South Middlesex Opportunity Council - Organizing Resources For Social Change and Economic Independence

SMOC Highlights

SMOC holds Open House to celebrate the completion of the renovation of 122 Prospect Street in Hardwick

On 5/28/13 at 122 Prospect Street, Hardwick, MA, South Middlesex Opportunity Council celebrated the opening of 11 units of critically needed supportive housing for low-income individuals in the Greater Worcester region. This brings the number of affordable SMOC housing units to 408 within the region. We are grateful to our financing partners, the USDA, Mass Housing and Commonwealth Solar for making it possible for us to invest $670,000 into this project and enabling us to provide this warm, homelike environment for our residents.

Young Dietitian of the Year

SMOC's own Dennis Anderson-Villaluz, RD. LDN was recognized by the Massachusetts Dietetic Association (MDA) as the 2013 Young Dietitian of the Year. The ceremony took place on March 29th at the MDA Annual Nutrition Convention and Exposition. Dennis is a member of the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Nutrition Team at South Middlesex Opportunity Council.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Business Empowerment Center becomes a part of SMOC

The Martin Luther King Jr. Business Empowerment Center founded in 1995 by Robert Thomas and a group of Worcester residents to provide a variety of services to minority owned and small businesses in the City of Worcester joined SMOC in April 2012 Read more+

SMOC breaks ground on its new Triage/Assessment Center in Worcester

The ceremony, attended by local and state officials, was held on Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at the 25 Queen St. Worcester site. The $3.2M project, financed by Country Bank, the Commonwealth's Department of Housing and Community Development and local foundations will replace the old 701 Main St. site (formerly known as the PIP Shelter). It is scheduled to open in Spring 2013. Read more+

SMOC celebrates the publishing of Building a Culture of Care: The Ongoing Saga of the South Middlesex Opportunity Council by Hugo "Holly" Hollerorth, EdD.

Pictured are the author with longtime SMOC staff members Susan Gentili and Darlene Assencoa-Mazurek.

SMOC celebrates completion of the Spencer House Redevelopment project

The agency marked the completion of the project with an open house on Wednesday afternoon, March 28, 2012. The $3M project financed by People's United Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank, Pioneer Valley Planning and the Commonwealth's Department of Housing and Community Development provides 24 units of affordable housing to low and moderate income single adults.(pictured on the stairs L-R are Roger Herzog (CEDAC), Bruce Hulme, Jim Cuddy, Charlene Smolkowicz (Peoples United Bank) and Aaron Gornstein (DHCD).

SMOC announces Hoops and Homework partnership with the Town of Framingham

Hoops and Homework, an afterschool program for children in grades K-5 living in Precinct 17 is scheduled to start in May, 2013 Read more+

SMOC acquires new home!

The agency acquired 7 Bishop Street from Avery Dennison Corporation. The parcel is 7 acres and includes a 50,000 sq. ft. office building, a vacant decommissioned power plant and a 7,000 sq. ft. garage building. Financing was provided by Middlesex Savings Bank. The agency plans to move its corporate headquarters and most of its Framingham based service programs from their current 300 Howard Street location in 2013.