SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – $164 million in state grants will be supporting local economic development projects in communities across the state and right here in western Massachusetts.
Urban Impact Initiative Massachusetts, which operates out of Springfield, will be one of the organizations receiving those funds. It will go towards Urban Impact’s re-entry employment program, which will provide work readiness and employment placement services for formerly incarcerated women, with a focus on Black and other culturally diverse women of color.
Jynai McDonald of Urban Impact, tells 22News, “It will really put them on a path to self sufficiency, and on the other side it will allow my program to hire additional help so I will be able to bring on a case worker an outreach specialist and a children’s space monitor.”
McDonald says that this will be free for the participants, and that they have a transportation system also built into the programming.
Kristina D’Amours is a reporter who is a part of the evening 22News team. Follow Kristina on X @KristinaD_WWLP and view her bio to see more of her work.
