United Way of Massachusetts Bay

Our partnership with Eversource Energy goes back more than a decade. With corporate donations and the profound generosity of Eversource employees, we’ve invested more than $18 million and thousands of volunteer hours into our community. Every year, Eversource employees pack and distribute thousands of bags for the Gratitude Project. And on Giving Tuesday, Eversource doubles every donation, to support essential needs in our community. This week, we were happy to welcome Eversource employees to our office, with another generous donation - we are so grateful for thie partnership.

In Massachusetts, 1 in 19 children under age six faces homelessness, a situation that deeply affects their development. Horizons for Homeless Children works to counteract these impacts by providing safe spaces for children to play, learn, and grow—empowering them for school readiness and beyond. 🚸 🍎 🏫 ✏️ 🎒 As a United Way New Way Forward partner, Horizons for Homeless Children shares our mission of inclusive prosperity and economic stability. Their holistic approach supports homeless families overcoming challenges, offering education, emotional care, and family support through their Early Education Center, Playspace Program, Family Partnerships Program, and Policy & Advocacy. 👉 Read more about their incredible work and how they’re breaking the cycle of homelessness, one child at a time.👉 https://bit.ly/3Xp0d2D

🗣️ We’re elevating the voices of those who are leading the way to change. In our Because You Said So video series, we highlight how their insights are transforming our efforts. 📹 Tune in to our seventh video featuring Sarah Link, Senior VP of Early Education and Out-of-School Time, as she takes you through our progress on the community schools strategy. Because you said so, we’re building partnerships and securing resources to support learning and development, engaging families in shaping education strategies. By implementing the Community Schools strategy in Boston, Lynn, Salem, and Haverhill, we're making educational equity a reality for students and families across Massachusetts. Your voice drives this movement—keep saying so! #BecauseYouSaidSo #UWMB

Are you interested in joining a nonprofit board? Enroll in our Board Connection program! https://bit.ly/3MDQYq3 Whether it’s your first time on a board or you’re a veteran looking to hone your skills, this 4-part course has something to teach everyone. The training dives into everything from board governance to applying principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion and so much more. See what others have to say about their experience and register now! https://bit.ly/3MDQYq3

Congratulations United Way of Massachusetts Bay board of directors member, Sujata Yadav on her appointment to Chief Product Officer at Eastern Bank! Sujata chairs our Public Affairs Committee at UWMB. Sujata joined Eastern as senior vice president, consumer lending director in 2017 and was promoted to executive vice president, chief marketing officer in 2021. Congrats on this new role and ongoing commitment to community. For more information on our board go to unitedwaymabay.org

📺 Here’s a way to start your Monday! Our New Way Forward partner, Horizons for Homeless Children, is making a significant impact by promoting school readiness for hundreds of young children experiencing homelessness in Boston. They provide a safe and nurturing environment where children can play, learn, and grow. With over 200 children on their waitlist, Horizons is going above and beyond—building playrooms and learning spaces at shelters, hiring multilingual teachers, and offering essential social-emotional support to both children and families. Hats off to Horizons for their outstanding contributions to advancing equity, and prosperity in our communities, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive!

If you read anything today, read this story from our New Way Forward partner Catholic Charities of Boston and how they are creating educational and career pathways in #Lynn. 🎓💪 🎓”For Lesly, discovering a flexible and supportive program like Catholic Charities North’s HiSET class was a dream come true, allowing her to identify and harness her academic strengths, earn her degree, and find trusted mentors who continue to support her in pursuing career opportunities.” 🎓Graduate Manuel Pagan, who spoke at Thursday’s ceremony, recently completed Catholic Charities North’s HiSET CIES program – a goal he has been striving to achieve for the past decade. As the father of seven children, he said he struggled for many years to prioritize his own education and career. It wasn’t until he connected with CareerWorks instructor Ana Stipanovic that Manuel said he truly realized the value of taking accountability, even when times are hard. As a student at Catholic Charities North, Manuel said he not only found a strong support system but developed a new confidence that he had never experienced in an academic setting” #newwayforward #becauseyousaidso

Kick off the day with Julie Beckham from Rockland Trust. She is the creator of the award-winning 'Ms. Money & the Coins® known for her engaging and entertaining approach to financial education. Julie joins us as the morning kickoff speaker to prepare you for the workshops ahead. This year’s Summit promises to be a powerful exploration of financial education as a lifelong journey, leveraging digital tools in the classroom, and empowering communities to break cycles of poverty. Get ready for engaging sessions, practical workshops, and plenty of opportunities to connect and learn.

Creating pathways for youth while advancing thriving, equitable communities! You can bet the farm 😉 that this initiative from our New Way Forward partner La Colaborativa is an innovative way to do both. 🌽🥕

💙🗣️ At the heart of our renewed philanthropic approach is a commitment to listening to community voices—those already driving change. Our “Because You Said So” video series highlights how we’re turning these valuable insights into tangible actions. 💬📹 Check out our sixth video featuring Juan P. Bonilla Santiago, MPP, our Senior Vice President for Economic Inclusion and Wealth Building, and see how we're reimagining the Boston Build Credit Initiative to give residents a direct voice in shaping strategies and decisions in terms of credit score as a tool to upward mobility. 📣 Because you said so, your voices are driving our work to achieve economic justice through systems change. Watch now!!!