Early Learning Program at Community Teamwork

Enjoy our August Newsletter as we celebrate 62 Years of community action!
https://conta.cc/4huIkej

August Newsletter Email from Community Teamwork Honoring 62 Years of Community Action   Please Share this newsletter with your network.   August 2026 Greetings! This month marks the 62nd anniversary of the Ec

When shopping at Hannaford on Rogers Street in Lowell this month (August), don’t forget to grab a new reusable Community Bag! For each $2.50 reusable bag sold throughout the month of August, Hannaford will donate $1 to Community Teamwork. This program is only happening at the Hannaford at: 777 Rogers Street in Lowell, MA

So, grab that new bag and support the good work happening here at CTI!

Please Help Spread the Word – LASA Foundation Back-to-School Drive - August 22, 2026

The LASA Foundation is excited to share the flyer for the LASA Foundation Back-to-School Drive, taking place on Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at 40 Old Ferry Rd, Lowell, MA 01854. Through this initiative, we'll be providing age-appropriate backpacks filled with essential school supplies to children in our community.

This year, the LASA Foundation is preparing three backpack kits to meet students' needs:

Elementary School – Smaller backpack with classroom essentials like pencils, crayons, markers, glue sticks, scissors, and a ruler.

Middle School – Medium-sized backpack with grade-appropriate supplies such as binders, folders, notebooks, pens, and pencils.

High School – Larger backpack with school supplies, including a laptop sleeve.

If you work with or know families who could benefit from this program, please share the attached flyer with them (English-featured, Spanish and Portuguese versions provided). We would also greatly appreciate your support in sharing it through your social media channels to help us reach more families.

Thank you for helping us spread the word and support our community. Together, we can help students start the school year with confidence.

Aanchal Sharma
LASA Foundation | Love All Serve All
https://www.loveallserveallne.org/

Community Teamwork Announces CEO Leadership Transition

LOWELL, MA — Community Teamwork announced today Chief Executive Officer Carl Howell will step down from his role effective September 11, 2026, to assume another leadership opportunity.

The Community Teamwork Board of Directors has begun a leadership transition process, including the appointment of an Interim Chief Executive Officer while a search is conducted for the organization’s next CEO.

“We are grateful to Carl for his leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to Community Teamwork’s mission,” said Sheila Och, President of the Community Teamwork Board of Directors. “Under his leadership, Community Teamwork has strengthened its impact throughout the Greater Lowell region, expanded critical services, and positioned the organization for continued success. While we are sorry to see him leave, we are excited for him as he embarks on this next chapter of his career.”

Howell informed the Board in advance of his departure, allowing the organization to take a thoughtful and deliberate transition that will ensure continuity of leadership and operations.

“Leaving Community Teamwork is one of the most difficult professional decisions I have ever made,” Howell said. “This organization has been much more than a workplace—it has been a mission and a community that I have been honored to serve. I am deeply grateful to our Board, leadership team, employees, partners, and supporters for their dedication and commitment to improving lives every day.”

He added, “I leave knowing Community Teamwork is in an exceptionally strong position. We have an outstanding leadership team, an extraordinary staff, and a dedicated Board of Directors. I am confident they will continue advancing the mission and delivering the high-quality programs and services our communities depend upon.”

The Board emphasized that Community Teamwork’s operations, strategic initiatives, and community partnerships will continue without interruption throughout the transition.

“Community Teamwork has successfully served our region for more than six decades because of the strength of its people and its mission,” Och said. “Our experienced leadership team, together with our dedicated staff across the organization, will continue advancing Community Team’s mission and supporting the individuals, families, and communities we serve throughout this transition. As the Board appoints interim leadership and conducts a search for the next Chief Executive Officer, we move forward with confidence in the strength, commitment and collective leadership of the entire Community Teamwork team.”

Community Teamwork is one of Massachusetts’ largest Community Action Agencies, serving tens of thousands of residents each year through programs that promote economic opportunity, housing stability, early education, workforce development, energy assistance, and family well-being throughout Greater Lowell and the surrounding region.

Additional information regarding interim leadership and the CEO search process will be shared as it becomes available.

Media Contact:
Kathleen Plath, VP Communications and External Affairs
Community Teamwork
508-561-9220
[email protected]

About Community Teamwork

Established in 1965, Community Teamwork is a non-profit Community Action Agency (CAA) serving more than 55,000 individuals and families in the City of Lowell and the seven surrounding towns of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, and Westford. Community Teamwork also serves as a Community Development Corporation and as the Regional Housing Agency for the Merrimack Valley and the rest of the Northeastern Massachusetts, including 72 cities and towns inclusive of the North Shore and Cape Ann. Community Teamwork is a catalyst for social change. We strengthen communities and reduce poverty by delivering vital services and collaborating with key stakeholders to create housing, education and economic opportunities. Our vision is a community whose institutions, systems, and people support everyone’s opportunity to thrive. www.commteam.org

Community Teamwork will be closed Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independece Day. We will reopen during our regular hours of operation on Monday, July 6.

Congratulations to all of our CTI Graduates of the MASSCAP Management Training Program:

Yina Cordero - Toddlers' Corner Center Director, Nate Derov - IT Manager, Melissa Centeno - HCEC Program Manager, Ancel Tejada - Director of the Entrepreneurship Center, Maria Zaroulis - Emergency Services Director (Youth Services), Gabrielly Oliveira - Lead Intake Housing Spcialist

Some of the other CTI attendees included Karen Frederick former CEO, Kayombo Kamawu - CPO , Bob Seymour - VP Security & Information Technology , Lisa Wholey - Chief Human Resource Officer, and from MASSCAP Joe Diamond - Executive Director

Thank you to Hearts in Art for visiting our James Houlares Center as part of our Community in the Classroom initiative!

Heart In Art

Community Teamwork will be closed Friday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth - Freedom Day. We will reopen during our regular hours of operation on Monday, June 22.

On this day, June 16, 1965, Community Teamwork opened its doors to the public and the anti-poverty program was underway!