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Greetings!
This month’s recognition of Youth Homelessness Awareness Month brought with it a powerful reminder of why our work matters. One of the most meaningful moments came during the visit from Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, who toured our Youth Services Program and spent time with young people who have both benefited from our supports and are now giving back through our Youth Action Board of Greater Lowell. Hearing them speak about their journeys, their hopes, and their vision for a stronger community was a moment of quiet inspiration. Their voices reflected everything we strive to build; connection, opportunity, and the belief that change is possible.
Over the past few weeks, I have met families and individuals whose lives have been touched by a wide range of our programs: a parent whose child is thriving in Head Start, a household who has received LIHEAP assistance, and young people who come to our Youth Opportunity Center seeking connection and hope. Each conversation has been a reminder of why we show up every day and why gratitude feels especially important this month.
In a season defined by Thanksgiving, I find myself reflecting not only on the successes but also on the challenges. This has been a difficult month for many including staff, partners, and the families we serve. Yet it is in these moments of strain that the strength of our community becomes most visible. We see the way struggle brings people together, how adversity deepens empathy, and how our shared commitment to this mission carries us forward.
I am profoundly grateful for every member of our Community Teamwork family: our staff on the frontlines and behind the scenes, our volunteers, donors, partners, and champions throughout the region. Whether you contributed a dollar, offered ten minutes of your time, opened a door for a family, or quietly solved a problem no one else saw. Thank You! Your work, your compassion, and your belief in what we can accomplish together make us a true catalyst for change.
And for that, I am deeply thankful.
With gratitude and determination,
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Carl Howell, CEO
Community Teamwork
| | Youth Homelessness Awareness Month | | |
What a Great Day for Youth Services!
On Thursday afternoon, Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Secretary Kiame Mahaniah and Glenn Daly, Director of the EOHHS Office of Children, Youth and Families, visited Youth Services in recognition of National Youth Homeless Month, and the incredible work our team is doing to support youth and young adults across Lowell and the surrounding communities.
EOHHS funding launched Youth Services in 2018 and has fueled our growth over the past six years—from a team of just three to more than thirty dedicated staff members. In that time, Youth Services has supported over 1,300 youth and young adults through programs ranging from The Mill You, housing search assistance, parenting support, community service and leadership opportunities, to crisis transitional housing, and more.
We were honored to be joined by Representative Vanna Howard, and State Representatives Rodney Elliott, Lowell City Manager Tom Golden, City of Lowell Health and Human Services Director Lisa Golden, and CTI Board President Sheila Och, who participated in a thoughtful panel discussion alongside Nyla Ojeda and YAB members, Edmira Kabia and Shantel Wilkerson. Their powerful stories and lived experiences underscored the life-changing impact of our programs. The visit concluded with a tour of Youth Services and The Mill You.
Secretary Mahaniah emphasized how critical Youth Services is and the multi-generational impact of our work. As he noted, our services don’t just shape the lives of young people today; they help ensure a stronger future for their children as well.
A heartfelt thank you to Nick DiGiammo, Megan Riley, Nyla Ojeda, Maria Zaroulis, and the entire Youth Services team for hosting such a meaningful and successful visit. Their work continues to inspire and uplift our community every day.
| | CTI Partner, Charters Brothers Construction, Honored for Summer Street Shelter Restoration | | |
Back Row l-r: Anthony Nganga, Studio 26; Gene Cordes, CTI; Mike MacLeod, Charters Brothers; Adam Charters, Charters Brothers; Michael Bean, Charters Brothers
Front Row l-r: Anybe Levy, Studio 26; Melissa Joyce, CTI; Haley Deeb, Charters Brothers
Charters Brothers Construction LLC received an Excellence Award for Historical Restoration/Renovation for the Community Teamwork Summer Street Shelter. Former CTI staff and Owners Representative, Gene Cordes joined current staff Melissa Joyce to celebrate alongside Charters Brothers leadership and design partner Studio 26 Design Collaborative, LLC.
We are grateful to the entire team for bringing this historic building back to life, creating a space that continues to support and uplift the community.
| | Freedom Energy Logistics Makes a Generous Donation to Community Teamwork | | |
Employees from Freedom Energy Logistics visited Community Teamwork today and presented leadership with a generous donation on behalf of the company’s Philanthropy Committee to support CTI’s programs this holiday season. Community Teamwork has had a longstanding partnership with Freedom Energy and Regional Sales Director Dileep Prabhakar said his company wanted to help Community Teamwork after seeing how much the agency was impacted during the recent federal funding struggles.
We thank Dileep and the team at Freedom Energy for their tremendous support and for recognizing the important work we do in the community.
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Pictured left to right:
Carol Anne Watts, Vice President of Sales for Freedom Energy Logistics; Margot Regan, Director of Development for CTI; Kayombo Kamawu, Chief Program Officer for CTI; Dileep Prabhakar, Regional Sales Director for Freedom Energy Logistics; Ann Sirois, Chief Administrative Officer for CTI; Lisa Wholey SPHR, Chief Human Resources Officer for CTI; and Melissa Joyce, Vice President for Facilities and Property for CTI.
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Head Start Cuts Rip Across the Region ~
Press Conference at James Houlares Learning Center
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Community Teamwork joined the Massachusetts Head Start Association recently at CTI's James Houlares Early Learning Center to advocate for approval of the Head Start Federal Funding. We heard from staff and parents of Head Start students whose lives have been directly impacted by the government shutdown.
"Head Start is more than a childcare program, it is a lifeline. It is where children gain the foundational skills they need to succeed in school and in life. It is where families find support and guidance, where access to essential services can mean the difference between thriving and struggling. And it is where our staff bring their hearts, expertise and patience every single day. We need the government to reopen, and we need our Head Start Programs funded."
~ Shawna Doran, VP Child and Family Services.
To learn more about our Head Start Programs, visit:
www.commteam.org/program/early-learning-head-start-early-head-start-learning-programs
| | Share the Love of Books with Children at Community Teamwork this Holiday Season | |
Lala books on Market Street in Lowell is again partnering with Community Teamwork to ensure that the children in our shelter programs have new books this holiday season.
From November 10 to December 17, buy a book in-store, or from the link online shown below, to donate to a child in a Community Teamwork Shelter. Together we can give the gift of reading!
https://lalabookstore.com/list/share-love-holiday-book-drive
| | Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) ~ aka Fuel Assistance | | |
Space Heater Safety
❄️ Space heaters can be dangerous if not used safely. Protect your household this winter:
- Use only heavy-duty extension cords
- Keep anything flammable at least 3 ft away
- Never leave heaters unattended
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Federal Shutdown Ends and 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
| | The Financial Literacy Academy is back! | | Join the Financial Literacy Academy and learn about budgeting, credit, identity theft, banking and more. | | |
EMERGENCY FUND
Every now and then an unexpected expense pops up, a flat tire, a broken appliance, a medical bill, the list can go on and on.
In those moments do you have funds that you can fall back on?
Budgeting a portion of money for an emergency fund is a great way to alleviate stress if an unexpected expense occurs.
You can start by saving up to $1000, then as time goes on it is important to try and have enough money to cover three months' worth of expenses.
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SMART GOALS
SMART Goals seems like a funny term!
SMART stands for S-specific, M-measurable, A-achievable, R-realistic and T-timely.
If you want to take a goal and make it a reality it is important that you add detail to that goal.
By making a regular goal into a SMART goal, you have more guidance to help you achieve this goal.
Let's make the goal of buying a car and make it a SMART Financial Goal.
S-specific: I want to buy a used SUV.
M-measurable: I will achieve this goal by saving $6000.
A-achievable: I have to put aside at least $300 a month.
R-realistic: It is realistic to save $300 a month as long as I can save $150 from each paycheck.
T-timely: I will be able to buy a used SUV in about 20 months by saving $300 every month.
If you would like some help building a budget in order to put aside money for an emergency fund or guidance on making your goals into SMART goals, reach out to one of our Senior Financial Literacy coordinators:
For English reach out to Brenda Jimenez at bjimenez@commteam.org
For Spanish reach out to Mildred Sena de Disla at msenadedisla@commteam.org
For more information about the Financial Education Center, visit: www.commteam.org/financial-education
| | | | Child & Family Services is Recruiting! | | Construction Has Started on Community Teamwork's New Women's Shelter | | |
Construction is underway in Community Teamwork’s new Women’s Shelter!
The old brush mill, home to the new 50-plus bed women’s shelter, has started its transformation. Many of the interior walls have come down over the last couple of weeks, and preparations are underway to begin the installation of the elevator shaft.
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.
| | The basement is being prepped for the elevator installation and what will become the new kitchen and dining room. | | The second floor of the building has been completely gutted and the space shown here will become a new multi-purpose room and community partner room. | | |
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.
We ask that you please consider making a gift to support this important project by clicking here.
They are mothers. They are sisters. They are aunts. They are friends. And they all need a second chance.
We invite you to watch this short video to learn more. Again, thank you if you have already donated.
| | Please watch the video above to learn more. | | |
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
| | Child & Family Services Newsletters | | Home Modification Loan Program Updates | | Thank You to our 2025 Newsletter Sponsors | | |
IN THE NEWS
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
Mass Head Start programs face closures as government shutdown drags on, WHDH 7 News 10 31 25
With 'a few weeks' of funding from the state, almost all Mass. Head Start programs staying open, WGBH 10 31 25
'They are terrified': Community assistance organizations brace for impacts of SNAP shut off, Lowell Sun 10 30 25 (Fuel Press Conference)
Head Start Agencies in Mass. expect cuts to programs due to federal shutdown, WBUR 10 29 25
'Completely Unsustainable' - CTI, Trahan Highlight Local Impacts from Shutdown, Health Care Costs, Lowell Sun 10 18 25
Gazebo rehabilitation in South Lowell - The construction team at CTI's YouthBuild Program - Five Minute Read, Lowell Sun 9 24 25
Business Growth & Opportunity Exchange Hosted by the E-Center at CTI - 9 25 25
Community services grants on chopping block in D.C. - Lowell Sun 8 17 25
Media Advisory: Press Conference to Highlight How Cutting Federal Anti-Poverty Funds Threatens MA Communities 8 14 2025
Op-ed: Eliminating LIHEAP would be a cruel blow to Massachusetts families - Lowell Sun 8 1 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 | | | | |
