WORCESTER, MA – The White Room in Worcester is a hidden gem located in the historic Green Street mill in Worcester. Nestled beside a quaint courtyard boasting an elegant fountain, the chic vibe that an cater to nearly event – and served as the perfect host for the high-energy fundraiser to support Meryl’s Safe Haven.
From breakdancing to bite-sized apps such as fresh caught shrimp and a lasagna that melted in your mouth, freestyles to framed auction items and free swag, the fundraiser to support youth transitioning out of foster care was a careful balance of celebration and support.
“Housing is a basic, fundamental human right that we should all be able to enjoy,” says Deborah Hall, CEO at YWCA Central Massachusetts. Hall has been collaborating with co-founders Marisol & Dr. Tasia Cerezo, who had a vision to quote “provide shelter to young people between the ages of 18-24 who have decided to transition out of care on a road to self-sustainability.”
“It’s that time in the life where your parents, if you have parents, are helping you. You’re matriculating, you’re moving on, maybe they’re helping you with your first last and security in terms of rent. But when you come from a place wether it’s a group home, you were in a foster home, you don’t have those supports in place,” explains Hall.
Throughout the year on their 18th birthday, thousands of children take their first steps out of the foster care system with no place to call home. “Kids at that age are just really honestly scared. The state recognizes adulthood at 18 and we all know from personal experience that you’re still a kid,” explains Bowditch. “Unfortunately their options are just limited and that’s why Meryl’s Safe Haven and this event are so critical because that youth is just so vulnerable.”
What’s the vibe: Step inside a hidden gem event space in Worcester for an evening of entertainment, delish dishes and making mission-driven memories.
Meryl’s Safe Haven Steps in to provide emergency assistance, transitional housing, support for mental healthcare, access to child & family services to those in greatest need to answer the question: what’s next?
“I think that there’s a perception in the community that kids in foster care are safe, in a foster home and they have this sort of like, temporary maybe will turn into a permanent family or situation,” explains Julie Bowditch, Executive Director of CASA Project Worcester County. “People don’t ask, ‘Where do kids go?’ because I think first of all, they assume - you don’t know unless you know – that they’re okay. And to be honest with you, I don’t think they want to know the answer.”
While those attending the inaugural fundraiser at The White Room were already driven by the cause behind what the co-founders hope to grow to an annual event, what they left behind was the gift for those in need to have space to dream.
“Wether they find themselves in other situations trying to find jobs with a viable, living wage to then be able to house their own children they have or they find themselves really vulnerable and in situations they wouldn’t otherwise be in,” says Hall. “If you have that start, you have that foundation, you can dream a little bit.”
To learn more about Meryl’s Safe Haven, visit their website.
To see more stories like this or if you have an event you’d like to pitch to Emmalyn to cover, email emmalyn@emmalynreid.com.
Emmalyn Reid 