On June 1, 2021, 65 members of a new coalition that will work together to advance digital equity in Essex County met for the first time to jumpstart the collaborative work to get every resident online and engaged in the digital world.
Arturo Acosta always dreamed of opening his own restaurant. The Dominican-born chef, who spent much of his career in Chile, made that dream a reality in July of 2018 when he opened Japú in Lawrence. It was a risk, he says, introducing the concept of Nikkei – a fusion of Peruvian ingredients and Japanese culinary techniques – to the local food scene.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tatianna, a participant in North Shore Community Development Coalition’s YouthBuild program, said she and her brother would have to take turns attending remote classes because their WiFi wasn’t sufficient enough for both of them to be connected at the same time.
The Blue Economy is already a powerful economic engine for the country as a whole and Massachusetts in particular. But it needs continued investment — in time, attention and resources — to continue to grow.
The Essex County Community Foundation on Thursday announced a $2 million initiative to help thousands of residents who lack access to a computer or an internet connection.
In this new role, Jenn will focus on building deep relationships with area professional advisors, who play a key role in expanding support for the region’s nonprofit organizations and collaborative efforts to tackle systemic social challenges. She will also provide charitable gift planning and support to Essex County donors as they make decisions about their philanthropic giving and consider a donor advised fund with ECCF.
ECCF’s Stratton Lloyd is interviewed for Harvard Business School’s “Leadership in Challenging Times” blog series.
As chief program officer of nonprofit North Shore Community Development Coalition (CDC), Felicia Pierce meets many Essex County residents who lack some of life’s most basic necessities, including access to the internet. According to a recent report commissioned by ECCF, nearly 60,000 households in Essex County do not have access to a high-speed internet connection, a service that surpassed being a “nice-to-have” a long time ago.
As the country’s manufacturing industry experiences a talent shortage, a neighboring college is partnering with Gloucester High School to help students tune their skills as they prepare to enter the workforce. Through a partnership between North Shore Community College, Gloucester High School and MassHire-North Shore Career Center, students will be able to earn their National Institute for Metalworking Skills certificate in CNC, or computer numerical control, milling free of charge at Gloucester High this summer.
The Daily News’ April 12 editorial, “Bridging the digital divide,” shines a critical spotlight on the impact of the digital divide in communities north of Boston, and the work of organizations like the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), which is convening a broad-based effort to provide residents with the digital devices, internet connectivity, and skills training they need to participate in our increasingly digital world.
500 Cummings Center, Suite 5450
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
ECCF's Tax ID # 04-3407816