Press Release: 4/29/2026

Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance Names La Colaborativa the 2026 Lauren Arms Ledwith Award Winner

 



La Colaborativa supports hundreds of DTA clients and helps fight food insecurity in the Chelsea area



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



4/28/2026



MEDIA CONTACT



Cecille Joan Avila, Director of Communications



 Phone



Call Cecille Joan Avila, Director of Communications at 857-301-0508



 Online



Email Cecille Joan Avila, Director of Communications at Cecille.J.Avila2@mass.gov



An outside shot of a group of people, including leaders from DTA and La Colaborativa pose for a photograph.



CHELSEA — The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is pleased to announce Chelsea-based nonprofit La Colaborativa as its 2026 Lauren Arms Ledwith Award Winner.  



DTA’s Lauren Arms Ledwith Award annually recognizes one community organization that demonstrates an unyielding commitment to driving meaningful change by addressing the causes of hunger and engaging with groups within their communities through their work as a SNAP outreach partner. 



 “We know that SNAP is facing severe and sustained threats right now, and I am so grateful to all our partners for their agility and commitment we adapt to these changes, while maintaining our core values. I am particularly grateful to La Colaborativa, who is this year’s winner of the Lauren Arms Ledwith Awards, for helping us reach more people in need,” said DTA Commissioner Michael Cole. “La Colaborativa has been leading the way in Chelsea and in Massachusetts since 1988 for the Latinx community by being a leading advocate. We are honored to call them partners as we strive to make sure that every person in Massachusetts knows about and has access to lifesaving benefits they are eligible for.”  



The Lauren Arms Ledwith Award was established in 2018 in remembrance of former SNAP Director Lauren Arms Ledwith. Lauren founded the SNAP Outreach reimbursement project in Massachusetts, which provides funding to partner organizations who support DTA’s work in helping connect families living in poverty with the assistance they need. This award was created in Lauren’s honor to recognize outreach partners. This award and its recipients reflect Lauren’s passion for advocacy work and her dedication to creating partnerships to address food insecurity.  



This marks the eighth year that DTA has honored one of its more than 100 SNAP Outreach Partners with this distinction. 

 

La Colaborativa has been a leading advocate for the Latinx community in Chelsea and throughout the Commonwealth for the past 35 years. They became a SNAP Outreach Partner in October 2021.  



Since then, they have grown tremendously as a partner and in 2025, their SNAP application approval rating had grown to 84%, with particular thanks to the work of Herman Olivares, Triage Manager, and Kenia Avalos, Case Manager. La Colaborativa provides SNAP outreach assistance as part of their stabilization services, which includes wraparound services like providing necessities during times of crisis, mental health counseling, and referrals.  



The Triage team is the clients’ first point of contact. Olivares and Avalos work closely with their DTA Outreach Liaison to troubleshoot case issues and find ways to support mutual clients of both DTA and La Colaborativa.   



“In the midst of the affordability crisis and a turbulent economy, countless residents face barriers to keeping food on the table,” said Gladys Vega, President of La Colaborativa. “We’re grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Commissioner, and all of DTA for this recognition of our tireless, unrelenting work to ensure our residents can access SNAP and vital public benefits.”  



"The partnership with the DTA Outreach Project has had a tremendous impact on the community members we serve,” said Herman Olivares, Triage Manager of La Colaborativa. “Many families struggling with food insecurity would not have received timely assistance without the support they receive from the La Colaborativa case managers, along with the dedication and commitment of our DTA liaison, Renee Salisbury, and SNAP Program Coordinator Mary Loughlin. Their collaboration has allowed us to respond more quickly by helping resolve issues such as missing verifications and other barriers that can delay or impede the eligibility process, ultimately increasing access to critical resources and ensuring families feel seen and supported. Witnessing the gratitude of community members after receiving assistance reinforces the importance of this partnership, and it has helped build trust in a system that too often falls short." 



"La Colaborativa is a fantastic organization that truly exemplifies Lauren Arms Ledwith's passion for inclusive community building and connecting our neighbors in need with the nutritious food that they are entitled to and deserve," said Senator Sal N. DiDomenico. "It is hard to even count the number of families in Chelsea and across my district that can now put food on their table thanks to Gladys Vega and the La Colaborativa team. I can't think of a more deserving group of people for this award, and I am so happy more and more people across our state get to learn about these local heroes."  



“I’m proud to see La Colaborativa recognized with this award. Among the many organizations doing critical work, La Colaborativa has been a strong leader in responding to urgent needs, helping ensure seniors, children, and families have access to food during times of crisis,” said State Representative Judith Garcia (D-11th Suffolk). “As a trusted partner, they’ve also played an important role in expanding SNAP access for residents who need it most. I’m grateful to the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for recognizing this vital work that to many has become a lifeline.” 



Previous Lauren Arms Ledwith Awardees 



2018: The first Lauren Arms Ledwith Award was presented to Donna Popkin from the Massachusetts Councils on Aging for her dedication to supporting DTA’s SNAP outreach efforts to older adults in the state.  



2019: Project Bread received the award for their FoodSource Hotline and larger food security efforts across the state.  



2020: No award was presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  



2021: Janice Johnson-Plumer of Brockton Public Schools received the award for her work helping families in Brockton access Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits. 



2022: The award was presented to several agencies supporting refugees and immigrants: International Institute of New England, Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Worcester. 



2023: The award was presented to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, one of our first SNAP Outreach Partners. 



2024: The award was presented to Quincy Community Action in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the reimbursement project and great work in the Quincy community. 



2025: The Open Door in Gloucester 



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Founded in 1988, La Colaborativa is a Latina-led organization that’s a steady, trusted, and fearless partner to immigrants in Greater Boston. Striving to enhance the economic and social welfare of Latinx and immigrant communities, the organization pioneers innovative direct services, advances public policy, and cultivates emerging leaders, with the goal of fostering systems change. La Colaborativa tirelessly serves the communities of Chelsea, East Boston, Revere, Everett, and Lynn, meeting residents where they’re at as an empathetic, reliable ally.  



A dynamic organization rooted in community, La Colaborativa’s programmatic, policy, and leadership development endeavors embrace an interdisciplinary approach. The organization works at the intersection of housing stability, food security, health equity, economic advancement, cultural celebration, youth empowerment, and immigrant leadership development. As a vital resource for Massachusetts’ immigrant community, the organization delivers linguistically and culturally appropriate resources to some of the state’s most vulnerable members: newly arrived immigrants, undocumented families, isolated seniors, unemployed households, non-English speakers, and low-income tenants and workers. In tandem with our Triage Model, we ensure all members gain access to food assistance, housing support, healthcare, and good paying jobs, while fostering the next generation of leaders.