Lights Camera Action
.
.
inc.
a spotlight on our first forty years
1967
August 1967 -- Pre-schoolers from Maplewood Park enjoy a visit to
Plum Cove beach. They were participating in an Action-sponsored summer
program which provided weekly outings for children.
Action Inc Annual Report / 2005
Lights.Camera.
Action
inc.
Forty Years of Real Life Stories
Every story has a hero or a heroine, usually an ordinary person who is called upon to
do the extraordinary. More times than not, he or she is required to do something
impossible in the face of limited resources. That’s why we all love to watch movies and
Contents
read novels. We are inspired by the human ability to engage the difficult, to meet challenges and obstacles head on, and to be transformed by the experience.
Finances
Departments
Advocacy ................................................1 Funders of Action............................10
Over the last forty years, Action, Inc. has witnessed the collective, courageous stories
Housing ..................................................2 Contributing to Action ................11
that bind Cape Ann into a seafaring community of heroic individuals who have
Energy Assistance ..............................3 Planning & Development ..........12
weathered life’s difficulties together. One story and one person at a time, we have creHomecare ..............................................7 Statistical Snapshot ........................12
ated a history of community transformation.
COMPASS Youth Program ..........8
Yet, haven’t we all watched a movie in which we knew the hero or heroine couldn’t go
Employment & Training ................9 An Action Timeline ........................5
on alone and desperately needed help? As Action looks back over the years, we see
that our role in the Cape Ann community has been that of the unforeseen but essential helping hand that reaches out at a pivotal time. We have dedicated ourselves to
encouraging ordinary men and women to become the heroes and heroines of their
own life stories, and we have tried to empower people to overcome the obstacles that
threaten their well-being and the well-being of those they love.
A wide range of obstacles can face an Action client, like needing new employment
due to a layoff, or requiring job training in order to keep the family intact and financially afloat. Other challenges, such as a single mother facing the threat of eviction
because she couldn’t make the month’s rent, are too common. In the most severe
crises, people face homelessness and the possible exile from all they once loved and
Joe Palazola
called home.
Over the years we’ve met the elderly man or woman struggling to live in dignity, who
could no longer be self-sufficient. We’ve befriended the unwed teenage mother who
had to grow up in a hurry, as well as create a future and a hope for her unborn child.
Beneath all the stories is a common denominator: the courage of the person facing the
challenge. A hero or heroine is able to do the impossible because of his
or her character and determination to create positive change in an
impossible situation. But no one expects them to do it alone. It is the
caring response of an entire network of people who make the story a
powerful and transformative one for everyone involved.
Peter Anastas, our long-time Housing and Advocacy Director who
retired two years ago in order to write full-time, explained it better than
I can in his book, Broken Trip. Tapping into decades of personal experience working at Action, Peter’s book is a story about ordinary men and
women of Gloucester and Cape Ann who struggled to pull their lives
back from the edge. The title of Peter’s book comes from local slang for
L.Denton Crews
an unprofitable fishing voyage, which he uses as an apt metaphor to
describe the storms and struggles people who live in poverty must
Bill Rochford
endure.
In this year’s annual report, we present each of our departments in terms of the obstain the photos
cles and challenges their clients face and what Action, Inc. has done to help them
transform the situation into a story of hope and self-sufficiency.
Ernestine Rogers: Founder
As the Director of Public Welfare, Ernestine Rogers saw the devastating impact
In celebration of our fortieth anniversary, you’ll notice we created a timeline of signifof poverty in Gloucester first hand and was able to identify and articulate the
icant events, and we’ve also highlighted individual departments with a “milestones”
needs of the community. With funding from the Economic Opportunity Act,
section. We include an old circa-1970 press release -- entitled “The Beginning” -her vision became a financial framework that launched the community action
which describes Action’s founding. It’s our way of spotlighting the last forty years and
initiative we now call Action, Inc.
honoring the work of some extraordinary people who spent their lives building the
photo on opposite page
foundation upon which we now stand.
Joe Palazola: 1965-1968
This fortieth year, we raise a toast to the founder of Action, Ernestine Friend Rogers
Originally appointed by Ernestine Rogers to do the preliminary proposals and
administrative development of Youth Corps and Head Start, Joe Palazola later
and to Joe Palazola, Action’s first Executive Director. It is because of their vision that
became the first executive director who created and built the foundation of
we can look forward to another forty years of real life stories that will inspire us to conAction, Inc.
tinue taking Action.
1966
1965
1968
1973
L. Denton Crews: 1968-1973
An ordained minister who was interested in human services, Denton Crews was
hired to take Action, Inc. to the second stage of community action by identifying
and developing essential community programs.
William Rochford: 1973 – present
Originally hired in 1967 as Action’s first Community Organizer, Bill Rochford
later became the executive director and for over thirty years, he has inspired the
Action staff to help him meet the growing needs of both the community and the
agency. Under his leadership, Action has become the bedrock of community services in Cape Ann.
William Rochford
Executive Director Action, Inc.
The Action, Inc. Annual Report / 2005
Editor: Ed’Veeje Fairchild
Design: Michael Ronan Graphics
Photos used in this document provided by The Gloucester Daily Times,
Action, Inc., and Shawn Henry. Very special thanks to Shawn for contributing
his time and expertise to this publication.
For immediate release
re: Incorporation of “Action, Inc.”
The Beginning
Ernestine Rogers
Action’s Mission
Action improves the quality of life for low-income residents
of our community by minimizing the effects of poverty,
promoting economic security, and advocating for social
change. Founded in 1965 under the Office of Economic
Opportunity, today Action continues to:
•Develop employment opportunities, improve human
performance, motivation, and productivity while bettering
the conditions under which people live, learn, and work.
•Mobilize resources, public and private, in order to reduce
poverty.
•Develop and administer programs with maximum feasible
participation of residents of the areas served.
Action’s approach is comprehensive, addressing all aspects
of a person’s well-being. Services are coordinated with
colleague agencies to avoid duplication and enhance benefits.
All services are delivered in the spirit of promoting self-esteem,
empowerment, and confidence.
No right-thinking country ever started a war with joyous shouts of enthusiasm and praise, except one. In
the fall of 1964, the Congress of the United States
declared war on poverty by passing the highly imaginative and promising Economic Opportunity Act.
At about the same time, a welfare department director, an ex-Coast Guard Commander, and a young engineer, living in an east coast city plagued by economic depression, wondered together how they might
bring the war on poverty to Gloucester and Cape Ann.
The answer was not long in coming. Ernestine Friend,
the welfare head, Bill Akers, a former military officer, and Joseph Palazola, a football star turned engineer, wrote a thick paged proposal to the newly formed
Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington requesting several thousand dollars to pay unemployed
teenagers to work at jobs in libraries, schools,
parks, and playgrounds. They began the Neighborhood
Youth Corps in the attic of Gloucester’s City Hall and
provided jobs, counseling, classes, and encouragement
to youngsters often considered hard-to-reach.
Encouraged by a good beginning, the trio then formed
a non-profit corporation with a local board of directors drawn from Rockport, Gloucester, and Essex. The
Community Action Committee of Cape Ann, Inc. received
a grant from O.E.O. for planning and conducting an
extensive anti-poverty program for all of Cape Ann.
One of the first projects sponsored by the Community
Action Committee was a summer Head Start Project, a
pre-school for youngsters who needed assistance in
order to be school-ready by the beginning of the fall.
Today the Community Action Committee has a new name
and a new territory. Action, Incorporated is the new
name of the agency and the new territory includes five
cities and towns including Gloucester, Rockport,
Manchester, Essex, and Ipswich. The main office is
located in Gloucester
1985
1
40 Years
of Action
advocacy
Lisa Hartnett, Director
Key Staff:
Jeanne Cullen,Esq.
Stella Mae Seamans, Housing Loan Specialist
Client Obstacles:
Cape Ann families are at-risk, and often in crisis, due to an unstable economy which lim
its full-time employment that includes adequate health care benefits. The lack of afford
able housing is compounded by threats of job loss and eviction. This cycle often results in
homelessness and family dissolution.
Our Challenge:
We provide those at risk with the opportunities and tools for problem-solving, as well a
access to emergency services such as shelter and rent, mortgage, and utility arrearage pay
ments. We also provide legal assistance in dealing with evictions, loss of public benefits
divorce, custody, and support payment issues. In addition to these services, our challeng
is to empower individuals and families to become more stable and self-sufficient by pro
viding case management and budget, financial, and income maintenance counseling.
Community Achievements:
During an Action legal clinic, attorney Fairlie Dalton
assists clients with their rental and housing problems.
• 666 clients received advocacy and housing services
• 296 clients received (non-housing related) self-sufficiency services
• 247 clients maintained their tenancies through advocacy services
• 260 children from 150 families received assistance through Project Uplift
• 150 households received Get the Lead Out Program information and referral
• 128 clients received referrals to local agencies for financial assistance
• 106 clients received family law services
• 91 clients received case management services
• 41 clients received education about their tenant rights
• 40 clients received helpline services for family stability issues
• 25 clients attended housing clinics
• 20 clients received direct family law representation
• 17 households obtained Get the Lead Out Program financing
• 17 clients received one on one counseling in order to achieve personal goals
• 7 clients received assistance through the Pro Se Divorce clinics
• 4 clients received direct representation in eviction defense
Milestones
November 2002
Peter Anastas retires after 30 years of service as the Director of
Advocacy and Housing. His job is divided into two new positions;
Lisa Hartnett assumes the role of Director of Advocacy and Ralph
Johnson is made Director of Housing.
January 2003
Jeanne Cullen is hired as Action’s attorney. Jeanne replaces the
AmeriCorp attorney who handled Family Law issues and adds a
housing component to legal services.
2004
For over thirty
years Peter Anastas
developed and
directed Action’s
Housing and Advocacy
Department.
May 2004
Legal services are expanded to include clinics for both housing and
family law services. Clinics allow clients an opportunity to meet
with an attorney one on one to discuss their issues, fill out the
necessary legal paperwork, and receive legal advice.
September 2004
Advocacy Department receives approval from the Rockport
Community Preservation Committee to institute a Tenant-Based
Rental/Mortgage Assistance Program which provides rental subsidies and case management services to qualified Rockport residents.
April 2005
Jeanne Cullen joins other legal services housing attorneys with a
new project called the Northeast Housing Court Mediation
Project which provides on-site legal assistance for clients facing
eviction in housing court.
“Broken Trip is really a book I couldn’t have written unless I’d worked at Action for
30 years, because working at Action took me into the heart of the culture of poverty in Gloucester, and few people have had that experience. And I felt it was my
responsibility as a writer to write about it.”
-- Gloucester Daily Times (April 20, 2004)
Article by Greg Cook
housing
housing
2
40 Years
of Action
Ralph Johnson, Director
Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA)
Quality Employment Services and Training (QUEST)
Client Obstacles:
People who are diagnosed with AIDS are not only faced with a life-threatening
disease, but with being ostracized by their communities and even their families.
Many of them must dramatically change lifestyles as they endure complex medical treatments compounded by severe emotional stress.
Our Challenge:
A disproportionate number of individuals live with AIDS in Essex County and
are in need of housing and other social services. Action’s challenge was to locate
a central housing facility and ten scattered apartment sites throughout Essex
County for individuals and families living with HIV and AIDS. We also needed to
develop an employment and training program that would enable these individuals to become self-sufficient while living with the physical complications of their
illness.
Community Achievements:
• Action purchased a central housing site for six previously homeless families
• 10 scattered site apartments have been filled with residents for over a year
• 6 clients were employed as a result of training and placement
• 2 clients have enrolled as full time students at
North Shore Community College
• 1 client received training, is employed full time, is fully self-sufficient
A resident of Action’s apartment building on Prospect Street
in Gloucester. She is also a participant in the Employment and
Training Program.
action shelter
1988
Ralph Johnson, Director
Key Staff: Jim Noble, Shelter Manager
Heidi Herrick, Case Manager
Client Obstacles: Job loss, lack of affordable housing, and increasing substance abuse and mental health issues are just some of the obstacles being faced by
a growing number of men and women who are homeless or at risk of becoming
homeless and in need of immediate shelter.
Our Challenge: Failure to address this need would result in more homeless
men and women on the street, increased substance abuse and crime, greater pressure on mental health and substance abuse programs, and actual risk of death for
homeless men and women. Action will continue to maintain a twenty-bed emergency shelter that provides a warm bed, two meals a day, substance abuse and
mental health counseling, health services, job training, job development and
housing search services.
Community Achievements:
These photos capture several stages
of the addition made to the Action
shelter in 1988.
• 212 clients received emergency shelter and referrals
• 200 clients received additional on-site services
• 110 clients received multiple on-site services
• 53 clients received service placements
• 46 clients secured stable housing
• 35 clients received housing case management
• 16 clients maintained sobriety for six months or longer
• 12 clients received medical services
• 12 clients received enhanced case management for a full year after relocation
• 3 clients utilized Department of Mental Health services
3
40 Years
of Action
energy assistance
Elliott Jacobson, Director
1948
Key Staff:
Rita Carvalho – Assistant Energy Director
Craig Brown – Director Conservation Services
Marie Sanviti – Fuel Assistance/LASER Director
Cindy Schimanski – Office Manager
Cristine Sears – Program Assistant
Jean Pomeroy – Administrative Assistant
Patti Mitchell – Administrative Assistant
Austin Sheatsley – Building Performance Specialist
Joe Hachey – Building Performance Specialist
Dan Valianti – Building Performance Specialist and WRAP Coordinator
Paul Bennett – Multi-Family Coordinator
Jackie Lovasco – Intake Supervisor/WRAP Manager
Denise Bacon – LASER Coordinator
Judy Cote – Fuel Assistance Intake Worker
Valerie Scola – Receptionist
Amanda Madeira – Receptionist and Administrative Assistant
Maris Salinsky – On Track Program MSW
2005
Client Obstacles:
An increasing proportion of low income families cannot afford their energy bills. Energy costs can often
range upwards of 50% of their household income during the winter months. Many families are forced to
choose between meeting their increasing housing costs, as well as heating and electricity, or purchasing
automobile gas or paying for prescription medicines.
Our Challenge:
The energy program seeks to help families overcome these obstacles by making energy more affordable
through weatherization, electricity efficiency as well as fuel discounts, bill payments, budget counseling,
and referrals to appropriate social service providers.
Community Achievements:
• 1498 households received fuel assistance
The Action Energy building. Top photo
taken circa-1950, and bottom photo
taken in March of 2005.
This historic building originally served as the Grand Army of the Republic
(GAR) Colonel Allen Post 45. It dates to the Civil War period, and still
bears a replica of its original title placard on its front side.
• 3963 households were served statewide by energy weatherization and conservation contracts
• 955 households received KEYSPAN Weatherization Program
assistance through statewide subcontractors
• 506 households received assistance from Action through
Massachusetts Electric Company programs
• 319 households received assistance through HEARTWAP
(Heating System Emergency Repair and Replacement Program)
• 289 households received assistance from Action through KEYSPAN Weatherization Program
• 219 households received assistance through DOE
(Department of Energy) Weatherization Assistance Program
• 193 clients received assessments and developed plans to improve current income situations,
living situations, and contracts to receive services through the LASER Program
(Leveraging Assets for Self-Sufficiency through Energy Resources).
• 182 households received assistance through Citizen’s Energy Discount Oil Purchase Program
• 33 apartment units received weatherization, heating system replacement, energy efficiency
rehabilitation and deleading through WRAP (Weatherization, Rehab, and Asset Preservation).
• Massachusetts Technology Collaborative: Over the next four years, the Energy Department and
Action for Boston Community Development will partner with each other to implement a s tatewide,
ten million dollar renewable energy initiative. A portion of the funding will be provided by three
windmill sites. This initiative will include advanced energy efficiency measures, renewable energy
projects, and a feasibility study on bringing alternative technologies to low-income households.
1985
Energy Director Elliott Jacobson, shortly
after his program moved to its present
location on Washington Street in Gloucester
40 Years
of Action
2005
4
Milestones
1983
Action’s mobile energy
education vehicle - “SunTrek.”
Thousands of clients receive efficiency and affordability services every year from our continued efforts
to excel in pioneering energy affordability. Each year
over thirteen million dollars in energy affordability
services is provided directly through Action. An additional thirty-two million dollars in energy affordability services is provided through the network founded
by the Energy Department of Action. This milestone
box captures the highlights of our development as a
national leader in energy affordability.
1977
Fuel Assistance Program begins under Community
Services Administration.
Weatherization Assistance Program begins under
Community Services Administration.
Department of Labor (CETA) provides all labor.
An Energy Program client at her Gloucester
home. In the background, an Action contractor
completes an insulation installation.
1978
Agency creates and manages 2 solar green houses,
as well as completes 20 alternative energy client
installations (Federal grant and National Center for
Appropriate Technology funding).
1979
Fuel Assistance funding increases under Health and
Human Services.
Weatherization Assistance Program moves to new
Department of Energy and receives increased funding along with program labor management.
1979 - 1981
“Sun Trek” energy bus is developed under state grant
and tours New England under Federal grant.
1981 - 1985
Consumer energy education begins through state
energy office. Energy library is established.
1982
Weatherization Assistance Program initiates use of
private contractors to install weatherization materials
and heating systems.
1983
Agency wins Best Community Energy Education
Award at Canadian/USA competition in Quebec City.
1986
State commits heating system funding (Home Energy
Assistance Retrofit Task) under Fuel Assistance
Program.
1986 – 1993
Agency wins grant from State Energy Office to operate moderate income 0% loans throughout Essex
County.
Agency wins grant from State Energy Office to operate non profit building 0% loan program in Essex
County
1991
Agency expands weatherization service area to
Haverhill territory.
1994 – Present
Agency wins grant to act as coordinator for
Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance
Program utility funding.
Agency hires National Consumer Law Center as network legal representative, which ultimately results in
14 million dollars in electric services and 7 million
dollars in gas services annually, totaling $150 million
dollars in services for low income residents during
the past decade.
1996
Agency expands weatherization and Home Energy
Assistance Retrofit Task to Lynn and Peabody
territories.
1996 – Present
Agency helps form National Low-income Energy
Peer Exchange (Funded by Energy Foundation) to
help ensure low income affordability programs are
enhanced and expanded during electric and gas
restructuring.
1996 – Present
Agency forms and chairs Low Income Energy
Affordability Network to coordinate, enhance, and
standardize utility programs with existing public
programs.
1997 – Present
Agency negotiates and then acts as lead vendor for
Massachusetts Electric Company, Nantucket Electric
Company, Granite State Electric Company (New
Hampshire), and Narragansett Electric Company
(Rhode Island) now totaling over 8 million dollars
in services annually through 15 sub agencies.
Agency negotiates and then acts as lead vendor for
Keyspan (Boston, Colonial, and Essex County Gas)
now totaling $3.2 million dollars in services annually
through 16 sub agencies.
2003 - Present
Agency negotiates and then acts as lead vendor for
Keyspan (New Hampshire) totaling $333 thousand
annually through two New Hampshire Community
Action Program agencies.
Agency operates Keyspan’s On-Track Program for
case management.
Agency wins National demonstration grant through
Health and Human Services to bring case management to Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LASER: Leveraging Assets for SelfSufficiency through Energy Resources).
2004 - Present
Action’s Energy Director named to Department of
Energy National Energy Efficiency Board to advise
Department of Energy Secretary and Congress.
Agency wins National Demonstration grant from
the Ford Foundation to bring rehabilitation [funded
by HUD and banks] and case management to
Weatherization Assistance Program (WRAP:
Weatherization Rehab Asset Preservation Program).
Agency negotiates and operates Massachusetts
Technology Collaborative program to bring energy
resources, extra high innovative energy measures,
and rehabilitation to Weatherization Assistance
Program and utility conservation programs.
2004
Agency and Low Income Energy Affordability
Network win award from American Council for an
Energy Efficient Economy for its accomplishments
in Energy Affordability
5
40 Years
of Action
Action timeline
1965
1970
1975
1980
ENERGY
Joe Palazola, Action’s
1st Executive Director
L. Denton Crews,
Action’s 2nd
Exeutive Director
The Action Energy Program
Bill Rochford, Action’s
3rd Executive Director
•Fuel Assistance •Weatherization
See Pages 4 & 5 for program details.
Retired Senior
Volunteer
Program (RSVP)
CETA Program
Home Health Aid
Housing & Advocacy
Mainstream
Head Start
Gloucester
Senior Center
Public
Transportation
Program
Employment and Training
Fisherman’s Wives
Association
Initiated Public Transportation
for the Handicapped and Elderly
Neighborhood Youth Corp.
Meals on
Wheels
Rent-a-Kid
Child Development
Programs
Senior Care, Inc.
USDA Food
Commodities
Action’s first headquarters,
14 Pleasant St., Gloucester
Action re-locates to
24 Elm Street in Gloucester
circa 1960
Aerial photo of inner harbor and
Gloucester which hung on the wall
Central Grammar Apartments
Cape Ann
Food Bank
Rooming House
40 Years
of Action
this timeline identifies many of the programs and services
that Action, Inc. has initiated and maintained since 1965.
985
1990
1995
2000
2005
6
Welfare to Work
Health Industry Career Program
Project
Acievement
Project Uplift
Action Shelter
Compass Youth Program
Supported Work Options
The Computer Center
Furniture Barn
Family Law Assistance
Adult Basic Education
Get the Lead Out Program GED Program
Adult Foster Care
Gloucester Home
Buyers Group
Community
Development
Corporation
Farmers Market
Housing Opportun
for Persons with AID
(HOPWA)
America
Reads
Fishing Families in Transition
English as a Second Language Program
Community Food
and Nutrition
College
Scholarship
Program
Action relocates to
180 Main St., Gloucester
2005
40 Years
of Action
Homecare
GerryAnne Brown, Director
Key Staff:
Lisa Murrin, Office Manager
Marilyn Goveny, Scheduler
Beth Tomaino, RN Supervisor
Candy Natti, LPN Supervisor
Julia Thompson, LPN Supervisor
Client Obstacles:
Lack of family support, relocation, hospitalization, injury, and other
unexpected or uncontrollable difficulties are common issues for
senior citizens who wish to remain independent and self-sufficient in
their own homes. These elders don’t want to be a burden on family or
friends and yet need assistance in daily living.
Our Challenges:
We provide homemaking and personal care services to almost 600
elders and disabled people in five area towns. This requires almost
67,000 hours of service each year on the part of homemakers and personal care assistants.
Community Achievements:
• 574 clients received 66,741 hours of homemaking
and personal care assistance
• 70 homemakers and personal care assistants received
52 hours of additional training
• 20 private-pay clients received services from Senior Care
1971
An Action Elder Homecare Aide with a client
she has been assisting for seven years.
Milestones
1973
Original group of seven Home Health Aides trained.
1972
Original group of 15 Homemakers trained.
1988
Original group of 15 Personal Care workers trained.
2005
Total number of Homemaker and Personal Care
staffs reaches 67.
Action transports seniors to lunch.
7
The COMPASS
Youth Program
40 Years
of Action
2005
8
A COMPASS student receives
high school instruction.
Ed’Veeje Fairchild, Director
Key Staff:
Christine Bobek, Academic & Vocational Coach
1970
Kerrie Donahue, High School Instructor
Cara Donato, Administrative Assistant
Jim Kain, GED Instructor
Karen Smyth, High School Instructor
Client Obstacles:
Unstable living situations and undeveloped emotional intelligence compounded by one or more social, academic, or emotional obstacles to learning
can create a negative cycle for teenagers. The result is often poor school attendance, drug and alcohol addiction, and low self-esteem for teenagers who feel
they are failing in mainstream high school.
Our Challenge:
We provide students at risk of dropping out of high school with educational
alternatives and creative opportunities that reduce the appeal of at-risk
behavior. We specialize in creating a learning environment that is flexible and
accepting of the youth culture while simultaneously encouraging students to
take personal responsibility and to become proactive in their learning experiences. Our students’ primary goal is to achieve a high school diploma and to
enter college and full-time employment as successful young adults. Our challenge is to help them achieve those goals by discovering their
learning styles, multiple forms of intelligence, and the career
interests that will lead to meaningful vocational and life
choices.
The Director of Action’s Youth Tutoring Program
instructs Neighborhood Youth Corp. members in the
art of teaching younger children.
Milestones
1967
Community Achievement:
• 41 students received intake and/or case management
• 38 students received follow-up services
Neighborhood
• 33 students participated in alternative education programs
• 19 students remained in high school and received high
school credits
• 17 students raised literacy levels and/or increased one grade level
• 16 students were employed during the program year
• 15 students participated in micro-business, fitness, and life-skills training
• 14 students enrolled in GED Preparation Classes
• 8 students maintained long-term employment
• 8 students participated in summer internships
• All five 5 seniors graduated with a high school diploma
• All five 5 seniors enrolled in post-secondary school or entered
the U.S. military
• 3 students registered for and took the GED Exam
• 2 GED students passed the GED exam and entered
Advanced Training programs
1978
Ceil Schwartz
Youth Corp.Basketball Team
2000
Action partners with the North
Shore Workforce Investment Board
to create The COMPASS Youth
Program, offering computer and
life-skills training, case management, tutoring, and summer jobs.
2001
2003
Fit For Life, a nutrition and wellness
program, is added to the COMPASS
curriculum.
The Shakedown Street Boutique, a
micro-business and entrepreneurial
program is added to the COMPASS
curriculum.
COMPASS becomes an official
alternative site for Gloucester High
School.
2004
Funding is raised to build out a new
educational and recreational center
to accommodate the expansion of
programs and students.
Academic and Vocational Coaching
is added to the growing number of
student services available.
GED program is added to help
educate youths who have dropped
out of high school.
The GED program is expanded to
include advanced training and post
-secondary schooling services.
2002
First graduating class of COMPASS/
Gloucester High School seniors
earns Gloucester High School
diplomas and graduates in June.
Action partners with the Gloucester
High School to pilot a high school
satellite program at COMPASS.
Ciel
Schwartz
Ms. Schwartz
served on
the Action Board of Directors both as a
member and as Chairperson. She was important to Action from the
very beginning and was instrumental in bringing about the Head
Start, Home Start and Family Day Care programs.
She was a prolific volunteer. Among her many involvements were
the Cape Ann Project for Elders and Handicapped, Cape Ann
Childrens’ Council, Cape Ann Area Mental Health Board, League
of Women Voters, Meals on Wheels, and the Central Grammar project.
She was also very dedicated to efforts involving home health care,
and homemaking for the elderly and terminally ill.
employment
& training
9
40 Years
of Action
1970
Ronna Resnick,Director
Key Staff:
Patty Bongiorno, Job Developer
Karen Hautala, ESOL Coordinator
Constance McNulty,
Adult Basic Education Instructor
Patty Natti, Computer Instructor
Client Obstacles:
Fishermen had only 88 days at sea for the fishing industry in 2004,
the strictest regulations to date. More restrictions are planned.
The economic downturn and downsizing of once stable industries
have increased the numbers of individuals who are unemployed,
underemployed, dislocated, and disadvantaged. Employment,
education, and training opportunities are in greater need as the
numbers of unemployed continue to increase. The lack of affordable housing only increases the need for more training and better
jobs at sustainable wages.
Action’s Job Development Director (left)
interviews a teen seeking summer employment.
2005
Our Challenge:
We strive to increase the job opportunities and economic stability
of our clients, many of whom lack skills, experience, or education.
We offer training opportunities that keep pace with the demanding and competitive needs of employers, especially in the high
tech industry. We will continue to develop varied job training to
meet market demands and develop entry-level employment programs in partnership with public and private entities.
1995
Action initiates Welfare to Work, a computer and job training program, in order to
help educate and train welfare recipients
to become self-sufficient.
1996
Fishing Families in Transition, a computer
and job training program, is created in
order to help retrain displaced fishermen
and their families.
Community Achievements:
• 409 clients received Employment and Training services
• 222 clients received job development services
• 108 clients obtained new jobs
• 103 clients pursued higher education
• 91 clients enrolled in Action trainings and courses
• 87 clients completed Action trainings (96% completion rate)
• 27 clients received certificates of completion in
English as a Second Language program
• 24 Moore’s Way clients received services
• 16 Shelter guests received services
• 10 clients received scholarships
• 9 clients received their Adult Diploma
• 6 clients received Adult Basic Education instruction
Milestones
1997
Project Achievement, a program designed
to help address the multiple educational
and employment needs of the homeless,
is created.
Pictured above and below:
Participants in the Health
Industry Career Program.
2005
1999
Action partners with Varian to provide
the employment and training programs
with a new on-site computer center.
The Adult Diploma program is created in
order to help adults earn a high school
diploma.
2000
Adult Basic Education and English as a
Second Language classes are added to the
employment and training services available to meet the growing community
needs.
2001
Medical terminology, medical billing and
coding, and office specialist classes are
added to the retraining programs being
offered.
2003
Action creates an innovative partnership
with the Millennium Training Institute in
order to provide state-of-the-art computer
training programs.
The College Scholarship Program is initiated and provides ten college scholarships
each year for students who have been
accepted to institutions of higher learning.
The Employment and Training Department
partners with the Housing Department in
order to provide employment and training
services for people diagnosed with AIDS.
10
40 Years
of Action
the funders of Action,Inc.
Special thanks to our individual contributors
Action, Inc. is, and has always been, a community-driven, grassroots organization. While we do receive federal and state funding, as well as funding
from private foundations, financial support from individuals in the Cape
Ann Community is essential to what we do. We want to gratefully
acknowledge the men and women of the Cape Ann community who have
made our work possible over the course of four decades.
Action received the largest financial response ever from the 2004 Annual
Appeal. We would like to especially thank those 458 individual contributors who helped make an important financial difference in 2004. We
couldn’t have done it without you and we are grateful for the vital services
we were able to provide through your generosity.
Contributing
Organizations
Grants
and Contributions
The Aliquot Foundation
Anni Melancon Pottery
Beaton Real Estate
Beverly National Bank
Cape ann Insurance Agency
Cape Ann Mini Storage
Cape Ann Savings Bank
Cunningham & Cunningham Attorneys at Law
David F. Hayes Revocable Trust
Denis P. & Melanie Keenan Trust Instrument
Eden Design
Edward G. Anderson Charitable Gift Fund
Essex Fortune Palace
Fitz Lufkin Real Estate
George Holman Gale Memorial Fund
Gilbert H. Hood Family Fund
Gloucester & Rockport Real Estate
Gloucester Assembly of God
The Goodwin Party Shop
Granite Savings Bank
John J. Walsh Insurance Agency Inc.
Joseph & Lillian Eaton Foundation, Inc.
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP
KW Landscapes/Wiggin's Diggin 's
Levendusky & Associates
Lu-Mar Lobster and Shrimp, Inc.
Margaret Doherty Charitable Gift Fund
Miles River Sand & Gravel, Inc.
Mill River Consulting
Mullen Associates Employees
Mystery Train
Northeast Technology, Inc.
Old Tar Canvas & Line
Peter & Elizabeth C Tower Foundation
PG Trionic, Inc.
Polar Bear Insulation
Pressroom
Quality Carpentry
The Red Apple
RLCM, Inc
Rockport National Bank
Sacred Heart Parish
Samarkand Inn
Scadra, LLC
Schlichte, Johnstone & Henry, PC
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
Stocker Oil Co.
TAA Discretionary Fund
T rg t Dir t M rk ting
Anonymous (2)
Cabot Family Charitable Trust
City of Gloucester Community
Development Block Grant
Coburn Charitable Society
Community Services Block Grant
Department of Energy
Department of Housing and
Urban Development
Department of Transitional Assistance
Ford Foundation
Global Energy Partners
HEARTWAP
Housing Opportunities for Persons With AID
Joyce Foundation
Linden Foundation
Low-Income Heating Assistance Program
Mass Technology Collaborative
Massachusetts Bankers Association
Massachusetts Workforce Development,
administered by Commonwealth Corporation
MassHousing, The Center for
Community Recovery Innovations, Inc.
McCarthy Family Foundation
Millipore Foundation
North Shore Workforce Investment Board
Oxford Foundation
Sailor's Snug Harbor of Boston
Shaw Fund for Mariner's Children
Town of Essex
Town of Ipswich
Town of Manchester
Town of Rockport
Water Environmental Research Foundation
Partners
Citizens’ Energy
Danvers Electric
Gloucester Public Schools
Granite State Electric Company
HeadStart
Keyspan Energy Delivery
Massachusetts Electric Company
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
MassHousing
Millennium Training Institute
Nantucket Electric Company
Narragansett Electric Company
N
lC
L C
contributing
to Action
1985
We did it again!
1989
Action,Inc. =oooo
Charity Navigator gives Action, Inc. its
highest rating for effiecient use of funding.
4-Star Charity
CHARITY NAVIGATOR
your guide to intelligent giving
Charity Navigator is America’s premiere independent evaluator of charities. Their work advances a
more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the health of 3,000 of America’s
charities. Among others, The New York Times, The
Chronicle of Philanthropy, and National Public Radio
have profiled and celebrated Charity Navigator’s
method of applying data-driven analysis to the charitable sector.
For the third year in a row, Action has received a 4-star rating from Charity
Navigator. According to Charity Navigator, in earning this 4-star rating, Action
has demonstrated exceptional financial management, outperforming most of
our peers in our efforts to allocate and grow our finances in the most responsible
way possible. In a recent report, Charity Navigator told us that our consistent
rating is an exceptional feat, especially given the economic challenges many
charities have had to face in the last year.
A 4-star rating from Charity Navigator means our supporters can be assured
that Action is worthy of their trust and commitment. Please see our website
(www.actioninc.org) for the Charity Navigator link that will give you direct
access to our 4-star rating.
Young fundraisers on a December
Saturday in front of Action’s
Shelter on Main Street, Gloucester.
11
40 Years
of Action
oooo
Action, Inc. spends
less than 4% of its
funding on overhead,
while comparable
organizations spend
an average of 10%.
Action, Inc.’s resources
are invested directly
in the community,
not in fundraising
and bureaucracy.
1985
Donating to Action, Inc.
There are many ways to contribute to Action, Inc. They include:
Gifts of Cash • Matching Gifts • Gifts of Securities Memorial/Recognition
Gifts • Pledges • Deferred Gifts • Gifts of Real Estate
For further information about contributing, please contact:
Executive Director, William C. Rochford at 978-283-7874
Tim Riley (left)and Bill Rochford unload food packages at the
Masonic Hall in Rockport. Free food was distributed to eligible
Cape Ann area residents as part of the USDA Surplus Food Program.
planning
& development
12
40 Years
of Action
1965
Chanda Millett Shin
• Action’s annual appeal raised $58,000 in unrestricted
funds and $7,000 in restricted funds
• Project Uplift secured an additional $2,630 in fund raising
• Employment and Training secured $200,000 grant from
Massachusetts Workforce Development administered through
Commonwealth Corporation
• The COMPASS Youth program secured $125,000 from
private foundations for the construction of a new educational center
• Action distributed 10,000 newsletters and 1,000 Annual Reports
• The Action, Inc. website received 39,400 visits
• Action received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for
the third consecutive year
• Action continues to be the grantee for the Cape Ann area
Head Start program which provides $1.2 million in services
and serves 172 children
• Action is the fiscal agent for two alternative environmental
research programs that bring $80,000 of research funding annually
to Cape Ann
About Action, Inc.
Most poverty-related organizations
focus on a specific area of need, such
as job training, health care, housing,
or economic development.
But Community Action Agencies,
such as Action, Inc., reach out to people
in their communities with a broad-based
approach, addressing the multiple needs
of low-income people.
What is a Community
Action Agency?
A community action agency
is part of a national network of similar
agencies and is a private non-profit or
public organization. It is a means is a
means to create local solutions to the
problem of poverty. Action, Inc. is
Cape Ann’s only designated antipoverty agency.
Joe Palazola and team in the midst of
their initial canvassing and organizing
effort, forty years ago.
statistical
snapshot
2005
How is A Community
Action Agency Structured?
A Community Action Agency has a
tripartite board structure that is
designated to promote the participation
of the entire community in reducing
the causes and conditions of poverty
and assessing local needs.
The board is composed of:
• 1/3 Private sector representatives
• 1/3 Low-income residents
• 1/3 Elected public officials
2005
Action, Inc.
Officers & Board Members
Bill Rochford, Executive Director
former Action Community Organizer
Officers
William C. Rochford
Executive Director
Timothy L. Riley
Deputy Director/CFO
Tim Riley, Chief Financial Officer
former Director of Manpower Program and
former Director of Neighborhood Youth Corp. Program
2004 Action, Inc. Revenue by Source of Funds
54% Public Utilities
Board of Directors
Gretchen Wood
Chairperson
Tone Kenney
Vice Chairperson
Gavin Keenan
Action served 3,555 households
and 5,548 individuals in 2004.
Number of Cape Ann Households
Served by Action, Inc. in FY 2004
Energy Programs ............................................1680
Advocacy and Housing ....................................666
Homecare ........................................................574
Employment and Training ................................409
Shelter..............................................................212
Compass ............................................................70
Overview of Clients Served
Children under 18 ..........................................24%
Over age 70 ..................................................20%
Homeless ........................................................9%
Lacking health insurance ................................18%
Single parent families ......................................32%
Disabled ........................................................20%
Employed ......................................................28%
Veterans ........................................................10%
31% Federal Grants
Second Vice Chairperson
Linda Giamanco
Third Vice Chairperson
Sheila J. Irvin
Secretary
Loretta Peres
13% State & Local
Robert Cameron
Charlotte Dodge
Charles Foster
Marilynn Grant
Marsha Hahn
Roger Lesch
Ronald Linksy
Rudy Macchi
Mary Jo Montagnino
Linda Murphy
John Prybot
Richard Rafuse
Salvatore Randazza
Eileen Ryan
Melynda Strople
Karin Wade
1967
Treasurer
2% Private & Charitable Contributions
How to contact
Action, Inc.
2004 Action, Inc. Expenses by Program
63% Energy Conservation
11% Education & Youth
7% Fuel Assistance
9% Home Care
3% Advocacy & Housing
3% Administration/Fundraising
3% Homeless Programs
1% Employment & Training
Action, Inc.
180 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 283-7874
All programs other than
Energy and the Action Shelter
Action Energy
47 Washington Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 283-2131
(978) 281-3900
Fuel Assistance
Action Shelter
370 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 283 - 4125
www.actioninc.org
Above: Action’s first
President of the Board,
Paul Keenan.
His son, Gavin Keenan
presently serves on
Action’s Board of
Directors
We would like to dedicate
this 40th Anniversary Edition to
Reverend William Arnold.
p
He was an anchor and a harbor for Action, Inc.
during the inevitable storms that threaten
to sink even the strongest human endeavors.
Photo: An Action committee investigates
possible sites for rental space 1966