VOC's Community Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan

January 16, 2019

VOC’s leadership team began planning for our 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan in June of 2016. Since then, we have distributed, collected, and analyzed hundreds of surveys from community members, participants, board members, and employees. We have held multiple focus groups, interviewed various key stakeholders, and researched the causes and conditions of poverty in our community. All of this data was studied and compiled into our 2018-2020 Community Assessment Report and Strategic Plan (CARSP). 


As a result of this process, VOC is planning to focus on creating and enhancing the following programming:

  • Increasing the number of safe and affordable housing units available in Chicopee and Holyoke
  • Increasing the access and availability of affordable child care
  • Increasing job training programs
  • Providing individuals and families with referrals and resources for drug and alcohol addiction services
  • Decreasing the amount of low-income families with food insecurity

Coming Soon: Belcher Apartments

January 13, 2025
The Belcher Apartments is a new development located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, offering 25 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Apartments will be available for households earning less than 30% Area median Income (AMI), less than 50% AMI and 60% AMI as well as households with the ability to pay market rent.

VOC/GEAR UP Program Boasts 300 College Acceptances, Over $3 Million in Scholarships for Holyoke Grads

By Melissa White • December 12, 2024
This year’s initiative saw the highest level of participation and success since onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 312 on-the-spot college acceptances

Seen on WWLP: Valley Opportunity Council to reopen Women, Infants & Children office in Ludlow

April 11, 2024
LUDLOW, Mass. (WWLP) – The Valley Opportunity Council will reopen its Women, Infants & Children’s (WIC) office in Ludlow on Wednesday. The Ludlow office, located at 14 Chestnut Place, closed during the pandemic, and a grand re-opening ceremony is set for 10:00 a.m., according to a news release from the Valley Opportunity Council. The grand reopening ceremony will feature snacks, activities, and a raffle, and will provide information to the community about available resources offered through the WIC program. WIC is a nutrition program that serves qualified families in Massachusetts. They provide nutrition education, referrals to healthcare, and social service agencies, and a WIC card that can be redeemed at certain grocery stores and pharmacies. There are WIC offices in Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield. The Valley Opportunity Council also offers assistance with housing, energy, and early education. They are the largest and most diverse Community Action Agency in western Massachusetts with an annual budget of $45 million. 
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