​
​About SomervilleCAN 
Mission & History
Staff & Board Page

SomervilleCAN

Our mission is to increase cohesion & collaboration in the nonprofit community to serve the residents of Somerville

​OUR MISSION

Somerville Community Agencies Network (SomervilleCAN) is a collective of nonprofit organizations located in and/or serving people in Somerville, MA. 
​All members of SomervilleCAN provide vital services to the citizens of Somerville. 
 
With more than 30 nonprofit organizations – the SomervilleCAN membership serves or supports thousands of Somerville residents ranging from children to seniors, affordable housing to homelessness, legal services to the arts, and free clothing to early education. The breadth of people supported by SomervilleCAN organizations engages every corner of the city’s diverse population. 
 
SomervilleCAN members collaborate to increase awareness of our community impact and of our member organizations. Collaborative projects have included: raising funds, providing educational opportunities for members, and sharing of resources.
 
Our goal is to increase cohesion and collaboration in the nonprofit community and be inclusive and welcoming of the full range of Somerville and Somerville-serving nonprofit organizations​

​HISTORY

Building on variations stretching back to at least the 1990s, the group SomervilleCAN formally formed in 2015 to bring together members of the Somerville nonprofit sector. The group has been collaborating to increase awareness of nonprofit community impact and member organizations, provide educational opportunities for members, share resources, and do some joint fundraising events. 
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Some successes include raising more than $20,000 from two events (Taste of Somerville and two Giving Tuesday events that were both in-person and televised), building collaborations that resulted in several space-sharing situations, building greater connectedness and increasing nonprofit interaction with the city.

Executive Director
TAMMY HOPKINS

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​In January 2024,
SomervilleCAN announced the hiring of Tammy Hopkins as its ARPA-funded Consultant charged with launching the inaugural role of an Executive Director for SomervilleCAN through a pilot formalized nonprofit network.

ADVISORY BOARD
The Advisory Committee consist of
eight local nonprofit leaders:
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David Gibbs, Executive Director Community Action Agency of Somerville, Inc.

Jessica Eshleman, Executive Director Union Square Main Streets

Andrea Shapiro, Founder and CEO Second Chances

Stephanie Scherph, Co-Director / CEO The Center for Arts at the Armory  

John Keegan, Executive Director SCM Community Transport, Inc.

Douglas Kress, Chief Community Officer Cambridge Health Alliance

Colleen Morrissey, Director of Operations and Community Support
Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services

Julie Catalano, Executive Director Neighborhood Counseling and Community Services, Inc.

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