Community Builders Fellowships 2008

With the generous support of Unitil, Community Builders put out a call in the summer of 2007 for new and innovative ideas to increase volunteerism or community involvement and action. 

View Fellowship Applications: English and Spanish

September 2008 Community Builders
Fellowship Award Recipients

Crystal Newkirk of Fitchburg, MA

Community Project Title: Positive Hip-Hop Club Night

Project Description: Crystal plans to use a spiritual approach that will encourage love, hope and positive morals and values in today's youth utilizing the music genre popular among teens, Hip-Hop. Crystal believes Hip-Hop is more than music...it's a culture. Encouraging a positive Hip-Hop environment will allow young adults an avenue to express their everyday struggles and teach others how they overcame them using music, dance and art. Crystal, an alumna of Mount Wachusett Community College, is currently a junior at Fitchburg State College. As a mom of four children Crystal's positive Hip-Hop Club is her way of helping to build a healthy, more vibrant community for her children's future as well as today's youth.

• $2500.00 Fellowship Award

David Gordon of Fitchburg, MA

Community Project Title: Fitchburg Police Athletics/Activities League or PAL

Project Description: PAL is a year round athletic and activities league for youth. PAL was formed to build trusting respectful relationships between the Fitchburg Police and the city's youth. PAL provides extracurricular activities to youth that build self-esteem, self respect and respect for others and leadership qualities that will help youth make quality lifestyle decisions. These decisions will decrease teen pregnancy, school dropout rates and juvenile crime and gang rates. Dave is a police officer who has lived in Fitchburg for 16 years with his wife and four children. His profession and involvement with youth activities has made him feel a strong connection to the Fitchburg community. Dave started PAL as a result of his experience in coaching and police work that led him to get to know many of the local youth and their immediate needs. PAL offers Fitchburg's youth a new perspective on police officers and their positive presence in the community.

• $2500.00 Fellowship Award

Yaw Addow, Jr. of Fitchburg, MA

Community Project Title: Twin City Soccer League

Community Project: Yaw's Twin City Soccer League is a vehicle to bring young adults (post high school) in our communities together. It is well known that the twin cities, Fitchburg and Leominster, have participated in a friendly rivalry with the infamous Thanksgiving Day high school football game. Yaw feels that the growing diverse population in the area will respond positively to a soccer league as soccer is the sport in which most other cultures participate. Yaw was born in Ghana Africa and moved to America at 11 years old. His passion for soccer shows as he states, "Being successful could be seen in many ways, but to me just having friends, making new friends and helping my community come together are the greatest accomplishments I will ever accomplish in my life time!" Yaw has 150 players waiting to form 10 teams in the Twin City Soccer League.

• $3500.00 Fellowship Award