On Friday, September 25, over 150 advocates wearing Caring Force gold gathered at WORK Inc. for the first-ever Metro Boston Rally. Emcee Sandra McCroom, President and CEO of Children’s Services of Roxbury, kicked things off by pointing to the packed room as a sign of the coalition’s strength in the region. Workers in human services, she said, have earned fair pay, adequate program funding, and recognition for the essential care they provide every day. This rally marked The Caring Force’s last rally of the year.
A planning committee of Metro Boston providers put the rally together: ABCD, Bay Cove Human Services, Casa Esperanza, Children’s Services of Roxbury, Communities for People, COMPASS, Family Independence, JRI, Morgan Memorial Goodwill, North Suffolk Community Services, Roxbury Youthworks, Sojourner House, The Home for Little Wanderers, TILL Inc., and Victory Programs. WORK Inc. hosted.
WORK Inc. President Jim Cassetta opened the program with remarks. A national leader in employment and community-based services for people with disabilities, Cassetta has spent more than four decades working in the field.
Every attendee received a copy of The Caring Force legislative agenda. It calls on lawmakers to:
- Fully fund the Chapter 257 Rate Reserve (1599-6903) in the FY ’28 budget so wages stay competitive and services stay protected.
- Close the pay gap between community-based human services workers and state employees doing similar jobs.
- Create a loan repayment program for human services workers.
- Increase the Chapter 257 Rate Reserve tax and fringe rate by 5.1 percent in the FY ’28 budget to help fund retirement benefits for provider employees.
Voices from the sector
Three speakers told their stories. Laquinta Bryan, who has spent 11 years at Communities for People and now coordinates a young adult supported living site, described her work connecting youth and clients with resources. Manisha Baez, an overnight counselor at North Suffolk Community Services’ La Camera residential programs, talked about her nine-plus years as a direct support professional. She travels from Springfield to Winthrop every week so the people she supports have consistent staff. Waleska Surita, whose son Jempsy Santana has Down syndrome, spoke about what WORK Inc. Family Support has meant for her family since 2018. She delivered her remarks in Spanish with live English interpretation, a first for The Caring Force.
Senator Nick Collins, Representatives Marjorie Decker, Brandy Fluker-Reid, Jay Livingstone, Chris Worrell and City Councillors John FitzGerald and Brain Worrell then joined a panel, sharing their reactions to the speakers and ways workers can work with their offices.
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