Sailing into Community Partnerships:

The House of the Seven Gables and its Trustees have recently updated Caroline Emmerton’s visionary settlement model to better address the needs of Salem in the 21^st century. 

A necessary first step in recasting The Settlement’s mission was to eliminate the after-school and camp programs that had been offered for many years at The Settlement.  Instead, the Board voted to establish strategic partnerships with various community organizations whose programs aligned with the spirit and intent of The Settlement’s mission.

This decision to break out from the known confines of established programs signaled a new direction.  As Anita Blackaby, Executive Director of the Gables, stated: “Partnering with direct-service providers who are currently working with the underserved population [of Salem] allows The Gables to be more responsive to community needs now and in the future.”

In effect, this statement signaled The Gables’ intention to loosen its brick-and-mortar moorings and "set sail" into the larger community. 

In November 2010, The Gables announced its Settlement partners for 2011 and the programmatic goals for the collaborations.

The Gables Settlement Partners for 2011 are:

• Express Yourself, Inc., from Beverly, MA 

Express Yourself introduces underserved young people to the worlds of music, dance, and visual arts. A joint project with The Gables is currently underway, with an upcoming event entitled Dancin’ in the House. This is a Gables-inspired visual performance piece by the young members of Express Yourself.  The work incorporates family stories of immigration, along with Latino music and traditions into a rousing performance on May 19^th at the Citi Wang Theatre in Boston.  Two more events are being planned by Express Yourself and The Gables for June and the fall of 2011; stay tuned for more details as the dates draw near.

• Salem CyberSpace (a program of North Shore Community Action), Salem, MA  Salem CybersSpace’s goal is to provide educational and career opportunities for low-income, primarily Latino youth, providing the foundation for achievement and self-sufficiency.  This year’s partnership with The Gables has already begun, and the young people in the program have used the Visitor Center for sessions focusing on community improvement programs and college preparation activities.

• The Plummer Home for Boys, Salem, MA

The Plummer Home is a community-based group home for boys ages 12-18 and a pre-independent living program for boys ages 16-22.  The Plummer Home will place several young people at The Gables in a structured vocational training program that will provide teens with their first job experience. Gables staff will function as mentors assisting the youths in learning skills and social norms critical to their future success in today’s competitive job market.

• St. Peter’s Episcopal Church / Iglesia Episcopal San Pedro & the Family Self-Sufficiency Center, Salem, MA

Working with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and the Family Self-Sufficiency Center, The Gables plans to work with young Latinos from Salem to promote literacy, community engagement, and social independence. The Gables is proud to collaborate with St. Peter’s on The Salem Youth Summer Theater Project, a production that will take shape during St. Peter’s Summer Camp program under the guidance of theatre consultant Brendan Pelsue.  Latino youth will use theatre as a tool to explore their cultural heritage and traditions by interviewing first-generation immigrants who are now senior citizens of Salem.  Two performances will be done, one at St. Peter’s, another at The Gables.