Donor Highlight: Ethan Herschenfeld

Completely out of the blue in mid-July, New York City actor and comedian Ethan Herschenfeld reached out to say he had a fundraising proposal for CEOC. While spending the summer on Cape Cod, Ethan planned to swim eight miles as part of the oldest open-water marathon swim in the U.S., and he wanted to promote that effort to raise money for a local organization.

As a graduate of Harvard University, Ethan started his search in Cambridge, found us, and committed to raising $3,600 and matching that amount with his own $3,600. In just a few days, Ethan’s friends and colleagues had blown past the goal and continued to give, ultimately raising $5,811. With Ethan’s match, we now have nearly $10,000, which will be put to work stocking our food pantry to serve more visitors while ensuring we can help people navigate the federal changes to SNAP and Medicare/Medicaid.

On August 4th, Ethan succeeded in swimming those eight miles in rough, frigid water around the Boston Harbor Islands, from the Boston Light (America’s first lighthouse and the namesake of the event: the Boston Light Swim), then back to the historic L Street Bathhouse in South Boston. You can listen to Ethan talk about the swim and shout-out CEOC in this radio interview.

Thank you to Ethan and his many supporters for this outstanding effort and generosity. We’ll think of you and how you’ve made a difference on the many days when we feel we’re swimming against the tide!

Photo courtesy of David Ahmed  

Matched Savings Program with HRI

More than 40 HRI residents are working toward opening matched savings accounts, thanks to the new Financial Capability Program from HRI in partnership with CEOC. After an orientation last spring, CEOC staff ran six workshops on topics such as budgeting, saving, credit building, and long-term financial planning.

In addition to the workshops, 42 residents have participated in four or more individual coaching sessions with CEOC staff, making them eligible for a 2:1 match from HRI on their new savings accounts. At the same time, participants continue to meet with their financial coaches for any assistance they may need in developing greater financial stability and independence.

CEOC is a Community Partnership Winner!

Thank you to our friends at the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), whose staff voted to present CEOC with their Community Partnership Award this summer. This once-a-year honor goes to an organization that collaborates with the CHA to improve the quality of life for their residents and voucher holders. CEOC is proud to be aligned with the CHA mission of providing opportunities for affordable housing in a manner that promotes citizenship, community, and self-reliance. Thank you for this recognition.

New Spanish-Speaking Affinity Group Has All the Right Moves

This spring, staff member Anna Minaya began organizing a social affinity group for CEOC's Spanish speakers, and an interesting thing happened. Anna noticed several participants dancing in their seats to the background music she was playing.

A couple of months later, CEOC arranged for a group of them to gather at The Dance Complex to learn four different Latin dance styles with Spanish-speaking instructor Anara from Metamovements Latin Dance Company. The class was designed to be as welcoming and accessible as possible and was free of charge, thanks to funding from the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD).

After class, the CPHD Healthy Eating and Active Living team got the community's input on ways they like to exercise and some ways that Cambridge could make physical activity more accessible. When asked, "Where do you feel most welcome being active?," several participants replied, "Spaces like this!"

Outreach Continues from Summer into Fall



CEOC had another excellent summer of outreach this year, tabling at 15 events in Cambridge. We attended celebrations at affordable housing sites and hosted several financial education workshops. And we joined in with Cambridge Public Schools at back-to-school events to make sure that young families have the resources they need. But our outreach doesn't stop once summer is over! Keep looking for us at events and workshops around the City through the fall.