if you didn't donate to the Community Chest, a neighbor would come knocking at your door. For 10 days during October citizens fanned out across town in search of funds to service those in need. It took such a spirited sense of community to create the Concord Community Chest in 1947.
Winthrop Lee, one of the four founding members, recalls it was Morgan Smith who had the idea to break away from the regional Red Feather Campaign, the predecessor to the United Way. Red Feather balked at Concord's forming its own group, but the local leaders could not be dissuaded. Past Board president Mary Johnson, whose husband was a founder, said accountability was a key reason for the change. 'When you gave locally you knew where your money was going,' she says. In the end, Red Feather became one of the seven agencies funded by the Concord Community Chest that first year. Lee says Emerson Hospital was the primary beneficiary, receiving 88 percent of the funds. Learn More»
Eighteen years ago, Linda Cunha first enrolled her son in the Concord Recreation Department after school program. A divorced single mother living in Concord, Ms. Cunha was trying to raise her child while juggling work and, to better position herself for a career, school. She could not afford to pay for the program—not without quitting school and working longer hours—so she approached Concord Recreation and asked for help.
Director Danner DeStephano took the time to get to know her, understand her needs, and assured her that she could—and should—stick with her classes. He would use scholarship funds to cover her son's tuition. Read More»
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