Finance committee accepts $709,700 ‘Mass Safe and Successful Youth’ grant with HPD-led partnerships

The Finance Committee on Sept. 8 approved the City’s acceptance of a $709,700 Mass Safe and Successful Youth Initiative grant that will run over three years and fund youth outreach and service coordination efforts, Holyoke Police Department officials said.

Chief Brian Keenan and Sergeant Joseph Zahide of the Holyoke Police Department explained that the overall award is issued to the city and HPD will receive approximately $100,000 per year for three years (roughly $300,000 total) to support outreach targeting individuals aged 17 to 24. The balance of the grant will fund partner organizations, including Roca, MassHire and counseling services, the officers said.

Sergeant Zahide described the model: outreach coordinators attempt repeated contacts with identified young people and enroll those who accept services into programs offering counseling, pre‑employment and employment supports and help obtaining documents such as library cards or driver’s licenses. HPD is the grantee and subcontracts portions of the work to partners; program budgets were developed with partners and are subject to review by state grant administrators, Zahide said.

Committee members asked about the required steering committee that oversees the statewide initiative. Zahide said the steering committee is established in the grant guidelines and includes representatives from multiple participating cities and entities across the state; state staff review and may modify local budgets. Councilor Jourdain asked whether the award is a renewal; Zahide said the program is new in structure but continues services similar to the prior five‑year program that closed under a previous contract.

The committee voted to accept the grant and establish accounting for the funds; the item was approved for a full City Council vote.