June News & Updates
 

June 9, 2026

This Month

  • Breaking News: Mel is running to Minnesota!
  • What's Cooking at The Price Center
  • Kindness Café Update
  • The Price Center at the Pops -- Thank you!
  • Did you know?
  • Staff Milestones and Additions
  • June Calendar
  • Happening in the Community

Mel Runs Her Own Race


Mel runs. That's the simple version. The fuller version is that she runs the 200 meters, the 400 meters, and the 400-meter relay — and she does it well enough to have been selected for the Massachusetts team competing in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games at the University of Minnesota later this month.
This past weekend, Mel competed at the Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games in Boston, joining many other Price Center Superstars. These athletes, from Day Hab, Specialized Supports, and Community-Based Day Services competed, along with more than 1,500 athletes from around the commonwealth, for three days in events including Powerlifting, Tennis, Swimming, Track and Field, and Volleyball. Our individuals participated enthusiastically and won a few medals -- and lots of hearts and minds. It's the kind of event that reminds you what sport is actually for.
Mel's love of running has a family dimension: her mom Diane was a runner too and has helped Mel build a training schedule that works around a genuinely full life. Mel attends The Price Center's Community Based Day Program and works at the new Trader Joe's in Newton through The Price Center's Chuck Flynn Employment Program — named for Chuck, whose perseverance and community impact left a lasting mark on everyone who knew him.
The USA Games run June 20–26. At The Price Center, we'll be cheering loudly and, if possible, watching.

What's Cooking at The Price Center (and at my house)

Love, Solar, and What's Next

by Mike Markowitz, Dad of Sarah and member of The Price Center Board of Directors

Some nights just land right. The Evening at the Pops was one of them.


Jacob Collier closed his show at The Price Center's Evening at the Pops with a rousing performance of Queen's "Somebody to Love" — and if you were there, you know what I mean. He didn't just perform the song; he pulled the entire audience into it, turning Symphony Hall into a community singalong at the highest possible level. The song is basically a plea for nobody to be alone — and that maps pretty neatly onto one role that The Price Center serves up every day.


The evening raised more than $200,000 through ticket sales, donations, and auction bids. To all who contributed in any capacity, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.


That kind of night is possible because of what this community has built together. The Price Center's Board of Directors recently voted to add to it. We approved building a solar array on the roof of our headquarters building. The array will cover most of the roof, generating more than three-quarters of the building's electricity needs. We project the array to save The Price Center roughly $3 million over 20 years and those savings will go right back into our programs.


Running a high-quality program like The Price Center requires constant attention to both sides of the ledger, and right now fewer than half of our families make contributions of any size to TPC. We know 100% family participation isn't possible; that every family's ability to give is different. And for some families, that ability may not exist at all. We get it and understand. But if you find value in what we do and you're in a position to contribute, at any level and at any time, it matters more than you might think.


Finally: the Price Center Family Directory is almost live. Within the next few days, you'll find it accessible from The Price Center's website, and it's designed exclusively for TPC families and staff. Users have to register and be approved before they can access anything, and phone numbers and email addresses aren't shared in the directory. Once you've been confirmed as a member of The Price Center Community, you'll be able to connect with other families who've opted in. Moreover, you'll be able to find attendees and families filtered by program, residence (for those living in Price Center houses), town and areas of interest. There's also an FAQ built right in. For me, it's been a labor of love, and I'm excited to see families start using it.

mmarkowitz@thepricecenter.org








What's Cooking at My House


Chicken Soup with Noodles

8 servings

Prep/Cook Time: 40 minutes


Sarah rarely complains about not feeling well, so when she came home -- early -- from her Inclusive Fitness session, I sprung into action in the kitchen, and put together a pot of the magic elixir of my forefathers: Chicken Soup.


This recipe is highly adaptable and can be customized for any culture while still maintaining its magical healing properties.


To make a Spanish version, add smoked paprika, diced chorizo, chickpeas, tomatoes, and green olives for a smoky, savory flavor.


A Jamaican version might include a scotch bonnet pepper for heat, fresh thyme, allspice, and root vegetables like yam or sweet potato. You can also add "spinners" (small, rolled flour dumplings) and coconut milk.


For an Italian soup, create a stracciatella (egg drop) finish or add tortellini, a parmesan rind, and dark leafy greens like escarole or spinach.


Want more of a Chinese taste? Flavor the broth with fresh ginger, star anise, and a splash of Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Garnish with scallions, bok choy, and serve over rice or noodles.


Depending on the region, folks from Africa looking for a taste of home might season the soup with fiery spices like cayenne and ginger, or thicken the soup with peanut butter and sweet potato for a rich, hearty stew (such as West African maafe).

Sarah likes her Chicken Soup simply, with either rice or noodles.


Ingredients:

  • Rotisserie Chicken
  • 4-5 Celery ribs, chopped
  • 3-4 Carrots, Chopped
  • 1/2 lb. spinach
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2-lb pasta (Orzo or ditalini is a good choice, although I used bucatini), broken into 3-4-in. lengths.

Preparation:

  • Separate the chicken into pieces ("peeling off the thighs, the backbone, and the breast is easy, and doesn't require a knife). Put into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Remove chicken pieces to a bowl and let cool enough to handle. Peel meat from bones, discard the bones, and chop or shred the meat. Return meat to pot with broth. Add celery, carrots, spinach, salt, and pepper. Bring to simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add pasta and cook according to package directions, till al dente.
  • Enjoy!

Kindness Cafe Update

On February 13th, at the grand opening of the Kindness Café, CEO Abby Parrilla asserted that, "This is a donation-based coffee shop for life skills development but particularly they want to be baristas, so it's a barista training program. Our metric for success is that in about six to eight months, with the skills they learn here, they will get a barista job outside our four walls."


Guess what? Less than 4 months later, the staff of the Chuck Flynn Employment Program have placed 6 individuals in outside Food-Service roles! We encourage you to visit and support Jimmy and Marty at The Peach Cobbler Factory (opening mid-June) in Downtown Crossing and Jeff, Theo, Nate, and Jake at Little Luke's Cafe in Newton Upper Falls!


Alternatively, the Baristas at The Price Center's Kindness Café make a mean cup of coffee, espresso, and cappuccino. Come to the Kindness Café to put some spring in your step, some jo in your mo, and especially some Kindness in your day.

The Kindness Café is open only to friends, family, staff, and invited guests on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30a to noon. We serve pastries and beverages. 

Donations are gratefully accepted. Help us put Another Brick in the Wall. Starting at $1000, donors can sponsor a personalized brick to support:

  • Hands-on barista training and job coaching
  • Skill development in customer service, teamwork, and workplace readiness
  • Pathways to competitive, integrated employment beyond The Price Center
  • A culture of inclusion where individuals are seen for their abilities, not their limitations
Place Your Brick Today

Did You Know?

  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) — the federal program that provides monthly income to adults with disabilities who have limited resources — pays a maximum of $967/month in 2025. MA adds a small state supplement, but most individuals with IDDs cannot cover basic living expenses from SSI alone, making agency supports and family contributions essential.
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients face strict income and asset limits — currently $2,000 in countable assets for an individual. Earning even modest wages or accumulating savings can reduce or eliminate benefits, creating a financial trap that discourages employment. ABLE accounts and Special Needs Trusts exist specifically to help individuals save without losing eligibility.
  • The vast majority of IDD residential and day services in MA are delivered by nonprofit agencies operating on razor-thin, or even negative margins. Unlike for-profit sectors, these agencies cannot raise prices when costs rise; they can only advocate for rate increases from the state, which are infrequent and insufficient.

Welcome to The Team!


Vanya Petkova - Controller


Brenda Reagan - Intern


Grace Doyle - Intern


Meghan Conroy - Intern

June Milestones



Madison Murray, 5 years

Denisa Depina Araujo, 4 years

Liam Alves, 3 years

Sarah Nabunya, 2 years

Edith Nanyanzi, 1 year 

Rebeca Luders, 1 year



The Price Center's 
Directory of families, meant to encourage communication and support our community, is in its final stages of testing. Keep an eye out for its availability!

The directory will include the names and programs of Price Center attendees as well as names and contact details of caregivers and family. It will be shared among The Price Center community and participation is voluntary; names will only appear if families opt in (and you can opt out at any time). We anticipate the directory will help facilitate conversations about programs, supports, and activities of value to all.

Happening In the Community

Camp Echo Bridge is a six-week day camp. It starts June 29 - August 7th from 8:30am - 3:30pm at Mason-Rice School, 149 Pleasant Street in Newton Centre. 

Extended day mornings from 8:00am-8:30am and afternoons from 3:30pm-5:30pm. 


All sign-ups for day camp and extended hours are by week.

Questions? Contact Miranda Morse mmorse@newtonma.gov

Have an upcoming event that our staff, individuals, or community should know about?

We want to hear about it.

Please send details to: Communications@thepricecenter.org

The Price Center empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism to thrive in their living, social, and work communities. Every gift, whether monetary or in-kind, goes directly towards our programs and supports our individuals in achieving their goals.

Donate Today!

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The Price Center | 27 Christina Street | Newton, MA 02461 US

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