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MVOC partners with Robert Craig Films on “No Address Movement”

Posted on November 12 2024 by stephanie

We are excited to share that MVOC has partnered with Robert Craig Films to use the power of film to inspire action on behalf of the homeless crisis in our communities through the No Address Movement! 

 Robert Craig Films is releasing its feature film, “No Address,” in theaters nationwide on February 28th, 2025 and will additionally release a documentary, “Americans With No Address,” a novelization of the screenplay, an interactive study guide, and a soundtrack that will provide songs for the movie and radio distribution. A portion of all proceeds from the movie will be donated directly to MVOC to assist us in addressing veteran homelessness within our community.

The film is studded with Hollywood celebrities, such as William Baldwin, Xander Berkeley, Beverly D’Angelo, Ashanti, Lucas Jade Zumann, Isabella Ferreira, Patricia Velasquez, Kristanna Loken and Ty Pennington. ​”No Address” will vividly portray that homelessness could happen to anyone.

Join us in excitement over the No Address Movement by following @NoAddressMovie on social media and visiting NoAddressMovie.com.

 

Here is the trailer for No Address:

MVOC Receives 2024 Hire Vets Medallion Award from the US Department of Labor

Posted on November 5 2024 by stephanie

U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su recognized the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center as one of the 839 recipients of the 2024 HIRE Vets Medallion Award during a virtual award ceremony presented by U.S. Department of Labor.

MVOC earned the platinum award after applying earlier this year. The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act (HIRE Vets Act) Medallion Program is the only federal award program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.

Executive Director Dr. Stephanie Marchetti noted “the MVOC works hard to recruit, train, and retrain a strong mix of employees, but we obviously place emphasis on employing those who served in the military. We are honored to have qualified for this award and appreciate the recognition of our effort not just to serve those who have served, but to employ them as well.”

MVOC joins 838 other companies from 49states, plus the District of Columbia, who have shown a commitment to hiring veterans, but also ensuring that they have a long-term career and growth plan that uses the diverse skills they acquired through their military service.

Recipients of the 2024 HIRE Vets Medallion Award meet rigorous employment and veteran integration assistance criteria, including veteran hiring and retention percentages; availability of veteran-specific resources; leadership programming for veterans; dedicated human resource efforts; pay compensation and/or tuition assistance programs for veterans. More than 1,600 employers have earned a HIRE Vets Medallion Award since 2019.

The MVOC operates as a private non-profit organization that provides housing and support services for veterans throughout North Central Massachusetts. Founded in 1988, the MVOC has a dedicated history successful service delivery- in the 2023-2024 operating year they served over 800 veterans throughout 12 states and 2 countries.

 

Housing Expansion Project Receives Additional Funding

Posted on October 25 2024 by stephanie

On October 24th, the Community One Stop for Growth programs announced $161m in awards for 313 projects, including MVOC’s housing expansion project!

That blurry little figure is MVOC’s Executive Director, along with all other awardees and statewide officials present at the announcement.

In this funding round, MVOC was awarded just over $876k for the redevelopment of the Poland and Streeter Elementary schools in Winchendon MA into 44 1-bedroom units of affordable apartments for veterans.

This award comes nearly a month after the project broke ground, helping to fill the funding gap that remains in this $25m+ project.

Community One Stop awards are made through the Executive Office of Economic Development and serve as an opportunities for municipalities and organizations to apply for 12 state grant programs in one streamlined application. Funds are dedicated towards planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction, infrastructure, and housing development.

“We are proud to be a state of strong cities and towns, made stronger by programs like the Community One Stop for Growth, which deliver the resources our communities need to grow their local economies and meet the needs of their residents,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Communities will use these grants to build more housing and lower costs, improve road safety, revitalize their downtowns, create new jobs and more. We can’t wait to see the results of these investments all across the state.”

“The One Stop is an important vehicle for supporting our communities by empowering them to pursue their vision for economic growth,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By working together and keeping our focus at the local level, we are creating opportunity, supporting affordability, and enhancing quality of life for all of our residents.”

Pictured here: MVOC on site at the Poland and Street school ceremonial groundbreaking

Through this round of the One Stop, EOED received 756 applications from 510 organizations with projects in 229 communities across the state. Of the 313 applications awarded, 33 percent are located in a rural or small town, 32 percent are located in a Gateway City, 48 percent are located in a Housing Choice Community, and 50 percent are located in an MBTA Community. 40 communities are receiving a grant through the One Stop for the first time.

EOED estimates the One Stop awards will help create more than 18,000 new units of housing, including 4,000 new affordable units, 31,000 new permanent jobs, and more than 14 million square feet of new commercial development.

For more information about MVOC’s project, including how you can support it, check HERE.

MVOC Housing Expansion Project Breaks Ground!

Posted on September 30 2024 by stephanie

Montachusett Veteran’s Outreach Center’s efforts to increase the number of affordable housing units available to veterans in North Central Mass took a big leap forward today!

Left to right: MVOC President and Founder Cathy McWilliams, MVOC Executive Director Dr. Stephanie Marchetti, Congresswoman Lori Trahan, State Representative Jon Zlotnik

With the help of over a dozen state and federal funding sources, MVOC plans to redevelop the former Streeter and Poland elementary schools in Winchendon, MA into 44 1-bedroom units of affordable housing for homeless and high risk veterans.

Today, MVOC President and Founder Cathy McWilliams joined Executive Director Dr. Stephanie Marchetti and many area officials to break ground on this $25m+ project. Cathy, Stephanie, Congresswoman Trahan, and State Representative Zlotnik all spoke to the great need for and importance of this project.

McWilliams shared “I know that my husband, Jessie, is looking down and I know that he is filled with joy for his fellow vets. I am filled with pride in my heart.”

Said Marchetti, “this has been many years in the making. We’ve been waiting quite a while to get to this point. This is a much-needed project and we’re very excited to be the organization here to spearhead it.”

Left to right: State Representative Kimberly Ferguson, State Representative Susannah Whipps, State Representative Jon Zlotnik, Congresswoman Lori Trahan, Select Board Member Rick Ward, Town Manager Bill McKinney, State Representative Jamie Eldridge, MVOC President & Founder Cathy McWilliams, MVOC Executive Director Stephanie Marchetti

Over the next few months work will continue to prep the site for building, to include the removal of underground storage tanks and asbestos abatement. Approximately 18 months of construction is expected.

 

For more information on the project, and details on how you can be a part of supporting it, check HERE.

MVOC hosts 6th Annual Jesse H. Stallings Speaker Series

Posted on September 6 2024 by stephanie

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!

MVOC Hosts Community Info Session for Housing Expansion Project

Posted on June 26 2024 by stephanie

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.

New Years Lunch for Veterans

Posted on January 29 2024 by stephanie

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.

 

Holiday Goodwill for Veterans

Posted on January 2 2024 by stephanie

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:

Rolling Thunder VT Chapter 1 submitted a monetary donation in support of our housing programs.

The family of Gardner veteran Peter Griffis gathered together on the one year anniversary of his passing to host a series of fundraisers that will support our housing expansion project.

The Winchendon American Legion submitted a donation to support Cathy’s House, our permanent supportive group home for female veterans and adult female family members of veterans.

The MVOC worked with over a dozen other food pantries and the United Way of North Central Massachusetts to make sure no families were without a meal for the holidays.

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.