Five years after $5M from MacKenzie Scott, United Way of Central Mass. shows results

WORCESTER — His experience with recovery from addiction has taught Frankie Franco Sr. that one needs a positive space in order for the recovery to be successful.

That positivity has been offered to Latino men struggling with addiction at the Hector Reyes House, from where he graduated and where he now helps as a Spanish interpreter.

Franco Sr. was part of a program that was funded by a share of the $5 million that MacKenzie Scott, the philanthropist and former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated to the United Way of Central Mass. in 2020.

With a piece of the grants, the United Way backed a collaboration between the Hector Reyes House and Technocopia. Hector Reyes House is a substance recovery house for Latino men through the Latin American Health Alliance, and Technocopia is a makerspace in downtown Worcester. The collaboration between the two organizations aims to provide the men at Hector Reyes House with a creative outlet to support their recovery journey. Or as Franco Sr. put it Monday, “Giving people a second chance, as everybody deserves.” “When you get into recovery, you're leaving a life of negativity,” Franco Sr. said. “Guys get fidgety, run back out, and it's sometimes tragic."

The connection between Technocopia and the Hector Reyes House is only one example of about a dozen organizations in Central Mass. that have been funded by Scott’s grant. The efforts are collectively known as the Worcester Community Challenge. The United Way of Central Mass. was itself a piece of Scott's contributions — distributed to 384 organizations throughout the country, a total that exceeded $4 billion.

On Monday, in a gathering inside the local United Way headquarters at 18 Chestnut St., representatives from organizations that have received funds spoke to showcase the results. Get the Afternoon Headlines - Worcester MA newsletter in your inbox. Our top stories of the day delivered every afternoon Delivery: Daily Your Email Tim Garvin, president and CEO of the United Way of Central Mass., said he did not expect the funds five years ago, as he did not expect for them to be unrestricted, which are funds without any specific restrictions or requirements from the donor.

United Way of Central Massachusetts President and CEO Tim Garvin speaks about a $5 million donation in 2020. One of the local recipients, Crocodile River Music, is pictured behind Garvin. Five years later, he says the effect of funneling that money to local organizations exceeded expectations. "It went beyond our wildest imaginations and dreams,” Garvin said. “I think that's also indicative of when people have the resources and when they can dream, there is no wrong answer.” Garvin said that an average of $100,000 was given to each program. Among them were also a research project for the Nipmuc population at the American Antiquarian Society, a program that engaged schoolchildren to learn through music under the direction of an organization called Crocodile River Music, a leadership program at Ryken Scholars Program and others.

Garvin said that the programs were chosen on 90-minute video applications rather than written submissions. “We wanted to disrupt and end poverty,” Garvin said. “We wanted to be sure everybody had opportunity and resources to do even better in their lives. “I never spoke to (Scott) personally, but I would love just one minute to say, ‘Thank you. You have changed thousands of lives.’”

More information about the Worcester Community Challenge Showcase can be found here.

By:Tony Caushi, Worcester T&G