About Us

The Southern Worcester County Community Development Corporation (SWC CDC) is a new community based non-profit. The purpose of the SWC CDC shall be to improve the quality of life in the 7 communities of Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, Oxford, Southbridge, Sturbridge, and Webster by undertaking projects that address economic, environmental and social needs of the residents while enhancing the community’s physical image and fostering a sense of regional pride.

This includes goals and objectives:

Community Involvement and Participation

To provide the residents and businesses of Southern Worcester County (SWC) with opportunities for the exchange of ideas, expression of views and democratic participation in the process of determining the destiny of the region;

To serves as a vehicle for public policy discourse;

Research and Planning

• To identify and study the forces which affect the community and determine the most effective means whereby the Corporation may participate in and influence the outcome of those events which have a bearing on the conditions in SWC region;
• To initiate design improvements to enhance the appearance and utility of the region;

Economic Development and Housing

• To initiate and implement programs which will contribute positively to the social, economic and housing characteristics of SWC.  SWC CDC shall be especially concerned with programs directed at enhancing economic development in the region and in improving the quality and reducing the cost of housing;
• To take remedial actions to eliminate the physical economic and social deterioration existing in SWC region and thereby promote the regions historic preservation, contribute to its community betterment while lessening the burdens of its town governments;
• To expand the opportunities available to individuals and groups to own and operate businesses enterprises by furthering the development of business enterprises in the region; to assist said individuals and groups in developing entrepreneurial and management skills necessary for the successful operation of business enterprises or provide financial and technical assistance, when not available from conventional sources for the successful operation of business enterprises by said individuals and groups.
• To provide SWC with a means by which to raise, administer and invest funds, enter into contracts and partnerships, manage, sell develop and rehabilitate residential and commercial property;

Resource Sharing, Collaboration and Education

• To disseminate information of and promote interest in the preservation, history, culture, architecture and public use of SWC resources;
• To hold meetings, seminars and other activities for the instruction of members and the public in those activities such as building rehabilitation and design, economic restructuring and planning management that foster the preservation of the region, and enhance the understanding and appreciation of its history, culture and architecture;
• To collaborate with other organizations, individuals, and public and private entities locate within and outside the region engaged in similar purposes;

Other programs community benefits

• To promote, coordinate, support and where necessary, provide social and community services to the residents of the region so as to complement economic growth with social stability.  Such efforts might include provision of day care health, educational, transportation and informational services, or any combination thereof;
• To promote the protection and preserve the efficient use of the natural resources in the SWC region.

As a new start-up organization, we have enlisted the help of the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) to provide interim staffing.  Though their offices are in Worcester, they are well versed in the needs of the towns of Southern Worcester County and bring a wealth of available resources to the table immediately.

We are very excited about this new organization and its potential to contribute to the economic and community development of the area.  Over the summer we will be meeting with many residents, businesses, organizations, town officials, and agency representatives to achieve the following:

• To get to know their individual thoughts and concerns about the formation of such an organization;
• To understand their perception of their town’s and the area’s assets or strengths
• To understand their perception of their town’s and the area’s needs or weaknesses
• To understand their perception of their town’s and the area’s opportunities; and
• To understand their perception of their town’s and the area’s threats or challenges; and also to learn about who else might be engaged as a resource, member, community leader, partner, or stakeholder.

In the coming weeks, we will be contacting you to arrange a time to meet and learn more.  In the mean time, we would love to hear your thoughts and you can contact Trish Settles at CMRPC at 508 459 3320.