In order to protect the health of our employees, visitors and the larger community, the Greater Worcester Community Foundation offices will be closed until further notice. We will remain open for business, however, and our work will continue with an urgency that the current circumstances demand. We are acting quickly to protect the health of our team and doing all we can to support the community we serve, making certain that the critical needs of the region are met.

In line with guidance from the state and federal government, we are taking the following preventative steps:

• Encouraging our team members to be mindful of consistent hand-washing and social distancing, to rest at home if they are not feeling well, and to share information about recent or planned travel.
• In the coming weeks, beginning Monday, our team will work remotely, continuing to support the community but minimizing the potential spread of the virus. All in-person meetings are postponed until further notice.
• We have cancelled events and workshops led or hosted by the Foundation for the foreseeable future. Some of these gatherings will be conducted through video or teleconference, when possible, or rescheduled for a later date. Our team will reach out to participants and partners soon to make alternate plans for specific events.

We encourage our community partners to take similar steps, and to stay abreast of the latest information from the City of Worcester (here), the State of Massachusetts (here) and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (here).

Meanwhile, we will be monitoring community needs closely by staying in contact with our partners. We want to hear from local nonprofits about what they and their constituents are experiencing so that we are able to determine, with our partners, what types of resources are needed as response and recovery efforts come together. If you become aware of a specific need that must be filled, please feel free to reach out and let us know.

Barbara G. Fields
President & CEO