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O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation Distributes $550,000 in 2025

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation distributed $550,000 in 2025 funding to support women and families across Springfield, advancing economic stability through investments that address both immediate needs and long-term opportunities. Grounded in its mission to pave pathways to economic security, the foundation strategically invested across a range of support, from food access and basic needs to education, career development, and financial wellness.

“Women are navigating increasingly complex barriers to stability,” said Margaret Tantillo, executive director of the O’Dell Women’s Center. “These investments reflect our commitment to meeting urgent needs for women in Springfield, while also supporting the systems and programs that help women build sustainable futures.”

A total of $450,000 in grant funding was awarded to the following organizations serving women in Springfield:

• Bay Path University, to support a new emergency assistance initiative for Springfield-based students facing unexpected crises, including housing instability, transportation challenges, and lack of basic necessities, helping women remain enrolled and complete their education;

• Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, to provide a continuum of career support, including professional attire, career readiness, coaching, and advancement services that help women achieve long-term financial independence;

• Girls Inc. of the Valley, to continue supporting the Eureka! Program, a no-cost, five-year STEM initiative that empowers girls to envision themselves as part of the future workforce through hands-on learning and sustained mentorship;

• The Gray House, to strengthen adult education services for low-income migrants and refugees, including ESOL instruction paired with essential life and job skills training;

• It Takes a Village, to expand basic needs programming that fills critical service gaps for low-income women and families, helping remove survival-level barriers to economic stability;

• MassHire Holyoke, to implement the GLOW program in Springfield, a holistic workforce initiative combining intensive case management, job placement, and wrap-around supports to address barriers such as childcare, transportation, housing instability, and digital skill gaps;

• South End Community Center, to provide out-of-school programming that offers safe, reliable childcare through after-school, vacation, summer, and school-closure programs, supporting parents’ ability to work and pursue education;

• Tech Foundry, to deliver digital literacy instruction, professional development, and career mapping for women participating through YWCA programming; and

• United Way of Pioneer Valley, to expand direct services for underserved women by increasing food pantry access and strengthening Thrive Financial Wellness programming through individualized financial coaching.

“These partnerships reflect our belief that economic stability is built through coordinated, community-driven solutions,” said Keely Krantz, founder and president of the O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation. “When women have access to basic needs, education, and career opportunities, entire families and communities are strengthened.”

In addition to the grants, $100,000 was distributed directly to local food pantries in response to a sharp increase in food insecurity caused by delays in SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown. This emergency support helped stabilize households facing sudden gaps in access to basic nutrition.

Together, these investments underscore the O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation’s ongoing commitment to advancing economic security for women across Springfield.

O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation Distributes $100,000 to Food Pantries

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation announced the release of $100,000 in emergency funding to support food pantries across Springfield. This rapid response effort comes in light of recent SNAP benefit reductions and the ongoing federal government shutdown, both of which have left many families struggling to access basic necessities.

“Women and families are resilient, but many are now facing impossible choices between food, rent, and other essentials,” said Margaret Tantillo, executive director of the O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation. “We cannot stand by while our neighbors go hungry. This emergency funding is a first step — but it will take all of us, as a community, to meet the growing need.”

The O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation’s emergency funds will help ensure that local food pantries can purchase and distribute food to families experiencing hardship.

“The O’Dell Women’s Center Foundation was created to be a catalyst for hope and action,” said Keely Krantz, founder and president of the O’Dell Women’s Center. “At moments like this, our mission — to uplift women and families toward stability and economic security — demands an immediate and compassionate response.”

The foundation also encourages the public to make financial contributions to their local food pantry or to the food distribution partners it has supported, including All Nations Church, the Care Center, Christina’s House, the Gray House, Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services, Open Pantry Emergency Food Program, Salvation Army Springfield Citadel, S.M.A.R.T. Pantry at Spring Meadow Apartments, St. John’s Congregational Church, and United Way of Pioneer Valley.