Action Inc

“Christmas in July” to benefit Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund

~ Wellspring House

Forget waiting until December – The Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund is getting into the holiday spirit this summer! Action Inc., Pathways for Children, and Wellspring House are thrilled to announce Christmas in July, a fun, festive summer fundraising campaign to make sure every child on Cape Ann receives something special this holiday season. Think ugly sweaters optional, generosity required.

While the days are long and the beaches are busy, Cape Ann’s nonprofit community is already thinking about the 1,400 children across Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex, and Ipswich who deserve a magical holiday season – no matter what their family’s budget looks like. With the cost of housing, groceries, and daily essentials continuing to stretch family budgets thin, getting a head start now means more toys, more books, more pajamas, and more smiles come December.

So, this July, we’re asking Cape Ann to do what it does best, show up for its neighbors, and have a great time while doing it.

About the Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund

The Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund is a collaboration between Action Inc., Pathways for Children, and Wellspring House, Inc. For Cape Ann families struggling to make ends meet with prices for daily needs at an all-time high, the Fund’s holiday toy drive provides much-needed relief and helps brighten the holiday season for local children. Over two days this December, nearly 700 parents and caregivers will take part in an in-store toy shopping experience, selecting age-appropriate gifts for more than 1,400 local children from toys donated by community members and gift cards purchased through donations. Volunteers throughout Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex, and Ipswich help sort donations, set up the holiday store, and serve as personal shoppers.

Get Out, Give Back: Benefit Events Across Cape Ann

A growing roster of Cape Ann restaurants, venues, and businesses are hosting Cape Ann Kids benefit events this July, with a percentage of proceeds going directly to the Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund. From dining out to special events, there are plenty of ways to get involved and make a difference. Confirmed participants include Machaca, Beauport Hotel, Gloucester House, Fox Creek Tavern, The Farm, and more. Participating partners span Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, and Ipswich. For the full updated list visit capeannkids.org.

Among the highlights, Christmas in July will take over the Birdseye Rooftop at Beauport Hotel on the evening of Saturday, July 25th for a festive evening of live music, décor, and sunset skies with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund. This 21+ event requires advance tickets.  Details and tickets are available HERE.

The Grand Finale: Concert on Meetinghouse Green

Christmas in July wraps up on Friday, July 31 at 6:00 PM with a magical evening concert as part of Music on Meetinghouse Green, presented by the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation. The night features a performance by Rhiannon Hurst & Friends, with Pathways for Children as the evening’s beneficiary, every dollar raised goes directly to the Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund. Everyone is encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, friends, and holiday spirit. In July.

How to Spread the Joy

  • Get out and give back at a participating Cape Ann Kids benefit event this July
  • Join us for the July 31 concert on Meetinghouse Green in Gloucester
  • Donate online at capeannkids.org
  • Spread the word with friends, family, and fellow Cape Ann neighbors

Sawyer Free Library and Wellspring House Launch “Gloucester Connection” Website

~ Sawyer Free Library

The SAWYER FREE LIBRARY and WELLSPRING HOUSE are pleased to announce the launch of GLOUCESTER CONNECTION. This innovative multi-lingual website (gloucesterconnection.org) connects the greater community to Gloucester’s vast social services for education, health care, housing, and much more. The new free-to-use web platform is an easy-to-navigate centralized online directory and calendar that consolidates information from local organizations, services, and events for residents, visitors, and service providers, prioritizing accessibility by making it available in over 100 world languages.

Recognizing the need to streamline access to critical local resources, the Sawyer Free Library and Wellspring House, with contributions from Action Inc., Gloucester Housing Authority and Gloucester Public Schools, came together to align their efforts —and created the Gloucester Connection. Social Capital, Inc. was hired to develop the site.

The group identified and enlisted over fifty Cape Ann social service organizations, both public and private, to participate, organizing their information into six categories: Basic Needs, Youth Education and Programs, Adult Education and Job Training, Housing, Transportation, and Health and Wellness. The Gloucester Connection resource partners collectively provide access to a wide variety of direct services from how to register kids for public school, sign up for MassHealth, find information and applications for housing, and information about Cape Ann transportation, where to find English classes, and more.

Through Gloucester Connection, users can directly contact the resource for assistance. Participating organizations can also access similar information and look up individual organizations’ pages to determine their services and update their own offerings, programs, and events. Lastly, the website features a community calendar where all Gloucester Connects’ resource partners can share events, programs, and new initiatives with the public.

“Every day, at the Sawyer Free Library, we aim to improve the lives of people in our community with the power of information. Gloucester Connection is a direct expansion of our core mission,” said Library Director Jenny Benedict. “There is a wide range of social services available throughout Cape Ann, but trying to find what exactly you are looking for can be overwhelming, especially if you are new to Gloucester or English is not your primary language. With Gloucester Connection, we hope to change this with a welcoming platform that easily connects people to the resources and social services they need in a language they understand. From legal services, shelters, school and library services to mental health resources and more listed on the site, each organization acts as a lifeline for those in need on Cape Ann. We are proud to be a part of and sponsor such an important collaboration that directly supports our community.”

“We want community members to have easy access to the resources and services they need, whether they have just arrived or have lifelong family ties in Gloucester,” said Melissa Dimond, President and CEO of Wellspring House. “Gloucester Connection helps people get clear and current information for any number of life circumstances. For example, we see firsthand at Wellspring House the manychallenges immigrants face as they adapt and get acclimated in their new community. Our collective hope is that the Gloucester Connection will help make this transition easier. It is part of what it means to be a welcoming community.”

Cape Ann based non-profit organizations or resource-focused agencies are invited to join Gloucester Connection to help strengthen the resource network for Gloucester residents. Those interested in registering with the platform may contact Sawyer Free Library Community Librarian Julie Travers, jtravers@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Gloucester Connection is sponsored by Sawyer Free Library with key support from Wellspring House. To access services or to learn more, visit www.GloucesterConnection.org. 

Nurse Assistant Training at Action – Spread the Word!

~ Joey Ciaramitaro

Hello,

We’re starting a 6 week CNA class on February 17 and will still have a few spots available. There are 2 prep classes potential students will need to attend NEXT WEEK on Feb. 2nd and Feb. 4th, so this is time-sensitive.   

Could you please post the attached flyer or pass this info along to anyone who might be interested?

The class and CNA exam are FREE if you’re income eligible.

Thanks so much!

Megan Merlin

Project Coordinator, Action Inc.

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