We’re Building the Economic Mobility Hub at Rindge Commons
This new, mixed-use development at Alewife, will bring together a state-of-the-art education and job training center, affordable housing, childcare and services available to the entire neighborhood.

We’re addressing the issues families are faced with today.
Housing
Rental costs have increased dramatically over the past 10 years and a lack of affordable housing has increased to record high numbers.
Employment
Systemic disadvantages for people of color make competing for quality employment, especially in industries like technology and life sciences, difficult.
Sustainable income
Without stabilized housing and career-oriented employment, families are struggling to live financially independent.
An exciting opportunity is underway!

Comprehensive Services Under One Roof
Our workforce development and YouthBuild training programs will create new career pathways for adults and youth in the biomed, IT and construction and retail sectors.
The hub is a 5 minute walk from a new, 26-acre life science district and is adjacent to the Alewife MBTA station.
The new hub will annually serve over 2,800 individuals across multiple services and under one roof.
Financial services will assist families with tax prep services, financial counseling and coaching and obtaining earned income tax credits.
In partnership with the City of Cambridge, 10,000 square feet reserved for a high-quality preschool that will serve 68 children.
32,000 will be reserved for the construction of affordable apartments, addressing a critical need in this location.
Creating Career Pathways and Tripling the Impact
The brand new labs and classrooms will double the number of students in our current programs and allow the development of new, accelerated programs to expand our impact.
The first and second floors will house the YouthBuild Woodshop and classrooms. The third floor will include the Biomedical and Information Technology adult career programs spaces. Our tuition-free programs prepare individuals for entry-level jobs in biotechnology and IT support and are designed for people who are looking for a stable, new career with family-sustaining wages and opportunities for growth.



Since 1992, over 600 people have graduated from our programs. 89% of graduates from 2021 have secured in-field employment with average wage gains of $25,000 a year.




Building an Equitable Future
Together with our partners, we’re leading the way in creating equitable communities in Cambridge and beyond with our integrative services, so that everybody can secure a solid economic foundation. By bringing all of our services to one central location, a participant may enter one program and then have exposure and the opportunity to participate in another. We will continue to do what we do best—build homes, careers and futures.

BUILDING HOMES
1,500 people live in our affordable homes, with 250 more homes in our pipeline. We assist over 600 people with rental assistance, housing stabilization, homeless prevention, and home improvement.

BUILDING careers
Support over 130 adults and youth in job training, attainment, and career counseling. 90% of our Biomed and IT training graduates secure in-sector jobs within one year with average salary increase of $25,000.

BUILDING futures
150 people receive financial coaching to plan and save for their future. 318 people have their tax returns prepared at our Tax Help Clinic, returning over $640,000 to the community in tax refunds and credits.

Will You Support the Economic Mobility Hub at Rindge Commons?
To fund the new Economic Mobility Hub, Just A Start has launched a $4.25M capital campaign to create the build-out of the training and program spaces, including the development of bio and IT training labs and a woodshop for our YouthBuild program.
We welcome generous donors who share our passion for building pathways for families and individuals who will benefit from our services in order to move forward.
Thank You to our Campaign Leadership
CAMPAIGN CHAIRS
Lisa J. Drapkin
Denman Drapkin Group at Compass
Samuel M. Gebru
Black Lion Strategies
Wayne Patenaude
Cambridge Savings Bank
Denis K. Sheahan
Cambridge Trust
CAMPAIGN cabinet
Mark Boyes-Watson
Boyes - Watson Architects
Chris Chandor
The Davis Companies
John DiGiovanni
Trinity Property Management
Jan Devereux
Michael Fish
Dellbrook | JKS
Janet Frazier
Maloney Properties
Chrissy Gabriel
IQHQ
Stephen Gardiner
Rick Henken
Schochet Companies
Michael Kuhn
Cambridge Savings Bank
David Maher
Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
Michael Martin
Wingate Companies
Peter Munkenbeck
Tom O’Brien
HYM Investment Group
Paul Parravano
MIT
Sara Yarling
Broad Street Consulting Group
Thank You to our Campaign Donors
$500,000+
- IQHQ
-
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
Anonymous
$250,000 to $499,999
- Eastern Bank Foundation
- Sanofi
$150,000 to $249,000
- Cambridge Community Foundation
-
Cambridge Savings Charitable Foundation
Loren J Wilson
Miramare Foundation
Upland Gardens Fund
$100,000 to $149,999
- Amelia Peabody Foundation
- Cambridge Trust Charitable Foundation
- The Davis Companies
- Lisa J Drapkin and Debbie Lewis
- The Fallon Company
-
PNC Bank Foundation
Roy A Hunt Foundation
$50,000 to $99,999
-
Cabot Family Charitable Trust
Dellbrook/JKS -
East Cambridge Savings Bank
Eastern Charitable Foundation in memory of Monica Wulff Steinert - Stephen and Ann Gardiner
- Peter Munkenbeck
- Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation
- The Schochet Companies
- Susan and James Stockard
- Wingate Companies
$25,000 to $49,999
-
Boston BioProducts
Denman Drapkin Group
Maloney Properties, Inc.
Beth Nagy and Carl Nagy-Koechlin
NEI General Contracting
Trinity Property Management
$10,000 to $24,999
-
Catherine Hinds Company in honor of Catherine E. Hinds
James Allard and Geraldine Zipser in honor of Marelynn W. Zipser
- Samuel M. Gebru
-
HarborOne Foundation
Hong Kong Restaurant - ICON Architecture
- Intercontinental Real Estate Corp
- Michael Kuhn
- Holden Lewis and Han Suh
- Bill McAvinney and Carolyn Fuller
- Mildred’s Dream Foundation
-
RJ Panzo
Paul Roiff - Jennie Weiner and Jeremiah Jordan
- The Weinrobe Family
$5,000 to $9,999
-
Carol and Frank Burt
Fan Family
Donna Lewis in honor of Fred Lewis
Paul Parravano
Wayne and Kimberly Patenaude - Nina Schwarzschild
- Symmes Maini & McKee Associates
-
We thank the many donors who have made gifts of less than $5,000 to support this project.
