Special to the Record
On Wednesday, March 4, Roca Chelsea hosted a special event at its Chelsea site recognizing its Transitional Employment Program (TEP) partners and honoring eight graduates of a Green Jobs Training Program, developed in partnership with WIN Waste Innovations. The graduates hailed from across Boston, Chelsea, Lynn, and Everett. The celebration drew municipal leaders, employer partners, and community members to recognize the transformative power of workforce development paired with trauma-informed support.
The 80-hour Green Jobs Training Pilot introduced eight young people to careers in natural resource management, urban forestry, and environmental conservation. Combining classroom instruction with hands-on work at WIN Waste Innovations’ facility and the Bear Creek Sanctuary in Saugus, participants developed skills in wetlands restoration, invasive species management, and salt marsh ecology—competencies that transfer directly to landscaping, parks management, and the contracting trades. WIN Waste Innovations is already considering additional opportunities for standout graduates, creating a direct pipeline from training to employment in a growing field.
Participants of the Green Jobs Program learned practical skills with WIN, while continuing to build on the behavioral health foundation Roca incorporates into all programming. “I learned you’ve got to help the marsh to be resilient, the same way Roca is helping me be resilient…we all go through stuff, but we all can find a way to come back,” said D’Jimmy, Roca participant and graduate of the WIN Waste Pilot. “The work is really layered, it’s really complex. You do one thing to save this sparrow, which saves the water, and saves the marsh, and it keeps going and going,” said Mary Urban, WIN Waste Senior Director of Communications & Community. Reflecting on building a partnership with Roca, she continued, “we knew that we needed to do what WIN Waste does, which is supply jobs and give people who are often overlooked another opportunity to do good things and change their lives. And that’s what these young people did, and we’re proud to be here today and incredibly inspired by you all.”
The event also recognized Roca’s broader network of TEP partners—employers who invest in potential. Through TEP partnerships and Bridge-to-Success placements, young people gain paid work experience while receiving trauma-informed support and practicing Rewire CBT skills developed at Roca. These placements are not just jobs, but pathways to sustained behavior change and economic stability foundational to breaking cycles of poverty and violence.
“Our parks are clean because of Roca, our sidewalks are clean because of Roca,” said Fidel Maltez, Chelsea City Manager. “This is a pathway to growth, a pathway to the American dream. It is hard to show up in the morning; it is hard to go home to your situations—and that is the courage I want to celebrate. You are making that choice each and every single day, and here in Chelsea we are rooting for you. This program is creating a future not just for Chelsea, but for our entire Commonwealth.”
Roca partners and elected officials spoke directly to Roca’s young people, sharing encouragement and gratitude for their hard work in pursuit of transformation. “As long as you have a breath to take, you deserve an additional chance,” said Revere Mayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr. “We can impact people’s lives with the smallest gestures. [We must] understand what our ‘why’ is and that our purpose is people.”
Roca leadership and members of the Board of Directors also reflected on the impact of these partnerships. “This is a testament to what becomes possible for the community when Roca, employers, and municipal leaders work together,” said Joseph A. Furnari II, Vice President of Operations at Roca. “Roca is that quiet lion that is changing lives, that is allowing young people to see something about themselves that they didn’t know was there and finding it,” said Lauren Gilbert, CEO of BellXcel and Roca Board President. When businesses and cities step up and invest in young people who have faced significant barriers, the results speak for themselves.
Finally, two Roca participants, Kendra and Silmy, shared powerful testimony about how TEP shaped their paths. “I started with Roca almost three years ago, and since then I’ve accomplished so much,” said Kendra, a Roca graduate. “I’ve made significant progress toward gaining my GED and secured an internship position that eventually became a permanent position. Roca has helped me in so many ways and I feel confident that my future is bright. In fact, I know it is.” Kendra has overcome steep obstacles and is now stably employed at Community Family, an adult day health care center for disables adults and elders with memory loss. Her supervisor, Stacey Minchello, reports that she is thriving there. Silmy also spoke about her incredible transformation and the stability she found after graduating from Roca. Silmy is employed full-time at Labor Now, supporting other young people find jobs.
Following the speakers, the event featured a presentation of awards recognizing Roca’s TEP partners, including Chelsea Real Estate, Chelsea DPW, Lynn DPW, Salem Public Services, MassHire, Wash Cycle Laundry, Encore, Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, Colwen Hotel, Community Family, and others. “We saw today that when we lean on each other, good things happen.… With partnerships like WIN Waste, incredible municipal partners, and with staff and young people who are making a difference, we are showing the world what a community can do,” said Jay Ash, President and CEO, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership and Roca Board member.
Founded in 1988, Roca’s mission is to be a relentless force in disrupting incarceration, poverty, and racism by engaging the young adults, police, and systems at the center of urban violence in relationships to address trauma, find hope, and drive change.