On Sunday August 25th the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center hosted the 6th Annual Jesse H. Stallings Speaker Series. This year’s speaker series, featuring guest speaker Ricky Bland and musician Kali Imari-Stoddard, was a great success. With help from local businesses and organizations over $15,000 was raised for the MVOC, of which 100% will be put towards supporting our veterans.

This year’s speaker, Ricky Bland, was the first Navy veteran to be featured in the series. Ricky served honorably for 28 years and passionately spoke to our veterans about reintegration to civilian life, feeling proud of their time and the services, and fighting for the benefits they earned in service to this country.

You can hear some snippets of Ricky’s speech HERE and HERE.

Returning to the speaker series for the second year in a row was musician Kali Stoddard-Imari, aka Kali Loops. Kali dedicated his entire weekend to supporting our veterans, spending Saturday at an all day music festival fundraising for the New England Center and Home for veterans, and then scooting over to Gardner Sunday night to provide entertainment for our local veterans.

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting MVOC and keeping this event free and open to the public year after year:

• Advanced Cable Ties
• Anthony’s Liquor Mart
• Chair City Oil
• Fidelity Bank
• Harvard Street Health Care
• Heart of a Hero Foundation
• inConcert Web Solutions
• Mount Wachusett Community College
• Padgett Business Services
• Parker Glass
• Piper Electric
• Rollstone Bank
• Thermalogic Corporation
• Wachusett Mountain Ski Area
• White Mountain IT

We also thank and appreciate Gardner Elks Lodge #1426 for donating their space for this event, and the Montachusett Suicide Prevention Task Force for contributing refreshments to the event.

We are already looking forward to next year’s event!

On Tuesday June 25th MVOC’s Executive Director, Stephanie Marchetti, and State Representative Jon Zlotnik co-hosted an event at the Winchendon Historical Society so that community residents and officials could come together to learn more about MVOC’s housing expansion plans.

After over 4 years of pre-development planning in partnership with Anser Advisory, Barbara Sokoloff & Associates, JWA Architects, and Commodore Builders, the Winchendon Housing Expansion Project is ready to move forward!

This project is an (approximately) $25m redevelopment of the Poland and Streeter Elementary schools, funding largely by state and federal funding sources, that will provide 44 1-bedroom apartments to homeless and high risk veterans throughout the region.

The MVOC is aiming for an early fall groundbreaking, likely in September, which will be followed by 15-18 months of construction.

While the project is funded enough to move forward, the MVOC is asking for the help of the community to raise additional monies that will support beautification efforts towards the exterior of the property and will minimize the private loans MVOC will take out in support of this work. For more information on these opportunities, check HERE.

In January, Jane Barnes Interiors and and Barnes Building & Remodeling returned to MVOC to host a New  Years Luncheon for our veterans. These are two of the teams that worked on our pantry remodel this past fall and have stayed in touch ever since to continue to show their appreciation and support of our veterans.

 

Our superstar friends at Jane Barnes Interiors and BB&R Design-Build were recently on the Namra Consulting podcast discussing behind the scenes info on our pantry project- including details even we didn’t know! Watch the full episode here:

 

Each holiday season organizations and individuals from throughout North Central Massachusetts gather together to support our Veterans. Here are just some of the goodwill donations we received:

In addition to these pictured donations, the MVOC also received winter jackets, food pantry items, and additional monetary donations from many other local individuals and groups. We are so appreciative of the continuous support of this community.

 

In October the MVOC unveiled our brand new food pantry, renovated by the nationally airing NBC show George to the Rescue. George and his team included lots of local folks in the design, to include Jane Barnes Interiors and BB&R design. See the extra footage Janes and team captured here:

After several months of construction, secret projects, and amazing contributions from folks all over Massachusetts (and beyond!), our food and clothing pantry has been revealed! Check out our full George to the Rescue episode here:

GARDNER, MA- On Thursday July 20^th cameras began rolling at Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center (MVOC) when NBC’s George Oliphant and the “George to the Rescue” crew arrived to begin shooting an episode of the show’s 15^th season. George and his crew will be “rescuing” MVOC’s food and clothing pantry for an episode of the show to air this November.

For over 40 years MVOC has provided housing and support services to veterans and veteran families throughout North Central Massachusetts. The pantry itself offers not just food and clothing, but household goods, hygiene items, books, and more operating solely on donations and local partnerships. The pantry is located in the basement of MVOC’s Central Street Gardner location and the show will be performing a much needed top to bottom renovation of the space, working with local interior design team Jane Barnes Interiors to get the work done.

“While our pantry works hard to serve veterans and their families, the space itself is long overdue for an update. We are beyond excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to see the surprises in store for us! We won’t see what the space looks like until it’s finished and revealed, but the renovations done in previous episodes of the show are always amazing and such high quality.” said Executive Director Dr. Stephanie Marchetti.

Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors Cathy Stallings McWilliams shared “I am not only extremely grateful, but tremendously excited that George to the Rescue has chosen MVOC as its next project! Providing much needed free of charge renovations to our food and clothing pantry will not only be wonderful for our dedicated employees and volunteers who work so hard providing these necessary services to our clients, but will offer a comfortable, updated and relaxed atmosphere for our Veterans and their families who utilize these services.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart to George and his crew for not only choosing MVOC to provide these amazing remodeling updates, but for also bringing MVOC and its’ mission to our Veterans into the national spotlight!”

A temporary pantry has been set up in another area of headquarters so that the film and contractor crews could have full access to the space for the approximately 8-week long renovation. Electricians, flooring crews, painters, artists, and more have all donated their time and resources to make this project amazing for the veterans of North Central Massachusetts.

Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center receives VA suicide prevention grant
Grant supports local suicide prevention efforts for Veterans and their families

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is continuing its mission of preventing Veteran suicide by working with community-based organizations across the country, including Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center.

Through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP), MVOC received just over $320,000 from VA to support its efforts helping local Veterans.

The SSG Fox SPGP is a three-year program that provides funding to community-based organizations with innovative approaches to preventing Veteran suicide. With its SSG Fox SPGP award, MVOC plans to enhance mental health and wellness efforts for Veterans in North Central Massachusetts area.

“Suicide prevention for our veterans is of vital importance,” said Stephanie Marchetti, Executive Director. “It’s not just about statistics or headlines—it’s about saving lives and offering hope. The MVOC has a demonstrated history of working with high risk veterans and via this grant we will be able to expand our counseling team, offer more reintegration activities for veterans (like fishing classes and sporting events), provide additional financial assistance grants, host peer to peer groups, and more. While the MVOC has been focused on supporting veterans for over 40 years, particularly those struggling with mental health, this grant ensures the continue of these efforts.”

For more information about MVOC, visit veterans-outreach.org. For more information about the SSG Fox SPGP, visit MentalHealth.VA.gov/ssgfox-grants.

If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive 24/7, confidential support. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. To reach responders, Dial 988 then Press 1, or text 838255.

GARDNER, MA- On Sunday August 27, 2023 Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center hosted its’ 5^th Annual Jesse H. Stallings Speaker Series at Monument Park in Gardner, MA. Expanding off the success of last year’s event, this year featured live music from Kali Stoddard-Imari of RallySound and a discussion on veteran PTSD and mental health care from US Air Force Veteran Blair Morin. The event also hosted folks from the Montachusett Suicide Prevention Task Force and Clear Path For Veterans, as well as Mayor Mike Nicholson and State Representative Jon Zlotnik.Despite the rain, about 60 attendees gathered for music, conversation, and refreshments. Kali Stoddard-Imari moved his set to the back of the stage so folks could join him under the covering and the remainder happily huddled under pop up tents elsewhere in the park. After the musical set, Blair discussed his time as a medic in the Air Force, the mental health struggles he faced upon return, and continues to face today. His speech encouraged veterans to talk to each other and professionals and get help if they need it, emphasizing that 22 veterans a day already lose their lives to suicide and it’s only together that we can decrease that statistic.

Said Executive Director Dr. Stephanie Marchetti, “it is a privilege each year to organize this event, to honor Jesse Stallings’ memory and our founder Cathy McWilliams’ dedication to veteran suicide and homelessness prevention, as well as to provide a stigma-breaking opportunity for our veterans. As any veteran I’ve talked to has heard me say a million times- please come in and see us if you need help, and even if you don’t need help come in and visit us anyway. We are here for you and we want you here.”

The MVOC is grateful for the support of many sponsors for this event, to include: Fidelity Bank, Commodore Builders, ELM Electrical, Piper Electric, Rollstone Bank & Trust, Mount Wachusett Community College, Fitchburg State University, Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, Wachusett Mountain Association, Padgett Business Services, Rally Sound, and Polar Beverages.

The MVOC offers veterans throughout central Massachusetts housing, mental health counseling, financial assistance grants, benefits resource guidance, a food and clothing pantry, and more. The organization is headquartered at 268 Central Street in Gardner.