Politics & Government
Worcester Organizations Receive $350K In State Social Enterprise Grants
Two Worcester organizations will receive state grants to support job training and employment programs for people facing barriers to work.
WORCESTER, MA — Two Worcester organizations will receive state grants to support job training and employment programs for people facing barriers to work.
Latin American Health Alliance will receive $250,000 and Regional Environmental Council will receive $100,000 through the Executive Office of Economic Development’s Social Enterprise Capital Grant Program, Sen. Michael Moore (D-2nd Worcester) and Sen. Robyn Kennedy (D-1st Worcester) announced on Thursday.
The competitive one-year capital grants support nonprofit organizations that sell goods or services while providing employment opportunities and job training. The funding can be used to purchase, renovate, repair or remodel buildings used by the organizations.
Latin American Health Alliance will use its grant for renovations and equipment upgrades at Café Reyes, its mission-based restaurant and catering social enterprise. The cafe serves Cuban and Latin American food while providing paid work experience and job training for residents and graduates of Hector Reyes House, a bilingual and bicultural residential treatment program for Latino men in recovery.
The grant will support commercial kitchen modernization, infrastructure upgrades and the purchase of industry-standard equipment to expand production capacity, training space and operational efficiency, according to the legislators.
Regional Environmental Council will use its grant to renovate first-floor social enterprise and workforce development space for its food justice and urban agriculture programs. REC operates community and mobile farmers markets, urban growing programs and YouthGROW, a youth employment and urban agriculture program.
The renovated space will support market operations, expand employee roles and strengthen REC’s work around workforce development, environmental stewardship and food access, according to the legislators.
“Latin American Health Alliance and Regional Environmental Council are both exceptional organizations that offer job opportunities to people who otherwise might not have them, helping them develop skills and build their resumes through real, fulfilling work,” Moore said in the release.
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