Tag Archives: Clients

The Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Take a Bite out of Homelessness!

Posted on by

JerseyThe Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Attend the Worcester Sharks Game on Saturday, December 13!

10. Take a BITE out of Homelessness! All proceeds from ticket sales, raffles and the jersey auction will benefit RCAP Solutions local homelessness prevention programs!

9. Catch the Sharks wearing “throwback” IceCats jerseys from 1994!

8. Celebrate 20 years of Hockey in the City of Worcester!

7. Freebies! Attendees will receive a Worcester Hockey Mascot Poster featuring FINZ and Scratch!

6. Former IceCats players will sign autographs with FINZ and Scratch during the intermissions!

5. Tickets purchased through RCAP are great seats and discounted over 50%

4. Create memories! This is a great (and low cost) family night out!

3. All game worn jerseys will be auctioned/raffled off, benefiting RCAP Solutions!

2. Sharks Feeding Frenzy! Specialty Jersey Games have a lot of energy – players (and fans) go wild!

1. See President & CEO Karen Koller drop the puck!

Have a fun night out and support local families at the same time!

What else are you doing on 12.13.14???

Gold Level Discounted Tickets just $12 Each (Face Value of $20)!

tickets

Event Includes:
• Sharks vs. Monarchs game
• Game Worn Jersey Auction (live, silent & raffle)
• 50/50 Raffle
• Chuck A Puck Contest
• Autographs, free posters, mascots and much more

Contact Maegen McCaffrey, 978-630-6714, email: mmccaffrey@rcapsolutions.org.

Ticket sales and auction proceeds will benefit RCAP Solutions Client Services Programs, serving over four thousand Worcester county residents and families each year, providing affordable housing, homelessness prevention, home rehabilitation, domestic violence victim support, foreclosure prevention and financial literacy.

Gone to the Birds Gala

Posted on by

On September 18, 2014, RCAP Solutions Celebrated its 45th Anniversary by going to the birds! Over 250 attendees, made up of artists, business professionals, RCAP Solutions supporters and Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce members participated in a birdhouse auction, hosted by Skinner Auctions. Over 100 works of art were auctioned, raising over $16,000. 100% of the proceeds will support housing and homelessness prevention programs for Worcester County families.

We thank the many generous sponsors, talented artists, and the staff and volunteers who donated their time and talents and helped to make this event a great success!

Photos by Andrea Seward, Habakkuk Media Services.

 

_A3A7258 _A3A7259 _A3A7264 _A3A7266 _A3A7284 _A3A7288 _A3A7294 _A3A7296 _A3A7297 _A3A7301 _A3A7302 _A3A7305 _A3A7306 _A3A7307 _A3A7313 _A3A7316 _A3A7318 _A3A7319 _A3A7324 _A3A7339 _A3A7358 _A3A7359 _A3A7360 _A3A7363 _A3A7364 _A3A7368 _A3A7369 _A3A7374 _A3A7375 _A3A7379 _A3A7382 _A3A7383 _A3A7390 _A3A7391 _A3A7396 _A3A7758 _A3A7760 _A3A7780 _A3A7796 _A3A7803 _A3A7804 _A3A7808 _A3A7809 _A3A7817 _A3A7818 _A3A7819 _A3A7820 _A3A7827 _A3A7828 _A3A7829 _A3A7830 _A3A7833 _A3A7834 _A3A7835 _A3A7836 _A3A7838 _A3A7840 _MG_7733 _MG_7734 _MG_7735 _MG_7762 Auction (2) Auction crowd auction items (2) auction items (3) auction items (4) auction items (5) Auction items (6) Auction Items (7) Auction Items (8) Auction Items (9) Auction Items (10) Auction Items (11) Auction Items (12) auction items Auction Avidia Bar Bidding (2) Bidding (3) Bidding (4) Bidding Deb hall Eva Great Auction Photo Greg Byrne and KAK Greg Byrne KAK (6) Karen and Ili Karen thanks (2) Peppers (2) Peppers RCAP Staff (2) RCAP Staff (3) RCAP staff (4) RCAP Staff (5) RCAP staff (6) Reg table Registration Stewart Slavid (2) Stewart Slavid Greg Byrne Karen Koller Stewart Slavid Sukh (2) Sukh Yolanda Link

Community Resources Program Update

Posted on by

water-conserve

Scott Mueller, Director of Community Resources & Chief Rural Affairs Officer

Rural communities across the country are all experiencing challenges with keeping their localities clean, healthy, and economically vibrant.  This past year has certainly shown that the federal and state governments are tightening the purse strings further impacting local communities, but in particular the small rural communities.

RCAP Solutions Community Resources Program focuses on providing technical assistance at the local level to these smaller underserved communities focusing on providing Technical, Managerial, and Financial [TMF] technical assistance to those seeking to build capacity in these areas at the local level.

In particular one area which has shown to be of great benefit to communities is in the area of Water and Wastewater Asset Management Planning [AMP] and Effective Utility Management [EUM].  In order support or bolster any local economy it is important to have the necessary infrastructure to support its existing workforce, businesses, and in many cases tourism economies which demands clean water.

The current trend is to operate and maintain existing systems in a long term and sustainable approach and there are many approaches smaller communities can take towards this end as the monies from the federal and state entities are shrinking.  As such the responsibility for community systems are ultimately lying with the community itself.  This can often be a daunting responsibility and we are here to help communities through this process.

RCAP Solutions is pleased to be able to again this year offer in many cases free technical assistance in these areas to those communities which qualify.  We also provide an array of other Direct Service Contract services to those seeking special and individualized services.

We wish all communities the best in the upcoming year and to find out more information as to our programs and services please contact Scott Mueller, Director of Community Services and Chief Rural affairs officer at 315-482-2756 or email smueller@rcapsolutions.org.

Home Modification Loan Program Testimonial

Posted on by

 

41524987

More happy customers!

The following is a thank you note sent to Renée Perdicaro, RCAP Solutions Residential Loan Fund Manager from a family that recently received a Home Modification Loan.  This program provides financing to make modifications to the residences of disabled persons, enabling individuals to live independently and remain in their homes.

“We will never be able to thank your organization enough for the opportunity to modify our home. Nor can we thank you enough for all the work and time you personally put in yourself.  If it weren’t for you, I would not be able to be in my own home. Thank you Renée, for all you did and for putting up with the endless phone calls from us as well as from the contractor.  The contractor we used, JW Remodeling, was amazing.  The jobs were done to perfection and we had not a single grievance. With much gratitude, Tom and Karen Grimes”

For more information on our Home Modification Loan Fund Program, please visit our Home Modification Loan Page.

Happy Clients, Happy 2014!

Posted on by

 

customerserviceadvice2

Congratulations to Jeaniffer Cordeiro, Program Representative for our Client Resources Team who received this great testimonial from one of our landlords.

“Thank you for always partnering and helping me as well as countless others throughout this year. You have been professional and very responsive. At all times I was given accurate information and advised about next steps in quick fashion. You helped define the right expectations with property owners and tenants. You handled sensitive issues in an effective way.

If there was a “CLIENT RELATIONS” Service Award, Employee of the Year, or Quarterly Excellence Award you would certainly win them all!

Happy New Year to you and your family.”

Holiday Shutdown Information

Posted on by

Please be advised that both our Gardner and Worcester offices will be closed from Tuesday, December 24, 2013 through Wednesday, January 1, 2014.

Any calls received during this time will be returned on Thursday, January 2, 2014.

During the shutdown, a few extensions will be monitored for emergency calls:

  • Emergencies involving inspection issues, such as no heat, should call extension 6686.
  • Emergencies involving other issues should call extension 6696.
  • RCAP Solutions Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC) line will be monitored for tenant emergencies such as homelessness or tenants facing loss of housing.  Routine phone calls will be returned after the shutdown.  The HCEC extension is 6770.
  • HomeBase program emergencies should call extension 6771.

All HomeBASE activities for homeless families will continue throughout the agency shutdown period.

Routine messages and questions left at these extensions will be forwarded to the appropriate staff person for response when they return to the office on Thursday January 2, 2014.

happyholidays

The RCAP Solutions office phones WILL NOT be monitored during the shutdown. You must call the 800 number below to reach any of the extensions listed above:

(800) 488-1969

RCAP Solutions staff wishes you a safe, happy and healthy holiday.

Harvard University Housing Study

Posted on by

for_rent2-300x300Harvard University just released a national report on the trends in the rental housing market.  

Read the Introduction here:

Rental housing has always provided a broad choice of homes for people at all phases of life. The recent economic turmoil underscored the many advantages of renting and raised the barriers to homeownership, sparking a surge in demand that has buoyed rental markets across the country. But significant erosion in renter incomes over the past decade has pushed the number of households paying excessive shares of income for housing to record levels. Assistance efforts have failed to keep pace with this escalating need, undermining the nation’s longstanding goal of ensuring decent and affordable housing for all.

Reversing the long uptrend in homeownership, American households have increasingly turned to the rental market for their housing. From 31 percent in 2004, the renter share of all US households climbed to 35 percent in 2012, bringing the total number to 43 million by early 2013.

A confluence of factors drove this increase. The enormous wave of foreclosures that swept the nation after 2008 certainly played a role, displacing millions of homeowners. The economic upheaval of the Great Recession also contributed, with high rates of sustained unemployment straining household budgets and preventing would-be buyers from purchasing homes. Meanwhile, the experience of the last few years highlighted the many risks of homeownership, including the potential loss of wealth from falling home values, the high costs of relocating, and the financial and personal havoc caused by foreclosure. All in all, recent conditions have brought renewed appreciation for the benefits of renting, including the greater ease of moving, the ability to choose housing that better fits the family budget, and the freedom from responsibility for home maintenance.

Read the entire study by clicking here.

 

KPM is RCAP’s “Exclusive Mobile Sponsor”

Posted on by

Girl With Mobile Smart PhoneRCAP Solutions, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Kevin P. Martin & Associates, P.C. (KPM) as “Exclusive Mobile Sponsor”.

This sponsorship allows RCAP Solutions to offer a mobile giving program, which utilizes new technology to raise funds from mobile phone users.

“KPM is thrilled to be the Exclusive Mobile Sponsor for RCAP Solutions,” stated Karen Kent, Principal at KPM. “Many nonprofit organizations are searching for new ways to increase fundraising activity and we applaud their ‘outside of the box’ thinking. I have worked with many non-profits and believe that using new technologies for fundraising shows creativity that will be appealing to a very wide audience. We are pleased to partner with RCAP Solutions, as they continue to support the community and help so many in need, especially at a time when the demand for RCAP Solutions’ services is growing.”

“Mobile technology is changing the way nonprofit organizations do business,” said Karen A. Koller, President & CEO of RCAP Solutions. “RCAP Solutions understands the importance of using resources wisely; however we believe that new technology can have a significant impact in engaging clients, volunteers and donors. Our hope is that a mobile giving campaign will attract a wider audience of donors and KPM’s sponsorship allows 100% of those donations to directly benefit RCAP Solutions programs and positively impact families in need.”

KPM is the first business to participate in “RCAP Plus” a new sponsorship program offered by RCAP Solutions.  “RCAP Plus” provides sponsorship opportunities for businesses and communities interested in supporting the many important programs provided by RCAP Solutions that assist individuals and families throughout Central Massachusetts and the rural communities across the Northeastern United States.

RCAP Solutions is primarily supported by state and federal funding sources; however with shrinking funds and required funding matches, it is becoming more difficult to provide the necessary programs to clients.  RCAP Solutions works with hundreds of families each year, providing the necessary stabilization services for those in need, in order to keep them safe, healthy and in permanent housing.  With over 2,000 families living in hotels across the Commonwealth and more families becoming homeless every day, the need for additional funds is continually growing.

Try it out now, text “RCAP” to 56512.  Every dollar of your donation will support our HOME for the Holidays Campaign.  Click here for more information.

Mass scrambling to find housing for its homeless

Posted on by

rathe_homeless_biz02GREENFIELD — Record numbers of homeless families are overwhelming the state’s emergency shelter system, filling motel rooms at the cost to taxpayers of tens of millions of dollars a year.

An average of nearly 2,100 families a night — an all-time high — were temporarily housed in motel rooms in October, just about equaling the number of families in emergency shelters across the state, according to be the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

The demand for shelter is so great that the state has been temporarily sending homeless families from Boston to motels in Western Massachusetts, although state officials said many have been relocated back again, closer to home.

 

Read the full article here: http://b.globe.com/189hBdY

Giving Tuesday

Posted on by

Today may be Cyber Monday, but please remember that Christmas isn’t all about consumerism: Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday.

#GivingTuesdayâ„¢ is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support non-profit organizations.

#GivingTuesday inspires personal philanthropy and encourages bigger, better and smarter charitable giving during the holiday season, showing that the world truly gives as good as it gets.

If you are planning to make a donation to a non profit organization this holiday season, please consider RCAP Solutions. The need is real and continues to grow.  Over 2,000 families are now living in hotels across the Commonwealth. RCAP Solutions works with hundreds of families each year, providing the necessary stabilization services for those in need, in order to keep them safe, healthy and in permanent housing.

Visit our website for more information: https://www.rcapsolutions.org/donate/