Western Mass EDC and Springfield WORKS Host Press Event
Springfield WORKS, a community-wide initiative with The Western Mass Economic Development Council (EDC) invite the community and elected officials to their press event and community conversation to share the results of the second Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant. Funding from this grant is helping to facilitate systemic socioeconomic changes in the city of Springfield, MA.
As part of the $500,000 Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant awarded in January 2023, Springfield WORKS, with eight sub-grantee partners conducted assessments to Springfield residents who are justice-system involved. The intention was to learn how to address the challenge that nearly half of people with criminal backgrounds are still jobless a year after leaving prison and that 40% of previously incarcerated individuals and families impacted by incarceration reported that they did not know how or where to connect to local resources. The results of the assessments have been analyzed and we are inviting the community to look at some of the key takeaways and hear from participants directly at their press event.
Who: The Western Mass EDC and Springfield WORKS
What: The Western Mass EDC and Springfield WORKS invite the community to share an exclusive first look at the key takeaways and learnings from grant award
When: Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023, from 1-2:30pm
Where: TD Bank Room, 1441 Main Street, Downtown Springfield, MA
The press event will include light refreshments, a community voices panel, and a brief program to discuss the findings and the important next steps.
“Residents let us know that they want to work, but that accessing programs and services that support the “Whole Family” is extremely complex,” said Anne Kandilis, Director of Springfield WORKS. “Our goal is to reduce barriers to employment by connecting resources to support economic and family well-being.”
“We appreciate the partnership with Secretary Hao and the Healy-Driscoll administration in innovative programming for justice-involved individuals and families,” said Rick Sullivan, President and CEO of the Western Mass EDC.
EDC’s mission is to deliver the services and business resources that will enable companies to thrive in Western Massachusetts while improving the region’s economy and lifestyle through the creation of quality jobs and enhanced public and private investment. Local businesses influence local households, which in turn affect the local economy; the EDC hopes to maintain this influential cycle with their efforts to mitigate this relocation effort.
Media are invited to attend. Please contact Meghan Rothschild at meghan@chikmedia.us or 413.218.4994 for more information.