New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Meet Gloria Williams, 71-year-old Director of PACE YouthBuild. Gloria was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. After time in college and some years working as a Math teacher, Gloria relocated to New Bedford to take a position working in the field of Human development.
After some time working in that field, she took the position at PACE YouthBuild, where she runs the program. PACE YouthBuild is a program for underserved at risk youth, 16-24, that have dropped out or been forced out of the traditional school system. They offer their members a host of wrap around services to lead them towards a brighter future. Through HiSET preparation, National construction certification, life and career development skills, YouthBuild prepares these young people for the rest of their lives.
Gloria has taken a huge amount of pride in what the YouthBuild team does at the program. She loves being at 593 Kempton Street, as it helps her keep going, knowing that they are impacting their students’ lives. They are also involved in helping the community as well. PACE YouthBuild buys old and foreclosed homes, rehabs them, and then makes them affordable for first time home buyers, who wouldn’t otherwise have been able purchase a home.
Gloria often says, “Once YouthBuild, always YouthBuild!Membership doesn’t end when a student graduates, we are always here to support and enrich the lives of past, present and future members!”
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