Working Places

01/04/2024

The fifth and final episode of Invested Interprets focuses on what “systems change” looks like in local communities and how to address critical needs head-on. Systems change is about rethinking and adapting how things are done in local communities in ways that improve conditions for everyone.

We hear from two Working Places leaders: Emily Lev is the former initiative director for Working Communities in Lamoille County, Vermont. Alisa Costa is a consultant and former initiative director of Berkshire Bridges in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

To view the full series, visit https://bit.ly/3H5xjfZ

12/05/2023

The fourth episode of Invested Interprets focuses on “learning orientation:” using information from multiple sources and past successes to find sustainable solutions to community challenges.

We hear from three Working Places leaders in Connecticut. Shanay Fulton is the initiative director for Working Cities Challenge of Middletown, Tomas Olivo is the initiative director for Working Cities Challenge of Waterbury, and Kevin Taylor is a key partner and executive director at Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury.

To view the full series, visit https://bit.ly/3MH0OrB

11/29/2023

Effective community engagement requires outreach to all local residents, in ways that empower them to influence efforts designed to address their needs.

In the third episode of Invested Interprets, hear from three Working Places community leaders. Shanay Fulton is the initiative director for the Working Cities Challenge of Middletown, Connecticut. Emily Lev is the former initiative director for the Working Communities of Lamoille County, Vermont. And Alisa Costa is a consultant and former initiative director of Berkshire Bridges in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

To view the full series, visit https://bit.ly/3MH0OrB

11/24/2023

Inclusive leadership ensures that all stakeholders have a voice in growing their communities.

In the second episode of Invested Interprets, we hear from two Working Places community leaders. Emily Lev is the former initiative director for Working Communities in Lamoille County, Vermont. Alisa Costa is a consultant and former initiative director of Berkshire Bridges in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

To watch the full series, visit https://bit.ly/3RdcIw2

11/16/2023

Finding common ground on a vision for the future is a key element of successful community building.

In the first episode of Invested Interprets, we hear from two Working Places community leaders in Connecticut. Tomas Olivo is the initiative director of the Working Cities Challenge in Waterbury, and Kevin Taylor is a key partner and executive director at Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury.

To watch the full series, visit https://bit.ly/3MH0OrB

10/26/2023

Our hearts are heavy as we contemplate the senseless violence that took place on Wednesday in Lewiston, Maine. We send strength to everyone in the Lewiston community and Maine, including our colleagues on the Lewiston-Auburn Working Communities Challenge team.

09/13/2023

How much does limited access to the internet and computers impact employment in a community? Quite a lot, according to a recent survey led by members of the Federal Reserve’s Reinventing Our Communities team in Connecticut.

About one-third of survey respondents ages 18-33 in East Hartford, Connecticut, report relying solely on small devices like phones for internet access.

“They’re taking interviews and meetings on their phones, and they have to go to places like McDonald’s or the library for free Wi-Fi,” said Keenen Grooms, a senior community development analyst at the Boston Fed. “It makes the job-attaining process much harder, especially coming out of a pandemic, as more jobs require hybrid and remote work.”

Read more about their findings:

How much does limited access to the internet and computers impact employment in a community? Quite a lot, especially if that access is restricted to smaller, hand-held devices, according to a recent survey led by members of the Federal Reserve’s Reinventing Our Communities team in East Hartford, ...

08/22/2023

Boston Fed President Susan M. Collins visited Maine to meet with business leaders, community members, and state leaders connected with the Bank’s Working Communities Challenge.

As part of her visit, she toured a business in Skowhegan and participated in a roundtable discussion in Bangor about local economic challenges and opportunities. She also met with leaders and members of the Maine WCC steering committee in Portland.

Read more about the Working Communities Challenge: https://bit.ly/45j2sHj

08/15/2023

Quality, affordable, and available child care remains an issue across New England. Fitchburg’s Local Leaders for Equitable Local Economies (LELE) team joined with city officials and Massachusetts state legislators, to celebrate its child care entrepreneur training program.

The program is designed to help residents navigate the licensing process to expand access to child care in Fitchburg and surrounding areas. LELE, part of the Boston Fed’s Working Places community development program, aims to support leaders who are working to make local economies more inclusive. Read more from the Sentinel & Enterprise: https://bit.ly/3KIjPJn

You can also read more about the program here: https://bit.ly/3KEy8i9

FITCHBURG — The local Leaders for Equitable Local Economies (LELE) team joined with city officials and state legislators, among others, to celebrate the positive impact of their childcare entrepren…

08/11/2023

In many ways, it was impossible to prepare for the rains and rising rivers that flooded Vermont last month. But in some ways, it wasn’t. Work done as part of the Boston Fed’s Working Communities Challenge prior to the flooding helped build and strengthen community networks. Then, people used those networks to find things like shelter, food – and how they could help.

“You can see the importance of doing everything we can to build those existing community networks,” said Jen Carlo, a WCC leader in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. “Once you build them, you know they're already there, both in good times and bad.”

Read more: https://bit.ly/3Oow1jy

04/28/2023

“You need the community to rally around your business. … That's how a mom-and-pop business keeps going,” A.J. Enchill said. “That's what we're here to do, and that's what we achieved.”

Six entrepreneurs and local business owners of color in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, received awards of $4,000 through a grant program created by Leaders for an Equitable Pittsfield. The initiative is part of the Boston Fed’s Leaders for Equitable Local Economies initiative, which helps develop leaders working to strengthen local economies in smaller Massachusetts cities. Enchill, Pittsfield team leader, said their goal is to increase local supplier diversity, and that requires access to capital and consistent community support.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3AuZL7J

After several unsuccessful attempts to open an ice cream shop, Ludwig Jean-Louis spotted a “for sale” sign by Cravin’s Soft Serve & Frozen Yogurt while driving through his town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in early 2022.