“Donuts With Delegates” and Great Dialogue
St. Patrick’s Day at NewVue Communities kicked off with a gathering of board members, staff, stewards, and delegates to discuss current economic development issues and budget priorities. Donuts With Delegates was an annual event before COVID, and this was the first time since the pandemic that NewVue hosted this event. Donuts With Delegates is an opportunity for staff to share current work, legislative priorities, and requests for support for community development-related budget issues. The gathering was held in person at NewVue Communities, 470 Main Street in Fitchburg.
Senator John Cronin, Representative Natalie Higgins (Leominster) and Rebecca Hess, Aid to Representative Michael Kushmerek (Fitchburg), heard firsthand the impact of the Community Investment Tax Credit Program and the Agency’s ability to leverage operational funds typically not supported through grants and other funding sources.
Additionally, the delegation heard more about the need for affordable housing and small business programs, home ownership and supporting healthier homes. Equally important addressing climate change as well as advocating for increased opportunities for childcare were also raised as topics for discussion by members of the community that are graduates of NewVue’s Stewards Training. Senator Cronin and Representative Higgins and Ms. Hess listened wholeheartedly and voiced their support for NewVue’s key legislative priorities.
Senator Cronin and Representative Higgins and Ms. Hess provided the group with an overview of their assigned committees on the state legislature and the work that each of those committees would focus on moving forward.
Marc Dohan, Executive Director at NewVue said, “the opportunity to sit and talk about what we see as priorities and to know they match strongly with the interests of our state legislative delegation is exciting. Senator Cronin, Representative Higgins and Representative Kushmerek have always been supporters and advocates for our mission. Their participation in our Donuts With Delegates event certainly reminded us of that strong support.”
As a member of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), NewVue Communities joins community development corporations across the Commonwealth to help drive the policy agenda for the 2023/24 legislative session. View all of the MACDC priorities related to advancing racial and economic equity by creating healthy communities:
MACDC 2023-2024 ADVOCACY AGENDA
