O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation Announces 2024 Grant Awards of $250,000
SPRINGFIELD — The O’Dell Women’s Center (OWC), Springfield’s first nonprofit women’s center, announced it has granted a total of $250,000 to eight other nonprofit organizations in Springfield to support programs that empower and create opportunities for low-income Springfield women. This funding will enhance access to educational resources, career development, and community support services, creating pathways for financial stability and self-sufficiency.
The O’Dell Women’s center received 37 grant applications from Springfield area nonprofits. Of those applications, the OWC grant committee selected the following organizations for its 2024 grant awards: Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, Girls Inc. of the Valley, the Gray House, Holyoke Chicopee Springfield (HCS) Head Start, Hope for Youth and Families, Parent Villages, South End Community Center, and United Way of Pioneer Valley.
“This annual grant initiative reflects the O’Dell Women’s Center’s commitment to fostering economic stability for low-income Springfield women through support of educational advancement and workforce readiness,” said Margaret Tantillo, executive director of OWC. “We were inspired by the volume and ambitiousness of all our grant applicants and are excited to announce we plan to significantly increase the dollar amount distributed through our grant program in 2025.”
Through the 2024 grants, OWC will support several educational programs for Springfield women. The grant to Girls Inc. of the Valley’s Eureka! program will expand access to a five-year STEM initiative for girls from grade 8 through high school, offering first-hand experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math. This program aims to inspire confidence and prepare participants for higher education.
Hope for Youth and Families received a grant to fund a college success manager, providing high-school students with college-readiness resources and financial-aid guidance. Grant funding to Parent Villages will establish a program encouraging teens and young adults to explore educational and vocational opportunities, with a goal of 100% enrollment in livable-wage career pathways.
To advance workforce development and career growth, OWC provided three grants to career-readiness programs. HCS Head Start Workforce Development will deliver job-skills training to help women overcome professional and social-emotional challenges. Dress for Success Western Massachusetts received funding to strengthen its comprehensive workforce-development program, which includes résumé building, professional attire, digital-literacy training, mentoring, and monthly skill workshops through the Professional Women’s Group. Additionally, OWC made a grant to United Way of Pioneer Valley’s Wellness in the Workplace initiative to offer financial-literacy coaching to support women in achieving lasting economic mobility and navigating benefit eligibility changes that accompany salary increases to mitigate the cliff effect.
OWC grant funding also addresses essential needs like food security, childcare, and language skills. The South End Community Center will use its grant to expand its after-school programs, transportation services, and vacation camps, providing safe environments for children of working mothers. A grant to the Gray House will support its Adult Education Program, which offers English-language and life-skills training, empowering women to work toward self-sufficiency. Previous grant funding to the United Way Pioneer Valley extended the hours of the Springfield Food Cupboard, ensuring an additional 375 individuals each month have access to essential nutrition.
The O’Dell Women’s Center’s mission is to provide opportunities for women of Springfield to improve their lives through a community of support systems that will create access to higher education, career opportunities, and advancement, while helping women achieve financial stability.