The New England Farm Workers’ Council (NEFWC) is a center for homelessness prevention in Hampden County, MA. The agency operates three of the county’s most effective programs: Our Place shelter, a 25-unit congregate family shelter, A Family Place, a 29-unit congregate shelter for homeless families, and the Housing Assistance Program. These programs are funded by MA Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) to provide homeless prevention, housing search and placement to homeless and at-risk families who are either located in other shelter programs, perhaps facing eviction, or are already doubled up with other families.  

Contact:   Tom Salter, Vice President                Privacy Notice for NEFWC Housing Program
                    (413) 536 - 5403 Ext. 202 

    

Programs in MA, CT, NH and RI introduce migrant workers to year-round earning potential in non-agricultural vocations -- many of which call for learning new skills. Farm worker employment services are available to men and women who have performed agricultural work during the last two years and meet U.S. Department of Labor low-income standards. Services include employment counseling, classroom training, job search and placement, on-the-job training with local employers. Important personal support services, such as housing, voucher day care and home energy assistance, are often provided.

    

On a broader scale, Latino communities in Greater Springfield, Hartford, Manchester NH and RI are served with a range of adult basic education courses geared toward vocational readiness in a changing economy. For income-qualified adults, the agency provides literacy instruction in both English as a Second Language and native language development. Math, social science and GED preparation are also offered. A related program for Latino persons teaches English skills for the workplace.

Contact:     Sonia Berte, Program Director
                     (413) 536-5403  
 

    

The Farm Workers’ Council WIA Youth Program, under the direction of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, provides young inner-city people with opportunity for personal and professional growth.  Through intensive case management, education, training and community collaboration, NEFWC enables its youth to achieve educational advancement and quality employment to help them become productive and respected members and future leaders of the community. NEFWC staff work one-on-one  to ensure skills development and access to resources that will help them succeed.  A summer jobs program familiarizes teenagers with the adult world of work and offers them valuable on-the-job experience.

Responding to this need – one made more urgent under Massachusetts’ welfare reform law – New England Farm Workers’ Council (NEFWC) administers the largest voucher day care program in western MA and second largest statewide. This program is specifically designed to help persons receiving temporary public assistance who are also searching for work.

Over 5,000 Hampden County and some Hampshire County children participate in New England Farm Workers’ Council day care each year. They receive care from approximately 1,400 area day care vendors, many with bilingual capability, contracted to provide services.

A personalized touch characterizes the agency's approach to voucher day care.  NEFWC engages in a hands-on effort to help eligible parents determine the type of child care most appropriate to their needs. NEFWC helps identify the most compatible and convenient day care center or at-home child care provider available. Once a provider is selected by parents, Farm Workers issues a written voucher to the family stipulating daily service rate, the amount of state reimbursement and other contract terms.

Last year, total voucher day care subsidies through this program exceeded $21 million, or an average of over $1.8 million per month.  Voucher day care services across Massachusetts have more than doubled over the last five years -- largely due to a decrease in benefit eligibility periods for state public assistance and an increase in employment pressures.

 New England Farm Workers’ Council (NEFWC) has managed the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for the City of Springfield since 1982. The agency has run the same program for 27 cities and towns in northern Worcester County since 1987. LIHEAP assists low-income households, including owners and renters, in meeting the high cost of home heating. It serves over 14,000 families each year.

Also known as NEFWC's Fuel Assistance Program, LIHEAP pays benefits of fixed amounts based on household income. An additional benefit is available to households having a high energy burden. NEFWC and other administering agencies determine household eligibility based on annualized income and number of household members. The agency makes utility payments to the primary heating vendor -- oil, gas, electric or other. Special provisions are made for those households whose heat is included in their rent and for those living in subsidized housing. All eligible households receive discounts of up to 35 percent on utility and telephone service.

NEFWC fuel assistance clients who are homeowners are also eligible for the state's Low Income Sewer and Water Assistance Program and indirectly for the state's Weatherization Assistance Program, a year-round home energy service, and Heating Emergency Assistance Retrofit Task Weatherization Assistance Program. The latter is designed to provide heating system repair and replacement services to low-income households and is also available year-round.

Low Income Sewer and Water Assistance  provides eligible households that receive both sewer and water bills with a benefit of 25 percent of their annual bill, up to a maximum of $200. Funding for this program is provided through an agreement with the MA Department of Revenue. Applicants do not have to accept LIHEAP benefits to qualify. Eligibility is based on 175 percent of federal poverty guidelines.