Massachusetts Directors Participate in Capitol Hill Day in Washington, DC Seven Directors from the Massachusetts YouthBuild Coalition spent four days in Washington DC at the the YouthBuild National Directors Conference. This annual event brings Directors together from around the country to share ideas, learn new techniques and advocate for YouthBuild. The conference ends with a day on Capitol Hill meeting with Legislators. The day began with a gathering in the Kennedy Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building. This room is the site of many historic events including the McCarthy hearings in the 1950's.  The group was first addressed by John Phillips, Chief of Staff for Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts. John had previously served as the Chief of Staff for twenty years of then Senator John Kerry who was responsible for creating the National YouthBuild Act. The Directors then had the pleasure of hearing the remarks of Senator Markey who spoke about the great service that YouhBuild provides to our young people. He added, "You are on the front lines and we thank you for all of your great work."  Directors then spread across the Hill to advocate for the YouthBuild students n their districts. In Massachusetts, our visits consisted of a big thank you because of all of the support that we have already received. These meetings gave the directors the opportunity to discuss the success of YouthBuild in Massachusetts, the need for additional federal funding and to extend invitations to visit the programs back home and a chance to meet our students first hand. These requests were well received and we will be following up on each of our meetings addressing specific requests for information.  Sometimes, the impact of Capitol Hill day extends behind our meetings. Unexpectedly, Kristin Anderson and Christina Conti from YouthBuild North Shore found that one of the people traveling on their flight home was Senator Markey himself. We are hoping that the events of today will serve to increase the wonderful support that we enjoy from the Massachusetts National Delegation.
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 Robbie Sanders from YouthBuild Just-a-Start was presented with the prestigious "President's Award for Support of Young Leaders" at the National Directors Association Conference in Washington, DC today. This award was presented because of Robbie's on-going work with the young people in her program, striving to develop their potential as leaders. The Massachusetts YouthBuild congratulates Robbie for all of her efforts in developing young leaders. One Just-a-Start graduate, Joel Miranda, is currently the Director of Leadership Development at YouthBuild USA  Kristin Anderson from YouthBuild North Shore in Salem was one of seven Directors from Massachusetts in attendance at the National Directors Association Conference in Washington, DC. Association President, Simran Sidhu, from YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School kicked off this event with an inspiring talk about her experiences with YouthBuild. The conference will conclude with visits to meet Legislators on Capitol Hill to reinforce the importance of YouthBuild to the young people in the communities served.
 Graduate Marcos Alvarez addresses the audience during a recent graduation ceremony at YB Lawrence. Twenty-three graduates were recognized by family, friends and public officials. During the ceremony, State Representatives Marcos Devers and Frank Moran presented each graduate with a Citation from the House of Representatives honoring the for their accomplishments. Looks of pride were on display throughout the night.
 This year’s 2013 “No Place Like Home” dinner and auction saw more success than ever before, setting a new standard for years to come. Due to the generous support of our donors, supporters and guests, North Shore CDC raised over $52,000. The support of our donors will go directly back as an investment in our local neighborhoods to create thriving communities throughout the North Shore. A special thanks to our Host Sponsors, Eastern Bank, Endicott College and Landmark Construction, as well as our host for the evening Jenny Johnson and Billy Costa! Our guest speaker, Dorothy Stoneman, CEO and Founder of YouthBuild USA was inspirational and are YouthBuild students were thrilled to showcase the birdhouses they had made, representing what a home meant to each of them individually. Again we thank all of those who were a part of the night and look forward to next year’s event.
 YouthBuild Lowell recently held a graduation ceremony on December 12, 2013 honoring the 2013 class of the program.
Jose Gomez was voted YouthBuild Lowell “Construction Student of the Year”. Jose received his OSHA 10, NCCER, GED, and performed 1389 Community Service Project Hours. Jose was the student speaker at the YouthBuild Lowell graduation. He explained that a little over a year ago that he “wasn’t going anywhere in life, wasn’t going to school, didn’t have a job, sleeping all day, and felt like he was letting his family down.” He then attended his sister’s graduation from YouthBuild Quincy and that “motivated me to get my own GED and do something better with my life.” Jose began at YouthBuild Lowell and noticed that he was changing. “I became more respectful and focused, I became more outgoing and worked as part of a team with my fellow classmates, and I helped others who were struggling as I used to.” Jose also became very involved in Community Service and was “proud to represent YouthBuild Lowell.” He was instrumental in the completion of the Project House and rehab of the YouthBuild building. He also very much enjoyed working with the elderly at the Lowell Senior Center, assisting with their holiday dinner dances and monthly Veteran’s Breakfast. Jose was also very proud of coming in third place as part of the Sandbox Pitch Team, earning money to open and operate a YouthBuild school store. Congratulations to all of the graduates at YouthBuild Lowell! |
