team created an app that took them all the way to MassChallenge – a prestigious competition for startup funding that accepts only 8% of teams that apply.
After years of planning, we launched the Massachusetts Early Learning Alliance, a place for early education providers to combine forces and realize some serious purchasing power. For many, the savings they’ll achieve will enable them to keep their doors open – and to continue working on behalf our smallest and most vulnerable constituents.
Boston Builds Credit, the first-ever citywide credit building initiative, was launched this year as an effort to use credit building to promote financial resilience in Boston. This was welcome news for over 200,000 Boston residents who have poor or non-existent credit scores and subsequently pay higher interest and fees on mortgages, home insurance, car loans, and college financing, making upward mobility completely out of the question.
In August, we felt the power of community coming together in our first ever Project Homeless Connect – where more than 100 homeless families connected with resources and services to help them get back on their feet – from back to school backpacks and supplies for the kids, to financial checkups for parents, and dental screenings and haircuts for all.
There have been so many moments like these, and we wouldn’t be celebrating them if not for the support of our donors, volunteers, agencies and corporate partners. We’ll publish a story every day this month – join us as we celebrate our many moments of impact from this year!
Impact Story #1: Project Homeless Connect Launches!
Impact Story #2: Shared Services MA – Big Savings for Early Educators
Impact Story #3: Somersworth Ready Together Initiative
Impact Story #4: Thanksgiving Project 2017
Impact Story #5: Three MLH Superstars
Impact Story #6: Another Step Closer to Ending Family Homelessness
Impact Story #7: Financial Opportunity Centers Change Lives in 2017
Impact Story #8: Blockbuster Year for Granite Youth Film Festival
Impact Story #9: United Way and Red Cross Mobile Food Markets
Impact Story #10: Family Fund Distributions Keep Families Afloat in 2017
Impact Story #11: Community Baby Shower Helps More Families Than Ever in 2017
Impact Story #12: DRIVE Expands to Screen More Children For Early Delays
Impact Story #13: Boston Builds Credit Launches
Impact Story #14: AmeriCorps Reduces Dropout Rates in Lynn
Impact Story #15: Financial Coaching Expands to Help More Families
Impact Story #16: Youth Venture Teams Turn Problems Into Solutions
Impact Story #17: Women United Come Out in Force for Giving Tuesday
Impact Story #18: Universal Pre-K Initiative in Boston
Impact Story #19: Tackling Conflicts, Emotions, and Much More
Impact Story #20: Boston Homeless Census Turns a Point in Time into a Moment in Time
Impact Story #21: Working Families Network of MA Program Launches
Impact Story #22: Pay for Success is Reversing the Trend in Homelessness
Impact Story #23: Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Power of Healthy Snack Time
Impact Story #24: More Kids on the Seacoast are Ready for Kindergarten
Impact Story #25: A Unique Partnership Helps Kids Start School with Success
Impact Story #26: PE/VC Community Provides Unique Expertise to Help Families in Need
Impact Story #27: Increasing Summer Opportunities for Kids in the Merrimack Valley
Impact Story #28: Year in Impact: Real Estate Industry Raises $3M to End Homelessness