The Miles-Lincoln Award Gala & Auction is critical to meet the ever increasing need for services: The need for permanent homes for children in the care of DCF; the need for access to mental health counseling for children; the need for more openings in high-quality child care to meet the demand of desperate families receiving subsidy vouchers; and the need for grief support for families, especially as the opioid crisis grows.

VSA Massachusetts (VSA MA) is grateful to the City of Boston for the grant award of $2,500 through the Charlestown Community Impact Fund. Grant funds will be used toward providing band instruction to students with autism participating in VSA MA’s COOL (Creative Outlook On Learning) Schools program at Charlestown High School.

Seven Hills Rhode Island (SHRI) would like to thank Navigant Credit Union for their generous grant award of $2,500. SHRI will use these funds to teach healthy growing and gardening workshops for participants attending the Day Habilitation program at the Woonsocket, RI location.

During this past summer and fall, multiple youth from Stetson School had the opportunity to participate in the Massachusetts chapter of the Chill Foundation program. The program works with juvenile justice programs and schools, as well as social service, foster care, and mental health agencies to provide experiential learning through snowboard, skateboard, surfboard, and stand-up paddleboard sports.

The National Grid Foundation has awarded Seven Hills ASPiRE! $25,000 towards the Workforce Readiness and Employment program. These much-appreciated funds will be used to support a new community-based workforce readiness and job-training site, Seven Hills Café, located in the former Stearns Tavern that was relocated to Coes Reservoir and park. Stearns Tavern will be the fourth café that is operated by Seven Hills and participants of our Workforce Readiness and Employment program.