VOC's Community Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan

Jan 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

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

11 Apr, 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. 

AP: New WIC rules include more money for fruits and veggies. They also expand food choices

By Melissa White • 11 Apr, 2024
The federal Women, Infants and Children program that helps pay for groceries for millions of low-income mothers, babies and young kids has announced rule changes that will emphasize and increase monthly cash vouchers for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as provide more choices of foods from different cultures.

Outlook 2024: Valley Opportunity Council improving lives, one resident at a time

By Melissa White • 02 Apr, 2024
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