The Waverly and Beaver Streets area as referred to by Mr. Chasan in a previous letter, may have the highest poverty level in town. They also have something truly unique, “Our House," Pelham Apartments Recreation and Computer Center.

It has operated successfully for 18 years. The Recreation Center provides a place for children to go for homework help, and recreation. The Center also provides computers for the use of adults during the day when children are at school. This recreation center is funded jointly by Corcoran Management, Framingham Housing, and Framingham Police.

The Center provides services to anyone that is need. Additionally, partnering with all agencies within the MetroWest area, they can provide quality customer services. It is for this reason the Center has grown over the past 18 years.

Mr. Chasan had made a passing reference to this program in a previous article,
but his Hoops for Homework is modeled after the already existing, successful program “Our House.”

I do agree that more funding would be a help in this area. The sites at Cochituate Homes and at Framingham Housing Authority will reach more children.

My proposal is this: why not fix the needed infrastructure of the sites, then expand the services of Pelham Apartments Recreation and Computer Center to over see the operations of the programs, because they already provide services to all three sites. Pelham Apartments and Computer Center would be able to expand their staff, and physically oversee the day to day operations of the three sites.

Why reinvent the wheel?

Laura Keith
Precinct 17