Happy Earth Day from SMOC!

Happy Earth Day from SMOC! On April 21^st, the team had a great time picking up trash from five different sites around the Downtown Framingham area as part of Keep Framingham Beautiful's Great Framingham Cleanup 2.0. Thank you to our staff teams, our superstar maintenance team, and the KFB team for your inspiration and partnership!

Grand Opening of Anchored in Recovery

City leaders, state officials, and SMOC CEO Susan Gentili were among the huge crowd that attended the opening of SMOC’s Anchored in Recovery program on Wednesday, March 23^rd. Anchored in Recovery, which is located in a beautiful facility in downtown Framingham, offers peer-to-peer recovery support services in a place where our Recovery Community can grow within a supportive, safe, and judgment-free environment. We appreciate that the state chose SMOC and the city of Framingham for one of only 15 such facilities in Massachusetts! Anchored in Recovery is located at 19 Concord St. Framingham.

Green Jobs Academy Grand Opening

Our recent Green Jobs Academy grand opening, held on Monday, October 25, was a great success. The event was attended by Representative Maria Robinson, Representative Carmine Gentile, Senator Jamie Eldridge, and Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant to kick-off the relocation of GJA in Marlborough, MA.

Previously based in Worcester, the new facility now occupies over 6,000 square-feet of classroom, office, and lab/training space. GJA’s new centralized location provides easier access and ample space for trainers, staff, and students – both local and out-of-state. The state-of-the-art learning space will allow participants to engage in hands-on learning and training simulations and will increase GJA's capacity for live trainings, online learning, and to facilitate online certification testing.

Annual Report 2021

VIEW IT HERE.

CLICK HERE for Emergency Housing Assistance During COVID-19

Begin the process by visiting the HCEC page. Due to the large increase in the number of applications to our rental and mortgage relief programs, our response time (not approval time) to applicants is taking longer than usual. We appreciate your patience while our staff reviews the applications in the order in which they were received.

Black Lives Matter

In the wake of the recent murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, Oluwatoyin "Toyin" Salau, Rayshard Brooks, and countless other Black men, women, and children I have been dedicating my time to listening and reflecting on the long historical impact of racial injustice. It is a national tragedy and we must be united in standing up against all forms of racism and oppression.

All Black Lives Matter. Social and economic justice are at the core of our mission at SMOC and we plan on continuing to carry out that mission with actions that match our words. Going forward we remain committed to redoubling our efforts to identify and dismantle systemic racism both inside and outside our walls. We stand with the entire Black Community – We must protect, uplift, and amplify diversity and inclusion for our Black men, women, children, and LGBTQ+ community.

Listed below are some of the actions SMOC is and will be taking:

• We will operationalize our Diversity, Access, Inclusion, and Equity Committee based on the framework developed by the pilot group in 2020. The committee will help guide our continued efforts as an agency to provide leadership and facilitate conversations on matters of social justices.
• We are holding workshops for our staff to directly address the trauma brought on by racism, police brutality, and racially-motivated violence.
• Our board has recommitted to emphasizing diversity and inclusion in board recruitment and nomination practices and by partnering with community educators and organizers to ensure the board reflects the diverse communities we serve.
• The Framingham Community & Cultural Center, along with its community partners, will offer support, resources, and programs to young people who will become the next generation of social and racial justice leaders.

The Margaret Fund

SMOC has established a fund in honor of our beloved employee of 50 years, Margaret Davitt, who passed away in May of 2020.

Margaret did many things during her fifty years with SMOC, starting as a street outreach counselor, serving as the organization's Deputy Director of Programs for a period of time, overseeing Head Start and Child Care programs for decades, and retiring from the Common Ground Resource Center. She dearly loved the role of Detox Nurse, which she held for many years.

Most importantly, Margaret was the spiritual center of the SMOC universe. She was also a notoriously 'soft touch' throughout her entire career, often helping people with a few dollars for gas money, a few more for a car repair or other item that would help someone to get back on their feet.

In that spirit, The Margaret Fund will provide small grants to assist people in achieving or maintaining self-sufficiency. To those who are able, please consider donating whatever you can.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Margaret Fund, PLEASE CLICK HERE and specify that your gift is in memory of Margaret Davitt or to support The Margaret Fund in the drop down menu. Or, mail a check to SMOC, memo line "The Margaret Fund", 7 Bishop Street, Framingham, MA 01702.

COVID 19 Crisis Resources List

The SMOC Team has compiled a listing of information and resources to aid individuals and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guide is organized by municipality, and contains contact information for local food pantries, sexual and domestic violence support services, school schedules, fuel assistance, and more.

Download our RECOVERY RESOURCES HERE