Friendly House, Inc.

Friendly House was founded “for the educational, social and family betterment of residents of the City of Worcester.” Friendly House/Settlement house (multi-service center) works with entire families both nuclear and extended, as an integrating force for the families and the Neighborhood(s) it serves. Friendly House provides a continuum of comprehensive coordinated neighborhood basic services to inner-city families.

Description:
Friendly House is a community-based, human services organization that traces its roots to the settlement house movement of the late 19th century. Settlement houses are centers of information and expression with communities, places where the surrounding neighborhood comes together socially, culturally, and intellectually in an atmosphere of mutual care and contribution participants both give to and receive from the settlement house programs and services. A settlement house is committed to the overall well being of its neighborhood, and to encourage participants’ achievement of their full potential.

Friendly House provides services for many thousand low-income, largely minority and low-income individuals and their families, many of whom live in the Grafton Hill neighborhood(s) and the central corridor section of Worcester. Friendly House operates seven facilities in Worcester, including the emergency family shelter located at 87 Elm Street and provides a summer Day Camp in Holden, MA. Basic Needs Outreach to the Quinsigamond Village neighborhood and the Autumn Woods Housing Complex. While Friendly House’s Primary population is low-income residents, the organization has a long tradition of servicing as a “community living room” for all residents of the city of Worcester. The Grafton Hill section of Worcester always has been a diverse vibrant, and in some areas a somewhat mobile community. Since the days of the late 1800’s, Grafton Hill has been a point of entry for immigrants from all over the world, and migrants seeking jobs and other opportunities. It has been home to successive waves of racial, ethnic, and cultural groups-Syrians and Lebanese, Italians, Irish, Lithuanians, Latinos, Asians, French, Canadians, and more recently, Albanians and Brazilians.

History:
Friendly House first opened its doors in 1920, as a small three-room settlement house located at 37 Norfolk Street in, Worcester, MA, under the sponsorship of the Worcester Civic League. Their mission was to promote neighborhood health and welfare for the betterment of Worcester and to further the interests of Worcester’s immigrants – introducing them to customs and traditions of their new home and helping them to become and integral part of civic life.

In 1937, Friendly House became a community-based board and no longer a Junior League project. In 1939, at the urging of the then Director, Mrs. Edwin I. Morris, a Mother’s Club was formed. Mrs. Nebeha Merhige-Haddad was elected President. Each member of the club was a mother or grandmother of the children enrolled in Friendly House classes or clubs. Besides sewing, cooking, and crocheting, mothers enjoyed various adult education and Americanization programs including field trips to local industries. The Mother’s Club was very popular and fond memories of the club lasted many decades.

Friendly House was instrumental in establishing the Oak Hill Community Development Corporation. Friendly House not only continued its involvement with the United Neighborhood Center Association (UNCA), on a national level, but also participated at the International Federation of Settlement (IFS) celebration at Toynbee Hall.

With the merging and closing of Neighborhood centers in Worcester over the years, Friendly House has emerged as the leader and centerpiece of assistance for providing services to Worcester residents. Inner city families turn to Friendly House for a variety of assistance including shelter, emergency help, food, medical care, after school and summer programs, day care, senior programs and counseling. Friendly House helps people help themselves by providing information, resources and direct support.

Contact people:

Gordon Hargrove, Executive Director, (508) 755-4362, (email) Susan Daly, Administrative Assistant, (508) 755-4362, (email)

Office fax number: (508) 793-7800

Address:

36 Wall Street Worcester, MA 01604 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.worcesterresources.org/friendlyhouse

Directions:

From City Hall, start out going SOUTH on MAIN ST toward FRANKLIN ST.Turn LEFT onto FRANKLIN ST.Turn LEFT onto WORCESTER CENTER BLVD.Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto FRANKLIN ST.Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto NORFOLK ST.Turn RIGHT onto GROTON PL.Turn RIGHT onto WALL ST.End. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Mobil of Grafton Street, 7 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Are any opportunities appropriate for youth ages 18 or under? If yes, what age range?
	yes, 5 years up

Last updated on February 4, 2009