It has been an energy-packed year at WCAC! We have experienced so many important changes, and more are underway. I am honored to recognize and work with WCAC’s new, extremely talented, and most dedicated management team. This year Priscilla Holmes, having served WCAC for 19 years, was appointed as our Deputy Director. Donna McGrath brought 13 years of fund development, grantsmanship and legislative work from the City of Worcester to become the agency’s first Organizational Development Administrator. And Janet Lee, with her talents from the private sector in finance and human resource management, is our new Director of Administration and Finance.

Our commitment is ever-focused on the agency’s mission, and our sights are set on “raising the bar” through all of our work by empowering staff and volunteers. We are grounded in a shared vision of exemplary service through teamwork, professional development, creative and responsive programs, strong partnerships, and constant, hard-wired communications. I thank the dedicated, action-oriented WCAC staff for their work in our 21 programs to serve over 70,000 people each year; they are amazing.

The Board became energized in new and exciting ways: new and old members joined forces and brought powerful ideas, verve, and inspiration to our fundraising, legislative work, technology improvement plans, board relations, and more. Thank you all for your time, talent, and allegiance.

During Community Action Month in May, WCAC honored partners who supported our efforts and helped us to move people up and out of poverty. Our first ever Action Hero’s Award Program highlighted five extraordinary organizations for their generous support: Imperial Distributors of Auburn, Worcester Public Schools Comprehensive Skills Center, Harrington Memorial Hospital of Southbridge, Merrill Lynch of Westborough, and State Representative Jamie Eldridge, for his inspiration with the state’s Individual Development Account Program.

When our computer and telephone technology suffered unexpected meltdowns, staff and volunteers quickly responded to solve the challenge of having to replace the entire system. The $90,000 technology project was supported in part with grant funds, but sincere thanks are extended to several special funding partners who helped save the day! Fuller Foundation and Intel Corporation are our heroes, too. Thank you.

We are underway with our next strategic planning process, which will take place over the coming 12 months to develop our service priorities for years to come. We are asking ourselves and will ask many others this year through our needs assessments, surveys, and roundtables— “What are the emerging needs in our communities? Will our programs include immigration services, a family support center, GED and ESOL classes, and expanded energy programs? What important role will WCAC play? What is our niche and where are we most responsive in service delivery and programs? How can we make the most impact in our efforts to help people along their passageway to self-sufficiency, up and out of poverty?”

I hope you will join us for this next stimulating chapter of Worcester Community Action Council’s history. If you are not currently connected to the WCAC work in some way, I invite you to come visit us, find us on the Web at www.wcac.net, volunteer, and get involved. It takes a strong, dedicated, fast moving, energy-filled, coordinated team to do this precious work.

Respectfully,
Jill C. Dagilis