North End/West End Agencies Join Together to Aid Seniors;
Program Kick-off for “Community Table” on April 8
Community Table, a free program for eligible senior citizens of the North End, West End and Beacon Hill, will kick off on Thursday, April 8 at a gala luncheon celebration at Community Work Services at 174 Portland Street in Boston.
The ABCD North End/West End Neighborhood Service Center (NE/WE NSC) and Community Work Services (CWS) are partnering in the new program to provide senior citizens in their neighborhoods with a hot lunch along with activities such as exercises, guest speakers, music, dancing and holiday celebrations.
Community Work Services sponsors a culinary arts program and their students will cook and serve hot meals for 20 to 30 seniors twice a week.
The NE/WE NSC is part of Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) and is an antipoverty agency that provides educational and social services to nearly 2,400 North End, West End, and Beacon Hill residents a year.
Community Work Services is a local agency that helps more that 700 Boston-area residents who face barriers to work to obtain employment and to achieve greater self-sufficiency through innovative job training, placement, and support services. Founded by a group of charitable women in 1877 as the Cooperative Society of Visitors Among the Poor of Boston, Community Work Services is the oldest vocational rehabilitation facility in the United States.
The original purpose of CWS (which was known as Community Workshops, Inc. at the time) was to provide vocational training to struggling members of Boston’s West End neighborhood. Over the years, the agency and the area expanded the scope of programs and widened the range of the populations and the area served. Through it all, helping challenged members of the greater Boston community reach their potential through commitment to outstanding vocational programs and services has always been at the forefront of its mission.
The Community Table lunch is an innovative opportunity to serve neighbors in need and to prepare CWS’ participants to enter a growing culinary arts field. The Program will be provided on Tuesdays and Thursdays for North End, West End and Beacon Hill residents from 10:00AM-2:00PM at Community Work Services on 174 Portland Street (between Causeway Street and Valenti Way).
Interested eligible participants should call 617-263-4650 or 617-523-8125 to make a reservation for the weekly lunches. Lunch is offered on a first-come first-serve basis to the first 40 participants and staff will waitlist people if necessary. It is advisable to sign up early.
