Compassion Massachusetts

News and Updates

Capacity Building Grants!

On February 19th, The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute "Compassion Massachusetts" Initiative, in partnership with the Cape Cod Justice for Youth Collaborative, announced nine 2010 Capacity Building Sub-awards, totaling $104,000. These sub-awards, which originated through the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Children and Families, "Compassion Capital Fund," may not be used to provide programs, but rather, to build each organization's capacity to become self-sustaining. The following Barnstable County organizations have received 2010 Sub-Awards:

• The "All Come Together" (ACT) Group at Barnstable High School, to build capacity to promote a peaceful environment at Barnstable High School, through activities, events, and the 2010 Challenge Day.
  
  
• Alzheimer's Services of Cape Cod and the Islands, to build capacity in the areas of Fund Development, Board Training, and Organizational Development to serve Cape Cod's residents who have Alzheimer's or a related dementia, and the caregivers of those with dementia.
  
  
• The Community Coalition of Cape Cod, to build capacity to mobilize the community to take an asset-based, community-wide approach to address gaps and shortfalls in human service initiatives and services on Cape Cod, through collaboration, education, events, organizational and facilitation assistance, and program development.
  
  
• Helping Our Women (Outer Cape Cod) to build capacity to provide a resource and referral center providing services to women who have been diagnosed with chronic, life-threatening, and/or disabling conditions, including an open-door policy for resources and referrals for residents of the communities they serve, regardless of gender.
  
  
• Mashpee Wampanoag Health Center, to build their capacity to provide quality, comprehensive health care to Native American tribal members and their families in a culturally sensitive manner promoting good health, safe lifestyles, well-being and harmony, with particular attention to areas like suicide, substance abuse, diabetes, heart disease, depression and cancer.
  
  
• Power In Aging Collaborative: To build capacity to promote and expand an integrated Cape Cod regional community network of health and human services, educational programs, dedicated to improving the quality of life of Cape Codders as we age.
  
  
• The Substance Abuse Community Collaborative of Cape and Islands, to build capacity to address the needs of the Cape Cod and Islands Community with respect to the development of a broad-based community coalition to reduce substance abuse.
  
  
• The Sustainable Development Pilot Program at Redberry Lane Farm (Eastham), to build capacity to serve at-risk youth on the Outer Cape in cooperation with other organizations, schools and programs, through an interactive sustainable agriculture program to engage youth by encouraging a relevant bond between the land, the community and their participants.
  
  
• Zion Union Church, (Hyannis), to build capacity to provide social services to a wide range of constituents, including a mechanism for youth to learn how to handle the negative influences they face daily.
  

These nine organizations join the eighteen 2009 and 2008 Compassion Massachusetts-Barnstable Associates to continue the regional "community of support," which provides workshops and trainings over the next six months, as well as receive individualized technical assistance. For information on this program, please visit the website or contact Project Manager, Steve Brown, sbrown@donahue.umassp.edu; 508-560-1189.