USES 2018 Annual Report

The mission of United South End Settlements is to harness the power of our diverse community to disrupt the cycle of poverty for children and their families.

Dear Friends,
Through the Vision125 strategic planning process, USES identified three core values that guide our work: community, diversity, and opportunity. Over the past year – a year of daunting challenges and incredible successes – we saw the beautiful ways in which these values are embraced and embodied by the USES family.
 
On January 7th, a pipe burst on the 4th floor in our youth center,  causing damage on all five floors of the building and displacing over 100 children and dozens of staff from our programs. The immediate impact on our families was devastating. The stress felt by our staff was overwhelming. And then, generosity poured in. Families offered support and resources to those in need, community members offered up their homes as classrooms, our teachers provided off-site childcare to anyone who needed it, and 238 supporters contributed to an emergency fund that enabled us to reopen our doors  on June 4th.
 
Despite the challenge of our facilities, USES thrived in 2018, showcasing our focus on building resources, relationships, and resilience:

• Resources: Our renewed program model saw great success as coaching became fully integrated into our model, allowing 50 adults to realize their full potential and gain financial stability. One participant who had been struggling to gain employment was able to secure a full-time job as an Administrative Assistant making $44,000 per year.
• Relationships: We know how powerful it can be when people from different backgrounds come together. To tackle the racial and economic disparities that persist throughout the city, we launched the Change Maker Dinner series, which was selected for the GK10: the 10 most game-changing equity ideas contributing to creating a more equitable and inclusive Boston.
  
• Resilience: This past summer, Camp Hale transformed 224 youth into leaders as they discovered the wonders of nature on Squam Lake. Camp is emblematic of embracing challenging experiences and building resilience, as some of our campers experienced being away from home and living and thriving in nature for the very first time.​

By including people from various backgrounds, skill sets, and perspectives in disrupting the cycle of poverty, we believe that USES will achieve the greatest positive impact on children and their families. 
 
To realize our vision of families empowered with the resources, resilience, and relationships needed to reach their full potential, 2018 marked a shift in our model. In a return to our settlement house roots, we support families with a two-generation approach that provides children with early childhood education, after-school enrichment, and leadership development through sleepaway camp, while engaging parents and caregivers in job training, goal setting, and coaching.
 
At USES, we believe that all people have potential and deserve access to top quality educational and economic opportunities. We invite you to join us as partners – as Change Makers – who share our vision.

In Community, 

Maicharia Weir Lytle
President and CEO
Serving since February 2015

Julia Johannsen
Board Chair
Serving since January 2016​

Download PDF of FY18 Report