Join Commnity Teamwork as we Dive into the Emotions of the Ocean!
Come read & explore the book “The Pout Pout Fish” with your child! Together families will grin like a clam, squirm like a jellyfish, count like an octopus a nd shimmer like a bright brilliant fish!
Date: April 10th
Time: 5pm-7pm
Location: 126 Phoenix Ave., Lowell, MA 01852
This event is open to the public.
Light food and refreshments will be served.
March is National Nutrition Month. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics wants you to “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right” this month by exploring some new foods and flavors that will wake up your taste buds – you have 10,000 of them!
Start with a small goal. When you write your weekly grocery list, make a point to try one new fruit, vegetable, whole grain or protein that week. Or one that you have not tried in years. This could be as simple as trying a new type of apple, eating broccoli raw instead of cooked, or brown rice instead of white rice. As you feel more comfortable trying new foods you can add new spices or flavorings.
You won’t love everything you try and that’s okay. Some foods you may like a little and want to experiment with more or you might find a new food that becomes a regular on your grocery list.
To help you with this new adventure, try these websites for ideas on preparing whole grains and healthy ways to cook fruits and vegetables.
Related Events:
Join WIC on March 8th at the Stoklosa Middle School 11:15-12:30 to learn about shopping on a budget. This event is part of Lowell Womens Week. Please register for this event by contacting Gladys at 978-654-5673 or email gsantiago@commteam.org. Check out the Womens week website for all the other great events happening locally! And regularly check the WIC page this month for more activities.
Invest in Community Teamwork at No Cost to You!…Are you a Globe digital or print subscriber or know others who are? You and they may be able to help us! But we need you to respond on or before March 1.
The Boston Globe launched the Globe Readers and Non-profits Together (GRANT) program early this month by mailing vouchers to all its current print and digital subscribers. This voucher allows a subscriber to designate a certified 501(c) (3) non-profit such as Community Teamwork to receive free advertising throughout the year – a big plus in helping us spread the word about our important work in the community.
If you are a subscriber and want to show your support, all you need to do is:
On the voucher, where it asks for “Name of Certified 501(c) (3),” write in our full name: “Community Teamwork, Inc.”
Where it asks for “501(c) (3) location” write in: “Lowell, MA”.
Send it back to the Boston Globe by March 1, 2014 in the envelope provided.
If you’re a subscriber, but did not receive a voucher, contact the Globe at 617.929.3198 to designate a non-profit or email grant@globe.com.
This is an incredible opportunity for non-profits to publicize the valuable work we are doing in the community, so please consider the Community Teamwork as your non-profit of choice! For more information, visit www.BostonGlobe.com/GRANT.
Thank you for your support! Please share with anyone you think would like to support us, too!
WIC’s 40th anniversary theme is Strengthening Families for 40 Years. In partnerhsip with the National WIC Association, Community Teamwork’s WIC staff are promoting and highlighting WIC’s four pillars of health and nutrtion:
WIC empowers mothers and expectant mothers to be confident caregivers to their children by providing nutrition and health education and free and healthy food . Here are just some of the ways WIC has given back to to families, communities and the country in the past year:
WIC Fast Facts
Benefits to Your Children
For more information, visit our WIC program at how-we-help/family-children/wic/. Also, please visit:
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/basic-needs/food/wic/
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/basic-needs/food/wic/participants/wic-campaigns.html
The staff of Community Teamwork’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition program have a special message of love for you.
February, the month of love, chocolate, roses, teddy bears, and fancy dinners is upon us. Yes, this is a great distraction from our very busy, hectic lives which we all need sometimes. However, what we need now more than ever is a healthy heart. Eating up all of those caramel and peanut butter filled chococlate hearts will not get you there. February is National Heart Health Month! So you wonder, how can we keep our heart in great shape so that our lives are longer and more fulfilling. There are many ways. So look in to your heart and think about what you eat, how often you exercise, and what you are putting in to your body. Your choices may be doing more damage than you realize.
Be more mindful of the food choices you make. Food can be medicine. Get back to the basics and eat real food- the foods we were meant to eat and digest. Eat less prepackaged and processed foods like frozen meals, hot dogs, deli meats and fast foods, and sugary drinks and snacks. Eat more fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and WHOLE grains.
Exercise regularly. Exercise can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, reduce cancer and diabetes risk, build healthy bones, muscles and joints. All of which can lower your risk for heart disease.
Don’t smoke. Smoking greatly increases your risk, as well as those who ingest your smoke, for heart disease. When you smoke you are inhaling toxic metals, cancer causing chemicals and poisonous gases.
Keep your heart in the best shape you can so that you can give your loved ones many more special Valentines days to come.
Community Teamwork’s Center for Financial Self-Sufficiency, in collaboration with Lowell Public Schools, presents our 8th Annual Women’s Conference
F i n a n c i a l l y H e r s – A Program of the Financial Education Center (Financial Education/Asset Development/Secure Jobs)
FinanciallyHers, offered during Lowell Women’s Week, is a seminar focusing on women and their personal financial journey. Workshops are designed to deliver up-to-date content that supports women and directly relates to issues faced in today’s economy. Our focus is to help women become financially independent by offering the right information, tools and resources.
Participants will choose a workshop, enjoy light snacks, spend time networking and receive a gift card.
Community Teamwork Receives $52,631 in New Funding for Senior Volunteers
Community Teamwork announced today that it was awarded a $52,631 grant to support senior volunteer activities from the Corporation of National and Community Service (CNCS).
These funds were part of a competitive grant process for Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP), one of three Senior Corps programs administered by CNCS. Established in 1971, RSVP engages older Americans in volunteer opportunities across the country. These volunteers have been a critical resource for nationwide response efforts—in everything from hunger prevention to natural disasters including Hurricane Sandy.
Karen Frederick, Community Teamwork Executive Director Karen Frederick said, “Community Teamwork has managed a Senior Volunteer Program for over 35 years. This funding will allow us to continue to provide much needed services across Greater Lowell. Our volunteers have helped children develop necessary skills to advance, supported local non-profits, led Bone Builder exercise classes and served as companions to a homebound elder. Their service is incomparable and has enhanced our community. ”
“By working with students, providing job training, and helping veterans transition into civilian life, volunteers age 55 and over are helping to transform the lives of the people they serve, ” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Our communities need the talents and skills of all Americans as we continue moving this nation forward. The dedication of RSVP volunteers shows that service benefits not only organizations, but those who serve as well.”
This grant is one of 175 RSVP awards provided to volunteer organizations across the country to support senior volunteer activities in areas including education and veterans and military families.
Senior Corps is a program of the Corporation of National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages more than four million American of all ages and backgrounds in service each year through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Social Innovation Fund programs and leads President Obama’s call to service, United We Serve. For more information, visit nationalservice.gov.
Community Teamwork paid tribute to five elected officials for their success in advocating for essential programs and supports for families and children. It also launched its Free Tax Preparation Program that includes helping qualified families obtain the Earned Income Tax Credit.
U.S. Representative John Tierney, State Senator Eileen Donoghue, and State Representatives Dave Nangle, Kevin Murphy and Thomas Golden received awards for “Helping All Families Achieve Self Sufficiency.” Echoing the sentiments of all those being honored, Congressman Tierney noted that this “team always works together and it never stops. We’re all working toward the same goals for our residents.” Photo left to right: (l-r) State Rep. Thomas Golden, State Senator Eileen Donoghue, State Rep. Kevin Murphy, U.S. Rep. John Tierney, CTI Executive Director Karen Frederick, State Rep. David Nangle, Head Start parent Jessica Lima and Community Teamwork Early Learning Director Christopher Hunt. Below: Head Start parent Jessica Lima.
Frederick thanked the entire delegation including Niki Tsongas, who was unable to attend, for their tireless commitment to families and people in need. “Commun
ity Teamwork couldn’t have a better team to advocate for all of us.” Early Learning Director Chris Hunt noted that this extraordinary team has helped us achieve a 2.3% rate increase for the Head Start program, so needed to help us deliver quality services to as many families as possible.”
Parent Jessica Lima testified to the value of their work and that of Community Teamwork: “I’m a full-time mother and a full-time worker. It would be impossible for me to afford regular child care without the Head Start program. For a few years, my father was always there to provide that care. But he passed. I’m so grateful to everyone, to Community Teamwork and Head Start.” State Senator Donoghue noted that Jessica’s story brings to life the need: “instead of a budget line item, today when we listen to Jessica’s story we realize that it’s real people who are affected by these important programs.”
Tierney and the delegation praised Community Teamwork’s central role in providing Free Tax Preparation through the federally-funded Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, including its Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). IRS Tax Advocate Joel Zarella said that the EITC program “helps many families stretch their annual income for essentials including food, heat, bills and so much more. The program also saves families a great deal of money on tax preparation services.”
Frederick thanked CTI’s partners Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, Mills42 Federal Credit Union and UMass Lowell for providing qualified volunteers and expanded hours and locations for people to get their taxes completed. Frederick also noted that Community Teamwork has expanded the tax program to include homeless families and individuals living in local shelters as well as hotels and motels. “Homelessness is at an all time high, with well over 2,000 people living in shelters, hotels and motels at this time. Our outreach to these families will help when it counts most. For all qualified families, the VITA and the Earned Income Tax Credit programs put much needed money back into the hands of hard-working community members who are struggling to make ends meet.”
To learn more about the VITA Free Tax Preparation Program and EITC contact Gail Fortes at 978 654-5640 or gfortes@commteam.org.
Are you homeless and need financial assistance to be rehoused? Do you need some help finding an apartment? This workshop will provide a brief overview of services offered by Community Teamwork, discuss eligibility for financial assistance, review housing search, tenancy preservation, eviction prevention, Fair Housing, Tenant Right’s and termination of tenancies.
**Pre-registration is NOT required**
ONE HOURWORKSHOPS: Monday through Friday 12pm-1pm and Wednesday’s 5pm-6pm
WORKSHOPS LOCATED AT: Community Teamwork, 17 Kirk Street, Lowell MA
The purpose of this workshop is to provide housing education on tenancy, from housing search, maintaining tenancies, Fair Housing, reporting code violations, eviction prevention and exiting a tenancy appropriately. Pre-registration is not required for this workshop. If you have questions about this workshop, call 978-459-0551.
Community Teamwork’s VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program is accepting appointments immediately for the 2013 tax filing season. This free service is available to anyone who qualifies for the Earned Income Tax Credit or who earns less than $51,000 and files a basic return.
Click here for more information about this free tax return preparation service including a schedule of dates, times and locations and contact information: http://VITA Flyer 2013 Tax Season.
