HOW IT STARTED & HOW IT'S GOING A look back at a year of pandemic response It's been a full year since the pandemic took hold of our communities and changed our lives, our families, and our businesses forever. Twelve months later, too many families in hard-hit...
We’ll shout before we get pushed out: Youth organizers call for housing justice
Feature: VIDEO Homelessness in Chelsea is largely invisible. Driving through our community, you won't see many people sleeping on the streets, but thousands of families are crowding into shared apartments - sleeping on couches, porches, unfinished basements, and...
Opening Our Doors: COVID Vaccines Now Available at La Colaborativa
Today was a major milestone in Chelsea's fight to end the public health and economic devastation caused by the pandemic. In collaboration with East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and the City of Chelsea, La Colaborativa opened our doors at 318 Broadway for the...
Bright Spots of 2020: Some highlights from a historic year
It's the end of a tough year, and La Colaborativa is still here serving record numbers of community members with rapidly expanding services and supports. We absolutely could not have accomplished any of this without the unwavering support of so many partners, allies,...
Our families are being displaced: Immediate housing relief needed
Elizabeth Souffrane and her 7-year old son are homeless. Their housing struggle began long before the pandemic, when Elizabeth - a domestic violence survivor - escaped from her abuser with her young son. For nine months, they couch surfed, but with COVID-19 and so...
Families are down to last pennies with no relief in sight
In communities like Chelsea, even in the best of times, families scrape by financially. They work long hours in low-wage jobs, overcrowd apartments to afford rent, and cook creatively to keep everyone fed. These families work so hard to build a better life for...