Senator Steve Brewer, MVOC President & Founder Cathy McWilliams, and MVOC Executive Director Dr. Stephanie Marchetti are pictured with the $7800 donation from the Barre Savings Charitable Foundation.
GARDNER, MA: Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center received funding from the Barre Savings Charitable Foundation to assist with overdue technology upgrades. In previous years the foundation assisted MVOC in updated the phone system, this time around they provided funding that allowed MVOC to build a fully ADA compliant website in coordination with Gardner-based InConcert Web Solutions.
The MVOC has served homeless and high risk veterans throughout North Central Massachusetts for over 40 years, and their previous website was left unchanged for over a decade due to funding restrictions and capacity restraints. With help from the Barre Savings Charitable Foundation, whose mission is to build a stronger local community by supporting organizations enriching the quality of life for others, the website is now fully accessible via computer, tablet, and phone and also features an active veterans event calendar, downloadable housing applications, and easily navigable service pages.
“It seems like such a given to have an updated website in 2025, but the reality is that these things cost thousands of dollars to build and then have continued costs to maintain- for an organization of our size and capacity this was just not something we could take on. Our state and federal funding goes directly into housing and supportive services for veterans; there isn’t anything left over for things like this. The funding from Barre Savings Charitable Foundation has allowed us to move the organization forward and more easily spread word of what we have to offer,” says Dr. Stephanie Marchetti, MVOC’s Executive Director.
Keeping it local, the MVOC worked with InConcert Web Solutions for several months to identify exactly what the region’s veterans and service providers needed and ensure updates were inclusive as well as maintainable.
“Since we serve this community, it just makes sense to work with a community-based business on a project like this,” stated Marchetti, “they know us, they know the people we aim to support, and so the process was very smooth. We also know if anything ever happens, they’re right across the street to help!”
The MVOC’s new website went live several months ago and can be viewed at veterans-outreach.org . Services to veterans include housing, mental health counseling, benefits advisement, a food and clothing pantry, financial assistance grants, reintegration activities, and more.
