Ripples2026Spring (ENG)

2026

ISSUE 05

Ripples

UNION CAPITAL

EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEWS WITH UC MEMBERS ----------------RECENT EVENT HIGHLIGHTS ----------------PARTNER SHOUT OUTS

UNION CAPITAL: BUILT ON CONNECTIONS

Table Of Contents 01 Intern Spotlight/Core team Read all about a few of our staff at Union Capital.

02 Meet Our New Network Coordinators Curious about who joined our Network Coordinator team? Go to this page!

03 UC Clubs See how UC’s clubs are doing and learn about them!

04 Member Stories Our members shared their stories with us! Hello, Shondell and Darien!

06 Member-Led Partnership Shine Learn more about UC partners.

07 UC Boston Highlights Check out Boston and find out what they have been doing recently.

09 UC Springfield Highlights Springfield follows right after the UCB recap!

10 Annual Survey Takeaways UC Ripples

Read some quotes and numbers about Union Capital.

UC Ripples Intern Spotlight

INTRODUCING THE NEW UC INTERN: MADISON BIZJAK Hello! My name is Madison Bizjak, and I was born and raised in San Diego, California, but now I live in Indiana so I can attend Earlham College. I value curiosity and meaningful work! I enjoy understanding how culture, media, and politics affect everyday life and how people see the world. I am excited to share my voice as well as the voices of other’s.

I was interested in working with UC because of its mission focus: building social capital! Being a storyteller who engages in deep relationships within the community is what I’m working towards. I hope people can read my writing as I interview UC members and fill in the pages of Ripples and be as inspired as me when I read others’ work. I love the idea of bringing the Boston/Springfield communities together sharing the wins and resources across the state.

CORE TEAM: Dennis Hicks

Eric Leslie

Roberto “Tito” Martinez

Director of Leadership

Founder/Lead Organizer

Director of Springfield

Diana Garcia

Heather Salerno

Shavonne Herrington

Network Manager

Springfield Network Support Administrator

Director of Partnership

Elsa Flores

Jalina Suggs

East Boston Network Manager

Director of Boston

01 UC Ripples

Semhar Habtehans Boston Network Support Administrator

Meet Springfield’s New Network Support Administrator Welcome, Heather Salerno!

Heather has worked with Union Capital Springfield for two years as a Network Coordinator and has been recognized for her hard work and leadership!

Heather shares, "Having served as a Network Coordinator, I have seen firsthand the incredible impact that resourcesharing and community connection have on our members.

I am so excited to take on this new role with Union Capital, to ensure our backend systems and logistics are just as strong as our community relationships, allowing us to build even more social capital here in Springfield."

We’re excited to have Heather on board!

Meet Our New Network Coordinators!

Latawnda Brown Project Hope

02 UC Ripples

Maureen Greenway Mass ParentsCorps

Cornelius Hood UC Brotherhood

Union Capital Clubs

JOIN A UC CLUB: Parents, Let’s Talk (PLT) PLT is a space to share information and resources for caregivers and the youth! It includes enrichments and outlets for creativity, growth, and success. This club is open to all members of Union Capital.

Parents, Let’s Talk (PLT) Launches Thursday April 16, 2026 Meetings: 7:00 pm, Third Thursday of each month; Virtual Location: Boston

Sis It’s Safe Sis It’s Safe is a SIS-iety that offers guided discussions rooted in trauma-informed curriculum. This is a safe space that supports learning, fosters sisterhood, and encourages growth, healing, self-reflection, and authentic expression. Some activities

What are UC Clubs?

include presentations, workshops, and

Union Capital Clubs are member-led groups

hands-on projects.

designed to bring our community even

Meetings: 6:00pm Thursdays, Monthly; In-

closer together. Each club creates space for

Person Meetings

learning, support, and shared experiences

Location: Boston

—connecting

members

through

the

interests, passions, and conversations that matter most to them. Clubs offer a meaningful way to get more involved and stay engaged in the UC network.

Join a club, find your community, and be part of something powerful together.

Check out the UC Clubs Landing page on our website to learn more: https://unioncapital.org/clubs 03 UC Ripples

2026

MEMBER STORIES Meet Darien Santiago!

Darien found Union Capital Springfield through his community, and since then, he’s been able to thrive with this opportunity he found through networking!

As a Lead Network Coordinator, Darien helps with event planning, tabling, partner organization discussions, assisting newcomers, and more. He has been with UC Springfield since its beginning (two years) and has seen tremendous growth within the community and organization. With around 2,000 members now, the impact is very noticeable. Darien shared, “The members have gained more confidence and are more in tune with what we have going on, and we assist people with loneliness who don’t get out much, and now they have, almost like a club to join, it’s almost like a family type of thing. A lot of people that, before they joined UC, didn’t really do too much, and now they’re engaging with more people, and you hear that from a lot of people as well.”

Darien’s journey shows how networking and community can lead people to amazing opportunities to grow!

04 UC Ripples

2026

Meet Shondell Davis!

What began as simple encouragement from a friend has grown into a meaningful mission for Shondell Davis, a local mother dedicated to supporting her community. About seven months ago, she became a Lead Network Coordinator with UC, where she has embraced learning new skills and deepening her understanding of the organization.

While she finds the work rewarding, she also faces consistent challenges in reaching community members, often adapting by connecting one-on-one and helping those who struggle with technology stay involved.

Her passion is rooted in personal experience. After a devastating family loss, Shondell felt disconnected and found that many outside resources weren’t accessible to people in her community. This realization led her back to UC, where she now works to ensure others don’t feel isolated during difficult times.

Today, she is driven to build a stronger, more connected community by fostering relationships, sharing resources, and supporting neighbors’ basic needs—all while maintaining self-care and boundaries to sustain her compassion and strength.

05 UC Ripples

Read more about Darien, Shondell and more members here! https://unioncapital.org/stories

2026

Member-Led Partnership Shine Introducing: The Sacred Womb Project The Sacred Womb Project (previously Her Womb Essence) is a community-based initiative dedicated to reclaiming womb knowledge through culture, education, and advocacy. Through programs, workshops, and community conversations, they support menstrual health education, reproductive awareness, and body literacy across generations. This is a member-led partnership by Kennysha Wrencher!

Get Excited! UC has a club in connection with the Sacred Womb Project.

The Womb Wisdom Book Club launches in April!

Women from the Sacred Womb club showing off their womb vision boards!

06 UC Ripples

2026

Member-Led Partnership Shine Introducing: Lives Are Meant to be Changed We are proud to partner with Lives Are Meant to be Changed led by Garrick Thames.

This organization is meant to drive health, wellness, and prosperity for men of color and their families! They have a variety of resources and programs to get involved and connected to!

Their programs include: Substance Use Disorder: Support and treatment connections.

Education & Employment: GED support and job readiness training.

Housing & Re-Entry: Stable housing and community reintegration.

Parenting: Coaching support for fathers.

Read more about Lives are Meant to be Changed here: https://livesaremeanttob echanged.org/

07 UC Ripples

2026

Boston Highlights Some event, program and team wins of the past few months!

1

1) January 21: 1st UCB Jackson Square Network Night of the year hosted at Transitional Remedies Solutions Inc. Office with over 80 people in attendance.

2) February 28: Network Coordinators

2

Mirlande and Maria tabling together with our Boston Network Manager, Diana at this year’s Museum of Science Black History Month Celebration.

3 3) March 11: UCB Community Partners Breakfast where we came together to reflect on the shared wins, challenges and opportunities for deepening our collaborative efforts in Boston.

08 UC Ripples

Springfield Highlights Some event, program and team highlights of the past few months!

1

1) January 28: 1st In Person Network Night of the year hosted at East Forest Park Library. Over 50 people in attendance with lots of great conversation and connections.

2) February 19: Tito Martinez, our

2

Director of Springfield awarded the Outstanding Community Service Award at the 2026 Lift Every Voice Lecture Series. Congrats Tito!

3) March 19: UCS Community Partners Breakfast was a success with mulitple leaders across the city coming

3

together to reflect on the important work being done and explore possibilities for pushing our collaborations further in Springfield.

09 UC Ripples

2026

Annual Survey Takeaways “Being connected “Being connected to to UCB UCB has has opened opened my my eyes eyes to to so so many many things happening things happening in in Boston Boston and and so so many many resources.” resources.”

“[Union capital “[Union capital means] means] friendship, friendship, communication, communication, compassion, and compassion, and learn learn to to believe believe in in me me relationships.” relationships.”

10 UC Ripples

2026

We look forward to sharing more in our annual report soon!

Union Capital Boston has:

2,945 members

Union Capital Springfield has:

2,205 members

Rewards granted in Boston:

$50,000+

Rewards granted in Springfield:

$15,000+

Hours recorded in Boston:

49,531

Hours recorded in Springfield:

17,514

“UC has “UC has been been such such aa shining shining light light in in my my life life and and II can't imagine can't imagine living living without without it.” it.”

11 UC Ripples

2026