Cheers to 40 Years!
The Care Center’s 40th Anniversary Fundraising Party on April 8th was an incredible success. More than 400 guests joined us for an unforgettable evening that raised a record-breaking $280,000 to support our work!
We are so grateful to be part of a community that believes in the power of education to transform lives. If you haven’t yet had a chance to contribute, it’s never too late to show your support!
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POWERFUL MOMENTS
The event speakers included board members Sylvia Galvan and Damaris Jones, Executive Director Oona Cook, and staff and alumni Monica Diaz, Crystal Cappas, Keishla Perez, and Kia Diaz.
Throughout four decades, we remain grounded in the belief that education breaks cycles. That those being pushed to the margins belong at the center. That when you give women what they need and deserve … they are a force to be reckoned with.
-Oona Cook, Executive Director
Today, at The Care Center, my job is to help students keep going. I help women navigate housing insecurity, financial pressures, caregiving responsibilities — and sometimes I simply help them see themselves as scholars.
-Monica Diaz, Manager of College Support & Bard Holyoke graduate
I’ve turned goals into accomplishments, built a loving family, bought a home, and I have a great job! Most importantly, I have shattered generational cycles and become the woman I once aspired to be.
-Crystal Cappas, Outreach & Recruitment Coordinator & former baby in The Care Center’s daycare!
Every time I welcome a new student, every time I help her find her footing, I remember the transportation team that supported me, the daycare team that my toddler fell in love with, the professors who encouraged me, the staff who made The Care Center feel like a place I could call home…and I pay it forward.
-Keishla Perez, Enrollment Coordinator & Bard Holyoke graduate
I walk into my third grade classroom every day with purpose — not just pedagogy. I bring lived experience. I bring resilience. I bring a deep understanding of what it means to navigate systems that weren’t built for you.
-Kia Diaz, 3rd Grade Teacher and Bard Holyoke graduate
2026 Event Photos (click to enlarge.)
