SMOC Highlights

Our 2022 Annual Report is here and ready for you to read! Click here to download a PDF copy.

Every three years, our Board of Directors reviews SMOC’s agency mission statement. In March 2022, we held a series of five group discussions with staff randomly selected from across the agency to get feedback on both our mission statement and tagline. At the conclusion of a series of meetings, we developed an amalgam of the group’s proposals. As we hoped, this process resulted in a mission statement and tagline that truly reflect the vision and values of the agency.

Need assistance with winter heating bills? Learn more here or contact (508) 620-1231

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.

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 we have been dedicating our 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.

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.

Did you know that every event we hold is posted on our events page of the SMOC website? If you are interested in our upcoming events, click here!

Overview

Founded in 1965 as part of the Federal “War on Poverty,” The South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) is an umbrella organization that works in the community to provide opportunities to enhance self-sufficiency and to create a safety net when short term and/or continuing support are needed. SMOC is the designated community-based anti-poverty agency for one city and nine towns in the Metrowest area and is headquartered in downtown Framingham, convenient to transportation and additional services.

As a multi-service agency, SMOC is in a unique position to provide integrated community-based services recognizing that the lives of individuals and families are complex and that needs are inter-related. As a community action agency, we also seek to create new opportunities for self-sufficiency through community advocacy on both a local and statewide level.

Over the past 45 years, the agency has evolved to meet a wider range of challenges that people living in the community face. Our five major areas of programming include: Behavioral Health Services; Economic Development, Education, Employment & Workforce Development Services; Energy & Financial Assistance Services; Family & Nutrition Services; and Comprehensive Housing Services.

Starting in 1998 the agency expanded its mission to address the housing and supportive service needs of homeless and at risk single adults in Middlesex, Worcester and Hampden Counties. In 2004 we affiliated with the People in Peril Social Service Agency (now the Greater Worcester Housing Connection). In 2009 we affiliated with the Open Pantry Community Services organization in Springfield.

In 2011 we began providing administrative and management services to the Lowell Transitional Living Center, and in 2012 we affiliated with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Business Empowerment Center, an economic development organization located in Worcester.

Essential to the effectiveness of SMOC is the involvement of various segments of the community in the policy and decision making process of the organization.

SMOC is governed by a 30-member Board of Directors that is drawn from the various sectors of the communities we serve. The agency also utilizes the expertise and counsel of several advisory boards and groups specific to our affiliated organizations.

SMOC guarantees high quality, accessible, individualized, culturally appropriate services to any individual regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or ability to pay for services.

SMOC programs apply known best practices in environments that are client-centered, strength-based and trauma-informed.

SMOC'S MISSION
South Middlesex Opportunity Council will improve equity, wellness and quality of life for diverse individuals and families by providing advocacy, education, and a wide range of services; building a community of support and inclusion; and creating awareness to combat poverty through partnerships and coalitions with other organizations.