On Tuesday, February 5th, two Harvard Square Business Association (HSBA) members, Capital One’s Harvard Square Café and the Cambridge Community Center (CCC), hosted a breakfast event to launch CCC’s 90th Anniversary Fund with a $50,000 contribution from Capital One. The breakfast featured government, business, and community leaders from throughout Cambridge as well as Capital One’s community affairs team from its headquarters in Virginia.
Denise Jillson, executive director of the HSBA, said, “It was an honor to officially welcome attendees to the Capital One Café in Harvard Square for this celebration of giving. Capital One’s presentation of a leadership gift of $50,000 to the Cambridge Community Center is a fitting tribute to an important and beloved Cambridge institution. It was especially heartfelt and timely given that February is Black History Month.
Jillson further stated, “Since Capital One opened its doors in the Square in 2016, they have been kind, generous and involved community partners. Their team is always willing to help out and participate in our events i.e. square-wide cleanups, Oktoberfest, MayFair, movie nights, Winter Carnival and so many more. Capital One’s contribution to the Cambridge Community Center is impressive, but not surprising; despite their national status, they behave like a true neighborhood bank.”
According to Samuel M. Gebru, CCC Director of Engagement and Partnerships, “The Cambridge Community Center was founded on January 29, 1929, by a group of Black pastors concerned about the lack of opportunities for African American children and youth in Cambridge. At the time, the YMCA was whites-only – in Cambridge and nationwide – so this presented an opportunity for the pastors to take action. After its founding in January 1929, CCC’s physical operations commenced later that year in August in the former Mary A. Tarbell Elementary School on 5 Callender Street in The Coast/Riverside neighborhood.
Since its founding, CCC has always served as an inclusive space for all in the community, providing educational, social, and recreational programming as well as space for individuals and groups to host all types of gatherings. CCC purchased its massive property in 1948 and continues to own it—a property that includes three floors, well-lit classrooms, a brand-new tech lab, and a full-sized basketball court.
As CCC celebrates its 90th year of building community together, its 90th Anniversary Fund and Capital One’s kickoff contribution of $50,000 presents a prime opportunity for friends, new and familiar, to learn more about its current work and what’s in store.”
CCC is rolling out a yearlong schedule of events and activities, including its premiere event of the year: the 90th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, May 9 at MIT’s Walker Memorial Hall. Learn more about its 90th Anniversary Fund, and how to help celebrate its history at www.cambridgecc.org/90
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