10 – Reducing Inequality – Worcester Community Project Center

May 18, 2023August 28, 2023 by mklarrabee

Habitat for Humanity: Developing a New and Sustainable Weight Estimation Method for Habitat for Humanity (MetroWest/Greater Worcester) and Beyond

Project Overview (Abstract) Habitat for Humanity Metro-West/Greater Worcester needed a new method to estimate landfill diversion from their ReStore sales. Finding diversion numbers is important as this aids the organization in applying for grants to support the nonprofit financially. We developed a methodology for finding the average weight of inventory being purchased by customers. We…

April 27, 2023May 2, 2023 by lmmorris

El Buen Samaritano: Implementing Data Collection Software at El Buen Samaritano

Project Description For over 30 years, the El Buen Samaritano Food Program (EBS) has served the Worcester community by providing food and clothing to those in need. Since its founding, the organization has used a pen and paper system to track the resources they provide and collect demographic information on their clients which is needed…

March 21, 2023May 6, 2023 by jwewen

MassEdCO: Creating an Interactive Resource for Teaching Financial Literacy

Project Description Too many students graduate college with thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of student debt. MassEdCO and our team found that there is a lack of education around financial literacy which leads to students making poor choices out of high school putting them in so much debt. Therefore, we developed a new resource…

November 1, 2022December 17, 2022 by ceouellette

Legendary Legacies: Tracking the Reentry Phase for Post-Incarcerated Individuals

Project Description Reentry in the U.S. is a complicated and multifaceted issue with many challenges facing justice-involved individuals. In collaboration with Legendary Legacies, our team developed a new approach to evaluating data in the reentry space. While historically, data collected regarding program participants have been primarily quantitative, the secret to fostering positive change may lay…

March 17, 2022May 11, 2022 by Laura Roberts

Transitioning El Buen Samaritano to a Digital Data Collection Platform

Project Description Through our project, we aimed to facilitate and simplify the food distribution and data management process for the local food pantry, El Buen Samaritano. By implementing a technological solution, we hoped to improve the inventory system that the organization is currently using. Shifting from the current pen-and-paper system to a digital system, the…

January 19, 2022May 11, 2022 by Laura Roberts

Welcome NST: Integrating Technology

Project Description WelcomeNST is a refugee resettlement organization using a private co-sponsorship model. Our project used technology to improve communication and information storage at WelcomeNST. We conducted interviews with Slack experts and NST members and observed WelcomeNST’s Slack workspace. We found communication disconnects, decentralized knowledge and resources, and technology limitations. We investigated potential Slack add…

January 19, 2022March 4, 2022 by hmboucher

DoughBoyz: Cooking up a Sustainable Plan for Community Events

Project Description The project team researched and assessed the current operations of DoughBoyz. From this, they identified bottlenecks and areas of improvement where DoughBoyz can optimize their profits for use towards charitable events. The team developed several deliverables that will help DoughBoyz hold consistent Community Breakfast events. These deliverables consisted of a cost analysis spreadsheet,…

June 22, 2021December 15, 2021 by Laura Roberts

Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester: Community Health Dashboard

For our Interactive Qualifying Project, our team worked with the Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester to develop an online dashboard that displays public health data in a user-friendly and engaging way. Project Sponsor: Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester The Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester is a local nonprofit focused on developing and…

January 29, 2021August 5, 2021 by Laura Roberts

Habitat for Humanity: Virtual Fundraising and Engagement Opportunities

Project Overview For our Interactive Qualifying Project, we worked with the Metro West/Greater Worcester branch of the global nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity to develop virtual fundraisers and engaging virtual events to help this branch of Habitat for Humanity be successful during the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, many nonprofit organizations experienced financial trouble and…

March 27, 2020May 11, 2022 by Laura Roberts

Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC): Identifying a Work Plan for Creating a Database and Online Platform for Youth Job Opportunities in Worcester

Project Sponsor: Worcester Community Action Council The WCAC serves more than 75,000 people in Worcester and 45 surrounding communities. They offer a variety of safety-net and economic self-sufficiency programs such as fuel assistance and energy services, Early Head Start and Head Start, pregnant and parenting teen services, work readiness, financial capability, emergency food assistance, and…