WCCC Releases Pocket Guide to Community Services

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Paige Pihl Buckley, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Worcester Community Connections Coalition is affiliated with YOU, Inc.

The Worcester Community Connections Coalition has released its Pocket Guide to Community Services in both English and Spanish. The guide is a comprehensive listing of services for Worcester area families in need.

“Our coalition has been around for seventeen years,” said Anne Bureau, Director of the Worcester Community Connections Coalition (WCCC). “Part of our mission is to improve access to services for Worcester families. We started with a more simple guide of 50 pages and it’s grown to around 119 pages.”

“We’ve asked families about the top needs as parents and one of the top needs is always finding and connecting to resources,” she said.

The WCCC has partnered with many organizations over the years in order to produce the guide, but its most important partner has been YOU, Inc. with which it is affiliated.

“YOU, Inc. really helps to make us exist,” said Bureau.

In addition to contact numbers and addresses to several local, state, and federal resources, the guide includes pointers for those seeking assistance. For example, those seeking mental health or housing assistance are urged to get on at least three lists because of overwhelming demand.

“We try to give some pointers out because it’s not enough to just give numbers,” Bureau said.

The guides are sold for $2 to agency providers, or $1 to agencies who purchase twenty or more. Parents can pick up a guide for free at the WCCC Research & Referral Center at 484 Main Street, Suite 460 in Worcester. The office is open from 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Monday through Friday.