ROCA Springfield secures $250K grant with help from the state

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Governor Maura Healey signed off on the fiscal year 2025 state budget this week and part of that budget will help out one local organization.

State Senator Adam Gomez helped to secure $250,000 that will go towards ROCA Springfield. This funding will allow the organization to offer more services for young parents in the community who are experiencing trauma, having mental health concerns, or even dealing with domestic violence and abuse.

With help from the state, ROCA will also be able to offer some more parenting and life skills, housing stability, and self-sufficiency training for families in their program.

Brooke Eddy from ROCA told 22News how this helps the organization and the young mothers in their program.

“We really work with them over the course of 3 to 4 years to focus on emotional regulation and helping them get stable in all areas of their lives and really getting them to the start point to do things differently,” said Eddy, Assistant Director of the young mothers’ program at ROCA.

She says ROCA receives referrals daily and that they currently have a waitlist of people who are looking to join their program.

Over the past year, they have served more than 90 mothers which exceeds their capacity and with this funding, Eddy says they will be able to keep up with the high demand.

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