The History of Disco

Posted on April 3, 2013 by TheCenterboard

by Shelby Balleza

BUY TICKETS TO OUR DISCO EVENT HERE!

Prior to the disco era, fashion was simple, conservative. In other words, fashion was anything but flashy. With this era came a new opportunity for people to express themselves through cutting edge fashion. This era was about bold prints, flashy sequins and big hair. People flocked to disco clubs or “discotheques” to seek out new identities. Dressing up was a way of letting go of everyday life and becoming a completely new person wearing edgy costumes. New York City was really the epicenter of this newfound style. One of the most famous and largest clubs in NYC was Studio 54. Some of the most daring dancers who attended this club went as far as spray-painting their entire bodies with silver or gold. The beauty of the disco era was the wide range of ensembles and accessories available to accommodate any fashion taste. Disco fashion created an opportunity for everyday people to be somebody different for just one night, and dance the night away! This era was moving in a completely different direction in terms of clothing. In the sixties, outfits were subdued and conservative. Also, women didn’t really wear pants at all before 1965. With evolutions in music taking place every year, fashion was trying to keep up as well. For women of this era, this was their opportunity to be bold and really make a statement. Dressing to go out to the disco club was a very big ordeal. Dressing to the nines was important, because it could lead to attracting a dance partner. Fabrics were generally bright colors or bold patterns. Metallics were also very popular because they would reflect light off of the infamous disco ball above the dance floor. Many women would wear metallic halter dresses, or metallic hot pants with a halter-top. Pantsuits were another favorite, in solid prints, metallic or with embellishments. These commonly would have a plunge neckline or a v-neck. The pant legs would have a flare bottom, another huge up and coming trend. This look usually would be paired with sky-high platforms.

Platforms were all the rage during this time. Platforms came in a variety of options. There were platform sandals, heels, clogs, boots and sneakers as well. The amazing part of these platforms is dancers actually wore them on the dance floor all night! The disco club look was true inspiration for some of our fashion trends seen today.

Men also took new risks in terms of disco club fashion. I mean, who can forget John Travolta’s groovy all white suit he sported in Saturday Night Fever? Men wore tight flared out pants, with long sleeve shirts in very bold patterns. One of the biggest trends for clubs was the “leisure suit.” This suit replaced the traditional suit jacket with a casual shirt instead. Both the shirt and the pants were made from very thick polyester. Men still had to wear a shirt underneath because of the material. This suit really helped to revolutionize the suits men wear today. Fabric is still designed so that suits can be extra comfortable and durable for all day use.

Accessories, hair and makeup were another HUGE aspect of disco fashion. This always involved wearing glitzy accessories. Fur, sequins and flashy fabrics helped to add extra shine dancers graved. Pieces commonly worn only during special occasions were now acceptable to wear out to the club. Men usually wore a lot of gold jewelry, such as thick gold chains underneath their suits. Women were fans of huge dramatic earrings that would catch the light of the disco ball. Hairstyles were very revolutionary as well. There were several types of hair trends. These trends were specifically known as the feathered, wedge, shag and Afro styles. The feathered look was made popular by icons like Farrah Fawcett. Hair was cut into several layers, framing the face. When hair was blow-dried it formed numerous “feathers” hence its name. The wedge look is something I had never even heard of. This iconic look was a short look named also the “Hamil Camel” after Dorothy Hamill.” Resembling a bowl cut, this style differed by the cut in the back resembling a “V” instead. Men and women wore the shag look. This look consisted of shorter layers, and longer layers in the back. This look was a care-free look allowing dancing to be easy without worrying about a hair style falling out of place. This was the originator of the mullet, which came out in the 80’s. Lastly, the Afro is what we most commonly associate as the “disco hairstyle.” This look was also worn by men and women and achieved when the hair looked like a huge puffball really. This usually was achieved when the hair was teased with strong hold hair sprays or gels. Hairstyles were really a matter of preference. Frequent club goers preferred the short carefree styles, while actresses or models chose the straighter layered look. Whatever the chosen style, it was important it was perfect every time.

the shag

: the wedge

Makeup trends were just as important as clothes and hairstyles. Makeup trends were also very edgy and dramatic. Eye makeup was one of the most important aspects. Traditional makeup was not an option when going to a disco club. Colors needed to be bold and bright. Bright eye shadows were a common trend, paired with long eyelashes. Fake eyelashes started to be worn more commonly. Lipstick was worn in bright red or a bright colors shade. Rouge was also worn. Men even would sometimes wear a touch of make up for a night of dancing. Drag queens did frequent certain disco clubs wearing exaggerated eye make up. Every aspect of the disco outfit was important. Every piece of the puzzle was vital in making a true and bold statement.

Everyday casual wear of the disco period was also showing some changes. However, casual looks were a bit more conservative than the club looks. Women and men were wearing bell-bottoms. These jeans were usually high wasted with very huge flares at the bottom. These trendy jeans can still be seen in stores everywhere. Women wore a lot of flowy like dresses, like the maxi dresses. Maxi dresses were long casual dresses made out of light fabrics, at floor length. These dresses have recently made a huge come back in the fashion world. Platforms were also a huge part of even casual wear. Men and women wore platforms with everyday attire.

The important thing to remember about disco 1970s fashion is the importance of self-expression. This time period was about expressing one self though his or her own unique style. Everyone was more accepting of those who dared to be different; it was normal to be different. The point of disco fashion was to out do everyone else, and never settle for ordinary. BUY TICKETS TO OUR DISCO EVENT HERE!

How to Dress Disco

Posted on March 25, 2013 by TheCenterboard

Costume parties are always a lot of fun, but finding the right costume can be stressful at times. It’s especially difficult when there is a specific theme to follow. Disco themed attire to most people may mean big afro wigs,“flower power” dresses, and white platform boots. However, there is a lot more to disco fashion than people think. The overall objective of dressing up for this era, is to be bold and individual. The more unique and outlandish your outfit is, the better the costume. This time period was the birth of expressionism through fashion. Dancing is an art form, as well as the outfits you wear while you dance.

When dressing for the disco you must have an open mind. Conservatism is NOT an option for an event such as this. One must embrace bold patterns, shiny fabrics, and sky high platforms. Every piece of clothing is important when pulling off this look. Accessories and hairstyles are key to convincing others you’ve stepped out of the Saturday Night Fever movie. This simple and detailed guide shall lead you into the land of “staying alive and disco divas.”

For the Ladies:

The important thing here is to have fun with bright and bold patterns. You mustn’t be afraid of a little sparkle!

One of the most popular looks for a night out at the disco was dresses and pantsuits.

Dresses are a good choice for this event, they are easy to dance in and really help to complete the full look. Try to stick to lighter fabrics. This will make movement easier, and you won’t be sweating as easily. Dresses can be halter, plunge neck line, or even have sleeves. Colors should always be bright, and sequin embellishments are always a fun option. The nice thing about wearing a dress, is you only have to worry about shoes, hair and accessories after that!

The second look that works is the pantsuit. Although the idea may seem a touch intimidating, it’s worth trying out. These pantsuits are also very comfortable to dance in, and pull off the right look. Its fun to try out a color you’re not typically used to wearing. The most popular type of pantsuits worn had flared pant legs. This allows a greater range of motion, and room for those big platforms! These pantsuits were also worn in metallic gold and silver. Necklines vary from plunge, V-neck, and even turtle necks. This look is daring, but is also different which is the primary goal of dressing disco.

If you’re more of a casual dresser, you can still look the part of disco while staying within your comfort zone. Another outfit choice is to pair bell bottoms with an embellished top. This could be as simple as bell bottom jeans and a sequined halter top for example. This leaves room to over exaggerate shoes, hair and accessories. These tops can also be paired with maxi skirts. These skirts are long, flowy like skirts made of light fabric. Worn as casual everyday outfits, these skirts also make a great evening ensemble.

For the Men:

Men’s disco attire is also very unique and flashy. Don’t be afraid to let your inner diva out with bold patterns and shiny shirts! Have you always been curious what its like to wear heels? Well this is your chance! Men of this era did in fact rock platform boots, heels and sneakers out to the disco clubs. Even though “leisure suits” were the outfit of choice for disco goers, it might not be easily accessible for us today. Regular business suits unfortunately are nothing like the ones men wore to disco nights. The best bet would be borrowing one from a family member or friend who has the real deal. Any other suit worn will just look out of place. A close substitute to the suit, is the dress shirt. However, it is important to wear a shirt with bright colors and patterns otherwise there is no point. Usually these shirts were of light fabric and tucked into the pants. Pants worn are usually tight with flared bottoms. These are a bit more difficult to find now a days. Dress pants are a good substitute with a boot cut. Another option would be to wear bell-bottom jeans, which are still made for men.

Shoes and Accessories:

Shoes are vital when trying to achieve the true disco look. Platforms were the favorite option among men and women. It’s understandable though that these might not be that comfortable for the modern dancer. Disco goers were used to wearing platforms everyday. Dancing in platforms were a piece of cake for them. If you’re feeling brave try platform boots or sandals. This will really help to make the role more convincing. Another safer option for this event, is to wear flats in a metallic or bright color. This way your feet will not be in pain at the end of the night! If possible, men can wear shiny dress shoes as a substitute for the platforms.

Accessories are always a fun part of putting together this costume. Giant earrings help to pull off any look, in bright colors and shiny patterns. Men should be comfortable wearing a lot of rings, necklaces, and bracelets. Gold was worn a lot, never in moderation. Women shouldn’t be afraid to wear lots of bracelets and long fun necklaces. Hats were also worn out a lot. Closely resembling the fedora, these disco hats were a little bit taller. Another hat that can be worn is the floppy hat. This is pretty much the same thing as the floppy sun hats that are worn. However these were more commonly worn casually. Silky scarves are another fun option to add to a dress. Scarves can also be tied into hair, like a headband.

Where to Find The Stuff:

Ideally the best way to get your hands on some disco attire is to borrow it from somebody who grew up during this time. Let’s be honest, that’s not very simple. The next best thing to borrowing legit disco outfits is to check out local consignment and vintage shops. You’d be surprised just how much disco 70’s themed getups you can find! Here are some local places for your treasure hunting:

Society of St. Vincent De Paul 11 Market Sq. Lynn

Heart & Soul Boutique & Consignment 366 Broadway St. Lynn MA

Magic Hat Thrift Store 217 Pleasant St. Marblehead MA

Lighthouse Thrift Shop 149 Pleasant St. Marblehead MA

St. Michael’s Episcopal Thrift Shop 20 Pleasant St. Marblehead MA

Big Blue Bargains 207 Forest Ave. Swampscott MA

Rags to Riches 41 Atlantic Ave. Marblehead MA

Life Bridge Thrift Shop 47 Canal St. Salem MA

Re-find Boutique 72 Washington St. Salem MA

Modern Millie 3 Central St. Salem MA

Re-Find Men’s 244 Essex St. MA

Witch City Consigment and Thrift Store 301 Essex St. Salem MA

Flirt 634A Wharf St. Pickering Wharf Salem MA

The Taj Garage 240 Canal St. Salem MA

Clever Diva 237 Washington St. Salem MA

These are just some of the local stores, check out the Northshore Thrift Stores website to look at more stores around the area and read reviews!

http://www.northshorethriftstores.com/

There are also costume stores in the surrounding areas to alleviate the stress of looking for different pieces to put together

Joker’s Wild Inc. 85 Andover St. Peobody MA http://www.thejokerswild.com/

** this is the real deal

I party 880 Broadway Saugus MA http://shop.iparty.com/Sixties-and-Seventies/8000092/costumes 300 Andover St. Peabody MA

These locations have a wide variety of disco costumes to choose from, it just should be expected that prices will be a bit higher.

Another option is to check out your favorite clothing stores to see if anything would work for the disco look. Ideally check your own closets first! Places like Forever21 are good stores to check out because dresses are very cheap, and flashy. Also they have a huge selection of accessories that would go along with this theme.

Lastly there is the option of purchasing over the internet. Keep in mind the risks of ordering costumes onlne. You will have to pay shipping and you are not able to try the costume on. However there is a wider variety of clothes on the internet that fit the criteria. All of the big costume store chains, like Iparty have online websites. It is a bit more difficult to find vintage vendors online. Here’s one you can try:

The Rusty Zipper

http://www.rustyzipper.com/

*over 28,000 vintage items

The Big Red Bookshelf

Posted on February 28, 2013 by TheCenterboard

Here at Centerboard, we’ve launched a fairly new program called The Big Red Bookshelf. If you “like” us on Facebook, you’ve already seen some of our postings, but this will give you additional information and hopefully spark some interest among you!

Each week Centerboard is receiving 750-1,000 gently used children’s books from More Than Words, a nonprofit social enterprise that empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. The books we receive are sorted by our dedicated volunteers and redistributed throughout the city to elementary schools, childcare centers and other non-profits. Our goal is to reach EVERY child in Lynn – from birth to grade 5 – with at least three books during each calendar year. This is where we need your help! Can you help us identify opportunities for placement of a Big Red Bookshelf? After placement, we ask that an on-site designee monitor the bookshelf. Ideally, this person – whether staff or volunteer – would straighten up the bookshelf and would be the liaison with Centerboard to let us know when more books were needed. Currently we have the capacity to deliver 200-300 books per site on an on-call basis. We are also partnering with Lynn Tech, who will be building and painting a dozen Big Red Bookshelves for us to distribute around the city towards the end of March. We are happily accepting “applications” for those bookshelves at this time as well.

This bookshelf is waiting for a paint job, but still doing a great job!

We are sorting books into categories as follows: board books, picture/story books, early readers, chapter books, and reference books (i.e. almanacs, history, geography, biographies, animals, etc. – more appropriate for a library setting). In addition, we have some beautiful “specialty” books, specifically books in foreign languages – Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Portuguese and even Braille! We even have some beautiful “coffee table” type books for adults on gardening, art, music and architecture. We hope to find appropriate homes for all of these books as well. Last but not least, a task of this size requires a lot of peoplepower, so we are actively recruiting volunteers to help with the sorting of the books.

So, if you need books or would like to volunteer to help sort books, contact us today! connect@thecenterboard.org

We look forward to hearing from all of you in the next week or two regarding your organization’s interest in participating with us. Of course, we encourage you to reach out to other non-profits within the City who may not already be on the list, and please feel free to come by and check out OUR Big Red Bookshelf in our lobby at 16 City Hall Square, downtown Lynn. Revitalization Comes in Many Forms!

The Big Red Bookshelf at The Fallon School!

Small Business Development

Posted on January 30, 2013 by TheCenterboard

Recently here at Centerboard we launched our latest program called BIZSPACE. This program is for entrepreneurs, on going businesses, start-ups and artists who want to open a business here in Lynn. One of BIZSPACE’S offerings consists of a Small Business Development Class which grooms entrepreneurial talent in Lynn through an eight-week course geared toward the Lynn business market. To give you a clearer picture of the program we spoke to a few participants and to June Blair, our Director of Asset Building Services.

“Since BIZSPACE launched, we’ve been able to continually make improvements to the class offerings,” June says. “Each class is different and offers a unique experience based on the personalities of the participants, their ideas, what stage of ideation they are in and who the facilitator and speakers are,” Blair said, “it’s pretty organic and special.”

One of these participants is Sam Winslow, CEO and Founder of Thirst Footwear. Sam has been involved with BIZSPACE’S Professional Skills Based Volunteer program for over a year. He recently completed two rounds of funding, the shoe prototypes are done and he is now working on a manufacturing resource. The name Thirst comes from Sam’s idea to donate a portion of the proceeds to develop clean water sources in under developed countries. The Thirst Administrative offices will be inside Centerboard’s 16 City Hall Square Headquarters.

Sam credits the Centerboard staff and Volunteers with helping him get his business started, offering time and money saving tips. “The BIZSPACE program helped us to develop a draft of our business plan,” Winslow said. “It helped us learn things like who our target market is and how many sales we need to turn a profit. That, in turn, helped us to be able to communicate our vision for the business and played a key role in allowing us to make solid presentations to get funding.”

Sam goes on to say that Centerboard’s help has been out of this world, “they have paired me with several professionals from lawyers, shoe manufacturers, accountants and some public relations help. I cannot say enough about how they have thought about the entire process. We are very excited for the launch of the shoe line, we would like to do it in Lynn as creating a shoe company in Lynn is not lost on me given Lynn’s shoe history.”

BIZSPACE is not only for companies that are still in the pre-launch phase, it also offers services for existing small businesses that want to re-examine their strategies and look for new ways to improve their business. Another participant in BIZSPACE, Chubbuck Guitars recently opened at the Lydia Pinkham building in Lynn. Owner Kevin Chubbuck brings his experience gained from working for Santa Cruz Guitar Company (California) and Tippin Guitars in Marblehead to his own small business. He offers extensive string instrument repairs and specializes in hollowbody electric and steel string acoustic guitars. According to Kevin, “I decided to open in Lynn as I like the diverse make up of the people that live here.”

Kevin has attended several classes at BIZSPACE to both learn more about business and to do some networking. One look at his website and you can tell Chubbuck Guitars are made with mastery that will impress any instrument lover.

Along with Sam and Kevin, fellow participants in our Small Business Development classes also have some amazing ideas including an African grocery store, marble restoration, software development, food cart, specialty cupcakes, a flower shop, a bookstore café and a bio-diesel fuel company!

At each session, each business idea is discussed and brainstormed with the entire group. Each participant not only learns important resource information they also hear valuable feedback from their fellow students, and potential consumers.

“We want to make sure entrepreneurs leave the BIZSPACE class with two important takeaways: an understanding of how their ideas measure up against business fundamentals and the confidence that comes with that knowledge,” Blair continues. “From there, we want to make sure that they are connected to the full network of resources available in this city.”

It is a well-known fact that small businesses are the drivers of local economies. By assisting interested participants in launching their businesses we are attracting and keeping talent, energy and commerce right here in Lynn. If you are interested in learning more about BIZSPACE and how the program can help you, email us today!

The Holiday Season Brings Love!

Posted on January 16, 2013 by TheCenterboard

This holiday season the Centerboard staff were truly touched by all the love and support given to those we serve during what can be a tough time for families in need.

This year over 900 families reached out for help through our Toys for Tots drive run by the United Way Financial Stability Center.

Our Toys for Tots drive!

The Scattered Sites Family Emergency Center also had a list of 250 children from the 100+ families they serve. Centerboard has many great relationships with local agencies that think of those we serve year after year and we thank them greatly.

Community of Friends located in Marblehead MA is a volunteer-based, charitable organization. The organization’s mission is to provide practical necessities, outreach services and enriching experiences to our neighbors in need. This great organization collects the names, sizes, favorite color and basic interest of children and then reaches out to the community to get each child a stocking. The attention to detail and organization that goes into this each year is amazing! They also do backpacks so make sure you check them out if you would like to get involved with future drives.

Spectrum Adult Day Health Center located in North Andover MA provides compassionate and specialized daytime services for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders. This may be one of the most fun relationships because they invite a team of our staff to their member’s holiday party and we get to thank them personally for thinking of us, collecting toys, and knitting hats and gloves as we dance to holiday music and enjoy punch and cookies.

Holiday Party at Spectrum Health

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. The toy drive from Save the Children generously gives 2 gifts per child as well as grocery store gift cards to help families enjoy a nice holiday dinner.

Sweet Dreams for Teens is also located in Marblehead MA and is an independent group of friends who get together each year to make sure that teens in need are not left out. This thoughtful organization provides stockings full of goodies, warm slippers, and winter pajamas to all the teens registered. The teen age group can be a tough one to get donations for since most of them do not have a favorite toy anymore. This group makes sure the holidays are still special for them and it really makes a huge difference.

These are just a few of the many great organizations who think of Centerboard year after year. The number of people that just showed up at our office with donations was way too high to count. There were also so many people who volunteered their time to help sort and organize the distribution to every family in need. The agency is grateful beyond words; it is amazing to see the beauty and kindness that exists in so many people. Hope you all had a great holiday season and cheers to a new year of kindness and peace.

Pop Up Italian Style!

Posted on December 11, 2012 by TheCenterboard

The Man Behind the Pop Up!

Meet the Chef behind the Chameleon Pop Ups! Centerboard and Wicked Tasty would like to give you the chance to meet our Executive Chef Gerry Zullo. Wicked Tasty started in the summer of 2011 with the summer jobs program as a catering/ artisan baking company committed to producing the highest quality products and using our resources to positively impact the Lynn community through job creation and economic empowerment.

Gerry Zullo was brought on as Executive Chef in early 2012. Gerry brings with him experience in the restaurant industry since the age of eight. The Zullo family ran a breakfast and lunch diner in East Boston and as a young child Gerry would help in hand rolling the dough and making the donuts. The Zullo family quickly expanded their presence in the East Boston restaurant scene including a French Cuisine restaurant, and a barbecue restaurant. Gerry was involved with all levels of the industry and has brought his talent to Wicked Tasty.

Since joining the Wicked Tasty team Gerry has been a dedicated leader providing training in food preparation, food presentation, and food service. Once he settled into his new role and his staff was trained and ready to go, Gerry partnered with Art and Culture Coordinator Kelly Wall and Wicked Tasty business manager Lauren Robichaud and the Chameleon Pop Up was born. The immediately successful Pop Up dinners with no two Pop Ups the same have been providing the Lynn community with a year’s worth of fun nights out. Chameleon Pop Ups have included themes like Mash Potato Bar, Gourmet Burger nights, Sausage Stands and a four course price fixe menu sit down dinner, each one contributing to the creative economy growing in Lynn and allowing Centerboard to continue growing the workforce development program.

The next Pop Up allows you to meet out Executive Chef and enjoy two of his favorite family recipes.

For $12.00 you can choose from one of these great pasta dishes.

Pasta Bolognese — ground meat sautéed and handpicked spices gently stirred into a garden tomato sauce simmered to perfection poured over pasta.

Pasta Primavera — Virgin olive oil, sweet cream, Italian spices gently stirred into a garden tomato sauce simmered to perfection and blended with pasta.

Both pasta dishes are served with a goat cheese salad including mixed greens, pecans, and dried cranberries.

Join Centerboard at 5:30 pm on December 22^ndand meet our Italian American Executive Chef and enjoy some great pasta dishes, a cool ambiance, and mingle with some really great people.

Reservations Accepted, Walk-ins Welcome Centerboard HQ, 16 City Hall Square, downtown Lynn Contact Kelly Wall 781-598-9417 ext 1009 kwall@thecenterboard.org

Ready, Set, Read!

Posted on November 28, 2012 by TheCenterboard

Here at Centerboard we value education support and more importantly, our community’s access to it! Our Centerboard Education program has several ongoing initiatives that we are proud to share with you!

Centerboard CLASS (Centerboard Literacy and Scholastic Support) is going extremely well. We continue to bring in new children at the Brickett School where we are approaching 30 children ranging from Grades 1-5. The students in Grades 3-5 are making a newspaper about CLASS. They are also learning about statistics and surveys and they are assigning the numeric value to the anecdotal and experiential work we are doing to support the program of CLASS. Pretty great stuff!

Centerboard CLASS at the Boys and Girls Club is also going well. In this program we work closely with The Family Dinner Project to provide dinners for the participating children. On Thursdays we will be getting ready-made dinners from My Brother’s Table to give to the children and their families. The basic premise of this is based on proven research that children who have family dinners together do better in school than those who do not.

Our latest endeavor, The Books Program has begun with much assistance from More Than Words. This incredible organization donates 1,000 books PER WEEK that allows us to distribute books to children all over Lynn. Our incredible volunteer Liz Y. is the coordinator of this program. We are so excited to be getting these books out there!

Finally, in collaboration with Operation Bootstrap who is leading the charge, Lynn Reads, the Lynn Literacy Campaign is in full swing! We are happy to offer our support and gently used books to this very important campaign. It is a true citywide effort with agencies, businesses, volunteers and Lynn Schools all working together. As we all know, reading is fundamental!!

If you would like to volunteer to tutor a child in reading, do a Read Aloud or to simply sort books, send us an email! connect@thecenterboard.org

Building a Social Enterprise

Posted on November 26, 2012 by TheCenterboard

by June Blair

On Friday, November 16^th, Get The Led Out played at Lynn City Hall Auditorium. Die hard Led Zeppelin fans were not disappointed. The band brought everyone back to the days when Jimmy Page wowed audiences with his guitar solos using a bow from a violin. If you closed your eyes, you would swear that Robert Plant was at the mic. The music and the atmosphere were reminiscent of the days where peace and love ruled the world.

Before the concert, across the street, were some young men grilling and selling sausages on the sidewalk. They work for Wicked Tasty, a catering company developed by Centerboard to create jobs in the community. These young men are being trained by a chef on all aspects of the food industry with the intention of becoming Serve Safe certified. This certification will allow them an advantage when applying for jobs within the food industry.

The history of Wicked Tasty is very interesting. In partnership with the United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimack Valley, Centerboard ran a Youth Summer Jobs Program in the summer of 2011. What started out as summer employment for youth turned into a social enterprise that provides culinary training and job readiness. In addition, Wicked Tasty staff attend financial education classes. For many of them, this is the first time they have ever made their own money and are eager to learn about things such as budgeting, credit and banking.

The sausage, pepper and onion subs were delicious. Prepared on the grill outside, patrons were then led inside Centerboard headquarters. After paying the $6.00 for the sandwich, they were seated at tables covered in red poster paper. Facts about the “Pop Up Dinner” were written on the paper. Things like, ‘Using paper tablecloths allows us to enroll one more student in this training program’. There was a makeshift bar set up with wine and beer. Across the hall is an art gallery called visionspace, another Centerboard creation. The gallery that night was displaying some Mandala Art Creations done by students of Centerboard’s art class.

Despite the phenomenal concert across the street, the things that were happening at Centerboard really caught people’s attention. Building a creative economy is what urban revitalization is all about. Centerboard is playing a major role in that. This is yet another Innovation Action towards Impacting Lynn.

Small Business Classes

Posted on November 16, 2012 by TheCenterboard

Here at Centerboard we strive to give people access to the tools they need to succeed. In our mission to revitalize Lynn, one of our goals is to attract and retain artists and entrepreneurs, along with sparking a creative economy. One way to do this is to assist in creating small businesses. Local business is the backbone of our community. These Mom and Pop shops provide local jobs, improve neighborhoods and drive much needed revenue into the city.

It is toward this end that we are pleased to announce the launching of our new Small Business Development classes. This course is designed for anyone who is thinking about starting their own business or for the small business owner looking for insight as to how to increase their existing business.

Taught by local business professionals, the classes will cover topics such as qualifying for a loan, how to build your assets, getting people through the door, how to create a business plan, keeping to a budget, and how to stay on track. The classes will be interactive and provide an excellent forum to meet like-minded business owners. This will encourage creativity and create a supportive soundboard for ideas.

The 6-week course will be every Tuesday from 6-7:30 starting 12/4/12 here at Centerboard HQ, located at 16 City Hall Square. It will run for 6 weeks with the final date being 1/22/13 due to a holiday break. Our hope is that the participants will walk away with a new sense of confidence and direction in their goal of being a successful small business owner.

By helping our clients to build and grow durable businesses, we can help create permanent jobs that provide regular and reliable wages. Permanent jobs enable families to build assets, put money into a savings account, save for a home or their children’s education. Assets serve as a buffer that can prevent families from falling into poverty when someone loses a job or is afflicted with an illness. In turn, this foundation of family security helps to stabilize and grow our local economies.

Centerboard is committed to helping individuals and families obtain the knowledge they need to succeed. Successful people lead to successful communities and together we will make Lynn a strong sustainable vibrant city. To learn more about the many different programs offered by Centerboard Business, email us today. Connect@thecenterboard.org

GE Volunteers Impact our Community

Posted on November 13, 2012 by TheCenterboard

by Rachel Korman

While working in a residential program is a lot of fun, this fun does not come without its ups and downs. There are however many things that make the downs much easier to overcome- mainly the successes of the individuals we serve, the on-going passion and dedication of the program staff, and the commitment and support of the community.

One such example is the tremendous volunteer effort shown recently by the GE. As they are located right here in Lynn, General Electric continuously supports many of our volunteer initiatives ranging from the work accomplished beautifying our space to being an integral component of our Professional Skills Based Volunteer program. As a result of their efforts, over the past week, the staff of the Centerboard Teen Living Program have seen and heard countless individuals and visitors take note of, and commend, the recent improvements that have been made to the facility. Those who have visited, or even just driven by, could not have missed the new landscaping, backyard play space and refinished front porch and ramp, which are the result of an amazing and inspiring day spent with volunteers from General Electric. Last Friday, the GE volunteers, TLP staff and the Centerboard maintenance crew, were able to help complete the TLP face-lift, which has been over a year in the making. In addition to the outdoor play area, the front porch and the landscaping, we were able to finish painting the interior of the house. These improvements were in collaboration with the efforts of the TLP staff to make the program more teen and child friendly, which, in the past year, has included the addition of a gym or “mom zone” for the mothers to use for exercise, the painting of all bedrooms and hallways in bright colors which the residents helped to choose, and most recently the GE installation of the new outdoor play area.

GE volunteers working hard!

Over the past year as the Director of Teen Parent Programming, I have been amazed and astonished by the efforts of individuals and organizations within the greater Lynn area to provide support, guidance and help for these brave, and at times struggling, young mothers. Without the help of these individuals, organizations and agencies, many of these programs would not be what they are today, and we as staff would not be able to do the work that we enjoy doing on a daily basis. Not only is it encouraging for us as staff to see the ongoing commitment from the community, but it’s also important for the young women that we serve to feel as if they are part of something larger. If they see us- staff, volunteers, and organizations- spending our time and resources to give back, it will only encourage them to do the same. The recent volunteer project, in which GE employees spent a day at the program painting, weeding, hammering, and planting, is a direct representation of this commitment.

In light of this recent collaboration, I want to take this time to thank everyone who has ever donated clothes, food, baby items, services, and your time, for not only providing these tangible items but for also demonstrating that there are people out there, be it strangers, loved ones, or a community, who care!

And thank you GE, for your continued support and recent facility over-haul which has enabled us to be even more proud of where we work!

Thanks for your help GE!!