Programs: Literacy and Academic Success
- Children’s Library, at Liberty Hill Townhouses is open during business hours, providing a comfortable, safe space for children to read and receive reading mentorship.
- Computer Room and Internet Access for residents is available during business hours at Liberty Hill Townhouses and 437 Bay St. Help is provided by appointment.
- Enriched Out-of-School Time Programs
- UMass Extension 4H STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Math) Club – Integrates arts into the traditional STEM effort. Includes hands on creative after school activities such as building rockets and creating things to provide a more holistic, supportive approach to learning and growing.
- UMass Extension 4H Cooking Club – Teaching youth how to cook for themselves to enhance health, sustainability, and creativity.
- Full Circle Early Literacy – Creative, arts-integrated family reading events building families’ literacy skills and knowledge to support children’s academic and social emotional success.
- Enchanted Circle Theater's Reading Alive & Books Alive Programs – Opportunities that integrate reading aloud with theatre in an engaging, whole body, active approach to learning.
- Youth Leadership Development
- Teens as Literacy Mentors – Home City's Youth Leaders are trained in “best practice” literacy strategies and positive youth development. Beginning to utilize these skills, they engage with resident children to help with their reading skills.
- Readers Corps Community Outreach – Youth leaders teach reading skills to young children at the Boy and Girls Club.
- Liberty Hill Mural Project – A community-wide, community engaged mural project was planned with a teaching artist form Enchanted Circle and residents over 18 months and was completed in the winter and spring of 2019.
food access and health
- Mobile Market (Food Bank of Western Mass) – Open to all area residents, this mobile market with fresh produce, milk, and some meat, stops at our Liberty Townhouses location twice per month, year-round. A team of resident volunteers and staff coordinate the organization and distribution of the food.
- Tapley Community Garden
- Provides 2500 pounds of fresh organic produce to HCDI residents, includes regular distribution of fresh produce throughout the summer and fall to all properties.
- Northeast Organic Farmers Association of Massachusetts provides training for Home City Youth Leaders on urban gardening, food security, and environmental justice at Tapley Garden through the summer months. This program is partially funded by the North East Grassroots Fund.
- Home City Pantry
- Funded by United Way, 30 bags of non-perishable food per month are distributed to residents, as-needed. Residents can reach out at any time if they are in need. Included with this service is home delivery, a friendly visit, and of relationship building between staff and residents.
- During school vacation weeks, hot lunches are provided for youth who attend resident programs.
- Sodexo Summer Free Lunch – Open to all Springfield youth through age 18, HCDI provides two locations – one at Liberty Hill Townhouses and one at the HCDI Resident Resource Center, 437 Bay Street, free lunches are passed out, Monday-Friday, throughout the summer months.
Job Readiness & Career Development
- Youth Employment Program – HCDI hires over a dozen HCDI residents each summer, providing them with mentoring, job training, and hands on experiences in various literacy initiatives. This program receives funds from MassHousing and the Davis Foundation.
- Job Readiness Programs – During the Spring school vacation week, job readiness training programs are offered to all youth residents, leveraging their off-school time and getting them ready for employment opportunities.
- Computer and Internet Access for residents is available during business hours, and help is provided by appointment.
- Collaboration with Springfield Works! – Springfield Works! provides regular workshops to teach residents how to use their online job platform making it easier for residents to apply for jobs and access training opportunities to enhance their skills.