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February 2026
"We is We" - Barbadian Proverb
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Greetings!
February invites us to reflect on American history in a deeper way. This month highlights the courage, resilience, and contributions of Americans whose lives and leadership shaped this nation for the better, often in the face of profound injustice and adversity. Their stories are not separate chapters in our history. They remind us that progress has always required conviction, sacrifice, and an unwavering belief in something better.
What moves me most about these stories is not only the strength it took to overcome barriers, but the love that fueled that strength. Love for family. Love for community. Love for justice. Love for the promise of this country, even when that promise felt distant. That kind of love is not passive. It is determined. It builds movements. It sustains hope.
I was inspired by a message delivered during the Super Bowl halftime performance. In a moment seen by millions, the words “the only thing more powerful than hate is love” were prominent. In a climate where division and hostility often dominate headlines, that message felt both timely and necessary. Love is not weakness. It is the force that has carried communities through their most difficult chapters. It is what allows people to endure, to organize, to advocate, and to transform systems that exclude them.
February is also the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day, but the love we are called to reflect on is much bigger than sentiment. It is the love expressed through The Golden Rule: to treat others as we would wish to be treated. It is the belief, shared across cultures and faith traditions, that we are responsible for one another. A Barbadian proverb captures this beautifully: “We is We.” Despite our differences, we share a common bond and a shared future.
At Community Teamwork, Compassion is the heart of our values. It is the heart because compassion is love in action. It is respect, dignity, and empathy. It is seeing our neighbors fully and choosing to engage with understanding rather than judgment. Compassion calls us to wish for others the same stability, safety, and opportunity we desire for ourselves.
When we speak about inequities, disparities, and the challenges facing our most vulnerable neighbors, the solutions are often complex. But the starting point is not. It begins with how we see one another. It begins with whether we allow love and compassion to shape our decisions, our policies, our partnerships, and our daily interactions.
History shows us that meaningful change is rarely born from hate. It is sustained by love. If we want stronger communities, safer neighborhoods, and greater opportunity for the next generation, we must lead with that same conviction.
As we move through February, I encourage all of us to reflect on the history we honor, the progress still ahead, and the role each of us plays in shaping what comes next. When love is placed at the center, communities thrive. And when compassion guides our actions, we move closer to the country and the community we know is possible.
Sincerely,
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Carl Howell, CEO
Community Teamwork
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The federal government has passed its budget for the current fiscal year, thanks to advocacy from community action supporters across the country. All Community Teamwork programs are open and operational.
Please visit our Resource Center at 17 Kirk St., Lowell for assistance, or call 978-459-0551.
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Community Teamwork and Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG) Co-Host a Fair Housing Listening Session with EOHLC
The Greater Lowell Fair Housing Listening Session, which took place at UTEC, helped to create awareness for Fair Housing and also helped us learn about the challenges individuals face and what opportunities for improvement and investment exist, in order to improve Fair Housing.
More than 90 community members attended and heard from the state and local leaders, as well as Carl Howell, CEO and Aaron Ginsberg, Fair Housing Manager. Breakout sessions followed and provided participants an opportunity to answer four questions:
- What are some of the fair housing challenges/opportunities that face our commonwealth?
- What is your vision for what the Office of Fair Housing and Fair Housing Trust Fund can accomplish?
- Are there ideas and strategies that we should explore or enhance her in the Commonwealth?
- What are the biggest barriers you or people in your community face in finding or keeping housing?
Thank you to Aaron Ginsberg and the Fair Housing Team for their work to make the day a success!
Read Lowell Sun Article
and Accompanying Images
To learn more about Community Teamwork's Fair Housing Program, visit: www.commteam.org/fair-housing-program
| | Congresswoman Lori Trahan Visits Lowell Shelter | | |
Please see the article below highlighting Congresswoman Lori's Trahan's visit to our Shelter this week to celebrate the Federal earmark - an investment which allowed us to purchase an Emergency Shelter and provide housing for many families in need each year.
Thank you to Jonathan Lunde and our Lead Case Managers/Family Advocates, Elizabeth Wando, Kathleen Dearborn and Wanda Montes, for accommodating Lori's visit and sharing the work they do to help our families in shelter each and every day.
Also, thank you to the Facilities Team for ensuring the space looked perfect!
Visits like these are important to showcase the impact federal and state dollars have in our community, and of course, the great work we are doing each day.
Read Lowell Sun Article
To learn more about all of our Housing Support Programs, visit
www.commteam.org/program/housing-supports
| | Salem Five Partners with CTI | | |
Thank you to Salem Five Bank for visiting Community Teamwork recently and presenting members of the leadership team with a check to support our work in the
community. Members of the bank spent time speaking with Carl and the team, learning about Community Teamwork's efforts to alleviate poverty, and the challenges we face daily.
We are grateful for all our community partners and appreciate Salem Five's dedication to nonprofits in the region.
| | Pictured L-R: Selim Matta, Assistant Vice President Branch Manager II; Carl Howell, CTI CEO; Ann Sirois, CTI Chief Planning and Development Officer; Cheryl DeLorenzo, Senior Vice President; Margot Regan, CTI Director of Development; and Veronica Tamburrini-Caira, SVP, Private Banking Team Lead | | Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) ~ aka Fuel Assistance | | |
Winter Moratorium Now in Effect (10/27–4/1)
If your household qualifies for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) you will automatically be protected from shut off for the duration of the Winter Moratorium.
If you are not eligible for HEAP or another low-income program. you’ll need to submit a Financial Hardship Form to your utility company to receive this protection.
If you’re unsure how to do this, contact your utility company for more information.
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HEAP Funding Resumes
- Massachusetts remains fully committed to ensuring that all eligible households receive the heating assistance they need. With the federal shutdown now over, we are pleased to begin processing applications beyond heating emergencies.
- However, as a result of the federal shutdown, Applicants should anticipate delays in application determinations.
- Applications already submitted will continue to be processed in the order they were received. Households do not need to reapply or take additional steps if they've already applied.
- If a household is experiencing a heating emergency-such as no heat, less than 1/8 tank of oil, or a termination notice-they should contact their Local Administering Agency (LAA) immediately for assistance.
- HEAP helps income-eligible renters and homeowners pay a portion of their winter heating bills, regardless of how they heat their home: oil, electricity, natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood or coal. Even households with heat included in rent may be eligible.
- This is a grant, not a loan; the funds do not need to be repaid.
- Households may qualify even if they:
-Are not receiving public assistance
-Do not have unpaid heating bills
-Rent and have heat included in their rent
- To qualify, household income must be below 60% of the state median income, adjusted for household size and other criteria. For example, a household of four earning $99,573 or less may qualify for HEAP.
More Detail on HEAP Funding
| | CTI's Financial Education Department (VITA) Partners with UMass Manning School of Business | | Community Teamwork’s Financial Education Center has once again partnered with UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business to gather volunteers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). This partner ship has been paramount for the program’s success in assisting hundreds of clients with free tax preparation. Over the years, UMass Lowell has brought in dozens of volunteers, this season we were able to engage with 16 knowledgeable students who are eager to use their education to help the community. | | Child & Family Services is Recruiting! | | Child & Family Services Newsletters |
Construction continues at
CTI's New Women's Shelter
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The new Women's Shelter is taking shape but we need your help!
Transformation continues at the future home of our new 50-plus bed dedicated women’s shelter. With interior demolition and portions of exterior site work complete, elevator shaft construction commences, and roofing, structural and interior framing, as well as mechanical rough ins, are right around the corner.
Our design and construction partners continue to focus on delivering on the aggressive construction schedule and budget, even as winter in new England rears its head.
Since 2020, nearly 40 percent of the individuals served in Community Teamwork’s emergency shelter program have been women, and nearly half of those women were older than 45 years old.
They are mothers. They are sisters. They are aunts. They are friends. And they all need a second chance.
We thank all our supporters who have helped us raise the funds needed to get to this important milestone, but we still have a long way to go to close our funding gap.
We ask that you please consider making a gift to support this important project by clicking here.
Together we can ensure that the women in our community have a safe, temporary place to stay as they rebuild their lives.
For more information about how to support the Women's Shelter, please contact Margot Regan, Director of Development at maregan@commteam.org or at 978-654-5813.
Naming opportunities still available!
| | Please watch the video above to learn more. (Click the Image) | | |
Together we can ensure that the women in our community have a safe, temporary place to stay as they rebuild their lives.
For more information about how to support the Women's Shelter, please contact Margot Regan, Director of Development at maregan@commteam.org or at 978-654-5813.
Naming opportunities are still available.
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“Housing is a human right. There can be no fairness or justice in a society in which some live in homelessness, or in the shadow of that risk, while others cannot even imagine it.”
--John Flaherty
| | Home Modification Loan Program Updates | | Thank You to our 2025 Newsletter Sponsors | | |
IN THE NEWS
Lowell, State Leaders Talk Fair Housing, Lowell Sun, 1.30.25
and Accompanying Images
A Safe, Dignified Place to Land, Lowell Sun, 1.29.26
EOHHS Secretary's Visit Highlights Youth Services Program, Lowell Sun, 11 16 25
Head Start Cuts Rip Across Region, Lowell Sun, 11.10.25
CTi Cuts Staff in Head Start Programs, Lowell Sun 11.9.25
Head Start programs shutter during government shutdown desite infusion of state funds, Boston Globe 11 3 25
| | There are ALWAYS Ways to Help | | If you find yourself in a position to help, your contribution will aid our efforts on every front as we work together to care for our clients and families in their hour of greatest need, and emerge stronger than ever. Please note, Donations of $1000 or more qualify for a 50% refund or credit under the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Program (CITC). Contact Margot Regan, Director of Development, for more information at maregan@commteam.org, 978-654-5813 | | | | |
