A non-profit center dedicated to serving low-income women in western Massachusetts has opened in downtown Springfield.
Seeing a need for a place to offer free resources and support to women motivated to achieve financial stability for themselves and their families, Springfield-area native Keely Krantz founded the O’Dell Women’s Center.
“My hope is this community space will bring together networks of support to shine the light on a pathway for women who want to transform their lives,” Krantz said.
Located in a more than century-old building at 45 Lyman Street across from Union Station in downtown Springfield, the recently-opened center is to serve as a hub for non-profits and social service agencies to connect low-income women with the help they need to get better educational and career opportunities.
“But also simultaneously unite them with the support systems they need to overcome obstacles facing low income women (including) food insecurity, lack of access to transportation and housing, lack of childcare, etc,” Krantz said.
Dress for Success Western Massachusetts is the anchor non-profit in the O’Dell Women’s Center occupying half the building’s 10,000-square-feet of space. It is a big improvement over the organization’s old location – a storefront in the Eastfield Mall, which it had to vacate last summer when the mall closed for good.
In its new space, which opened in September, Dress for Success in addition to a clothing boutique is offering five workforce development programs, said Executive Director Margaret Tantillo.
“Transformative in terms of the way we are able to deliver on our mission,” Tantillo said.
Being just across the street from Union Station means the center is more easily accessed by people using public transportation.
“We’re already seeing more walk-ins than at our past location,” Tantillo said.
Dress for Success Western Massachusetts serves about 500 women a year, said Tantillo.
At a dedication ceremony Monday, Krantz explained she named the center in honor of her grandmother Constance “Connie” O’Dell, who for more than 40 years cared for women and infants as a maternity ward nurse at Holyoke’s Providence Hospital.
“Our goal is to have the O’Dell Women’s Center provide the same respectful, dignified, and kind support to the women that we serve that you offered to all the women you cared for in your career,” Krantz said adding “ We love you Nana and your legacy of compassion will always be honored at the O’Dell Women’s Center.”
O’Dell, 97, said she was “shocked, surprised and happy” when her granddaughter told her of the plans to name the center in her honor.
“I think it is wonderful that people are able to do things to help other people,” O’Dell said.
Krantz declined to say how much money was donated to create the center, which has filed an application to become a 501(c) (3) non-profit.
Mayor Domenic Sarno gave Dress for Success $25,000 from the city’s pool of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to help cover costs of relocating from the Eastfield Mall to downtown Springfield.
