“If we all do a little, the results will be a lot.”
C.H.E.E.R.S. to a Better Community!
Feeding Hope. Building Leaders. Inspiring Change.
“If we all do a little, the results will be a lot.”
“When we GIVE, we GROW!”
Empowering Change
About Us
508 C.H.E.E.R.S. empowers BIPOC, low-income, and underserved youth through mentorship, community service, and mutual aid projects.
We address food insecurity, promote health and wellness, and create pathways for personal and community growth.
Together, we’re building a more equitable, connected, and compassionate Worcester, one youth leader at a time.
Our Mission Why We C.H.E.E.R.S.
508 C.H.E.E.R.S. empowers youth to use their voices, talents, and lived experiences to create real change in their communities.
We teach them that their stories hold power and their actions create impact.
When youth serve, lead, and speak together, they discover what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves—a movement for hope, equity, and change.
Our Vision
We envision a world where every young person, regardless of background, has the confidence, support, and opportunity to rise as a leader, serve their community, and help build a more just, equitable, and compassionate society.
Our Values What We C.H.E.E.R.S. For
“If we all do a little, the results will be a lot.”
C- Community Service & Connection
Creating opportunities for youth to lead projects that uplift the unsheltered, underserved, and local families in need.
H- Health & Wellness & Future Readiness
Promoting mental, social, emotional, and physical well-being through education, fitness, financial literacy and self-care practices.
E- Equity & Empowerment
Advocating for fairness, inclusion, and leadership among youth and community members.
E- Education & Enrichment
Providing hands-on experiences in healthy habits, cooking, career readiness, and civic engagement that inspire lifelong learning.
R- Resilience & Representation
Encouraging youth to harness the power of their stories and lived experiences to advocate for change at City Council, School Committee meetings, and the State House.
S- Sustainability & Service
Building programs that address food insecurity and resource access through mutual aid, food donations, and community partnerships.
“When we GIVE, we GROW!”
How We C.H.E.E.R.S.
508 C.H.E.E.R.S. empowers BIPOC, low-income, and underserved youth through mentorship, community service, and mutual aid projects.
We address food insecurity, promote health and wellness, and create pathways for growth that uplift both youth and community.
Together, we’re building a more equitable, connected, and compassionate Worcester, one youth leader at a time.
Our programs give youth the tools to lead, advocate, and inspire change, turning their ideas into action that strengthens the city we all call home.
Feeding Hope, Building Leaders
Youth Program Offerings
Youth Program Offerings
Youth Program Offerings
Community Service, Advocacy & Equity
Volunteer-driven projects that uplift unsheltered and underserved families through collaboration, compassion, and community action.
Food Insecurity Sports Clinics
Partnering with local high school & college teams to offer free training for youth. Instead of payment, youth bring food donations; su
Community Service, Advocacy & Equity
Volunteer-driven projects that uplift unsheltered and underserved families through collaboration, compassion, and community action.
Food Insecurity Sports Clinics
Partnering with local high school & college teams to offer free training for youth. Instead of payment, youth bring food donations; supporting community fridges, and food pantries while learning about food insecurity, accessing food resources, and mutual aid.
Cultural Cooking Program
Youth learn culinary skills and cultural traditions while preparing meals for families in need, promoting heritage, unity, and wellness through food, storytelling, and community service.
Youth Program Offerings
Youth Program Offerings
Youth Program Offerings
Girls Mentorship
Mentorship, R.A.D. self-defense training, and menstrual equity projects addressing period poverty and building confidence and leadership.
Health & Wellness & Future Readiness
Building strong minds, bodies, and futures through mental health support, fitness, financial literacy, and career exploration, empowering youth
Girls Mentorship
Mentorship, R.A.D. self-defense training, and menstrual equity projects addressing period poverty and building confidence and leadership.
Health & Wellness & Future Readiness
Building strong minds, bodies, and futures through mental health support, fitness, financial literacy, and career exploration, empowering youth to thrive personally and professionally.
Teen Trauma Tuesday & Wellness Wednesday
Two youth-led virtual mental health programs in partnership with Worcester ACTs (Addresses Childhood Trauma) offering trauma-informed support and mindfulness practices that help teens heal, grow, and build resilience.
Community Impact
Youth Program Offerings
Community Impact
Together, our youth, volunteers, and community partners:
- Serve over 100 meals monthly to families and individuals experiencing food insecurity, feeding over 1200 community members annually.
- Lead youth-driven service projects across Worcester that address hunger, equity, community and wellness.
- Harness the power of youth stories to adv
Together, our youth, volunteers, and community partners:
- Serve over 100 meals monthly to families and individuals experiencing food insecurity, feeding over 1200 community members annually.
- Lead youth-driven service projects across Worcester that address hunger, equity, community and wellness.
- Harness the power of youth stories to advocate at City Council, School Committee, and State House meetings.
- Create safe, inclusive spaces for young women to learn, advocate, and grow.
- Assemble and distribute menstrual hygiene kits for schools, shelters, and women in need.
C.H.E.E.R.S. for Girls Empowerment & STrengTH
Build Strong Minds & Voices
Healthy Body, Healthy Habits
Build Strong Minds & Voices
Through engaging activities and meaningful discussions, we help our girls to build confidence, recognize their strengths, and develop essential life skills. By learning to speak up, manage stress, build healthy relationships, serve their communities, and connect with others, our girls grow into powerful advocates for menstrual equity, for one another, and for their dreams.
Empowered Inside and Out
Healthy Body, Healthy Habits
Build Strong Minds & Voices
Our commitment to building strong minds extends to physical well-being & safety. Our girls only works outs, & Rape, Aggression, Defense (R.A.D.) self-defense training empowers girls with practical skills to protect themselves. By focusing on both mental & physical health, we create a comprehensive program that supports the overall development of our participants. C.H.E.E.R.S. for safety!
Healthy Body, Healthy Habits
Healthy Body, Healthy Habits
Healthy Body, Healthy Habits
C.H.E.E.R.S. promotes positive body image by encouraging girls to appreciate and care for their bodies. Our program features women-led workouts, nutrition-focused cooking classes, and hands-on mentorship to help girls build self-confidence and develop a healthy relationship with their minds, emotions, and uniqueness.
508 C.H.E.E.R.S. gives youth in Worcester second chance
Jesse Collings of Worcester Telegram & Gazette Wrote on April 30, 2025
WORCESTER — As a young teenager, Hennessy Puello admits she did not make good decisions. Puello said that she found herself in bad situations, which ultimately led to her long-term suspension from Worcester Public Schools and attending an alternative school. "I used to make choices where I thought it would be the right choice for me but it was really a bad choice and it was leading me the wrong way," Puello said. "I was getting into a lot of trouble at home and at school, I wasn't involved in my community — I can say that I was a bad kid." Puello said she began to change when she became connected with 508 C.H.E.E.R.S. (Community Health Equity Empowerment Resources and Service), a nonprofit group aimed at helping youth in the city discover the benefits of community service while providing a safe social circle for students after school. Puello, now a ninth-grade student at Doherty Memorial High School, said that her experience working with 508 C.H.E.E.R.S. has had a huge impact on how she views herself. "I learned to advocate for myself and use my voice. Close mouths don't get fed and I have also learned to make things better for myself," Puello said. "I learned that if I want respect, I have to give respect. I want to be represented differently in this world. I don't want to be thought of as a kid who went the wrong way, who got suspended, got in fights, arrested...I want to change and be able to change the world."
Echo Louissaint Founder of 508 C.H.E.E.R.S. said, "I think we are selling our youth short. I have youth who have dealt with DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) who are now standing up in City Hall meetings and saying they are going to change the world. Youth that people who have counted out. Youth that have dealt with gangs. Youth who people typically wouldn't look at as community changes and world leaders," Louissaint said. "Says who? Give them the knowledge, give them the resources and inspire them, lead them, show them how and they can and they will."
"I feel like I'm really making a change in my community. I understand that one individual might not make that big of difference, but the group right here that we have collected, it's going to make a big impact for people — people who are unsheltered, people who need food. And that is something that touches me," Givins-Osafo said. Madison Shaw, the youth employment coordinator for the Worcester Community Action Council, said that the group is different than a lot of the other organizations the Worcester Community Action Council works with. "Echo does a great job creating a welcoming space for everybody. There are people we have placed in other places and they haven't been comfortable, but they have had immense success at 508 C.H.E.E.R.S.," Shaw said.
Read the Original Telegram and Gazette Article Here
HeLP SPREAD C.H.E.E.R.S.- Get involved!
C.H.E.E.R.S. With Us
Join us in spreading C.H.E.E.R.S. across Worcester!
You can make a difference:
- Volunteer as a mentor, coach, team, or cooking instructor.
- Donate menstrual hygiene products or healthy food ingredients or grocery gift cards.
- Sponsor or fundraise to support our youth programs.
Every contribution — big or small — fuels our mentorship, wellness, and community service initiatives.
All donations are tax-deductible and directly support the work that empowers youth to change lives.
“If we all do a little, the results will be a lot.”
“When we GIVE, We GROW!”
Who C.H.E.E.R.S. With Us
• All One Credit Union
• Worcester Community Action Council
• Worcester Family Resource Center
• Worcester ACTs (Addresses Childhood Trauma)
• Boys and Girls Club
• Girl Scouts of America
• Clark University- Hillel
• Woo Serves – United Way of Central Mass
• Notre Dame Academy - Love in Action
• Greater Worcester Community Foundation
• Challenge Yourself Fitness
• National Grid
• Keeping Worcester Warm
• The No Evil Project
• Woo Sox
• Greater Worcester Community Foundation
