NewVue Communities

08/31/2026

Congratulations to all those who participated in a Steward Leadership Training this spring and summer!
NewVue was honored to celebrate the graduation of these community leaders at an inspiring ceremony on Thursday, August 27 at the Fitchburg Senior Center.
One of the highlights of the evening was listening to the testimonials of stewards who shared personal stories about why they participated in the training, what they learned and how they plan to use their newfound knowledge and resources in our community.
Special thanks to Sam Squailia, Fitchburg Mayor for welcoming our guests and showing off the new Spanish-speaking skills she learned in the Spanish Language Learners training.

08/26/2026

MassHealth anticipates that 360K members may face new work and education reporting requirements and more frequent renewals. These new federal requirements will make it harder for eligible members to stay covered. Working together, we can help support residents throughout the Commonwealth to maintain their health coverage.

Important note: These changes will not impact most MassHealth members. MassHealth will reach out to you directly if you are affected.

Important changes include:

October 2026: Some immigrants legally in the U.S. will stop being eligible for MassHealth.

January 2027: Some members will face new work and education requirements and/or more frequent renewals.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently launched a coordinated statewide effort to help MassHealth members keep their health care coverage amid new burdensome Medicaid requirements imposed by President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

With additional dedicated funding in the FY25 closeout supp, MassHealth is working with Health Care For All (HCFA) and nearly 50 community-based organizations (CBOs) across Massachusetts (shout out to NewVue Communities for their support locally) to conduct an extensive outreach and education campaign to help MassHealth members understand and navigate the new federal requirements taking effect over the coming months.

If you're worried you may be impacted -- MassHealth has set up a screening tool and lots of additional resources (https://www.mass.gov/federal-changes-affecting-masshealth-medicaid-members)

08/25/2026

Thank you to the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce for having us on! Please take a listen to learn more about this project.
We are so excited for Remaking Main Street's next event on Thursday, Aug. 27 when we will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss all things about how to remake Athol's Main Street. This event is open to the public and will begin outside the First Church - Unitarian, 478 Main St. and end at the The Polus Center for Social and Economic Development, Inc..
Athol Credit Union

This week we sit down with Samantha Beauvais, HR and Marketing Coordinator at Athol Credit Union Michael Lundquist, Executive Director of the The Polus Center for Social and Economic Development, Inc. and Sarah Tavitian, Small Business Senior Manager at NewVue Communities Together they share the story behind Remaking Main Street, a collaborative effort to support local entrepreneurs and revitalize Athol's Main Street through business training, community events, and new opportunities for growth. The initiative kicks off with its inaugural event on Thursday, August 27th, and continues in the weeks ahead with a free 7-week business training program, the Small Business Showcase, and an End of Summer Festival on September 19th.
Tune in to hear how it all came together and what's ahead.
https://insidenorthcentral.podbean.com/e/inside-north-central-massachusetts-on-the-road-talking-athols-remaking-main-street/
Learn more at https://ow.ly/P1ZB50ZEKBA.

08/24/2026

Our Small Business client, Joly Figueroa of Joly’s Café (6 Main Street, Leominster), recently opened her doors and our small business team had a chance to check out her place last week. Business has been booming as folks are coming from Worcester, Boston, and Lowell to try her extensive selection of boba teas, coffee/tea, Japanese crepes & waffles, and other sweet treats. NewVue's Small Business Technical Assistance team worked with Joly on her business plan, financial projections, and helped her secure financing.
This is an exciting addition to Leominster. Congratulations, Joly!
To learn more about our Small Business services, visit https://www.newvuecommunities.org/our-programs/small-business/

08/23/2026

Congratulations!

A proud small business moment. Thank you Sarah and James for all your work in creating this with me!

I officially completed my business plan through the NewVue Small Business Program!

I’ve been DBA Valentina Ventura XX since moving back home to Massachusetts in August 2022. I have a degree in fashion, but building a fashion practice and building a sustainable business around that practice require two very different skill sets.

So much of entrepreneurship has been learning as I go, seeking mentorship, asking questions and taking advantage of the incredible local resources available to small businesses.

Through this program, I’ve built out the systems behind Valentina Ventura XX, including bookkeeping, accounting, financial projections and a comprehensive business plan. These are the less visible parts of creative entrepreneurship, but they are what allow me to begin positioning the business for investment, small business financing and long-term growth.

The clothes are the art. The infrastructure is what allows the art to become a sustainable business and continue to be made.

The NewVue Small Business Program is available to small businesses throughout Central Massachusetts, and I highly recommend checking out their resources if you’re building something of your own.

Very proud of how far Valentina Ventura XX has come since 2022, and very excited about where I’m taking it next.

Valentina Ventura XX 💋💋

08/15/2026

Thank you to all those who attended today’s Fitchburg Housing Summit!
Madeline Mendoza, NewVue’s Director of Housing and Financial Services Programs at NewVue Communities, was one of the featured presenters, sharing valuable information about homebuyer education, financial readiness, and foreclosure prevention.
If you weren’t able to attend, visit our website to learn more about our services and resources.
https://www.newvuecommunities.org/our-programs/help-with-a-home/
City of Fitchburg

08/12/2026

Thank you to TD and the TD Charitable Foundation for a generous $20,000 grant to support NewVue's housing stability services.

"We are incredibly grateful for the TD Charitable Foundation's continued support for our housing stability work. These services are free of charge to the community, which means we rely on the generosity of foundations like TD Charitable to understand the value of our work and view our services as worthy of funding."
-- Kerry Flathers, NewVue's Director of Development and Communications.

08/04/2026

The weather is perfect for National Night Out.
Join us for free activities, free food, free haircuts for kids and information about local resources.
🗓️TODAY
⏰5 to 7 pm
📍Riverfront Park
InTown Fitchburg
Fitchburg Public Schools
City of Fitchburg
Fitchburg Police Department
National Night Out

08/04/2026

Save the date for this year’s housing summit!

🌟 Featured Speaker Spotlight: Madeline Mendoza 🌟

We are excited to welcome Madeline Mendoza, Director of Housing and Financial Services Programs at NewVue Communities, as one of our featured presenters at the Regional Housing Summit!

For more than 25 years, Madeline has been a champion for affordable housing, financial empowerment, and homeownership throughout North Central Massachusetts. Her leadership has helped thousands of individuals and families achieve their dream of homeownership through homebuyer education, financial coaching, foreclosure prevention, and housing counseling.

🏡 During the summit, Madeline will share valuable information on:
✅ First-Time Homebuyer Programs
✅ Homebuyer Education
✅ Financial Readiness
✅ Resources available to help individuals and families achieve sustainable homeownership

Madeline's passion for helping others build financial security has earned her recognition, including the Worcester Business Journal's 40 Under Forty Award and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations Rising Star Award.

Whether you're thinking about buying your first home, looking for housing resources, or simply want to learn more about the programs available in our region, you won't want to miss her presentation!

📅 Regional Housing Summit
🗓 Saturday, August 15, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Fitchburg Senior Center
14 Wallace Avenue, Fitchburg, MA

This event is FREE and open to the public!

Join us as we bring together housing experts, lenders, developers, community organizations, and residents to explore solutions, opportunities, and resources that strengthen housing across our region.