Opportunity Quincy (MA) Receives City Council Commendation
The Quincy (Mass.) City Council recognized Opportunity Nation’s efforts to strengthen communities on April 1 by commending the work of Opportunity Quincy and its leader, Melissa Horr, Quincy’s Community Development Planner.
The Council praised Melissa and her initiative to expand educational and economic health in Quincy by engaging the city’s young people and building education and job-training pipelines that will lead to a better prepared workforce.
The commendation acknowledged Opportunity Quincy’s work in “strengthening career pathways for young adults and promoting postsecondary educational success.” Council members also applauded Opportunity Quincy’s success in increasing collaboration among local and regional agencies through promoting communication and networking.
“Your efforts in providing a better quality of life for the youth of our community have served as a model for others to emulate,” the letter from the City Council reads.
Opportunity Quincy was launched by Horr in December 2012 with a focus on youth. With Opportunity Nation’s Shared Plan as a guide, the Quincy initiative has developed a plan to prepare youth for the job market and increase the effectiveness of existing programs.
Using the Opportunity Index, Opportunity Quincy’s next step is to form a planning council focusing on three target areas with hopes to convene local leaders to identify the resources necessary to expand economic mobility in the area. These target areas are: access to healthy food and physical activity; youth economic and academic inclusion; and volunteerism and community engagement. The planning council ultimately hopes to identify specific programs that will connect youth with employers and increase Quincy’s Opportunity Index score.
Melissa and her team are also planning two service fairs for youth to be held at two high schools in Quincy. The fair will give students the chance to explore volunteer opportunities and further engage in the community.
Opportunity Nation is inspired by the commitment and energy of Melissa to improve her community. The organization looks forward to supporting the work of Opportunity Leaders and Scholars like Melissa to move towards our goal of increasing opportunity in all 50 states by 10% in the next 10 years.
