Every day, someone arrives at Wellspring ready to make a change. 

In Massachusetts, where the cost of living is among the highest in the nation, that change can’t wait. 

For families, that may be a new career that pays enough to provide for themselves and their children, or the support to stay in their home. For young adults, that may be earning a diploma or finding a path into adulthood with real  opportunities ahead. 

Each person’s path may be different, but the goal is the same: greater stability, real options, and a future they can build with confidence. 

The more than 2,000 people who turn to Wellspring each year bring enormous promise and potential, yet they face economic insecurity because what they earn simply does not cover the cost of daily life. Our job is to meet people where they are and provide the support they need to keep moving forward—in their own words: 

“Wellspring’s program helped me become a better version of myself,” says a graduate of our Healthcare Office Support Training (HOST) program, now studying nursing with a Wellspring scholarship and advising support. 

“For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can start rebuilding my life,” says a Wellspring parent whose children were able to remain in their Cape Ann schools while the family received housing support. 

More people than ever, from more than 20 North Shore cities and towns, are coming to Wellspring ready to take their next step—and we need your help to meet them. Donate today. 

Enrollment in our HOST program is at a record high, alongside overwhelming demand for our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program, where multilingual learners build skills for employment, and expanding career and vocational advising at Gloucester High School. Meanwhile, we continue to see intense, ongoing need for housing stabilization support. 

At the same time, the pressure on families is steeper than ever. In Essex County, a family of four earning $80,000, above minimum wage, still falls more than $80,000 short of the $162,000 it takes to cover the basics. For a minimum-wage worker, the math is starker: to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment, they would need to   

work 130 hours a week, more than 18 hours a day, every day. And that is before food, transportation, childcare, or an unexpected emergency. 

We see what that pressure looks like every day. A car repair threatens someone’s ability to get to work. A childcare disruption puts job training at risk. A missed paycheck or rent increase can push a family from stability into crisis. 

That’s why Wellspring’s work goes beyond any one program: through individualized, wraparound support, we help address the barriers that can derail progress—connecting people with the education, job training, and critical resources they need to keep moving forward. 

PROGRESS STARTS WITH YOU. Please make a gift to Wellspring today.  

Your donation helps ensure that when someone comes to Wellspring ready to make a change, we have the people and resources in place to help them move forward. Thank you for standing with them.