Community Resource Directory

Social service providers and community organizations available to assist members

The social service, health, and community organizations listed below are available to assist members.

Advocacy

Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP)

The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) is a trade association comprised of nonprofit Medicaid-focused health plans. ACAP’s mission is to represent and strengthen nonprofit, safety net health plans as they work with their communities to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations.

www.communityplans.net

Massachusetts Public Health Association

The Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) is a statewide membership organization of people working to protect the health and safety of all our Commonwealth’s residents. MPHA is working for a healthy Massachusetts by promoting laws, policies, and programs that protect the health of our families, communities, and workplaces.

www.mapublichealth.org

Partnership for Healthcare Excellence

The Massachusetts-based Partnership for Healthcare Excellence educates the public about variation in health care quality and provides consumers with information and tools to improve health care for themselves and their family members. The Partnership motivates consumers to advocate for overall health system changes that improve quality of care. Tufts Health Plan is a member of a broad coalition of organizations supporting the Partnership.

www.partnershipforhealthcare.org 

Children and family services

Casa Myrna Vazquez

Casa Myrna Vazquez is a Greater Boston nonprofit working to end domestic violence in the lives of women and children. They operate shelters in Boston for women and children made homeless by domestic violence and offer a comprehensive range of programs include legal advocacy, community-based advocates, financial literacy education, support groups in Spanish and English, and individual counseling. Casa Myrna also operates SafeLink, a toll-free domestic violence hotline in Massachusetts, with 24/7 access to multilingual advocates providing crisis intervention, safety planning, and referrals to local shelters and community-based programs (877-785-2020). 

www.casamyrna.org

Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston

As one of the largest providers of social services in Massachusetts, Catholic Charities responds to the needs of the poor and working poor, provides supportive services to children and families, and assists refugees and immigrants as they become active participants in their communities. 

www.ccab.org

The Guidance Center, Inc.

The Guidance Center, Inc. provides innovative, family-centered programs to help children and families cope with emotional, social, and behavioral difficulties, as well as a range of disabilities. Services can begin as early as during pregnancy and can continue through a child’s adolescence into young-adulthood.

www.guidancectr.org

Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC)

Massachusetts Advocates for Children, formerly Massachusetts Advocacy Center, is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to being an independent and effective voice for children who face significant barriers to equal educational and life opportunities. For nearly 40 years, MAC has responded to the needs of children who are vulnerable because of poverty, race, limited English skills, or disability.

www.massadvocates.org

Massachusetts PIRC (Parent Information & Resource Center)

Established in 1999 as Parents’ PLACE, our goal as the Massachusetts PIRC is to inform and enable parents to play a key role as partners with schools in ensuring children’s educational success. PIRC also supports schools and districts across the state in their efforts to form strong partnerships with families.

www.masspirc.org

Parents Helping Parents

Parents Helping Parents is a place for Massachusetts parents and caregivers to reach out for support. All services are free, confidential, and anonymous. Parents can call the Parental Stress Line, a 24-hour parent helpline, and attend weekly Parent Support Groups for ongoing parent support. 

www.parentshelpingparents.org

Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition (WIC)

The Massachusetts Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition (WIC) program provides nutrition and health education, healthy food, and other services free of charge to Massachusetts families who qualify. Participants receive checks to buy free healthy food such as milk, cheese, 100 percent fruit juices, cereals, infant formula, peanut butter, carrots, tuna, dried beans, and eggs.

www.mass.gov/wic

Cultural groups

Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS)

The MAPS mission is to improve the lives of Portuguese-speaking individuals and families in Massachusetts, and help them become contributing, active participants in American society while maintaining a strong ethnic identity and sense of community.

www.maps-inc.org

Food services

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE)

The Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) improves the quality of life and health of individuals with food allergies through transformative research, education, and advocacy.

www.foodallergy.org

Project Bread

Project Bread is a nonprofit organization devoted to feeding the hungry. Core tenets include providing reliable access to food by connecting people to federal nutrition programs, creating equitable and effective policies to end hunger, and helping children thrive by connecting families to reliable food programs.

www.projectbread.org

Health services

CareWell Urgent Care

CareWell Urgent Care has several locations in Massachusetts that provide accessible, efficient, and affordable health care for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries. 

www.carewellurgentcare.com

Lowell Community Health Center

The Lowell Community Health Center (LCHC) offers comprehensive primary care, behavioral health, and prenatal services, as well as women’s health, adolescent health, and HIV/AIDS services. LCHC is nationally recognized as a model for culturally competent care. LCHC’s staff speaks more than 23 languages and can access medical interpreters who can accommodate cultural and linguistic concerns. 

www.lchealth.org

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) is the largest freestanding reproductive health care provider in the state. PPLM protects and promotes reproductive health and freedom of choice through clinical services, education, and advocacy.

www.pplm.org

South End Community Health Center

The South End Community Health Center (SECHC) is a comprehensive health care organization for all residents of the South End and surrounding communities. full-service, nonprofit primary and managed care facility committed to providing highest quality health care and social services to all of its patients. SECHC is committed to providing high quality, coordinated health care that is culturally and linguistically senseitive to every patient, regardless of their ability to pay.

www.sechc.org

Homelessness services

Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless

The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless is dedicated its work to finding concreate solutions to housing, income, health and education inequalities in all parts of the Commonwealth.  Since its inception 38 years ago, it has worked towards this goal using systemic change fueled by public policy and creating programs and initiatives that address these inequalities. 

www.mahomeless.org

Multi-service organizations

Community Teamwork, Inc.

Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) is a regional non-profit housing agency and community development corporation serving the Greater Lowell area. CTI mobilizes resources for low-income people, providing opportunities for them to achieve stability, self-sufficiency and have an active voice in the decisions that affect their lives. CTI offers housing & homeless services, early care and education programs, fuel assistance programs, WIC, workforce development, senior volunteer programs, and many other services.

www.comteam.org

Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP)

MASSCAP is the statewide association of 23 Community Action Agencies in Massachusetts. Services offered include fuel assistance, food pantries, Head Start, housing, first-time home buyer training, elder services, financial education, workforce training, and more. MASSCAP strives to foster economic independence and self-sufficiency among low-income people.

www.masscap.org

Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance

The mission of the Department of Transitional Assistance is to assist low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, improve their quality of life, and achieve long term economic self-sufficiency. DTA provides direct economic assistance  and food assistance (SNAP benefits), as well as workforce training opportunities.

www.mass.gov/dta

Mass 2-1-1

Mass 2-1-1 is a resource for Massachusetts residents in need of housing, food, and other basic services. The Mass 2-1-1 website provides information about a wide range of assistance programs, including what benefits are available, how to apply, eligibility requirements, benefit amounts, and answers to commonly asked questions.

www.mass211.org

Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc.

Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc. (QCAP) delivers programs for individuals in the greater Quincy area that improve the quality of life for low-income residents while giving them opportunities to reach self-sufficiency. QCAP services include Community Care for Kids, education and workforce development, emergency food center, energy programs, financial literacy and asset formation, head start, and housing.

www.qcap.org

United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

United Way is working to advance the common good by focusing on early childhood development, youth opportunities, housing, and employment. The mission is to work with and for communities to build economic prosperity and enable everyone, across races and ethnicities, to share in the knowledge, wealth and resources available and positive options for the future. 

www.supportunitedway.org

Utilities assistance

Citizens Energy Corporation

Citizens Energy Corporation was founded by former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II in 1979 to make life's basic needs more accessible and affordable. At the same time, Citizens Energy seeks to use market opportunities to help the poor and needy.

www.citizensenergy.com