HANOVER — Seventy guests including board and family members, students and adult program participants, staff, donors, and supporters gathered at Cardinal Cushing Centers on July 18, 2019, to celebrate the groundbreaking of their new MarketPlace Building.

Speakers included the organization’s new President and CEO John F. Von Ahn; Gerard A. Vitti, chair of the board and parent; George Drummey, Building Committee chair; Jody Nash, Capital Campaign chair and parent; and Nicholas Heap, a residential student at Cushing who also works in the organization’s Bass Café. Jansi Chandler, vice president of development for Cushing, emceed the event.

The new MarketPlace Building, which will be constructed over the next year, will be visible and
accessible directly from Route 53, and is a 20,000 square foot, environmentally friendly building that will house the Cushing café, thrift store, and gift shop, along with state-of-the-art training classrooms.

The organization has raised $9.5 million to date to cover the cost of the project, but continues to fundraise to reach the original $10 million goal. The additional funds will be used to create a small operating reserve to ensure the building is properly maintained.

The new MarketPlace building will provide employment training to Cushing students and job
opportunities to adults with disabilities. With the retail shops more visible and accessible to passersby on Route 53, Cushing Centers hopes to increase the number of customers they serve, enhancing the job training so their students are better prepared to obtain paying jobs in the community.
Along with the recent addition of the Bethany Apartments, the MarketPlace Building helps Cardinal
Cushing Centers turn their vision of creating an integrated neighborhood where people with and without
disabilities live, work, learn, shop, and socialize together, into a reality.

This type of model community is unlike any other and places the organization on the cutting edge in their field. To support the MarketPlace Building or Cardinal Cushing Centers, please do not hesitate to contact Jansi Chandler at [email protected] or 781-829-4611. You may also donate securely online at this link.

All photos by Bill Brett