Chelsea Community Connections Director Cara Cogliano has it exactly right about her organization.
“Our office may be small, but our impact is grand,” the CCC website reads.
Indeed, from its offices on Hawthorne Street, CCC has been helping more than 500 families each year in the five communities it serves: Chelsea, East Boston, Revere, Winthrop, and Charlestown. The agency, founded by the late Sheila McMahon, has been in existence since 1997. Cogliano assumed command of CCC in July, 2012.
“She [Ms. McMahon] wanted families to have access to basic needs and created this clothing closet for families to have access to clothing,” said Cogliano. “Ever since 1997, we’ve been taking in clothing donations and making sure that families have access to children’s clothing.”
Cogliano, who is assisted by one part-time staff member, said CCC’s overall mission is “to connect people to resources and information in the community to the larger organizations that have long-term support systems.”
“We partner a lot with CAPIC, MGH Healthy Chelsea, Roca, La Colaborativa, GreenRoots, Chelsea Black Community, Chelsea Revere Family Network, the John Silber Early Learning Center, the Chelsea Public School, Chelsea HUB, and the Neighborhood Developers.”
The Impact of COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck Chelsea hard in 2020, Cogliano and CCC stepped up significantly to address the many needs of residents.
“COVID shifted us tremendously,” said Cogliano. “We went from 30-40 families a month looking for support to more than 250-300 families a month. The City of Chelsea recognized that we were supporting families with babies and asked us to start a diaper [distribution] project. The City has been funding a diaper program, but that program is going to end in March. Our funding from the state is $135,000 per year, and that’s what we operate on here. We rely heavily on volunteers like Noemi Lobato Rosa, Stacy Amaral, Grace Muwina, and Irma Mazzone.”
Helping families in many ways
Chelsea Community Connection also offers the Chelsea Family Fun Bus, which provides field trips for families “to experience educational and cultural experiences at museums, parks, and farms, places they may not be able to get to otherwise,” noted Cogliano.
CCC also assists families with school uniforms, school supplies, and winter jackets.
City manager Maltez visits CCC
City Manager Fidel Maltez visited CCC prior to his inauguration. “He learned a lot about what we are doing, and I know he is very supportive of our work and believes in what we are doing,” said Cogliano. “His family has donated to us in the past as well.”
Cogliano also praised other agencies in Chelsea for their support of CCC.
“What we do for work can’t be done without the resources and support of the other agencies,” said Cogliano. “GreenRoots and CAPIC, in particular, have been extremely supportive of us. When they’ve had generous donors, they’ve shared donations or resources with us.”
Cogliano also lauded her hometown of Belmont for its generous donations to CCC.
Bongiovanni says CCC is “an amazing resource’
Cogliano has a big supporter of her agency in GreenRoots Executive Director Roseann Bongiovanni.
“Chelsea Community Connections is an amazing resource in our community,” credits Bongiovanni. “It’s like the little engine that could with a small staff and a ton of volunteers. They are making magic happen in the lives of so many folks who need it most. Their work during the pandemic and post pandemic has been critically important, especially for mothers and children.”
About the director
Cara Cogliano grew up in Newton and is a graduate of Newton South High School. She studied at Boston University and took her first position after college at the Williams pre-school program on Arlington Street. She has also worked in adoption and early intervention programs. She received her master’s degree in Non-Profit Management from Brandeis University.
“It’s pretty much been 30 years of social service work, including some time overseas in Italy with the U.S Navy as a contractor,” said Cogliano. “I ran a Community Connections in Lowell. There are 20 Community Connections programs in the state, and they all look different, because they all get to decide how they want to operate and support families in their communities.”
Cara Cogliano chose Chelsea in which to make an important impact, and there are hundreds of local families that will attest to her selflessness and nobility.
Now with a funding crunch looming, it is up to Chelsea and state officials to ensure that her efforts can continue beyond the decades of service she has already given to this city and neighboring communities.