Valley Opportunity Council

Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan 2018-2020

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Table of Contents

Executive Summary Page 1

Board Authorization Page 3

Agency Description Page 4

Mission Statement Page 5

Vision Statement Page 6

Community Profiles Page 7

Community and Internal Assessment Process Page 93

Key Findings: Community Assessment Page 97

Key Findings: Internal Assessment Page 104

Strategic Three Year Goals Page 109

Specific Objectives Page 116

Plan Monitoring and Reporting Page 119

Works Cited Page 120

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Executive Summary

Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) has been serving low and moderate-income individuals and families in Western Massachusetts for over 50 years. VOC offers programming in a variety of areas including:  Adult Education  College and Career Readiness  Early Education and Child Care  Energy Assistance  Homeless and Supportive Services  Housing  Nutrition  Senior Services

VOC’s leadership team began planning for our 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan in June of 2016. Since then, we have distributed, collected, and analyzed hundreds of surveys from community members, participants, board members, and employees. We have held multiple focus groups, interviewed various key stakeholders, and researched the causes and conditions of poverty in our community. All of this data was studied and compiled into our 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan (CARSP).

The following report contains an overview of VOC, including a description of our agency, our mission statement, and our vision statement. Additionally, we have provided a detailed summary of all of the communities we serve, a total of 79, throughout Western Massachusetts. We have also provided a comprehensive account of our assessment process.

The demographics, statistics, and community needs gathered from our research can be found in the Key Findings: Community Assessment, and Key Findings: Internal Assessment sections. Below are some of the highlights of our results.

Our community members stated the following areas as the top five needs in the community:  Affordable Housing  Affordable Child Care  Job Training  Drug and Alcohol Addiction Services  Nutrition

Some of our key customer satisfaction findings were:  96% of respondents would recommend VOC services to friends or family  80% of respondents rate our customer service as Excellent or Good

Some of the key internal findings were:  100% of our Board members take pride in being a VOC Board Member  95% of employees like their jobs

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Next, we outlined our Strategic Three Year Goals. This section details our plan to address the top five individual, family, and/or community needs. In this section, you will also find descriptions of funding strategies, our service delivery system, linkages, and how we plan to address the current service gaps for each of the five identified needs.

In the Specific Objectives section, we describe, in detail, how we plan to achieve our goals over the next three years. This section provides additional specifications about the programming that we will be offering as well as information regarding the funding and partnerships we will be utilizing to achieve our goals.

Some of the programming we plan on creating include:  Increasing the number of safe and affordable housing units available in Chicopee and Holyoke  Increasing the access and availability of affordable child care  Increasing job training programs  Providing individuals and families with referrals and resources for drug and alcohol addiction services  Decreasing the amount of low-income families with food insecurity

In our Plan Monitoring and Reporting section, we have outlined how VOC will monitor and evaluate the implementation of our CARSP. This section includes timing and key staff members who will be involved in the monitoring process.

Finally, we have our Works Cited pages. Here, you will be able to find information about all of the secondary data we have gathered to help inform our CARSP.

It is our hope that providing all of this information will give you a better understanding of VOC as an agency and the communities we serve. We are proud to be a part of this community and look forward to continuing to serve the residents for years to come.

The information detailed in the CARSP is VOC’s plan for the next three years and it is our goal to achieve everything that is outlined in the following pages. However, this plan will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and therefore changes may be made based on funding availability and participant needs.

In closing, I would like to thank the members of our Board of Directors as well as all VOC employees for their time and assistance with developing VOC’s Strategic Plan. It was an extensive process and their participation and input was incredibly valuable.

Sincerely,

Stephen C. Huntley Executive Director Valley Opportunity Council

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Board Authorization

On June 15, 2017, VOC held a full meeting of our Board of Directors. VOC has a tripartite Board which consists of 18 members. One-third of our members are democratically elected representatives of the low-income communities we serve, one-third are public elected members of our community, and one-third are privately elected members of our community.

The members of our Board of Directors, in particular our Program and Evaluation Committee, have taken an active role in the three year Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan (CARSP). They have been involved in the process since it began and the CARSP was reviewed and discussed in detail and unanimously approved on June 15, 2017. The CARSP was submitted to the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) on July 10, 2017.

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Agency Description

Over 50 years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson declared a War on Poverty and it was this declaration that led to the formation of Community Action Agencies throughout the country. Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) is one of twenty three community action agencies in Massachusetts.

VOC started out small in 1965 and was originally named the Community and Regional Opportunity Program. At that time, we only offered a few programs. VOC has grown significantly since then and now offers over 30 programs in a wide variety of areas including:

Adult Education Housing Adult Basic Education Main Street Shelter Career Pathways Property Management Citizenship Classes Scattered Site Supportive Housing Distance Learning Veteran Single Room Occupancy English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) ESOL and Family Literacy Project Income Management Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) College Access and Career Pathways Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) Nutrition GEAR UP Chicopee Farmers’ Market Preschool Enrichment Team (PET) Summer Lunch Program Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Community Outreach Greening the Gateway Cities Senior Services Urban Tree Planting Program Senior Companion Program

Early Education and Child Care Youth Services Center Based Cabot Manor After-School Program Family Based Cabot Manor Summer Camp Preschool Expansion Grant Montgomery Street After-School Program Mt. Carmel After-School Program Energy Assistance Youth Employment Emergency Utility Assistance Fuel Assistance (LIHEAP) Heating System Repair/Replacement (HEARTWAP)

Several years ago, VOC also started investing in the local community by purchasing and renovating properties in Chicopee and Holyoke. These properties include market rate and low- income housing as well as multiple commercial and mixed-use buildings.

When VOC first opened, we were only able to offer services in Chicopee and Holyoke, now many of our programs are available to participants throughout the greater Hampden County area. As we continue to grow our focus has been, and will continue to be, about helping people achieve a higher quality of life.

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Mission Statement

VOC’s mission statement is:

The Valley Opportunity Council Inc., is dedicated to eliminating poverty by providing the opportunity for our low and moderate- income neighbors, families, and friends in the greater Hampden County area, to achieve greater independence and a higher quality of life.

The mission statement is reviewed by the full Board of Directors at least every five (5) years and was last reviewed, and unanimously approved, by the full board on April 28, 2016. As part of this review, the board members discussed the mission statement and confirmed that it still addressed poverty and that all of the agency’s programs and services are in alignment with the mission statement. VOC leaders also consider the agency’s mission statement in accordance with ROMA (Results Oriented Management and Accountability) practices and principles each time they consider a new grant proposal.

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Vision Statement

VOC’s vision statement is:

To help our community build opportunities.

Our vision for the next three (3) years is to continue to support the members of our community by offering high quality and accessible programs and services.

In addition to the goals outlined in this plan, we will continue to help low-income members of our community by offering programming in the following departments:

 Adult education  College and career readiness  Early education and care  Energy assistance  Homeless services  Housing  Nutrition  Senior services

Companions Senior

ELIMINATE POVERTY Achieve

Montgomery Street Neighbors

Property Emergency Services Families PEG Churchill

Adult Basic Education Youth Management Energy Basic Needs GEAR UP Nutrition Mt. Carmel Works Summer Lunch HEARTWAP Good Food for Great Families EOC INDEPEND Housing Friends Farmers’ Market

Dedicated WIOA Out of Opportunity PET WIC School Youth VITA Career Pathways Family Literacy Cabot

Veteran Shelter Street Main ENCE Fuel Assistance Manor ESOL Access College Early Education SRO Transportation Beaudoin Quality

Village Citizenship

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Community Profiles

Although the majority of VOC programming is specific to residents of Hampden County, some VOC services are available to participants throughout Western Massachusetts. The following towns were served by one or more VOC program in 2016-2017: Adams, Agawam, Amherst, Ashfield, Athol, Barre, Becket, Belchertown, Bernardston, Blandford, Brimfield, Charlemont, Charlton, Cheshire, Chester, Chesterfield, Chicopee1 Colrain, Conway, Dalton, Deerfield, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Erving, Gill, Goshen, Granby, Granville, Great Barrington, Greenfield, Hadley, Hampden, Hardwick, Hatfield, Hinsdale, Holland, Holyoke1, Huntington, Lanesboro, Lenox, Leverett, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Middlefield, Monson, Montague, Monterey, New Marlborough, North Adams, Northampton, Northfield, Orange, Otis, Palmer, Pittsfield, Plainfield, Richmond, Rowe, Russell, Savoy, Sheffield, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Southampton, Southwick, Springfield, Sunderland, Wales, Ware, Warren, West Springfield, West Stockbridge, Westfield, Wilbraham, Williamsburg, Williamstown, Windsor, and Worthington.

As determined by the US Census 2014 estimates, there are 742,784 individuals in Massachusetts who are living below the poverty line. In VOC’s designated cities, Chicopee and Holyoke, there are 18,833 individuals below the poverty line which is 2.54% of all Massachusetts individuals living below the poverty line. However, VOC serves participants in 77 other cities in MA. The total for all of the cities and towns VOC serves is 125,033 individuals who are living below the poverty line, or 17% of all of the individuals in Massachusetts who are living below the poverty line. Further, 18,675 of these individuals are living in cities or towns that are not part of a CSBG designated area or agency (DHCD, 2016).

Quantitative Data: VOC programs are funded to serve cities and towns throughout Western Massachusetts and located in each of the four (4) counties, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Franklin County, and Berkshire County. The following table gives an overview of each county with their population, unemployment rate, average annual salary, asset poverty rates, liquid poverty rates, and the percent who are unbanked (MA Office of Labor and Workforce Development, 2016).

Table 1.1 County Overview County Population Unemployment Average Asset Liquid Unbanked Rate Annual Poverty Poverty Wage Hampden 465,144 6.8% $47,736 26% 43% 10% Hampshire 159,267 4.6%2 $43,0042 20% 33% 5% Franklin 71,408 4.6%2 $43,0042 17% 32% 4% Berkshire 130,545 5.6% $42,120 21% 38% 6%

1Chicopee and Holyoke are VOC’s CSBG Designated Cities. 2 The Unemployment Rate and Average Annual Wage are combined for Franklin and Hampshire Counties.

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

The average wages in Berkshire County are the second lowest in Massachusetts and the average wages in Franklin and Hampshire County are the lowest in the state. Approximately half of all residents of Franklin and Hampshire County have to commute outside of their county for work. Hampden County has the second highest unemployment rate in the state, the highest being the Greater New Bedford area which is only higher by .1%. The majority of Hampden County residents commute within the county, only 36.9% travel outside the county for work (CFED, 2017; MA Office of Labor and Workforce Development, 2016).

The following table provides data specific to the counties poverty rates and its prevalence related to gender, age, race and ethnicity. Table 1.2 represents Hampden County, Table 1.3 is Hampshire County, Table 1.4 is Franklin County, and Table 1.5 is Berkshire County (US Census Data).

Table 1.2 Hampden County

Age Percent Below Race/Ethnicity Percent Below Poverty Poverty Under 18 27.2% White 13.3% 18-64 15.7% Black or African American 24.3% 65 and Over 9.6% American Indian and Alaskan Native 42.7% Asian 18.9% Gender Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 5.5% Male 15.8% Other Race 47.5% Female 19% Two or More Races 28.2% Hispanic or Latino 41%

Table 1.3 Hampshire County Age Percent Below Race/Ethnicity Percent Below Poverty Poverty Under 18 12.9% White 13.1% 18-64 16.8% Black or African American 43.5% 65 and Over 7.9% American Indian and Alaskan Native 37.5% Asian 26.7% Gender Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.0% Male 14.3% Other Race 35.6% Female 15.1% Two or More Races 21.1% Hispanic or Latino 29.2%

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Table 1.4 Franklin County Age Percent Below Race/Ethnicity Percent Below Poverty Poverty Under 18 15.3% White 10.7% 18-64 11.9% Black or African American 53.9% 65 and Over 7.3% American Indian and Alaskan Native 34.1% Asian 9.7% Gender Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.0% Male 10.3% Other Race 36.2% Female 13.1% Two or More Races 25.9% Hispanic or Latino 28.4%

Table 1.5 Berkshire County Age Percent Below Race/Ethnicity Percent Below Poverty Poverty Under 18 19.7% White 11.5% 18-64 12.6% Black or African American 33.6% 65 and Over 8.2% American Indian and Alaskan Native 37% Asian 19.6% Gender Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.0% Male 11.4% Other Race 29.1% Female 14.5% Two or More Races 37.9% Hispanic or Latino 28.5%

According to data retrieved from Talk Poverty: A Project of the Center for American Progress, in 2016, 14.5% of the people who were living in poverty were children, 12.4% were working-age women (ages 18-64) and 9.4% were working-age men (ages 18-64). Additionally, of the people living in poverty, 27.8% identified as Latinos, 21.6% ass African American, 14..4% as Asian American, 18.5% as Native American, and 9.2% as White. Overall, Massachusetts had an unemployment rate of 5%, an income inequality ratio of 18.3, a high school graduation rate of 86.1%, a higher education attainment rate of 57.1%, and a gender wage gap of 83.1 cents to 1 dollar (talkpoverty.org).

Childhood Poverty Further research on the causes and conditions of poverty in Massachusetts showed that in some counties up to 20% of the residents are living in poverty and this disproportionately impacts children. Some Massachusetts counties have child poverty rates up to 30%. The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network conducted research that showed the connection between unemployment and poverty. According to their data, the higher the unemployment rate in a county, the higher the poverty rate was for that same county. In Hampden County, where VOC provides the majority of our programs and services, children under 5 years old have a poverty rate of 30% and children ages 5-17 have a poverty rate of 26%. For the children under 5 years old, this is the highest county level child poverty rate in the state; for children ages 5-17, Hampden County had the second highest rate in the state. The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network data also indicated there is a high correlation between high school drop out rates and poverty. This data showed that

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

increased childhood poverty rates strongly correlated with high school drop out rates (Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, 2016).

Educational Attainment and Poverty Although Massachusetts has a highly educated labor force, people who are living at or below the poverty line are less likely to have more than a high school diploma. Therefore, as more and more jobs are requiring degrees from a postsecondary institution, people who are living in poverty are less likely to be qualified for these jobs. Many people who live in poverty end up having to work at low or minimum wages jobs that often do not have consistent work schedules which makes is difficult for those with children to secure child care. As stated by a report from the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 31% of recent job openings required a Bachelor’s degree, one-third required related work experience, and 11% required a Associate’s degree. This report went on to discuss how people with postsecondary degrees were less likely to be unemployed. Individuals with Bachelor’s degrees had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.5%, people with some college or an Associate’s degree had an unemployment rate of 3.9% and people with no college experience had an unemployment rate of 5.7%, and finally people who did not have a high school diploma had the highest unemployment rate of 11.4% (MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016; MA Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 2016).

Food Insecurity According to researchers at Project Bread, in 2015, 9.7% of Massachusetts households were food insecure, meaning they did not always have enough food to feed themselves or their families. Additionally, they stated that there were more than 46,000 calls from people who were looking for food assistance and over 400,000 students need the meals provided at their schools in order to receive half of their daily nutrients. Further, in some cities and towns in Massachusetts, seven in ten households are living in poverty. As stated by Berg, Elwood & Macchiarolo, community members who are food insecure also have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer. They went on to state that people who have easy access to large supermarkets are more likely to eat the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. However, Western Massachusetts areas with the highest poverty rates, which are predominantly communities of color, are less likely to have a major supermarket in walking distance. It was stated that low socioeconomic communities have half as many supermarkets as compared to high socioeconomic communities. These statistics demonstrate how hunger and lack of nutrition correlate to living in poverty (Berg, Elwood & Macchiarolo, 2014; Montenegro-Menezes & Stronsten, 2017, Project Bread, 2017; Project Bread, 2015).

Affordable Housing An additional major concern for low-income members of our community is the lack of available safe and affordable housing. As detailed in the National Low Income Housing Coalitions 2017 report, many households have seen an increase in their income since the last recession but for the lowest income households, this trend does not hold true. Instead, people in this category are making 6% less than they were in 2006. For many low-income households, one of their biggest expenses is the cost of housing. Currently, there is a national shortage of 7.4 million affordable and available rental homes for low-income households. Nationally, 71% of low-income renters are spending more than half of their income on rent, leaving little to pay for childcare, food, and

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

other bills. For some families, this means they need to turn to payday loans in order to be able to afford to pay for some of their necessities (Coalition on Human Needs, 2016). Further, an eviction in someone’s rental history can disqualify them from affordable housing programs, increasing the likelihood that they will not be able to find stable, sustainable housing. This also increases the likelihood that this family will become homeless. The National Low Income Housing Coalition report went on to state that currently $65 billion is being spent annually on a mortgage interest deduction of which 84% is going to families who make more than $100,000 per year and only $38 billion is being spent on all of the programming available to low-income families. The Coalition on Human Needs report stated that only 1 in 4 renters who are eligible to receive a housing voucher is actually receiving the voucher due to lack of funding from Congress. (Coalition on Human Needs, 2016; National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2017).

Affordable Child Care Another major issue impacting low-income families is the cost of affordable childcare. Nationally, the average cost of childcare for an infant is $9,900 and for an infant and 4 year old it is $17,800. However, Massachusetts is the second most expensive state in the nation for childcare and the cost for care for a year for an infant was $17,062 and for an infant and a 4 year old it is $29,843. At these rates, childcare is unaffordable and unattainable for low-income families. This often leads parents to have to make a decision about sending their child to a less reputable and/or less reliable childcare facility. According to the Coalition on Human Needs, more than 6 out of 7 families who have children who qualify for federal childcare are not receiving the assistance they need. (Coalition on Human Needs, 2016; Economic Policy Institute, 2016).

Working Poor Further research highlighted the difficulties that many members of our community face, specifically how as low-income individuals increase their salaries their benefits drop at a disproportional rate. This gap, commonly referred to as the cliff effect, shows the difficulties that working poor members of the community face when they lose multiple benefits at the same time. As outlined by Albelda and Carr (2017), families with children who do not receive any public assistance need to make $54,280 and of this amount 52% goes to child care and housing. At the current minimum wage amount, an individual who works full time only makes $22,880. Albelda and Carr stated that the cliff effect comes into play when an individual makes between $14 and $19 per hour; at these rates the individual is losing more in benefits than they are making in salary. For the residents of Hampden County, 13.6% of households do not qualify for government assistance but they do not make enough money to pay for their medical bills, utilities, mortgage/rent and their food. However, many of these programs are currently at risk of being defunded entirely or are at risk of having parts of their funding taken away. These changes could result in more participants losing benefits and increasing the poverty rates in Massachusetts (Albelda, R., Carr, M, 2017; Berg, Elwood & Macchiarolo, 2014; Wagman, 2017).

Opioid Epidemic Although opioid use in Massachusetts has been a problem for many years, it has recently become an epidemic. Currently, people in Massachusetts are dying of opioid related deaths at rates four times higher in 2015 than they were in 2000 (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2017).

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Additionally, the number of people who are becoming addicted to opioid are growing at staggering rates. In just five years the number of people who were being treated for opioid- related addictions rose from approximately one-third in 2000 to half of all people who were receiving treatment in 2015. Further, 8 in 12 people who died as a result of opioid use had a prescription for them. In many of these cases, they had started using opioids in a legal manner but later transitioned into using illegal opioids. According the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, people who are on Medicare are becoming addicted to opioids at higher and faster rates than any other group (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2016; Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2017).

Additional quantitative data that was gathered from VOC’s Community Assessment and agency databases can be found in in the Key Findings: Community Assessment and Key Findings: Internal Assessment sections.

Qualitative Data Throughout the CARSP process, VOC personnel met with various community leaders to discuss the needs of the community in greater detail. Additionally, three (3) community focus groups were held in an effort to have deeper conversations with community members. The participants of the focus groups represented people from various different age groups, races, ethnicities, and income levels. VOC leaders also conducted key stakeholder interviews with community members who represented the following sectors: community (youth organizations), faith-based organizations, private and public sector (including elected officials, housing authority officials, business leaders, and community police), as well as educational institutions (both in K-12 and postsecondary institutions). All of the information gathered from the focus groups and key stakeholder interviews was used to inform the VOC’s CARSP. Focus group participants and key stakeholders were representative from VOC’s entire service area, not just our CSBG designated cities of Chicopee and Holyoke.

The people interviewed had a variety of responses regarding what they felt were the top three (3) needs in the community. These responses included: income stability, employment, medical needs, food security, public safety, education access, connecting to local resources, financial literacy, and senior services.

The contributing factors of poverty in the communities was a discussion topic for all of the participants. Many of them stated that the lack of employment availability is one of the major contributing factors. However, they also noted that it is not always that there are not enough jobs in the area but that people need additional education in order to be able to apply for those jobs. This additional education includes learning English, and/or obtaining either a high school credential or a postsecondary credential. Some stated that the lack of educational attainment has a lot to do with the number of potential first generation college students in Western Massachusetts. Frequently, students who have not had a parent or guardian who attended a postsecondary institution do not know what they need to do in order to pursue higher education.

Another major contributing factor that was noted by most of the representatives was unstable and/or unaffordable housing. There are many participants and community members who are often in positions where they need to decide which bills they are going to pay that month. They

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

have to weigh the option of skipping a rent payment in order to ensure they can pay their electric and food bills. A common comment was that they are happy to see more affordable housing units becoming available but they wish there were more middle income units available. There are many participants who said they make too much money to qualify for help but they are not making enough money to fully support their families.

The third major contributing factor was financial literacy. Many focus group participants stated that they have significant credit card debt, and a limited ability to budget and save their earnings. Key Informant interviewees added that the low-income members of their communities have a minimal understanding of credit and credit scores. Both groups agreed that additional money management classes would be beneficial for low-income residents.

The final major factor was lack of nutrition. The respondents stated that people from low socioeconomic households are often not eating nutritious meals and this tends to lead to poor health and an increase in medical bills. Many of the communities in Western Massachusetts are considered food deserts by the USDA and this frequently means that the residents do not have access to affordable, healthy foods.

Each of the issues mentioned above were concerns that came up for residents throughout Western Massachusetts. These issues have been ongoing and many participants stated that they are worried about what is going to happen in the future. Many had suggestions for ways in which VOC could help and these included increasing the number of affordable housing units available throughout Hampden County, partnering with area libraries to offer resume building and job search workshops, opening a homeless shelter in Chicopee, providing additional job training supports, assisting residents with accessing nutritious food, offer additional financial literacy classes, offer additional English language classes, offer services at satellite locations for people without access to their own transportation.

Additional qualitative data that was gathered from VOC’s Community Assessment and agency databases can be found in in the Key Findings: Community Assessment and Key Findings: Internal Assessment sections.

Individual Community Profiles The following individual community profiles provide a more in depth look at each of the cities/towns VOC serves. Included in these profiles are specific demographic information, the VOC programs or services residents used, an overview of each area. The first two are Chicopee and Holyoke, VOC’s designated cities, the other cities and towns are listed in alphabetical order.

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Chicopee The city of Chicopee is one of VOC’s CSBG designated cities and located between Springfield and Holyoke in Hampden County. The city, one of the largest in Western MA, consists of various neighborhoods including Aldenville, Willimansett, Chicopee Center or Cabotville, Chicopee Falls, and Fairview. Chicopee is one of the cities on the Connecticut River and is also home to Westover Air Reserve Base, and Our Lady of the Elms College. Chicopee residents were once primarily of Polish and French Canadian descent but the city has become much more diverse in recent years. Listed below are current statistics for the city (City of Chicopee; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 55,298 Household Income Male 26,407 $10,000 or less 7% Female 28,891 $10,000-$25,000 17% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 16% Unbanked 9% $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 37% $60,000-$100,000 25% Median Gross Rent $831 $100,000-$150,000 12% Median Age 40 150,000-$200,000 3% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 86% Sources of Income African American 3% Salary 69% Asian 1% Social Security 35% Mixed Race 2% Retirement Income 19% Other Race 7% Investments 18% Hispanic/Latino 17% Self Employment 7% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 78% High School or Higher 85% Spanish 11% Bachelors or Higher 17% Other 11%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Chicopee.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 7,061 Adult Basic Education 73 WIC 2,093 ESOL 55 Summer Lunch Program 1,462 CHA After School Program 50 VITA 412 CHA Summer Camp 29 Senior Companion Program 176 Citizenship 6 Educational Opportunity Center 139 GEAR UP 4 Housing 117 CHA Year Round 4 Employment Program Preschool Enrichment Team 111 Scattered Site Permanent 4 Supportive Housing REB Youth Works 91

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Holyoke

The city of Holyoke is VOC’s other CSBG designated city and located in Hampden County. Holyoke was one of the US’s first industrial communities, known for its paper production. Holyoke is home to Mt. Tom State Reservation and Holyoke Community College. It is also the Birthplace of Volleyball, and hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day Parades in the nation. With two-thirds of Holyoke’s electricity being produced from renewable resources, the city is very focused on Green energy. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Holyoke; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 40,079 Household Income Male 47% $10,000 or less 13% Female 53% $10,000-$25,000 26% Unemployment Rate 11% $25,000-$40,000 15% Unbanked 18% $40,000-$60,000 15% Home Ownership Rate 24% $60,000-$100,000 17% Median Gross Rent $700 $100,000-$150,000 9% Median Age 36 150,000-$200,000 3% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 81% Sources of Income African American 5% Salary 66% Asian 2% Social Security 30% Mixed Race 2% Retirement Income 14% Other Race 11% Investments 14% Hispanic/Latino 47% Self Employment 6% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 56% High School or Higher 68% Spanish 38% Bachelors or Higher 16% Other 6%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Holyoke.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 5,024 Main Street Shelter 66 WIC 3,252 Senior Companion Program 22 GEAR UP 226 ESOL 18 Educational Opportunity Center 119 Adult Basic Education 12 Preschool Enrichment Team 118 Scattered Site Permanent 4 Supportive Housing Housing 81 Citizenship 2

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Adams

The town of Adams is located only fifteen minutes from the Vermont and New York state borders, in in northern Berkshire County. Adams is part of the Pittsfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Adams is home to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and Mount Greylock State Reservation. Mount Greylock is Massachusetts’ highest peak. Adams is also home to many historical landmarks including the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum and the Quaker meeting House. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Adams; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 8,485 Household Income Male 4,091 $10,000 or less 5% Female 4,391 $10,000-$25,000 21% Unemployment Rate 5.6% $25,000-$40,000 29% Unbanked 7.3% $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 60.5% $60,000-$100,000 16% Median Gross Rent $646 $100,000-$150,000 9% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 2% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 66% Asian 0% Social Security 10% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 17% Other Race 1% Investments 21% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 10% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 93% High School or Higher 89% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 22% Other 6%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Adams.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 25

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Agawam

The city of Agawam is located on the west side of the Connecticut River, directly across from Springfield in Hampden County and also borders West Springfield, Southwick, Longmeadow, Westfield and Suffield, Connecticut. Agawam is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, the second largest metropolitan area in New England. Agawam contains a subsection, Feeding Hills. Agawam was originally a Native American village. Six Flags New England is located in Agawam. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Agawam; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 28,438 Household Income Male 13,592 $10,000 or less 5% Female 14,846 $10,000-$25,000 15% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 12% Unbanked 16% $40,000-$60,000 15% Home Ownership Rate 74% $60,000-$100,000 24% Median Gross Rent $900 $100,000-$150,000 19% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 7% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 93% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 72% Asian 2% Social Security 33% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 18% Other Race 2% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 6% Self Employment 11% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 87% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 28% Other 10%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Agawam.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 1,850 Transportation 9 WIC 139 ESOL 1 Educational Opportunity Center 29 Citizenship 1 Preschool Enrichment Team 18

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Amherst

The town of Amherst is located in Hampshire County in the Connecticut River Valley. Amherst is home to a number of Colleges, including Hampshire College, the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) and Amherst College. Amherst borders the following towns; Hadley, Sunderland, Leverett, Shutesbury, Pelham, Belchertown, Granby and South Hadley. Amherst has a bustling downtown area, that includes places to shop, eat, and a town common where regular events are held including a farmers market. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Amherst; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 37,819 Household Income Male 18,500 $10,000 or less 14% Female 19,319 $10,000-$25,000 19% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 15% Unbanked 5% $40,000-$60,000 5% Home Ownership Rate 57% $60,000-$100,000 22% Median Gross Rent $1,038 $100,000-$150,000 13% Median Age 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 7% Caucasian 80% Sources of Income African American 6% Salary 68% Asian 10% Social Security 23% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 15% Other Race 2% Investments 33% Hispanic/Latino 6% Self Employment 20% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 90% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 56% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Amherst.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 30 Educational Opportunity Center 16 Preschool Enrichment Team 2

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Ashfield

The town of Ashfield is located in Franklin County. Ashfield borders the following towns; Buckland, Conway, Goshen, Cummington, Plainfield, and Hawley. Ashfield is in the eastern foothills of The Berkshires and the Poland Brook Wildlife Management Area as well as the Daughters of the American Revolution State Forest can be found here. Ashfield is a member of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, which covers nine towns. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Ashfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,737 Household Income Male 853 $10,000 or less 2% Female 884 $10,000-$25,000 6% Unemployment Rate 3% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 21% Home Ownership Rate 80% $60,000-$100,000 17% Median Gross Rent $1,038 $100,000-$150,000 28% Median Age 49 150,000-$200,000 3% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 9% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 67% Asian 0% Social Security 44% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 19% Other Race 0% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 16% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 97% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 46% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Ashfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 3

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Athol

The town of Athol is located in Worcester County. Athol is bordered by the towns of Royalston, Phillipston, Petersham, New Salem and Orange. The vast majority of the population is settled around the downtown area, with the rest of the town being sparsely populated. In 1868, the Athol Machine Company was established to produce a chopping machine invented by Laroy S. Starrett, the L.S. Starrett Company is now international and the company remains the largest local employer. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Athol; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 11,584 Household Income Male 5,696 $10,000 or less 10% Female 5,888 $10,000-$25,000 22% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 15% Unbanked 9% $40,000-$60,000 21% Home Ownership Rate 71% $60,000-$100,000 19% Median Gross Rent $712 $100,000-$150,000 11% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 3% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 95% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 63% Asian 1% Social Security 36% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 21% Other Race 1% Investments 13% Hispanic/Latino 4% Self Employment 10% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 96% High School or Higher 86% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 14% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Athol.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 6

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Barre

The town of Barre is located in Worcester County. Barre is a small rural community located almost exactly in the center of the state. Barre is bordered by Phillipston, Hubbardston, Rutland, Oakham, New Braintree, Hardwick, and Petersham. The community was named after Isaac Barre, a member of the British Parliament who opposed the taxation of America and was originally part of Rutland. Barre is home to the Quabbin Regional High School and the Stetson School. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Barre; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 5,398 Household Income Male 2,727 $10,000 or less 3% Female 2,671 $10,000-$25,000 4% Unemployment Rate 7% $25,000-$40,000 31% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 9% Home Ownership Rate 80% $60,000-$100,000 28% Median Gross Rent $947 $100,000-$150,000 17% Median Age 51 150,000-$200,000 4% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 4% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 67% Asian 1% Social Security 59% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 15% Other Race 1% Investments 25% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 4% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 99% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 24% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Barre.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Becket

The town of Becket is located in Berkshire County. Becket is bordered by Washington, Middlefield, Chester, Blandford, Otis, Tyringham and Lee, and is located in the southern Berkshire Mountains. Becket is one of the seven towns in the Central Berkshire Regional School District. In the 18th century, Becket formed a Congregational Church Society that relied solely on the voluntary contributions of its members to support its church, a church funding structure which is now in use across the United States. Becket is known for having some of the best fishing in the Berkshires. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Becket; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,779 Household Income Male 896 $10,000 or less 10% Female 883 $10,000-$25,000 11% Unemployment Rate 10% $25,000-$40,000 22% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 20% Home Ownership Rate N/A $60,000-$100,000 14% Median Gross Rent $1,295 $100,000-$150,000 15% Median Age 53 150,000-$200,000 4% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 4% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 70% Asian <1% Social Security 39% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 19% Other Race 1% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 15% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 84% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 34% Other 13%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Becket.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 7

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Belchertown

The town of Belchertown is located in Hampshire County. Belchertown borders Pelham, New Salem, Ware, Palmer, Ludlow, Granby and Amherst. The University of Massachusetts in Amherst employs more Belchertown residents than any other business. The Belchertown State School was located in the town for 70 years, and closed in 1994. Belchertown has one of the largest land areas in Massachusetts and is adjacent to the Quabbin Reservoir, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the country. Belchertown is a semi-rural community with a scenic landscape. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Belchertown; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 14,649 Household Income Male 7,133 $10,000 or less 4% Female 7,516 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 11% Unbanked 11% $40,000-$60,000 15% Home Ownership Rate 82% $60,000-$100,000 21% Median Gross Rent $877 $100,000-$150,000 23% Median Age 42 150,000-$200,000 10% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 4% Caucasian 94% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 38% Asian 2% Social Security 20% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 20% Other Race 1% Investments 5% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 17% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 87% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 9% Bachelors or Higher 42% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Belchertown.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 51 Preschool Enrichment Team 15 Educational Opportunity Center 3

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Bernardston

The town of Bernardston is located in Franklin County. Bernardston is a small rural community on the border of Vermont and Massachusetts and is home to deer, bear and a small population of moose. Bernardston borders Guilford and Vernon, Vermont, Northfield, Gill, Greenfield, and Leyden. Bernardston is part of the Pioneer Valley Regional School District. Bernardston was originally part of Colrain and separated and officially incorporated in 1762. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Bernardston; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 2,129 Household Income Male 1,065 $10,000 or less 4% Female 1,064 $10,000-$25,000 16% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked 7% $40,000-$60,000 20% Home Ownership Rate 80% $60,000-$100,000 27% Median Gross Rent $1,089 $100,000-$150,000 11% Median Age 48 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 74% Asian 1% Social Security 33% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 17% Other Race 0% Investments 26% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 14% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 90% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 27% Other 8%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Bernardston.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 2

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Blandford

The town of Blandford is located in Hampden County. Blandford borders Russell, Huntington, Chester, Granville, Becket, and Otis. Blandford was first settled in 1735 primarily by Scots-Irish settlers and was originally called New Glascow after Glascow, Scotland. Attractions in Blandford include the Blandford Ski Area and the Blandford Fairgrounds which hosts the annual Labor Day weekend fair. Blandford is part of the Gateway Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Blandford; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,233 Household Income Male 640 $10,000 or less 1% Female 593 $10,000-$25,000 7% Unemployment Rate 7% $25,000-$40,000 8% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 21% Home Ownership Rate 74% $60,000-$100,000 34% Median Gross Rent $836 $100,000-$150,000 25% Median Age 49 150,000-$200,000 3% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American 0% Salary 69% Asian 0% Social Security 31% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 20% Other Race 1% Investments 15% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 11% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 96% High School or Higher 96% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 28% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Blandford.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 55 WIC 14 Preschool Enrichment Team 1

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Brimfield

The town of Brimfield is located in Hampden County. Brimfield is bordered by Sturbridge, Holland, Wales, Monson, Palmer and Warren. Brimfield is part of the Tantasqua Regional School District. Brimfield was first settled in 1706 and officially incorporated in 1731. Brimfield is home to the Brimfield Antique Show, the largest outdoor antiques show in New England. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Brimfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 3,609 Household Income Male 1,790 $10,000 or less 4% Female 1,819 $10,000-$25,000 11% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 15% Unbanked % $40,000-$60,000 12% Home Ownership Rate 87% $60,000-$100,000 21% Median Gross Rent $736 $100,000-$150,000 16% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 14% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 7% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 78% Asian 1% Social Security 33% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 23% Other Race 0% Investments 15% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 8% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 96% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 42% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Brimfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 228 Preschool Enrichment Team 3 WIC 1

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Charlemont

The town of Charlemont is located in Franklin County. Charlemont is a hilltown community located along the Deerfield River and the scenic Mohawk Trail in the northwest. Charlemont is bordered by Rowe, Buckland, Hawley, Heath, Colrain, Shelburne, Savoy and Florida. Two Charlemont homes are recognized as significant in the Underground Railroad- the Hart and Mary Leavitt House and the Roger Hooker and Keziah Leavitt House. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Charlemont; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,266 Household Income Male 625 $10,000 or less 5% Female 641 $10,000-$25,000 18% Unemployment Rate 12% $25,000-$40,000 17% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 31% Home Ownership Rate 77% $60,000-$100,000 11% Median Gross Rent $832 $100,000-$150,000 14% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 1% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,00 3% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 0% Salary 67% Asian 1% Social Security 44% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 19% Other Race 1% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 16% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 89% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 28% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Charlemont.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 2

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Charlton

The town of Charlton is located in Worcester County. Charlton is bordered by East Brookfield, Spencer, Leicester, Oxford, Dudley and Sturbridge. Though the Massachusetts Turnpike crosses through Charlton, Charlton does not have an exit in town. Charlton Public Schools are part of the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District. Charlton was first settled in 1735 and became a Town in 1775 once separated from Oxford. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Charlton; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 12,981 Household Income Male 6,738 $10,000 or less 2% Female 6,603 $10,000-$25,000 6% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 5% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 14% Home Ownership Rate 80% $60,000-$100,000 24% Median Gross Rent $900 $100,000-$150,000 31% Median Age 42 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 9% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 79% Asian 1% Social Security 20% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 17% Other Race 1% Investments 26% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 12% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 90% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 5% Bachelors or Higher 32% Other 5%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Charlton.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 1

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Cheshire

The town of Cheshire is located in Berkshire County. Cheshire borders New Ashford, Adams, Savoy, Windsor, Dalton and Lanesborough. Cheshire is a smaller community located within the valley of the Hoosic River that is home to the Mount Greylock State Reservation. The Appalachian Trail crosses through the center of town. The Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad was converted into the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail that runs through town and is popular for biking, running, etc. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Cheshire; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 3,235 Household Income Male 1,636 $10,000 or less 4% Female 1,599 $10,000-$25,000 18% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 24% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 24% Home Ownership Rate 70% $60,000-$100,000 15% Median Gross Rent $916 $100,000-$150,000 10% Median Age 42 150,000-$200,000 3% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 70% Asian <1% Social Security 30% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 14% Other Race <1% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 3% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 100% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 32% Other 0%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Cheshire.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 10

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Chester

The town of Chester is located in Hampden County. Located in the Berkshire foothills, Chester is a small rural community, known as the “Gem of the Valley”, serving as home to the granite and emery industries. Chester is bordered by Huntington, Worthington, Middlefield, Becket, and Blandford. Chester is home to Sanderson Brook Falls, Chester/Blandford Sate Forest and the Chester Theatre Company. Chester is part of the Gateway Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Chester; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,337 Household Income Male 686 $10,000 or less 2% Female 651 $10,000-$25,000 7% Unemployment Rate 8% $25,000-$40,000 20% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 20% Home Ownership Rate 85% $60,000-$100,000 26% Median Gross Rent $800 $100,000-$150,000 17% Median Age 40 150,000-$200,000 6% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 80% Asian <1% Social Security 25% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 18% Other Race <1% Investments 13% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 10% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 94% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 21% Other 6%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Chester.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 127 Preschool Enrichment Team 6 WIC 1

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Chesterfield

The town of Chesterfield is located in Hampshire County. A point of interest in town is the Chesterfield Gorge. The town center, established after the Revolution, has well-preserved Federal Period houses along Main Road. In its early days, the town supported a largely agricultural economy, with wool from Merino sheep as a major product. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Chesterfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,222 Household Income Male 623 $10,000 or less 3% Female 599 $10,000-$25,000 4% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 12% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 16% Home Ownership Rate 91% $60,000-$100,000 29% Median Gross Rent $1,094 $100,000-$150,000 20% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 11% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 5% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 75% Asian <1% Social Security 26% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 15% Other Race <1% Investments 30% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 18% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 88% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 4% Bachelors or Higher 42% Other 8%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Chesterfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 1 Preschool Enrichment Team 1

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Colrain

The town of Colrain is located in Franklin County. Colrain borders Leyden, Greenfield, Heath, Charlemont, Halifax and Guilford Vermont. Colrain has nine historic village areas: Elm Grove, Lyonsville, Foundry Village, Shattuckville, Griswoldville, Colrain City, Catamount Hill, Stewartville, and Gimletville. The town is home to two state forests, Catamount State Forest and H.O. Cook State Forrest. Colrain is a member of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Colrain; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,671 Household Income Male 864 $10,000 or less 3% Female 718 $10,000-$25,000 4% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 11% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 24% Home Ownership Rate 76% $60,000-$100,000 37% Median Gross Rent $1,012 $100,000-$150,000 13% Median Age 48 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 67% Asian <1% Social Security 44% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 19% Other Race 1% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 16% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 90% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 26% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Colrain.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Conway

The town of Conway is located in Franklin County. Conway lies in the foothills of the Berkshires just west of the Connecticut River Valley. Conway borders Buckland, Shelburne Falls, Deerfield, Whately, Williamsburg, Ashfield, and Goshen. Conway was first settled in 1762 as the southwest portion of Deerfield and was separated and officially incorporated in 1767. On February 25, 2017, an EF1 tornado touched down in Conway, causing significant damage to localized areas. It was in first tornado in the month of February in Massachusetts state history. Conway is part of the Frontier Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Conway; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,897 Household Income Male 924 $10,000 or less 0% Female 973 $10,000-$25,000 2% Unemployment Rate 3% $25,000-$40,000 2% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 10% Home Ownership Rate 89% $60,000-$100,000 34% Median Gross Rent $1,106 $100,000-$150,000 27% Median Age 50 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 15% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 97% Asian 1% Social Security 10% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 0% Other Race <1% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 3% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 95% High School or Higher 99% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 55% Other 5%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Conway.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 2

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Dalton

The town of Dalton is located in Berkshire County and is a transition town between the urban and rural portions of Berkshire County. Dalton borders Cheshire, Windsor, Hinsdale, Washington, Pittsfield and Lanesborough. Crane & Co., a paper mill started in 1801, is still the largest employer in town. Since 1873, the mill has been the only supplier for the Federal Reserve Note, the United States’ paper money. Dalton is part of the Central Berkshire Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Dalton; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 6,756 Household Income Male 3,241 $10,000 or less 7% Female 3,515 $10,000-$25,000 22% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 16% Unbanked % $40,000-$60,000 16% Home Ownership Rate 77% $60,000-$100,000 21% Median Gross Rent $644 $100,000-$150,000 10% Median Age 47 150,000-$200,000 7% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 69% Asian 1% Social Security 37% Two or More Races 0% Retirement Income 20% Other Race 1% Investments 24% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 9% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 90% High School or Higher 96% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 30% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Dalton.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 11

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Deerfield

The town of Deerfield is located in Franklin County and includes the villages of South Deerfield and Old Deerfield. Deerfield borders Greenfield, Montague, Sunderland, Whately, Conway, and Shelburne. Old Deerfield has been designated a National Historical Landmark and is a center of heritage tourism in the Pioneer Valley. Attractions in Deerfield include the Yankee Candle Village Flagship Store, the Butterfly Place, and Sugarloaf Mountain. Deerfield is part of the Frontier Regional School District and also is home to three private schools: Deerfield Academy, Bement School, and Eaglebrook School. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Deerfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 5,125 Household Income Male 2,508 $10,000 or less 2% Female 2,617 $10,000-$25,000 10% Unemployment Rate 4% $25,000-$40,000 17% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 71% $60,000-$100,000 15% Median Gross Rent $1,019 $100,000-$150,000 16% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 14% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 7% Caucasian 95% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 67% Asian 2% Social Security 44% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 19% Other Race <1% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 16% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 97% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 49% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Deerfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 5

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

East Longmeadow

The city of East Longmeadow is located in Hampden County, situated in the Pioneer Valley region of Western Massachusetts. East Longmeadow is bordered by Enfield and Somers, Connecticut, as well as Hampden, Wilbraham, Springfield, and Longmeadow. The city was originally famous for the Redstone industry, a stone used for building several notable places. East Longmeadow hosts an annual Fourth of July Parade that is the largest in western Massachusetts. Places of interest include Heritage Park and the central rotary, which is home to small shops and many restaurants. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of East Longmeadow; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 15,720 Household Income Male 7,401 $10,000 or less 0% Female 8,319 $10,000-$25,000 10% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 13% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 84% $60,000-$100,000 30% Median Gross Rent $738 $100,000-$150,000 16% Median Age 45 150,000-$200,000 8% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 4% Caucasian 95% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 79% Asian 2% Social Security 33% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 21% Other Race 1% Investments 18% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 8% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 90% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 41% Other 8%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in East Longmeadow.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 578 Educational Opportunity Center 15 WIC 13

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Easthampton

The city of Easthampton is located in Hampshire County on the southeastern edge of the Pioneer Valley. Easthampton borders Southampton, Westhampton, Holyoke and Northampton. Some points of interest include Mount Tom, Nashawannuck Pond, the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Manhan bike path. Easthampton also has a quaint downtown area with shops and eateries that hosts a monthly Art Walk Easthampton. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Easthampton; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 16,053 Household Income Male 7,629 $10,000 or less 1% Female 8,424 $10,000-$25,000 8% Unemployment Rate 7% $25,000-$40,000 9% Unbanked 4% $40,000-$60,000 18% Home Ownership Rate 57% $60,000-$100,000 36% Median Gross Rent $884 $100,000-$150,000 16% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 7% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 5% Caucasian 94% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 78% Asian 2% Social Security 30% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 16% Other Race 1% Investments 22% Hispanic/Latino 4% Self Employment 9% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 88% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 5% Bachelors or Higher 33% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Easthampton.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 106 Preschool Enrichment Team 36 ESOL 1

37

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Erving

The town of Erving is located in Franklin County along the Mohawk Trail. The area was originally part of the Pocomtuc Indian Nation. The terrain is hilly and rugged, most of the developed area of the town is located along the Millers River, a tributary of the Connecticut River. Northfield Mountain occupies much of the northern two-thirds of town. The town is home to a number of attractions popular with outdoor recreation enthusiasts including, Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and Farley Ledges rock climbing area. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Erving; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,800 Household Income Male 881 $10,000 or less 4% Female 919 $10,000-$25,000 9% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 24% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 78% $60,000-$100,000 28% Median Gross Rent $832 $100,000-$150,000 14% Median Age 41 150,000-$200,000 3% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 74% Asian <1% Social Security 34% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 27% Other Race <1% Investments 35% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 14% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 18% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Erving.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 3 Preschool Enrichment Team 2

38

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Gill

The town of Gill is located in Franklin County on the west bank of the Connecticut River. Gill borders Northfield, Erving, Montague, Greenfield and Bernardston. Gill is home to the Turners Falls Dam, Gill-Montague Bridge, and the Northfield Mount Hermon School. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Gill; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,500 Household Income Male 746 $10,000 or less 5% Female 754 $10,000-$25,000 5% Unemployment Rate 4% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 85% $60,000-$100,000 20% Median Gross Rent $708 $100,000-$150,000 30% Median Age 48 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 4% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 67% Asian 1% Social Security 40% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 17% Other Race <1% Investments 19% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 11% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 91% High School or Higher 96% Spanish 6% Bachelors or Higher 46% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Gill.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 9

39

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Goshen

The town of Goshen is located in Hampshire County. The town has a rural atmosphere, with one general store, post office, and fire station. Goshen is part of a regional school district. Goshen is one of only two towns in the United States within 29 miles of four different states, the four states are New York, Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Goshen is home to the D.A.R. State Forest and Camp Howe Youth Summer Camp. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Goshen; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,054 Household Income Male 513 $10,000 or less 4% Female 541 $10,000-$25,000 7% Unemployment Rate 3% $25,000-$40,000 17% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 24% Home Ownership Rate 94% $60,000-$100,000 22% Median Gross Rent $1,356 $100,000-$150,000 15% Median Age 49 150,000-$200,000 6% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 5% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 67% Asian <1% Social Security 44% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 19% Other Race <1% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 18% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 96% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 37% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Goshen.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 4

40

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Granby

The town of Granby is located in Hampshire County. Granby is bordered by South Hadley, Amherst, Belchertown, Ludlow and Chicopee. Granby is home to part of the Holyoke Range, major peaks in town are Long Mountain and Mount Norwottuck. The Metacomet- Monadnock Trail passes through Granby with the Horse Caves being geological ledges along this trail. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Granby; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 6,240 Household Income Male 3,048 $10,000 or less 5% Female 3,156 $10,000-$25,000 8% Unemployment Rate 4% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 11% Home Ownership Rate 86% $60,000-$100,000 20% Median Gross Rent $742 $100,000-$150,000 27% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 11% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 4% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 76% Asian 1% Social Security 34% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 30% Other Race <1% Investments 26% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 18% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 94% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 5% Bachelors or Higher 34% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Granby.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 60 Preschool Enrichment Team 18

41

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Granville

The town of Granville is located in Hampden County. Granville borders Blandford, Russell, Westfield, Southwick, and Granby, Hartland and Tolland in Connecticut. Granville is home to the Granville Harvest Fair in the fall, which attracts vendors and people from all over New England. Many historic homes dot Route 57, the main road through town. The village center, the old center and West Granville Center are all designated historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Granville; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,566 Household Income Male 796 $10,000 or less 2% Female 770 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 8% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 87% $60,000-$100,000 35% Median Gross Rent $797 $100,000-$150,000 28% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 15% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 69% Asian <1% Social Security 31% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 20% Other Race <1% Investments 15% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 11% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 94% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 26% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Granville.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 31 WIC 14 Preschool Enrichment Team 2

42

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Great Barrington

The town of Great Barrington is located in Berkshire County. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van Deusenville and Housatonic. Great Barrington borders West Stockbridge, Stockbridge, Lee, Tyringham, Monterey, New Marlborough, Sheffield, Egremont and Alford. Great Barrigton is located within the valley of the Housatonic River and the Appalachian Trail crosses through it. Great Barrington is a vibrant town ranked #1 in 2012 by Smithsonian Magazine in its list of “The 20 Best Small Towns in America”. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Great Barrington; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 7,104 Household Income Male 3,390 $10,000 or less 11% Female 3,714 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 21% Unbanked 5% $40,000-$60,000 23% Home Ownership Rate 67% $60,000-$100,000 13% Median Gross Rent $952 $100,000-$150,000 10% Median Age 45 150,000-$200,000 7% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 91% Sources of Income African American 3% Salary 60% Asian 2% Social Security 36% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 16% Other Race 2% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 6% Self Employment 12% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 80% High School or Higher 90% Spanish 13% Bachelors or Higher 44% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Great Barrington.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 4

43

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Greenfield

The city of Greenfield is located in Franklin County and was first settled in 1686, it is the county seat in Franklin County. Greenfield borders Colrain, Leyden, Bernardston, Gill, Montague, Deerfield and Shelburne. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Franklin County Fair. The city has a Main Street Historic District containing fine examples of Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian architecture. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Greenfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 17,456 Household Income Male 8,299 $10,000 or less 6% Female 9,157 $10,000-$25,000 20% Unemployment Rate 7% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked 7% $40,000-$60,000 20% Home Ownership Rate 57% $60,000-$100,000 27% Median Gross Rent $831 $100,000-$150,000 8% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 92% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 74% Asian 1% Social Security 33% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 17% Other Race 2% Investments 26% Hispanic/Latino 5% Self Employment 14% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 90% High School or Higher 91% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 31% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Greenfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 13 WIC 2

44

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Hadley

The town of Hadley is located in Hampshire County. Hadley borders Hatfield, Sunderland, Amherst, South Hadley and Northampton. The area around Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms Mall is a major shopping destination for the surrounding communities. Hadley is home to Hopkins Academy, the 4th oldest public school in the United States still in operation, and the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Hadley; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 5.250 Household Income Male 2,507 $10,000 or less 5% Female 2,743 $10,000-$25,000 5% Unemployment Rate 1% $25,000-$40,000 23% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 73% $60,000-$100,000 24% Median Gross Rent $1,033 $100,000-$150,000 15% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 8% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 6% Caucasian 91% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 69% Asian 4% Social Security 36% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 21% Other Race 1% Investments 30% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 17% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 94% High School or Higher 96% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 46% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Hadley.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 5 WIC 1

45

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Hampden

The town of Hampden is located in Hampden County. The namesake of Hampden is John Hampden, an English patriot. Hampden has two communities, the center, or “village”, and the “west side”. There are no numbered highways or state routes in Hampden. Hampden is bordered by Wilbraham, Monson, Longmeadow, and Stafford and Somers, Connecticut. Hampden is located on the Connecticut border, just north of Tolland County. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Hampden; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 5,139 Household Income Male 2,498 $10,000 or less 3% Female 2,641 $10,000-$25,000 9% Unemployment Rate 7% $25,000-$40,000 9% Unbanked 10% $40,000-$60,000 10% Home Ownership Rate 92% $60,000-$100,000 23% Median Gross Rent $763 $100,000-$150,000 30% Median Age 49 150,000-$200,000 23% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 11% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 75% Asian 1% Social Security 37% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 25% Other Race <1% Investments 39% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 13% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 94% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 38% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Hampden.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 211 WIC 3 Preschool Enrichment Team 3

46

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Hardwick

The town of Hardwick is located in Worcester County and includes the villages of Hardwick, Gilbertville, Wheelwright and Old Furnace. Hardwick is bordered by Petersham, Barre, New Braintree, and Ware. The town is on the edge of Worcester County, bordered by Hampshire County to the southwest. Hardwick has no interstates or limited access highways within town and the Massachusetts Central Railroad passes through town. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Hardwick; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 2,990 Household Income Male 1,501 $10,000 or less 9% Female 1,489 $10,000-$25,000 15% Unemployment Rate 13% $25,000-$40,000 31% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 9% Home Ownership Rate 68% $60,000-$100,000 32% Median Gross Rent $589 $100,000-$150,000 0% Median Age 47 150,000-$200,000 0% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 67% Asian <1% Social Security 59% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 15% Other Race <1% Investments 25% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 4% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 27% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Hardwick

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 2

47

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Hatfield

Hatfield is a town in Hampshire County, which is located on the west bank of the Connecticut River at the mouth of the Mill River. Hatfield is bordered by Horse Mountain, a New England granite glacial remnant. Hatfield’s Smith Academy, serving grades 7-12, is the smallest public school in the state of Massachusetts. Hatfield was the birthplace and hometown to Sophia Smith, the founder of both Smith Academy and Smith College. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Hatfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 3,279 Household Income Male 1,599 $10,000 or less 7% Female 1,680 $10,000-$25,000 11% Unemployment Rate 2% $25,000-$40,000 12% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 24% Home Ownership Rate 75% $60,000-$100,000 19% Median Gross Rent $970 $100,000-$150,000 11% Median Age 50 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 5% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 75% Asian <1% Social Security 33% Two or More Races <1% Retirement Income 20% Other Race <1% Investments N/A Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment N/A Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 99% High School or Higher 97% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 36% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Hatfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 1

48

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Hinsdale

The town of Hinsdale is located in Berkshire County. Hinsdale is home to two historic long- distance routes, the Appalachian Trail and the Boston and Albany Railroad. Hinsdale is bordered by Windsor, Peru, Washington, and Dalton and is in central Berkshire County. Hinsdale is located in the Berkshire Hills, with most of its population located in the valley along the East Branch of the Housatonic River. Hinsdale is part of the Central Berkshire Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Hinsdale; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 2,032 Household Income Male 1,018 $10,000 or less 6% Female 1,014 $10,000-$25,000 30% Unemployment Rate 8% $25,000-$40,000 17% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 24% Home Ownership Rate 86% $60,000-$100,000 15% Median Gross Rent $642 $100,000-$150,000 13% Median Age 47 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 67% Asian <1% Social Security 44% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 19% Other Race <1% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 18% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 31% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Hinsdale.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 12 WIC 2

49

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Holland

The town of Holland is located in Hampden County. Holland contains the Quinnebaug River and the Hamilton Reservoir, one of the largest reservoirs in southern New England. Holland borders Sturbridge, Wales, Brimfield, and Union, Connecticut. Holland is equidistant between Springfield and Worcester, a distance of approximately 30 miles. Holland is also within commuting distance from Hartford, Connecticut. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Holland; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 2,481 Household Income Male 1,285 $10,000 or less 4% Female 1,196 $10,000-$25,000 10% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 11% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 22% Home Ownership Rate 86% $60,000-$100,000 25% Median Gross Rent $1,075 $100,000-$150,000 23% Median Age 45 150,000-$200,000 12% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 77% Asian <1% Social Security 24% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 24% Other Race <1% Investments 21% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 10% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 95% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 32% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Holland.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 130 Senior Companion Program 15

50

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Huntington

The town of Huntington is located in Hampshire County. Huntington was incorporated in 1855, decades later than the towns around it. The town was assembled from pieces of surrounding towns which created a tangle of jurisdictional confusion. Huntington is home to Chester- Blandford State Forest, Goldmine Brook Falls, and Littleville Dam. Huntington is part of the Gateway Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Huntington; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 2,180 Household Income Male 1,093 $10,000 or less 10% Female 1,087 $10,000-$25,000 31% Unemployment Rate 3% $25,000-$40,000 9% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 22% Home Ownership Rate 84% $60,000-$100,000 24% Median Gross Rent $721 $100,000-$150,000 8% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 2% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 62% Asian <1% Social Security 35% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 15% Other Race <1% Investments 12% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 5% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 16% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Huntington.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 53 Preschool Enrichment Team 6

51

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Lanesborough

The town of Lanesborough is located in Berkshire County, it was one of the first Berkshire communities to be settled and was originally known as “New Framingham”. Lanesborough is bordered by New Ashford, Cheshire, Dalton, Pittsfield, and Hancock. Lanesborough is home to part of Pittsfield State Forest, with Balance Rock being its main attraction. Today the town includes many small businesses, but has little industry on its own. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Lanesborough; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 3,091 Household Income Male 1,521 $10,000 or less 5% Female 1,570 $10,000-$25,000 17% Unemployment Rate 11% $25,000-$40,000 5% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 90% $60,000-$100,000 44% Median Gross Rent $916 $100,000-$150,000 4% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 4% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 70% Asian 1% Social Security 30% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 14% Other Race <1% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 3% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 34% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Lanesborough.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 11

52

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Lenox

The town of Lenox is located in Berkshire County set in Western Massachusetts. Lenox includes the villages of New Lenox and Lenoxdale, and is a tourist destination during the summer. Lenox is bordered by Pittsfield, Washingtone, Lee, Stockbridge, and Richmond. Lenox is home to major cultural attractions, including Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Berkshire Scenic Railway and Shakespeare and Company’s new international campus. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Lenox; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 5,025 Household Income Male 2,271 $10,000 or less 10% Female 2,754 $10,000-$25,000 20% Unemployment Rate 15% $25,000-$40,000 10% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 12% Home Ownership Rate 62% $60,000-$100,000 24% Median Gross Rent $815 $100,000-$150,000 7% Median Age 55 150,000-$200,000 2% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 11% Caucasian 95% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 44% Asian 1% Social Security 52% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 25% Other Race 1% Investments 46% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 42% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 95% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 48% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Lenox.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 6

53

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Leverett

The town of Leverett is located in Franklin County. Leverett is located on the edge of the pioneer valley and borders Montague, Wendell, Shutesbury, Amherst and Sunderland. There are four small villages in town, Leverett Center, East Leverett, North Leverett, and Moores Corner. In 1985 a Buddhist monastic order erected a large monument in Leverett known as the New England Peace Pagoda, and is considered the first of its kind in North America. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Leverett; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,851 Household Income Male 922 $10,000 or less 4% Female 929 $10,000-$25,000 6% Unemployment Rate 4% $25,000-$40,000 16% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 86% $60,000-$100,000 16% Median Gross Rent $1,056 $100,000-$150,000 18% Median Age 50 150,000-$200,000 10% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 11% Caucasian 93% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 84% Asian 2% Social Security 34% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 22% Other Race 1% Investments N/A Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment N/A Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 94% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 63% Other 5%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Leverett.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 3 WIC 2

54

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Longmeadow

The town of Longmeadow is located in Hampden County. Longmeadow borders Springfield, Agawam, East Longmeadow and Enfield, Connecticut. There is a commercial center in town, referred to as “The Longmeadow Shops”, which includes shops, services and eateries. Longmeadow hosts three private parochial schools, the Yeshiva Academy, Heritage Academy and St. Mary’s Academy. Longmeadow is also home to Bay Path University, a private undergraduate and graduate institution. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Longmeadow; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 15,784 Household Income Male 7,385 $10,000 or less 4% Female 8,399 $10,000-$25,000 9% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 8% Unbanked 1% $40,000-$60,000 8% Home Ownership Rate 91% $60,000-$100,000 19% Median Gross Rent $1,448 $100,000-$150,000 22% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 23% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 20% Caucasian 92% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 71% Asian 5% Social Security 37% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 22% Other Race 1% Investments 40% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 19% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 87% High School or Higher 96% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 66% Other 11%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Longmeadow.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 225 Preschool Enrichment Team 12 VITA 83 WIC 5

55

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Ludlow

The town of Ludlow is located in Hampden County. Located just northeast of Springfield across the Chicopee River, it is one of the city’s suburbs. In addition to Springfield, Ludlow also borders Chicopee, Granby, Belchertown, Palmer, and Wilbraham. Ludlow has a sizable and visible Portuguese community, Portuguese-Americans make up 21% of the population of the town. Our Lady of Fatima Church puts on an annual Fiesta, which is one of the most significant events for Portuguese-Americans in the country. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Ludlow; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 21,103 Household Income Male 10,839 $10,000 or less 3% Female 10,246 $10,000-$25,000 31% Unemployment Rate 7% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 29% Home Ownership Rate 77% $60,000-$100,000 14% Median Gross Rent $888 $100,000-$150,000 5% Median Age 45 150,000-$200,000 0% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 94% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 82% Asian 1% Social Security 26% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 11% Other Race 2% Investments 7% Hispanic/Latino 6% Self Employment 12% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 76% High School or Higher 84% Spanish 5% Bachelors or Higher 21% Other 19%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Ludlow.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 1,319 Educational Opportunity 14 Center WIC 237 Adult Basic Education 2 Preschool Enrichment Team 29 Citizenship 1

56

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Middlefield

The town of Middlefield is located in Hampshire County. Middlefield was first settled in 1780 and officially incorporated in 1783. Martha Stewart is a notable resident of Middlefield. Middlefield is part of the Gateway Regional School District. Some attractions include Glendale Falls and the Middlefield Fair. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Middlefield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 521 Household Income Male 266 $10,000 or less 8% Female 255 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 3% $25,000-$40,000 22% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 93% $60,000-$100,000 26% Median Gross Rent $675 $100,000-$150,000 16% Median Age 56 150,000-$200,000 8% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 0% Salary 80% Asian 2% Social Security 25% Two or More Races <1% Retirement Income 18% Other Race <1% Investments 13% Hispanic/Latino <1% Self Employment 10% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 98% High School or Higher 97% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 23% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Middlefield.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 1 Preschool Enrichment Team 1

57

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Monson

The town of Monson is located in Hampden County. Monson is bordered by Palmer, Brimfield, Wales, Hampden, Wilbraham and Stafford, Connecticut. On June 1, 2011, tornado crossed through the center of town, causing $11.9 million in property damage, some buildings were damaged beyond repair. Monson is home to the Conant Brook Dam, W.N. Flynt Granite Co., William Norcross House and Tree House Brewing Company. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Monson; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 8,560 Household Income Male 4,148 $10,000 or less 9% Female 4,376 $10,000-$25,000 27% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 8% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 21% Home Ownership Rate 82% $60,000-$100,000 27% Median Gross Rent $836 $100,000-$150,000 8% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 10% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 78% Asian 1% Social Security 33% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 23% Other Race <1% Investments 15% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 8% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 98% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 27% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Monson.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 519 WIC 14

58

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Montague

The town of Montague is located in Franklin County. The villages of Montague Center, Montague City, Lake Pleasant, Millers Falls and Turners Falls are located in the town of Montague. Montague is bounded on the west by the Connecticut River and is drained by Millers River. Montague is home to the Montague Bookmill, Element Brewing Company and Bitzer Fish Hatchery. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Montague; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 8,437 Household Income Male 4,106 $10,000 or less 4% Female 4,331 $10,000-$25,000 9% Unemployment Rate 10% $25,000-$40,000 24% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 63% $60,000-$100,000 28% Median Gross Rent $783 $100,000-$150,000 1% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 3% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 93% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 74% Asian 1% Social Security 34% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 27% Other Race 2% Investments 35% Hispanic/Latino 5% Self Employment 14% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 93% High School or Higher 88% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 28% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Montague.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 8 WIC 3

59

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Monterey

The town of Monterey is located in Berkshire County. Monterey is bordered by Tyringham, Otis, Sandisfield, New Marlborough and Great Barrington. Monterey was mostly known for sawmills, but today is a rural community, known more for its recreational areas in state forests and along Lake Garfield. Monterey is home to Lake Garfield, Beartown State Forest, and the Appalachian Trail. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Monterey; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 961 Household Income Male 458 $10,000 or less 11% Female 503 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 21% Unbanked 5% $40,000-$60,000 23% Home Ownership Rate 82% $60,000-$100,000 13% Median Gross Rent $931 $100,000-$150,000 10% Median Age 54 150,000-$200,000 7% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 60% Asian <1% Social Security 36% Two or More Races <1% Retirement Income 16% Other Race <1% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 12% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 88% High School or Higher 98% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 51% Other 10%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Monterey.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

60

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

New Marlborough

New Marlborough is a town located in Berkshire County, and includes the villages of Clayton, Hartsville, Mill River, New Marlborough Village, and Southfield. Today New Marlborough is mostly rural, with little industry. New Marlborough is bordered by Monterey, Sandisfield, Sheffield, Great Barrington, and Norfolk and North Canaan, Connecticut. New Marlborough is part of the Southern Berkshire Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of New Marlborough; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,509 Household Income Male 765 $10,000 or less 4% Female 744 $10,000-$25,000 10% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 23% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 13% Home Ownership Rate 86% $60,000-$100,000 16% Median Gross Rent $1,142 $100,000-$150,000 18% Median Age 53 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 6% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 81% Asian <1% Social Security 42% Two or More Races <1% Retirement Income 18% Other Race <1% Investments N/A Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment N/A Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 96% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 42% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in New Marlborough.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

61

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

North Adams

The city of North Adams is located in Berkshire County. In 2010 the population was 13,708, making North Adams the least populous city in the state. North Adams is bordered by Clarksburg, Florida, Adams and Williamstown. North Adams is best known as home of the largest contemporary art museum in the United States, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MOCA) and has in recent years become a center for tourism, culture and recreation. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of North Adams; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 13,708 Household Income Male 6,448 $10,000 or less 11% Female 7,260 $10,000-$25,000 27% Unemployment Rate 10% $25,000-$40,000 16% Unbanked 10% $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 52% $60,000-$100,000 16% Median Gross Rent $666 $100,000-$150,000 8% Median Age 43 150,000-$200,000 4% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 93% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 60% Asian 1% Social Security 41% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 21% Other Race 1% Investments 19% Hispanic/Latino 4% Self Employment 11% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 95% High School or Higher 85% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 23% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in North Adams.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 57

62

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Northampton

The city of Northampton is located in Hampshire County and is the county seat. Northampton includes the villages of Florence and Leeds and is bordered by Hatfield, Williamsburg, Westhampton, Hadley and Easthampton. Northampton is known as an academic, artistic, musical, and countercultural hub. Northampton is home to a number of points of interest, including Smith College, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, Look Park, The Three County Fair, Thornes Marketplace, and The Academy of Music. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Northampton; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 28,549 Household Income Male 12,312 $10,000 or less 6% Female 16,237 $10,000-$25,000 18% Unemployment Rate 8% $25,000-$40,000 12% Unbanked 5% $40,000-$60,000 16% Home Ownership Rate 56% $60,000-$100,000 22% Median Gross Rent $975 $100,000-$150,000 15% Median Age 39 150,000-$200,000 11% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 6% Caucasian 88% Sources of Income African American 3% Salary 75% Asian 4% Social Security 26% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 15% Other Race 3% Investments 30% Hispanic/Latino 7% Self Employment 18% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 88% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 5% Bachelors or Higher 56% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Northampton.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 27 Preschool Enrichment Team 19 Educational Opportunity Center 5

63

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Northfield

The town of Northfield is located in Franklin County and was first settled in 1673. The Connecticut River runs through the town and Northfield is located at the junction of the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont state borders. Northfield is bordered by Warwick, Erving, Gill, Bernardston and Vernon, Vermont and Hinsdale and Winchester, New Hampshire. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Northfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 3,032 Household Income Male 1,498 $10,000 or less 5% Female 1,534 $10,000-$25,000 20% Unemployment Rate 6 % $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 26% Home Ownership Rate 78% $60,000-$100,000 18% Median Gross Rent $807 $100,000-$150,000 9% Median Age 45 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 78% Asian <1% Social Security 29% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 23% Other Race 1% Investments 22% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 3% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 98% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 37% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Northfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

64

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Orange

The town of Orange is located in Franklin County, it is bordered by Royalston, Athol, New Salem, Wendell, Erving, and Warwick. Orange is the easternmost town within Franklin County along its border with Worcester County. Orange was first settled in 1746, created from lands in the towns of Royalston, Warwick and Athol. Orange is home to the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Orange; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 7,839 Household Income Male 3,813 $10,000 or less 7% Female 4,026 $10,000-$25,000 36% Unemployment Rate 13% $25,000-$40,000 8% Unbanked 8% $40,000-$60,000 16% Home Ownership Rate 68% $60,000-$100,000 22% Median Gross Rent $706 $100,000-$150,000 11% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 4% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 95% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 64% Asian 1% Social Security 33% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 14% Other Race 1% Investments 17% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 11% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 87% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 15% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Orange.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 4 Preschool Enrichment Team 2

65

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Otis

The town of Otis is located in Berkshire County. Otis is bordered by Becket, Blandford, Tolland, Sandisfield, Monterey and Tyringham. Otis lies in the southern end of the Berkshire Mountains. Points of interest in Otis include Beartown State Forest, Otis Ridge Ski Area, Tolland State Forest and Otis State Forest. Otis is part of the Farmington River Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Otis; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,612 Household Income Male 821 $10,000 or less 8% Female 791 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 7% $25,000-$40,000 22% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 92% $60,000-$100,000 26% Median Gross Rent $602 $100,000-$150,000 16% Median Age 50 150,000-$200,000 8% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 80% Asian <1% Social Security 25% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 18% Other Race <1% Investments 13% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 10% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 96% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 27% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Otis.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 1 Preschool Enrichment Team 1

66

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Palmer

The city of Palmer is located in Hampden County, and the villages of Bondsville, Thorndike, Depot Village, and Three Rivers are located within Palmer. Palmer borders Ludlow, Wilbraham, Belchertown, Ware, Warren, Brimfield and Monson. In 2004, Palmer adopted a home rule charter with a council-manager form of government. Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School is located within Palmer. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Palmer; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 12,140 Household Income Male 6,042 $10,000 or less 5% Female 6,098 $10,000-$25,000 16% Unemployment Rate 10% $25,000-$40,000 16% Unbanked 6% $40,000-$60,000 20% Home Ownership Rate 72% $60,000-$100,000 20% Median Gross Rent $741 $100,000-$150,000 14% Median Age 43 150,000-$200,000 12% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 69% Asian 1% Social Security 34% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 26% Other Race 1% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 14% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 89% Spanish <1% Bachelors or Higher 23% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Palmer.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 1,408 Preschool Enrichment Team 17 WIC 60 Educational Opportunity 12 Center

67

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Pittsfield

The city of Pittsfield is located in Berkshire County. Pittsfield is the largest city and county seat of Berkshire County and although the population has declined in recent decades, Pittsfield remains the third largest municipality in Western Massachusetts, behind only Springfield and Chicopee, based on 2010 census data. Pittsfield is bordered by Lanesborough, Dalton, Washington, Lenox, Richmond, and Hancock. Pittsfield is home to the main campus of Berkshire Community College. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Pittsfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 44,737 Household Income Male 21,472 $10,000 or less 7% Female 23,265 $10,000-$25,000 22% Unemployment Rate 11% $25,000-$40,000 16% Unbanked 8% $40,000-$60,000 16% Home Ownership Rate 61% $60,000-$100,000 21% Median Gross Rent $785 $100,000-$150,000 10% Median Age 43 150,000-$200,000 7% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 88% Sources of Income African American 5% Salary 69% Asian 1% Social Security 37% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 20% Other Race 2% Investments 24% Hispanic/Latino 5% Self Employment 9% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 91% High School or Higher 90% Spanish 4% Bachelors or Higher 26% Other 5%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Pittsfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 2

68

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Plainfield

The town of Plainfield is located on the northwestern edge of Hampshire County, about 25 miles east of Pittsfield and 30 miles northwest of Northampton. Plainfield is bordered by Cummington, Ashfield, Hawley, Savoy and Windsor. Plainfield is situated in the scenic Berkshire Highlands where Hampshire County merges into neighboring Franklin and Berkshire Counties and is part of the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Plainfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 684 Household Income Male 322 $10,000 or less 6% Female 326 $10,000-$25,000 30% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 17% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 24% Home Ownership Rate 90% $60,000-$100,000 15% Median Gross Rent $600 $100,000-$150,000 13% Median Age 53 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 67% Asian 1% Social Security 44% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 19% Other Race <1% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 18% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 92% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 45% Other 6%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Plainfield.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

69

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Richmond

The town of Richmond is located in Berkshire County. Richmond is a small, rural community abutting the New York State border and just south of the city of Pittsfield, where many of its residents work. Richmond is bordered by Hancock, Pittsfield, Lenox, Stockbridge and Canaan, New York. Richmond has one school, Richmond Consolidated School, which serves students from preschool through 8th grade, students then attend high school in one of the local towns. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Richmond; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,475 Household Income Male 715 $10,000 or less 10% Female 760 $10,000-$25,000 20% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 10% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 12% Home Ownership Rate 88% $60,000-$100,000 24% Median Gross Rent $1,176 $100,000-$150,000 7% Median Age 56 150,000-$200,000 2% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 11% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 44% Asian 1% Social Security 52% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 25% Other Race <1% Investments 46% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 42% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 98% High School or Higher 96% Spanish <1% Bachelors or Higher 51% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Richmond.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 2

70

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Rowe

The town of Rowe is located in Franklin County. Rowe lies along the eastern bank of the Deerfield River and is bordered by Heath, Charlemont, Florida, Monroe and Whitingham, Vermont. The former mining village of Davis is located in the eastern part of town. Rowe is hilly, with no state highways and is part of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Rowe; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 393 Household Income Male 188 $10,000 or less 2% Female 205 $10,000-$25,000 10% Unemployment Rate 2% $25,000-$40,000 8% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 28% Home Ownership Rate 85% $60,000-$100,000 34% Median Gross Rent $1,075 $100,000-$150,000 16% Median Age 49 150,000-$200,000 1% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary N/A Asian 0% Social Security N/A Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income N/A Other Race 1% Investments N/A Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment N/A Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 95% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 32% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Rowe.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 2

71

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Russell

The town of Russell is located in Hampden County. Russell borders Granville, Blandford, Huntington, Montgomery and Westfield. The town has two very different sections; the South Quarter is mainly uplands along the rim of a plateau west of the Connecticut River Valley, the rest of the town is a deep valley along the swift Westfield River. There are no schools in town, students attend school in Huntington. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Russell; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,775 Household Income Male 873 $10,000 or less 3% Female 902 $10,000-$25,000 9% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 6% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 91% $60,000-$100,000 31% Median Gross Rent $1,013 $100,000-$150,000 25% Median Age 42 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 98% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 77% Asian <1% Social Security 32% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 17% Other Race <1% Investments 21% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 9% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 98% High School or Higher 91% Spanish <1% Bachelors or Higher 28% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Russell.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 194 WIC 42 Preschool Enrichment Team 1

72

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Savoy

The town of Savoy is located in Berkshire County. Savoy is located among the Berkshire Hills, with much of the town being dominated by Savoy State Forest. Savoy is bordered by Florida, Charlemont, Hawley, Plainfield, Windsor, Cheshire, and Adams. Today the town is mostly a quiet rural community, known for its scenery and natural beauty. Some points of interest include Tannery Falls and Savoy Mountain State Forest. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Savoy; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 692 Household Income Male 351 $10,000 or less 5% Female 341 $10,000-$25,000 10% Unemployment Rate 8% $25,000-$40,000 11% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 14% Home Ownership Rate 90% $60,000-$100,000 5% Median Gross Rent $775 $100,000-$150,000 21% Median Age 45 150,000-$200,000 19% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 6% Caucasian 94% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 81% Asian <1% Social Security 27% Two or More Races 4% Retirement Income 14% Other Race <1% Investments 30% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 10% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 99% High School or Higher 87% Spanish <1% Bachelors or Higher 17% Other <1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Savoy.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 3

73

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Sheffield

The town of Sheffield is located in Berkshire County. Sheffield includes the village of Ashley Falls and is home to Berkshire School, a private preparatory school. The town is bordered by Great Barrington, New Marlborough, North Canaan, Mount Washington, Egremont and Salisbury, Connecticut. The town is in the Housatonic River valley and part of the Mount Everett State Reservation and the Mount Washington State Forest also cross through town. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Sheffield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 3,257 Household Income Male 1,618 $10,000 or less 11% Female 1,639 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 21% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 23% Home Ownership Rate 79% $60,000-$100,000 13% Median Gross Rent $879 $100,000-$150,000 10% Median Age 50 150,000-$200,000 7% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 60% Asian <1% Social Security 36% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 16% Other Race 1% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 12% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 90% Spanish <1% Bachelors or Higher 33% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Sheffield.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 8

74

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Shelburne

Shelburne is a town located in Franklin County. The village of Shelburne Falls lies partially in Shelburne and partially in Buckland. The town has historically had two distinctly different parts, the main body of town has farmland among the low hills, while the area around Shelburne Falls has mostly been a mining community. Shelburne is bordered by Colrain, Greenfield, Deerfield, Conway, Buckland, and Charlemont. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Shelburne; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,893 Household Income Male 933 $10,000 or less 6% Female 960 $10,000-$25,000 30% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 17% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 24% Home Ownership Rate 62% $60,000-$100,000 15% Median Gross Rent $815 $100,000-$150,000 13% Median Age 52 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 67% Asian 1% Social Security 44% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 19% Other Race <1% Investments 29% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 16% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 98% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 43% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Shelburne.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 3 WIC 1

75

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Shutesbury

Shutesbury is located in Franklin County and is bordered by Wendell, New Salem, Pelham, Amherst and Leverett. Shutesbury lies at the northern end of the western branch of the Quabbin Reservoir. Shutesbury is one of very few towns that enjoys actual night darkness, having forgone street lighting. Points of interest include Lake Wyola State Park and Pine Brook Camp and Conference Center. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Shutesbury; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,771 Household Income Male 845 $10,000 or less 13% Female 926 $10,000-$25,000 17% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 25% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 14% Home Ownership Rate 89% $60,000-$100,000 11% Median Gross Rent $1,281 $100,000-$150,000 10% Median Age 48 150,000-$200,000 12% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 92% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 87% Asian 1% Social Security 8% Two or More Races 4% Retirement Income 10% Other Race <1% Investments 19% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 13% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 93% High School or Higher 96% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 66% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Shutesbury.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

76

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

South Hadley

South Hadley is a town located in Hampshire County and is home to Mount Holyoke College, Berkshire Hills Music Academy and Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School. South Hadley is bordered by Hadley, Amherst, Granby and Chicopee. South Hadley is the home to the nation’s first successful navigable canal as well as the oldest continuing institution of higher education for women. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of South Hadley; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 17,514 Household Income Male 7,176 $10,000 or less 2% Female 10,338 $10,000-$25,000 10% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 29% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 9% Home Ownership Rate 72% $60,000-$100,000 24% Median Gross Rent $912 $100,000-$150,000 22% Median Age 40 150,000-$200,000 21% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 90% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 76% Asian 4% Social Security 34% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 30% Other Race 1% Investments 26% Hispanic/Latino 4% Self Employment 18% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 91% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 39% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in South Hadley.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants WIC 198 ESOL 2 Preschool Enrichment Team 33 Citizenship 2 Educational Opportunity Center 10 Adult Basic Education 1 Transportation 7

77

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Southampton

Southampton is a town located in Hampshire County and was initially established as a district of Northampton in 1753. Southampton borders Easthampton, Holyoke, Westfield, Montgomery, Huntington and Westhampton. Southampton was rated as having the best tasting tap water in 2008 by the National Rural Water Association. In 1964, U. S. Senator Ted Kennedy was involved in a plane crash in Southampton. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Southampton; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 5,792 Household Income Male 2,808 $10,000 or less 4% Female 2,904 $10,000-$25,000 17% Unemployment Rate 4% $25,000-$40,000 13% Unbanked % $40,000-$60,000 18% Home Ownership Rate 88% $60,000-$100,000 30% Median Gross Rent $983 $100,000-$150,000 12% Median Age 46 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 1% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 78% Asian 1% Social Security 30% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 16% Other Race <1% Investments 22% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 9% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 95% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 30% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Southampton.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 32 Preschool Enrichment Team 4

78

Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Southwick

Southwick is a town located in Hampden County. Southwick was originally inhabited by the Matitacooke, Mayawaug and Woronoake tribes of Native Americans. Southwick is the southernmost town in western Massachusetts and is bordered by Westfield, Agawam, Granville and Suffield, and Granby, Connecticut. The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail passes through Southwick, as well as a rail trail, connecting to Granby, Connecticut. Southwick is home to the Southwick Regional School District, the high school was recently renovated and serves students in Southwick, Granville and Tolland. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Southwick; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 9,502 Household Income Male 4,714 $10,000 or less 3% Female 4,788 $10,000-$25,000 11% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 83% $60,000-$100,000 15% Median Gross Rent $927 $100,000-$150,000 18% Median Age 45 150,000-$200,000 12% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 8% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 90% Asian 1% Social Security 24% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 15% Other Race 1% Investments 47% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 33% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 96% High School or Higher 90% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 34% Other 3%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Southwick.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 575 Preschool Enrichment Team 5 WIC 108 Educational Opportunity 4 Center

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Springfield

Springfield is a city located in Hampden County, Springfield is the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence of three rivers: the Westfield River, the Chicopee River and the Mill River. Metropolitan Springfield is one of two metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, the other being Greater Boston. Springfield is bordered by Chicopee, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, West Springfield, Wilbraham, Ludlow and Agawam. Springfield is home to Springfield College, Western New England University, American International College, and Springfield Technical Community College. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Springfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 153,060 Household Income Male 72,573 $10,000 or less 14% Female 80,487 $10,000-$25,000 26% Unemployment Rate 13% $25,000-$40,000 15% Unbanked 17% $40,000-$60,000 15% Home Ownership Rate 48% $60,000-$100,000 17% Median Gross Rent $823 $100,000-$150,000 9% Median Age 32 150,000-$200,000 6% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 52% Sources of Income African American 22% Salary 66% Asian 2% Social Security 30% Two or More Races 5% Retirement Income 14% Other Race 19% Investments 14% Hispanic/Latino 39% Self Employment 6% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 62% High School or Higher 76% Spanish 33% Bachelors or Higher 18% Other 5%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Springfield.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants GEAR UP 1,177 Adult Basic Education 41 WIC 582 Transportation 40 Educational Opportunity Center 417 ESOL 33 Preschool Enrichment Team 340 Energy Assistance 18 Educational Talent Search 236 Youth Works 2

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Sunderland

Sunderland is a town located in Franklin County. Sunderland was first known as Swampfield, but this name was later changed to attract residents. Sunderland is bordered by Montague, Leverett, Amherst, Hadley, Whately and Deerfield. Most of the population of Sunderland lies in the western part of town, along the Connecticut River. Sunderland is home to Mount Toby and Mount Toby State Forest which is known for its waterfalls, scenic vista and biologically diverse ecosystem. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Sunderland; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 3,684 Household Income Male 1,813 $10,000 or less 10% Female 1,871 $10,000-$25,000 2% Unemployment Rate 2% $25,000-$40,000 16% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 25% Home Ownership Rate 44% $60,000-$100,000 29% Median Gross Rent $1,171 $100,000-$150,000 6% Median Age 27 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 87% Sources of Income African American 3% Salary 81% Asian 5% Social Security 26% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 15% Other Race 2% Investments 28% Hispanic/Latino 5% Self Employment 15% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 84% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 61% Other 13%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Sunderland.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 2 WIC 1

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Valley Opportunity Council 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan

Wales

Wales is a town located in Hampden County. Wales is bordered by Monson, Holland, Brimfield and Stafford and Union, Connecticut. Wales was first settled as South Brimfield, and was renamed in 1828 after James Lawrence Wales, a local benefactor. Wales is part of the Tantasqua Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Wales; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,838 Household Income Male 931 $10,000 or less 3% Female 907 $10,000-$25,000 6% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 15% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 31% Home Ownership Rate 79% $60,000-$100,000 42% Median Gross Rent $858 $100,000-$150,000 12% Median Age 44 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 78% Asian <1% Social Security 34% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 16% Other Race <1% Investments N/A Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment N/A Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 95% High School or Higher 92% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 17% Other 4%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Wales.

VOC Program Number of Participants Energy Assistance 173 WIC 4 Preschool Enrichment Team 1

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Ware

Ware is a town located in Hampshire County. Ware lies at the southern end of the Quabbin Reservoir and Quabbin Reservation and is bordered by New Salem, Hardwick, New Braintree, West Brookfield, Warren, Palmer and Belchertown. The town gained lands in the late 1930s, as part of building the Quabbin Reservoir. Ware is the easternmost town in Hampshire County. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Ware; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 9,872 Household Income Male 4,851 $10,000 or less 9% Female 5,021 $10,000-$25,000 21% Unemployment Rate 8% $25,000-$40,000 20% Unbanked 9% $40,000-$60,000 19% Home Ownership Rate 71% $60,000-$100,000 20% Median Gross Rent $973 $100,000-$150,000 5% Median Age 43 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 3% Caucasian 94% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 65% Asian 1% Social Security 33% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 20% Other Race 2% Investments 18% Hispanic/Latino 4% Self Employment 8% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 91% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 21% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Ware.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 21 WIC 11 Educational Opportunity Center 3

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Warren

Warren is a town located in Worcester County. Warren was originally part of Quaboag Plantation and was officially incorporated as the town of Western in 1741. In 1834, the town was renamed Warren in honor of General Joseph Warren who died at Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War. Warren is bordered by Palmer, Ware, West Brookfield, Brookfield, and Brimfield. The Quaboag River runs through the center of town. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Warren; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 5,135 Household Income Male 2,556 $10,000 or less 8% Female 2,579 $10,000-$25,000 38% Unemployment Rate 8% $25,000-$40,000 20% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 23% Home Ownership Rate 64% $60,000-$100,000 19% Median Gross Rent $812 $100,000-$150,000 4% Median Age 42 150,000-$200,000 0% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 69% Asian <1% Social Security 38% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 5% Other Race <1% Investments 10% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 9% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 98% High School or Higher 91% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 18% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Warren.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 5 WIC 3

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West Springfield

West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, and is home to the Storrowton Village Museum, Josiah Day House and the Big E fairgrounds (Eastern States Exhibition). The city is also known as “West Side”, in reference to the fact that it is on the western side of the Connecticut River from Springfield, a fact which played a major part in the town’s early history. On June 1, 2011, a tornado touched down in West Springfield, then crossed the Connecticut River and devastated the City of Springfield. This tornado caused two fatalities in the city-including a mother who died while shielding her daughter. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of West Springfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 28,391 Household Income Male 13,855 $10,000 or less 5% Female 14,536 $10,000-$25,000 20% Unemployment Rate 8% $25,000-$40,000 15% Unbanked 8% $40,000-$60,000 15% Home Ownership Rate 59% $60,000-$100,000 22% Median Gross Rent $832 $100,000-$150,000 15% Median Age 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 2% Caucasian 86% Sources of Income African American 3% Salary 74% Asian 4% Social Security 35% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 18% Other Race 5% Investments 19% Hispanic/Latino 9% Self Employment 7% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 78% High School or Higher 89% Spanish 8% Bachelors or Higher 30% Other 14%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in West Springfield.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 3,435 Transportation 8 WIC 164 ESOL 7 Educational Opportunity Center 65 Adult Basic Education 2 Preschool Enrichment Team 16

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West Stockbridge

West Stockbridge is a town located in Berkshire County. The town grew out of Stockbridge, formerly known as Indiantown, and was originally called Queensborough. The town grew as five separate villages: West Center, West Stockbridge, Freedleyville, Rockdale and Williamsville. West Stockbridge is bordered by Richmond, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, Alford, and Austerlitz and Canaan, New York. West Stockbridge is a member of the Berkshire Hills Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of West Stockbridge; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,306 Household Income Male 628 $10,000 or less 3% Female 678 $10,000-$25,000 32% Unemployment Rate 2% $25,000-$40,000 4% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 9% Home Ownership Rate 91% $60,000-$100,000 21% Median Gross Rent $1,321 $100,000-$150,000 10% Median Age 52 150,000-$200,000 5% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 15% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 67% Asian 1% Social Security 42% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 15% Other Race 1% Investments 36% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 7% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 93% High School or Higher 96% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 52% Other 5%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in West Stockbridge.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

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Westfield

Westfield is a city located in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. The area was originally inhabited by the Pocomtuc tribe and was called Woronoco. Westfield is bordered by Southampton, Holyoke, West Springfield, Agawam, Southwick, Granville, Russell and Montgomery. Westfield is split into the “South Side” and the “North Side” by the Westfield River. The city is home to Westfield State University. Listed below are the current statistics for the city (City of Westfield; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 41,094 Household Income Male 20,090 $10,000 or less 4% Female 21,004 $10,000-$25,000 16% Unemployment Rate 9% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked 6% $40,000-$60,000 14% Home Ownership Rate 68% $60,000-$100,000 24% Median Gross Rent $866 $100,000-$150,000 17% Median Age 37 150,000-$200,000 12% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 4% Caucasian 93% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 76% Asian 1% Social Security 31% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 18% Other Race 2% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino 8% Self Employment 8% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 86% High School or Higher 91% Spanish 3% Bachelors or Higher 33% Other 11%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Westfield.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 4,042 Preschool Enrichment Team 54 WIC 1,196 Transportation 18 VITA 83 ESOL 2 Educational Opportunity Center 65

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Wilbraham

Wilbraham is a town located in Hampden County and is a suburb of the City of Springfield. Wilbraham was originally divided between North Wilbraham and Wilbraham. North Wilbraham was home to the industrial side of town and Wilbraham was home to the Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Wilbraham is bordered by Springfield, Ludlow, Palmer, Monson, Hampden, and East Longmeadow. Wilbraham is part of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Wilbraham; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 14,219 Household Income Male 6,730 $10,000 or less 4% Female 7,489 $10,000-$25,000 9% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 9% Unbanked 1% $40,000-$60,000 10% Home Ownership Rate 89% $60,000-$100,000 23% Median Gross Rent $832 $100,000-$150,000 24% Median Age 48 150,000-$200,000 9% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 12% Caucasian 94% Sources of Income African American 2% Salary 75% Asian 2% Social Security 37% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 25% Other Race 1% Investments 39% Hispanic/Latino 3% Self Employment 13% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 91% High School or Higher 94% Spanish 2% Bachelors or Higher 44% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Wilbraham.

VOC Program Number of VOC Program Number of Participants Participants Energy Assistance 431 Preschool Enrichment Team 9 WIC 40 Educational Opportunity 5 Center

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Williamsburg

Williamsburg is a town located in Hampshire County, and includes the villages of Haydenville and Searsville. The town is well known in its rural area for its quaint town center which includes Williamsburg General Store, the Williamsburg Market, the Meekings Library and Post Office. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Williamsburg; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 2,482 Household Income Male 1,138 $10,000 or less 6% Female 1,344 $10,000-$25,000 18% Unemployment Rate 6% $25,000-$40,000 12% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 16% Home Ownership Rate 78% $60,000-$100,000 22% Median Gross Rent $1,063 $100,000-$150,000 15% Median Age 52 150,000-$200,000 11% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 6% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 75% Asian 1% Social Security 26% Two or More Races 1% Retirement Income 15% Other Race 1% Investments 30% Hispanic/Latino 2% Self Employment 18% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 97% High School or Higher 97% Spanish 1% Bachelors or Higher 48% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Williamsburg.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 4

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Williamstown

Williamstown is a town located in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of the state. Williamstown shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. The town is bordered by Pownal, Vermont, Clarksburg, North Adams, Adams, New Ashford, Hancock, and Berlin and Petersburgh, New York. Williamstown is home to Williams College, the Clark Art Institute, and the Tony-awarded Williamstown Theatre Festival which runs every July and August. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Williamstown; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 7,754 Household Income Male 3,614 $10,000 or less 6% Female 4,140 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 5% $25,000-$40,000 14% Unbanked 3% $40,000-$60,000 14% Home Ownership Rate 75% $60,000-$100,000 20% Median Gross Rent $1,010 $100,000-$150,000 12% Median Age 29 150,000-$200,000 12% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 12% Caucasian 88% Sources of Income African American 3% Salary 67% Asian 5% Social Security 41% Two or More Races 3% Retirement Income 23% Other Race 1% Investments 44% Hispanic/Latino 4% Self Employment 13% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 88% High School or Higher 93% Spanish 5% Bachelors or Higher 62% Other 7%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Williamstown.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 5

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Windsor

Windsor is a town located in Berkshire County, the town was named for Windsor, Connecticut, where many of the settlers emigrated from. Windsor is bordered by Savoy, Plainfield, Cummington, Peru, Hinsdale, Dalton and Chesire. Windsor is located on a plateau in the Berkshire Hills, and lies near the source of the Westfield River. The town is dotted with wildlife management areas, including all of Eugene Moran Wildlife Management Area, as well as portions of the Chalet, Peru and Savoy Wildlife Management Areas. Windsor is a member of the Central Berkshire Regional School District. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Windsor; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 899 Household Income Male 457 $10,000 or less 5% Female 442 $10,000-$25,000 17% Unemployment Rate 8% $25,000-$40,000 5% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 99% $60,000-$100,000 44% Median Gross Rent N/A $100,000-$150,000 4% Median Age 50 150,000-$200,000 4% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 96% Sources of Income African American 1% Salary 70% Asian 1% Social Security 30% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 14% Other Race <1% Investments 23% Hispanic/Latino <1% Self Employment 3% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 98% High School or Higher 97% Spanish <1% Bachelors or Higher 39% Other 2%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Windsor.

VOC Program Number of Participants Preschool Enrichment Team 1

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Worthington

Worthington is a town located in Hampshire County. Worthington is in the southwestern portion of Hampshire County. Some notable people from Worthington are Russell Conwell, founder of Temple University, Jeff Greene, Singer/Songwriter, and Aaron Lewis, lead singer of Staind. Worthington is a member of the Gateway Regional School District. The Road’s End Audubon Sanctuary is in Worthington. Listed below are the current statistics for the town (Town of Worthington; US Census Data).

At a Glance Total Population 1,156 Household Income Male 571 $10,000 or less 8% Female 585 $10,000-$25,000 12% Unemployment Rate 3% $25,000-$40,000 22% Unbanked N/A $40,000-$60,000 17% Home Ownership Rate 88% $60,000-$100,000 26% Median Gross Rent $775 $100,000-$150,000 16% Median Age 51 150,000-$200,000 8% Race/Ethnicity Over $200,000 0% Caucasian 97% Sources of Income African American <1% Salary 80% Asian 1% Social Security 25% Two or More Races 2% Retirement Income 18% Other Race 0% Investments 13% Hispanic/Latino 1% Self Employment 10% Language Spoken at Home Education Level English 99% High School or Higher 90% Spanish 0% Bachelors or Higher 35% Other 1%

Below is a listing, by program, of the number of VOC participants who live in Worthington.

VOC Program Number of Participants WIC 5

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Community and Internal Assessment Process

Timeline VOC leaders began the process of creating the Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan in June of 2016. At that time, the Executive Director and Director of Programs participated in a planning event hosted by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to discuss changes that were being made to the process, best practices, and strategies to ensure successful completion of the Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan (CARSP).

Shortly after that meeting, VOC’s senior management team, consisting of the Executive Director, Director of Programs, Director of Operations, Human Resources Director, and Fiscal Director, met to discuss the CARSP and the planning process.

In September 2016 the Board of Directors was updated on the planning process for the 2018- 2020 CARSP and their assistance was requested to help complete the plan.

In October 2016, a Strategic Plan Committee was formed, consisting of eleven (11) VOC employees from different departments and included program assistants, direct care staff, program management staff, and senior managers. The purpose of this committee was to develop and distribute surveys, participate in focus groups, craft key informant questions, assist with the research, collection, and analysis of data.

Between October 2016 and January 2017, the Strategic Plan Committee developed three (3) different surveys to distribute to VOC employees, board members, participants, and community members. After careful consideration, the committee decided to distribute electronic and paper versions of the surveys. The committee reviewed a variety of options and ultimately Constant Contact was deemed to be the best way to distribute the surveys electronically. Additionally, both the electronic and paper surveys were translated into Spanish prior to distribution.

In January 2017 the Board surveys were distributed and completed by the members of our Board of Directors. The full Board was also given another update on the process and next steps were discussed.

In February and March 2017, the electronic and paper surveys were distributed to employees, community members, and participants. The community and participant surveys were posted on VOC’s Facebook page, they were widely distributed to area partners, and available at all of VOC’s program sites. All completed paper surveys were entered into the Constant Contact database for analysis.

From March to June 2017, the Strategic Plan Committee reviewed data that was collected and began planning programming to meet the top community needs. During this time period, the data research began and both qualitative and quantitative data was also collected and analyzed. Additionally, the community profiles were also created during this time period.

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In April 2017 an employee focus group was held, all employees were invited to attend the focus group. Additionally, the Board Planning and Evaluation Committee met to discuss the CARSP in detail, review each planned phase, and discuss their involvement in the process.

In May 2017 the Board Planning and Evaluation Committee met to receive an update on the progress of the CARSP. This included discussion and analysis of the community needs assessment data.

In June 2017 community and participant focus groups were held. At this time, key informant interviews were conducted and the results of the Community Needs Assessment were reviewed with all VOC program directors and shared with all staff.

VOC’s Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan was submitted to the Board of Directors on June 15, 2017. After thoroughly reviewing and discussing the plan during the meeting the full board unanimously voted to accept the plan.

On July 10, 2017 VOC’s CARSP was submitted to DHCD.

Methodology VOC utilized a multi-prong approach in order to complete the Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan. The first step was creating the surveys that were distributed to Board members, community members, participants, and VOC staff members. The surveys were available in English and Spanish and available both electronically and on paper. All of the surveys were conducted anonymously. The community and participant surveys included a variety of demographic questions in order to ensure that we were surveying people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities, racial identities, education levels, towns, ages, and household sizes.

For the community members and participants, all of the people who completed a survey were entered into a raffle to win one (1) of three (3) prizes, either a four (4) pack of movie passes, a twenty five ($25) dollar Stop and Shop gift card or a fifty ($50) dollar Amazon gift card. All of the paper surveys were collected and entered into the same online database, Constant Contact, as the electronic surveys so that we could review and analyze all of the survey data collectively. Links to the electronic surveys were distributed via email for staff and board members to distribute to their contacts and via Facebook. The Facebook post was boosted in order to reach the maximum amount of people. Paper surveys were available in all VOC programs as well as several outreach sites in the community.

Additionally, VOC held three (3) focus groups in an effort to have a more in depth conversation with community members and participants about the needs of the community. These focus groups included employees, board members, community members, and participants. Everyone who completed a survey was invited to participate in the focus group. Further, the focus group was also posted on Facebook in order to reach additional people. The groups were held at a variety of times and locations in order to accommodate various people’s schedules. Although we offered food at the focus groups, we were unable to provide child care, which limited participation. Participants who were unable to attend a focus group were given the option to

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provide feedback through a phone conversation at a day/time of their preference. This enabled us to hear from the maximum amount of people.

Finally, VOC conducted Key Informant Interviews with a variety of people throughout our community. These interviews were conducted in person, over the phone, and via email depending on the preference of the interviewee. Board members, the Executive Director, and the Director of Programs all participated in this process. The interviews consisted of members from the community we serve, faith based organizations, the Mayor of Chicopee, community police, area business leaders, educational institutions (Early Education, K-12, and postsecondary institutions), Non-Profit Organizations, as well as area Housing Authorities.

Throughout the CARSP process, the Director of Programs collected a variety of secondary data. The full list of sources can be found in the Works Cited at the end of the CARSP.

Once all of the surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews were either collected or conducted, the Director of Programs reviewed the research and data collected from secondary sources to analyze the connections between the secondary sources and the data gathered from VOC’s Community Assessment. Then, VOC’s leadership team developed the programming for the next three (3) years.

Board Involvement As evident in the timeline, members of VOC’s Board of Directors were actively involved in the process of creating and completing the CARSP. Their involvement included reviewing and approving all needs assessment surveys prior to distribution, participating in the Program and Evaluation Committee, completing needs surveys, distributing community needs surveys, reviewing and approving key informant interview questions, reviewing and approving focus group questions, participating in key informant interviews, analyzing the data received from the surveys, as well as reviewing, analyzing, and discussing the completed Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan.

Agency Employee Involvement As with the members of our Board of Directors, VOC staff members were involved throughout the CARSP process. Representatives from each of VOC’s departments were involved in the Strategic Plan Committee, all staff members were invited and encouraged to complete an anonymous Employee Survey, and all employees were invited and encouraged to participate in a focus group to discuss the community and staff needs in greater detail.

Engagement of Low-income Individuals Low-income individuals were engaged throughout the CARSP process. We were able to ensure their engagement through the surveys by including a question about income levels in the demographics section. This enabled us to confirm that over eighty (80%) percent of our respondents were from low-income households. Also, based on their survey responses, we were able to ensure that participants of the focus group included people from low-income backgrounds. Both the focus groups and the surveys were widely distributed in order to ensure we were receiving feedback from low-income community members, who were not VOC

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participants. Further, the members of the Board of Directors who represent low-income participants were consulted throughout the process.

Customer Satisfaction The community and participant surveys included specific customer satisfaction questions and open ended questions so the respondents could elaborate on the customer satisfaction questions and provide additional input on other matters they wanted to discuss. The employee and Board surveys also included questions about ways in which VOC could improve. Further, customer satisfaction was also discussed during the focus groups. The information obtained from the surveys and the focus groups was then analyzed and used to inform VOC programming and next steps for the Strategic Plan.

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Key Findings: Community Assessment

As mentioned in the Methodology section, VOC staff members conducted detailed surveys in an effort to learn more about the needs and strengths of the communities we serve. VOC leaders felt it was crucial to gather information from people from a wide variety of backgrounds. In order to ensure this happened, several demographic questions were asked as part of the survey. The following section will go into greater detail about the demographics of the people who were surveyed.

Demographics VOC staff members surveyed three hundred and three (303) community members and participants as part of the Community Needs Assessment Report and Strategic Plan. As outlined in Chart 1.1 below, the majority of respondents were from Chicopee, the next highest number were from Holyoke. As visualized in Chart 1.2, the participants who responded to VOC’s Community Needs Assessment are representative from the top ten towns that VOC provides services in3. However, it should be noted that while 44% of the Needs Assessment respondents came from Chicopee, only 27% of VOC participants are Chicopee residents. Although every effort was made to include residents from every town VOC serves, we were unable to accomplish that goal.

CHART 1.1 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS BY TOWN

Chicopee 1% 2% 3%1% Holyoke 4% Springfield 5% Westfield 44% West Springfield Other 14% East Longmeadow Easthampton Southwick

22% Ludlow Palmer

3Data regarding current VOC participant statistics are from the results of VOC’s FY16 IS Survey

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Chart 1.2 Top Ten Towns

Chart 1.3 below identified the percent of respondents by their age group and Chart 1.4 is the percent of VOC participants by age group. Please note that the majority of VOC participants fall in the 0-17 category due to the number of children we serve in our child care and WIC programs. Therefore, it is logical that the percent of respondents would not correlate in this case. Chart 1.3 Age of Respondent

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Under 18 18-23 24-44 45-54 55-64 Over 65

Chart 1.4 Age of VOC Participants 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 0-17 Years Old 18-23 Years Old24-44 Years Old45-54 Years Old Over 55 Years Old

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Respondents of VOC’s Community Needs Survey were also asked to specify their gender identity, the results can be found in Chart 1.5 below. In the survey, participants were given the option to choose their identity with the choices of Male, Female, or Other. However, many of VOC’s intake forms are created by the funder and therefore the Other option was not available; additionally, and not all of VOC’s programs require this data so it is not collected by every department. Chart 1.6 shows VOC’s participant gender breakdown.

Chart 1.5 Respondent Chart 1.6 Participant Gender Identity Gender Identity

Female Male Other No Answer Female Male

VOC leaders wanted to be certain that low-income members of our community were represented in this strategic plan. Therefore, the survey respondents were asked to specify their income levels. Chart 1.7 lists the respondents’ annual income. Please note, all of VOC programs and services are funded to serve low and moderate-income families.

Chart 1.7 Respondents Annual Income 57%

24%

8% 2% 4% 5%

$0-$25,000 $25,001-$45,000 $45,001-$60,000 $60,001-$75,000 Over $75,000 No Answer

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VOC leaders also hoped to be able to compare the household sizes of the respondents as compared to VOC participants. As with some of the other demographic listed in this report, it is important to remember that not all of VOC’s program intake forms require participants to specify their household size. The comparisons of household sizes can be found in Chart 1.8 and Chart 1.9 below. CHART 1.8 CHART 1.9 VOC RESPONDENT PARTICIPANT

HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SIZE

23%

30%

19%

18%

23%

15%

19%

11%

14%

8%

4%

2%

3%

1% 1%

1% 1%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 O R MORE Due to a discrepancy in how VOC staff members collect education levels from participants, a direct comparison of education levels between respondents and VOC participants was not available. Chart 1.10 below depicts the education level of the community needs assessment respondents.

Chart 1.10 Respondent Education Level

Less Than or Some High School

HS Diploma or Equivalent

Some College or Vocational Training

Associate's Degree

Bachelor's Degree

Other

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

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Due to overwhelming participant preference, VOC leaders decided to combine Race and Ethnicity on the VOC Community Needs Assessment Survey. Therefore, there is a significant difference between the racial and ethnic background of VOC participants when compared to the survey respondents. Chart 1.11 shows the racial and ethnic background of the survey respondents and Chart 1.12 shows the racial and ethnic background of VOC participants. Chart 1.11 Race/Ethnicity of Respondents

56

18 PERCENT OF OF RESPONSESPERCENT 6 1 1

White Hispanic/Latino Black/African American Asian Native American/Pacific Islander

Chart 1.12 Race/Ethnicity of Participants

83

44 PERCENT OF OF RESPONSESPERCENT 7 6 3

White Hispanic/Latino Other Black/African American Asian

Top Community Needs Outlined below in Chart 2.1 are the top five (5) community needs as determined by the percent of participants who completed the Board Survey, the Community and Participant Survey, and the Employee Survey. All three (3) groups identified the need for additional affordable housing, affordable child care, and job training programs as the top three (3) needs of the community. The needs that rounded out the top five (5) varied between the Board surveys, Community and Participant Surveys and Employee Surveys. The members of our Board of Directors stated

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affordable healthcare and nutrition services as top needs while the employees stated that learning English and affordable healthcare were top needs. The community members and participants stated that alcohol/drug addiction services, nutrition services, and money management were the top needs. Chart 2.1: Top Community Needs

90 80 80 80 70 70 70 70 65 65 56 57 54 56 60 50 50 51 48 47 46 47 45 50 40 40 31 33 32 30 20

20 Percent of Percent responses 10 0 Affordable Affordable Job Training Alcohol/Drug Nutrition Money Affordable Learning Housing Child Care Addiction Management Healthcare English Services

Board Community/Participants Employees VOC leaders considered all of the data and comments regarding the top needs as stated by the members of the Board of Directors, employees, and community members and participants. After careful consideration and discussion, VOC leaders have decided to focus primarily on the top three to five (3-5) needs as stated by the community members and participants. Therefore VOC leaders will focus programming on affordable housing, affordable child care, job training, alcohol/drug addiction services, and nutrition services. These needs can be broken down further into individual, family, and community needs.

Causes and Conditions of Poverty As outlined in the Community Profile data section, there are several current causes and conditions of poverty in the “Every week is a struggle. I communities that VOC provides services. These include often feel like I would be better the lack of affordable housing available for low-income off not working. If I didn’t work households which causes lower income families to spend a I would qualify for help.” disproportionate amount of their income on housing costs. Survey Respondent There has also been an increased use of opioids and the treatment and medical care for people with this addiction requires lower income families to reallocate more of their available resources to treatment. Low socioeconomic neighborhoods are also less likely to have supermarkets within walking distance of where they live which means they are less likely to have access to healthy foods. Many lower income households are also struggling with the lack of available affordable child care in their neighborhoods which means they have to either settle for less reliable child care or find employment that will accommodate their child care schedule. Finally, people who are living at or below the poverty line are less likely to have degrees from postsecondary institutions which means that they are more likely to be unemployed and more likely to be working a part-time job rather than a full-time job. Additional details and data regarding these issues can be found in the Community Profile section of this report.

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For many of our participants, it is not simply about not having enough money, they also do not have access to basic needs they require to live healthy, successful lives.

Some of our respondents indicated that they have a very difficult time accessing services because they are making too much money to qualify for services but not enough money to provide for themselves or their families.

Community Strengths Each of the surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews included questions about the strengths of the community. Although there were some who felt disconnected and struggled to come up with a clear response to this question, there were other who were quick to answer this question, and excited to talk about the good things that were happening.

Many of the participants who were surveyed as part of the CARSP process and through the Holyoke Community Survey stated that they felt the biggest strength of their community was the way in which people come together during times of need. Additionally, a vast majority of respondents stated that they felt their community was united, and there was great pride in the diversity represented in their communities. Others spoke about the available resources for people in need and that members of the community are fortunate to have good school systems and many area colleges and universities (Montenegro-Menezes, Stronsten, 2017).

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Key Findings: Internal Assessment

VOC leaders wanted to ensure that the community members, and participants are “The staff is wonderful! I was so overwhelmed satisfied with the types, and quality of at first not knowing exactly what I needed when services VOC offers. Therefore, the surveys I was applying, but the staff was very helpful, included questions to gauge customer service kind and very patient with all of my many levels, awareness of programming, employee questions.” Survey Respondent satisfaction, and additional programming.

Chart 3.1 below is the community and participant responses to how they would rank VOC customer service. When answering this question, participants were also given the opportunity to elaborate on their experiences at VOC. Many of the respondents were grateful for the services VOC offers and appreciative of the staff members who go the extra mile to assist them with their needs. Respondents also discussed how complicated the intake process can be for some of the programs and that, for fuel assistance in particular, it can take a long time for their application to be processed. Chart 3.1 VOC Customer Service

Fair No Answer 3% 2% Poor Neutral 2% 13%

Excellent Good 48% 32%

Excellent Good Neutral Fair Poor No Answer

VOC leaders also felt it was important to know if current or past participants would recommend VOC services to their friends or family members, as this would be a clear indication of the quality of services our staff members are providing, Chart 3.2 below is a “Everyone always had a smile visualization of these responses. Respondents were also on their face even though it was given the option of providing additional comments and so extremely busy! Everyone these comments were overwhelmingly positive. The had great attitudes even while respondents who did not answer the question stated that dealing with difficult people. I they were not familiar enough with the programs to had a great experience!” Survey comfortably state if they would recommend services. Respondent The few people who stated that they would not recommend VOC stated that it was because they had issues with reaching staff members in our fuel assistance department. We will look to find ways to make the program run more efficiently

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and decrease participant wait time.

CHART 3.2 WOULD YOU RECOMMEND VOC SERVICES?

3% 1%

96% Yes No Answer No

There were several community members, participants, employees, and Board members who stated that VOC does not do enough advertising and that many people in the area are not aware of the number of programs and services VOC offers. Chart 3.3 below portrays the respondents’ familiarity of VOC programs.

80 CHART 3.3 VOC PROGRAM Fuel Assistance FAMILIARITY WIC

Child Care 60 Senior Services

Transportation

40 Housing

Adult Education

Income Management 20

Homeless Services PERCENT OF PARTICIPANT RESPONSES OF PARTICIPANT PERCENT Youth Employment

0 College and Career Readiness

As demonstrated by Chart 3.3, Fuel Assistance, WIC, and Child Care are VOC’s most recognizable programs. This data corresponds with the size of each of the programs.

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Participants, community members, employees, and Board members were all asked for input regarding additional programming that VOC should offer, Chart 3.4 below is the representation of the responses.

Chart 3.4 What Additional Programming Should VOC Offer?

Counseling Services LGBT Services Parenting Classes Additional Programming for Young Adults Advocacy Assistance Money Management Disability Services Transportation More Services for Middle Class Families Additional Job Training Additional Senior Services Rent to Own Programs First Time Homebuyers Program

Counseling Services was overwhelmingly stated to be a big need in the community. Many respondents elaborated on this question stating this was a response to the increasing opioid epidemic that is impacting many people and families in the area. Additionally, many respondents commented on the need for LGBT services, specifically for the youth in our community. Although the need for LGBT services was not among the top 5 needs in the community, VOC leaders will still look to secure new funding in an effort to provide services for this group of people. VOC staff members will also receive trainings to ensure they know what resources are available as well as the specific issues and concerns that primarily impact this group of people.

Employee Satisfaction VOC leaders understand that employee satisfaction plays a crucial role in the success of each program and the agency as a whole. Chart 3.5 below represents the employee’s responses. When staff members elaborated on their response to whether or not their program had enough staff to fulfill its mission, many stated that their funders frequently ask them to do more work for less or no additional funding. Staff went on to say that this has been happening with increased intensity over the last few years. They believe that the need in the community for their program has stayed the same but that they are not funded at the same level they were several years ago. This was the area that a high percentage, 24%, stated that they either strongly disagreed or disagreed with the statement. VOC leaders will continue to advocate for additional funding and will also work closely with staff to develop more efficient ways of completing their required tasks.

When asked if they liked their job, 86% of employee respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement. Further, 85% stated that their job challenges them and of the remaining respondents, many stated that they hoped they would be able to take on additional leadership roles within the agency.

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Chart 3.5 Employee Satisfaction

My program has enough staff to fulfill its mission I am treated fairly by my supervisor I have a sense of pride in being a VOC employee My work is valued by agency leaders VOC services meet the needs of our community VOC leaders communicate effectively with their employees Communication within my program is effective I received enough training to do my job effectively My job challenges me I like my job

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

Although 80% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that communication within their program was effective, only 63% agreed or strongly agreed that VOC leaders communicated effectively with their employees. The comments of those who answered the statement with either a neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree response fell into two (2) groups. The first group were the people who stated that although communication from VOC leaders has increased over the last few years, there is still room for improvement. The second group stated that they do not know enough about events or eligibility requirements for VOC’s other programs.

In order to improve communication between VOC senior managers and direct care staff members, VOC leaders recently began facilitating an employee advisory group that consists of members of each department. This group meets one (1) time per month so employees can discuss what is going on in each of their programs or departments. After the meeting each member brings the information back to their staff meetings. VOC will continue to improve these meetings to ensure that all staff are aware of the different programs and events that are happening within the agency. Additionally, VOC leaders will work with senior staff members to ensure that the Program Guide, which includes descriptions of all of VOC’s programs including eligibility requirements, service areas, and contact information is widely circulated to direct care staff. Further, VOC leaders will create a newsletter that will be distributed to all staff members on a monthly basis in an effort to keep all employees up to date one the what is new at VOC. Finally, VOC leaders will look to host employee gatherings in different VOC locations each year. The goal of this is to help all staff members learn about the different departments and meet staff members who work for the various programs.

Another area of improvement for VOC leaders to focus on is increasing our marketing efforts. Respondents from every survey and focus group stated that they were not aware of how many programs VOC offered. VOC leaders will look to develop a new marketing plan and increase outreach efforts. Part of this plan will include a new website, and a new social media campaign.

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VOC leaders also place a high value on professional development. Therefore, all employees were asked what types of trainings they would like to see offered at VOC. The responses varied and Chart 3.6 is a visualization of the responses.

Chart 3.6 Employee Professional Development Computer Classes Leadership Training Student Support/Behavior Management VOC Policies and Procedures Spanish Language Classes Curriculum Development Team Building Conflict Resolution Improving Communication Increasing Parental Involvement

VOC’s management team will look to either develop trainings in the areas mentioned in the chart above or partner with outside agencies to bring in someone to facilitate a training. Also, VOC leaders will widely distribute outside training opportunities for staff development.

Over the last several years, VOC’s leadership team has been working to increase engagement among our Board of Directors. As shown in Chart 3.7, the board members were surveyed as part of the CARSP process and 80% stated that they received enough training on how to be an effective Board member. In response to this, VOC leaders will be looking at improving our onboarding process in order to ensure that 100% feel they received enough training. VOC leaders believe that improving the onboarding experience will also increase the number of Board members who are familiar with VOC services (80%), and who attend agency events (80%). Happily, 100% of VOC Board members stated that they were proud of being a VOC Board member. CHART 3.7 BOARD RESPONSES

Strongly Agree or Agree Disagree or Strongly Disagree NA

100%

90%

80% 80% 80%

10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10%

0% 0% 0%

R E C E IV E D ARE AWARE OF AT T E N D ARE FAMILIAR ARE PROUD OF E N O U GH AGE N C Y AGE N C Y W IT H V O C BEING A BOARD TRAINING EVENTS EVENTS SERVICES MEMBER

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Strategic Three Year Goals

As summarized in Key Findings: Community Assessment, the overall top five (5) community needs were affordable housing, job training, alcohol and drug addiction services, nutrition, and affordable child care. After reviewing all of the available primary and secondary data sources, VOC leaders determined these five (5) needs will guide VOC programming and operations and be the focus of VOC’s strategic three (3) year goals. These five (5) goals can be broken down into community needs, family needs, and agency needs.

The Community Needs are as follows: 1. Our community does not have enough affordable housing available. 2. Residents of our community are unemployed or underemployed due to lack of job training. 3. Our community does not have enough affordable child care options.

The Individual/Family Needs are as follows: 1. Individuals do not have access to nutritious foods.

The Agency Needs are as follows: 1. Our agency has a need for additional training for staff regarding alcohol and drug addiction services. 2. Our agency has a need for increased staff knowledge about VOC programs.

In order to meet the Community Needs, VOC leaders developed the following goals: 1. VOC will work to develop safe and affordable housing in the community. 2. VOC will work to develop job training programs. 3. VOC will work to develop additional accessible and affordable child care facilities.

In order to meet the Individual/Family need VOC leaders developed the following goal: 1. VOC will provide case management and referrals to help individuals access nutritious foods.

In order to meet the Agency need, VOC leaders developed the following goal: 1. VOC will provide trainings for staff members on available alcohol and drug addiction services in our community. 2. VOC will provide staff with monthly newsletters.

VOC leaders hope that we will be able to revitalize the community by purchasing and renovating buildings in the community in order to increase the amount of affordable homes in the area. It is our goal to help individuals become more self-sufficient by offering job training programs so they can increase their salaries and become less reliant on subsidies. Additionally, VOC leaders hope to reduce poverty by increasing the availability of affordable child care facilities which will decrease the amount of money participants will have to spend on child care which will allow them to put more of their funding towards other bills. Finally, it is our goal to help individuals and families become more food secure which will also allow them to become more self- sufficient.

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Affordable Housing In Western Massachusetts, as well as the rest of the state, access to affordable housing has become increasingly difficult to find. Throughout the CARSP process, many respondents noted that affordable housing continues to be a struggle for the members of our community. Frequently, our participants are in situations where they have to decide if they should pay their rent, or buy food for their family. Over the last several years, VOC leaders have been purchasing and renovating properties in Chicopee and Holyoke in an effort to increase the number of affordable housing units that are available in the area. However, as determined by the Community Needs Surveys, Focus Groups, and Key Informant Interviews, additional housing is still needed. Therefore, VOC leaders will continue to seek out additional units in order to decrease the need in our community.

Funding Strategies CSBG funds are not used for these programs, instead funding is provided through bank financing, state and federal tax credits, City and DHCD HOME funds, and/or VOC reserves.

Service Delivery System VOC currently has a Housing department consisting of a Property Director, Property Manager and an Administrative Assistant, all of whom speak English and Spanish which are the primary languages of the members of our community. The staff members in this department work closely with VOC’s Director of Operations as well as the Executive Director who has administrative oversight of the department.

VOC currently owns and operates over fifteen (15) buildings in Chicopee and Holyoke, which offer safe and affordable housing to low and moderate-income families. VOC offers two (2) Single Room Occupancy (SRO) properties; one (1) is for homeless single adults and one (1) is for sober homeless veterans. Additionally, VOC provides case management and supportive services to twelve (12) families through a Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). Each of these programs all offer supportive services to the residents. All residents must meet income guidelines in order to be eligible for any of the housing units referenced above.

Linkages Members of VOC’s housing department work closely with the Chicopee and Holyoke Housing Authorities, Wayfinders (formerly HAP Housing), Department of Children and Families, local Insurance Companies, Behavioral Health Network, Homework House, Chicopee and Holyoke Public Libraries, Career Point, the Department of Environmental Protection, and elected officials from Chicopee and Holyoke. Staff members also connect residents with VOC programs and services, depending on the needs of the resident. These connections allow our residents to receive assistance in other areas of their lives; this ensures that they will be able to maintain their housing units. The linkages listed above allow for our residents to attend a variety of workshops including employment searches, the importance of renter’s insurance, mental health resources, environmental workshops, after-school programs, fuel assistance, adult education, English language classes, nutrition assistance, and more. Members of this department will continue to partner with these agencies in order to provide participants with wrap around services.

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Service Gaps Currently, the service gap in this area is the lack of available affordable housing. Therefore, VOC leaders will seek to fill this gap by purchasing, and renovating, buildings throughout the area. This will lead to more affordable housing units in the area and will enable us to decrease the need for members of our community.

Affordable Child Care The lack of availability of quality, affordable child care in Western Massachusetts has been an ongoing problem. VOC staff members are often told by participants that they have to choose between finding a job and finding child care for their child or children.

Funding Strategies VOC’s three (3) early education and child care programs are funded through the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). In addition to leveraging this funding and CSBG funding, VOC leaders will partner with other area organizations to leverage funding they have available.

Service Delivery System VOC offers three (3) different types of early education and child care programs for low-income participants. The first is our Family Child Care program which is a community based network of Family Child Care educators who offer early education and care to children in a home setting. Educators are licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care, and offer early care and education for children from infancy to school age. VOC’s Family Child Care program is currently available in Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield, West Springfield, Westfield, Agawam, Feeding Hills, South Hadley and Wilbraham.

The second is our Center Based Early Education and Child Care program. This program is for children ages 12 months through 12 years old. VOC has five (5) different centers, each with classrooms staffed by qualified Early Education Teachers and a Center Director who coordinate all activities and is available to help families receive full benefit of the program and access to other VOC services.

The third is our Preschool Expansion Grant (PEG) program. PEG offers full day/full year high- quality pre-k classrooms located in two of the Holyoke Public Schools: Morgan School and Sullivan School. Our pre-k programs prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life. PEG supports strong family engagement through outreach, access and coordination of comprehensive services, assuring that young children's development is supported and advanced in their home environments, as well as in the pre-k setting. PEG builds on the work of the Holyoke Early Literacy Initiative (HELI) which is a city-wide effort that brings teachers, parents and community partners together to dramatically improve the reading proficiency of our youngest readers.

Linkages For these programs, VOC partners with area school departments, area housing authorities, the Holyoke/Chicopee/Springfield Head Start program, area non-profits, the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Children and Families, New England Farm Workers’ Council, area health and medical centers, and area pre-school programs.

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Service Gaps In addition to continuing to provide early education and child care through the above programs, VOC will work with other service providers in the area to increase the amount of affordable child care programs available to low-income residents in our area. VOC will prioritize adding new programs or increasing capacity of programs in areas that are either accessible to participants without their own transportation or by providing transportation for families in need.

Job Training The need for job training and employment opportunities came up in various ways during the CARSP process. Many of the residents in our community are either unemployed or underemployed. Therefore, VOC leaders will look to increase the number of job training opportunities that are available in our service area.

Funding Strategies In addition to utilizing CSBG funding, VOC’s management team will seek out other funding sources to create and improve job training programming, including researching and writing new grant proposals. Further, we will leverage funding from existing programming detailed in the Service Delivery System below in order to increase the number of low-income participants in our community who will receive job training.

Service Delivery System Presently, VOC’s Adult Education department offers two (2) different job training programs for members in the community. The first is Career Pathways, which is an intensive class that runs two (2) times per year and it is expected that upon completion of the class, students will be able to take and pass the HiSET (High School Equivalency Test) or GED. This class offers one-to- one advising and career exploration to help students identify a career path that will lead them to economic self-sufficiency. Students are offered a variety of supports, including transportation assistance.

The second program is WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Out of School Youth program. This program is designed to help participants, ages 16-24 years old, earn their high school equivalency while also increasing their workforce readiness. This program provides adult education classes three times per week, case management services for every student, teaches students the skills they need for employment and independent living, provides stipends for the students while they are in class and offers paid, subsidized work experiences in the Holyoke/Chicopee area.

VOC’s College and Career Readiness department also offers two (2) job training programs. The first is through our Preschool Enrichment Team (PET). PET is a program that is designed to provide early childhood educators with additional training to further their careers. This program offers academic and career planning, leadership development, coaching and mentoring, and other services to assist early educators.

The second is our REB (Regional Employment Board) Youth Works Program. The primary function of the Youth Works program is to help provide a structured and well supervised work experience for low income and, at risk youth ages 14-21. For this program, VOC partners with

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businesses and town offices to place youth in a work situation, where they will have the opportunity to learn from direct experience what it is like to have, and keep, a job. Through rigorous training sessions and on-site employment, the youth will gain the skills necessary to find a place in today’s workforce.

Linkages Each of the Adult Education and College and Career Readiness programs outlined above have a strong focus on community partnerships. These partnerships include the Regional Employment Board, local business owners, area Chambers of Commerce, area libraries, the Boys and Girls Club of Chicopee, area Housing Authorities, area career centers, area school departments, area non-profits, area postsecondary institutions, and area municipalities.

Service Gaps Even though VOC already offers four (4) job training programs, there is still a high amount of low-income community members who are either unemployed or underemployed. Therefore it is crucial for additional programming to be made available to the members of our community. VOC will be able to fill this service gap in three (3) ways. The first is by leveraging the resources available from the four (4) programs outlined above. The second is by increasing the number of job training programs and VOC can do this by writing additional grant proposals and seeking out new funding sources and the third is by utilizing CSBG funding to increase or improve programming.

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services In recent years, the opioid epidemic has become increasingly problematic in Western Massachusetts. In order to decrease this issue, there needs to be more preventative programming available to youth and adults in the community as well as drug and alcohol addiction services for people and families who are struggling with addiction.

Funding Strategies Since VOC does not currently offer any alcohol and/or drug addiction services, and will not be offering that type of service in the future, VOC will need to partner with other agencies in the community in order to meet this need. VOC will therefore leverage the funding of partner organizations to provide services for participants.

Service Delivery System As stated above, the need for alcohol and drug addiction services exceeds VOC’s capacity. Therefore, VOC will partner with area programs in order to ensure this need is being met. VOC case managers will receive training on the services available to participants who are experiencing drug and alcohol addiction in order to ensure they will be able to make informed referrals for participants in need. Since all VOC programs are targeted to low-income people in the community, this will ensure that low-income residents are aware of the programs and services available to them and their families.

Linkages VOC will partner with other area programs and agencies who have success and experience working with participants and families with drug and alcohol addiction. These partnerships will

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include River Valley Counseling, area health and medical centers, as well as area school departments to focus on drug education for youth.

Service Gaps VOC leaders plan to bring more attention to this need in the community. VOC will use the linkages with community partners to ensure that our participants are being referred to agencies who are able to help participants with alcohol and/or drug addictions. Further, VOC leaders will work to ensure that all staff members receive training on the available programs and services in the area. This will ensure that all VOC case managers have up to date information that they can disseminate out.

Nutrition Many parts of Western Massachusetts are considered food deserts, which is defined as being a low socioeconomic area that does not have access to affordable fresh fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets and other stores that sell healthy foods (USDA). The lack of access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables makes it hard for low-income participants to maintain healthy lifestyles for themselves and their families. As community members become more aware of the importance of nutrition, more and more participants are looking for ways to increase the amount of nutritious foods they are eating. Additionally, VOC case managers have noted that food insecurity is on the rise and more of our participants are stating that they cannot afford enough food to feed themselves and/or their families.

Funding Strategies In addition to utilizing CSBG funding, VOC will leverage funding from the funding sources of the nutrition programs that VOC currently offers. VOC will also work with area partners to leverage their resources in order to increase the availability of affordable fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods and decrease food insecurities.

Service Delivery System VOC offers four (4) different nutrition programs. The biggest of the four (4) is the Holyoke/Chicopee WIC (Women, Infant’s, and Children) program. WIC is a supplemental nutrition program that provides low-income participants with personalized nutrition consultation, electronic benefits to use for free, healthy food, as well as tips for eating well to improve health, breastfeeding support and education, and cooking classes to help participants learn how to prepare inexpensive but healthy meals.

VOC also hosts the Chicopee Summer Lunch program. This program is designed to provide low-income Chicopee youth, under eighteen (18) years old, with free lunch over the summer. This program is offered in parks throughout the city in an effort to ensure that participants will be able to benefit from the program even if they do not have transportation.

Additionally, VOC runs the Chicopee Farmers’ Market gives local farmers and small vendors the opportunity to sell their fresh produce and goods to the community. While visiting the farmers’ market, participants can buy goods such as house plants, perennials, jams, fruits, baked goods, herbs, and fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables. In addition participants can take advantage

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of free gardening advice, nutritional services, and access to all of Valley Opportunity Council services. The market also has an EBT machine and can accept SNAP benefits and USDA/WIC Farmers’ Market coupons. The overall goal of this program is to provide low-income residents with the opportunity to buy fresh and locally grown produce. VOC’s Farmers’ Market is the only market that is open in the city and it is located in an area that is easily accessible to participants without their own transportation.

Finally, VOC has a program called Good Food for Great Families. For this program, VOC staff members transport produce from one (1) of our local Farmers’ Markets one (1) time per summer to each of our Early Education and Child Care Centers. Almost all of the participants in our Early Education and Child Care Centers come from low or moderate-income families. Produce is selected and given to families based on their prior requests. This program is an effort to support our local Farmers’ Markets as well as provide our participants with local, healthy food options.

Linkages VOC nutrition programs currently partner with area health and medical centers, area housing authorities, area public libraries, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Transitional Assistance, area non-profits, Holyoke/Chicopee/Springfield Head Start, parenting programs, area school departments, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA).

Service Gaps VOC’s management team will be looking for ways to increase partnerships in an effort to decrease the food insecurity issues that are impacting our community members from low socioeconomic backgrounds. To do this, VOC will implement a three (3) tiered approach to eliminate the service gaps. This will include, leveraging agency resources, partnering with other community members to bring attention to this issue, and increasing the amount of nutrition programming available to our low-income participants.

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Specific Objectives

Year One Many of the programs and services VOC is planning as part of our Strategic Three Year Goals will begin in Year One and continue throughout Year Three. The issues and needs identified during the Community Assessment process are pervasive and have been ongoing issues that will not be fixed or eliminated in just one, or even three years. However, VOC leaders believe strong programming and increased awareness could decrease the problems and aid our participants and community members in building opportunities, reducing poverty, and increasing self-sufficiency.

A primary focus in year one will be increasing the number of available affordable housing units for low and moderate-income residents. In order to achieve this, VOC personnel have already begun the process of purchasing additional buildings located in Chicopee. VOC recently purchased properties in Chicopee and will plan to create a mixed income application that includes everything from Homeless to Workforce housing. Additionally, VOC is looking develop another property in Chicopee which, when combined, will become over seventy (70) housing units. These units will be renovated to become enhanced Single Room Occupancy units, affordable housing units, and workforce housing. This project will span more than one year. CSBG funds are not used for these programs, instead funding is provided through bank financing, state and federal tax credits, City and DHCD HOME funds, and/or VOC reserves.

VOC staff members will participate in the Coalition to End Hunger, which consists of a network of representatives from agencies located throughout Western Massachusetts with the collective goal of decreasing food insecurities for low-income community members. VOC will link with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Holyoke Health Center, CHD, and other medical centers and non-profits in the area. Funding for this partnership will be supported through grants from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

VOC leaders will work to renovate space in their Chicopee location in order to create a residential kitchen that will allow staff members to host nutrition workshops, food demonstrations, and other healthy eating programming for participants from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Partners for this program will include the City of Chicopee and funding will be provided through local grant opportunities.

VOC will partner with area health, medical, and counseling centers to provide training for VOC staff members on drug and alcohol addictions and the services available in the community. VOC case managers will participate in the training which will enable them to provide referrals for participants who need them.

In order to meet VOC staff needs, VOC’s leadership team will develop new ways to improve communication within the agency. This will include a redesigned website that is monitored and updated regularly with program eligibility requirements, changes to programs, and department events. Additionally, a monthly newsletter will be developed. The newsletter will include highlights from each program, upcoming events, and introduce new staff members.

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Year Two During Year Two, VOC staff members will continue to work closely with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and participate in the Coalition to End Hunger in an effort to decrease the level of food insecurity that is impacting area low-income residents.

VOC’s management team will collaborate with staff members from our nutrition department to increase the amount of nutrition programming available to low-income members of our community. Programming will include how to purchase and make nutritious meals on a budget, and meal planning to decrease their chance of diseases. VOC will utilize the kitchen built in Year One and will partner with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, area health and medical centers, and Share our Strengths. The funding for this program will be provided by leveraging funds from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Share our Strengths.

VOC will continue to rehabilitate units in Chicopee with the goal of having the units ready for residents to move in in Year Two. Throughout the year, VOC personnel will continue to look for new opportunities to purchase buildings that can be converted into affordable housing units. Additionally, VOC will be working with the Voces de Esperanza tenant association to make capital improvements around identified deficiencies as well as interior improvements. No CSBG funding will be used for this project, instead funding is provided through bank financing, state and federal tax credits, City and DHCD HOME funds, and/or VOC reserves.

VOC leaders will continue to recruit new family based early education and care providers. There will be a specific focus on developing and recruiting providers who are in underserved areas and who speak languages other than English. This focus will help to ensure low-income community members who live in areas with few child care options and/or who speak little or no English will be able to receive quality services. Funding for this project will be through leveraging CSBG funds as well as funding from the Department of Early Education and Care.

VOC leaders will research and write grant proposals to develop new programming to increase VOC capacity to serve low-income participants with their needs. The focus of the proposals will be on affordable housing, affordable child care, job training, and nutrition services.

Year Three Throughout the year, VOC personnel will continue to look for new opportunities to purchase buildings that can be converted into affordable housing units. If an additional building or buildings were purchased in Year Two, those units will be rehabilitated to become affordable housing units.

VOC’s management team will begin researching the possibility of opening another preschool classroom in one of the public schools in Holyoke. If space is not available, then VOC will seek out alternative space in order to open another early education and care classroom. In order to meet this goal, VOC will partner with the Holyoke School Department. Funding for this project will be through leveraging funds from the Department of Early Education and Care.

VOC will continue to partner with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, area health and medical centers, and Share our Strengths to offer additional nutrition workshops. VOC staff

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members will evaluate the programming and outcomes from Year Two and develop ways to improve the programming for Year Three. Additionally, VOC staff members will continue to participate in the Coalition to End Hunger.

VOC leaders will continue to research and write grant proposals to develop new programming to increase VOC capacity to serve low-income participants with their needs. The focus of the proposals will be on affordable housing, affordable child care, job training, and nutrition services.

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Plan Monitoring and Reporting

VOC’s management team will monitor and evaluate implementation of this plan multiple times throughout each year. Although the Director of Programs will be the lead monitor, several people will be involved in ensuring these goals are met.

VOC’s senior management team consists of the Executive Director, the Director of Programs, the Director of Operations, the Fiscal Director, and the Director of Human Resources and this team meets on a weekly basis to discuss programming and development. Updates on the progress of meeting the goals detailed in the CARSP will be discussed at these meetings.

Additionally, VOC’s senior management team facilitates senior staff meetings on a monthly basis. These meetings include the Director of Adult Education, the Director of College and Career Readiness, the Coordinator for Family Based Early Education and Care, the Coordinator for Center Based Early Education and Care, the Director of Housing, the Energy Director, the Director of Homeless and Supportive Services, the Transportation Director, the Senior Services Director, and the WIC Director. Each of the department leaders play a crucial role in implementing the programming outline in the CARSP and updates on the progress of meeting the goals detailed in the CARSP will be discussed at these meetings.

VOC’s Board of Directors will continue to be involved in the process and will receive updates on the status of the Strategic Three Year Goals three (3) times per year; once in the Fall, once in the Spring, and once in the Summer.

These frequent meetings will ensure VOC leaders are kept up to date on the progress and will allow opportunities to evaluate the programming and make adjustments as needed. The Director of Programs will conduct a full evaluation of the plan at least three (3) times per year.

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