Our Mission

The Community Day Center of Waltham provides a core range of support and services to people facing homelessness in Metrowest.

Our Core Values

At the Community Day Center of Waltham, we believe that all people, no matter where they are on their life journey, deserve to be treated with dignity.

We hold true to the basic tenets of hospitality where the host welcomes the guest with goodwill and expects guests to return the same level of respect.

Our History

  • September 2003

    In a church basement on Alder Street, the Community Day Center of Waltham opened its doors for the first time. Community activists, church leaders, and individuals sympathetic to the homeless experience had identified the need for a drop-in day center, and their vision was enacted when the Community Day Center of Waltham was formed.

  • 2003-2015

    The Community Day Center of Waltham provided a place where adults could find respite, nourishment, and support services during the daytime hours when no other services were available for the homeless. Open Monday through Friday, 1:30 to 4:30 pm, the center provided lunch, computer access, a mailing address, phones, and referral services to approximately fifty individuals daily.

  • December 2015

    In December 2015, through the generous support of donors, the Community Day Center of Waltham moved into its new home on Felton Street. Expanded hours and extended case management services allowed us to provide greater support to our guests and increase the number of guests we housed.

  • Covid

    As the COVID pandemic hit, those who were unhoused suffered greatly. We continued to reach out to our most vulnerable citizens, providing services throughout the entire pandemic. Making alterations to our programs, we were able to continue our Case Management, lunch services, Smart Recovery, Street Outreach, and our Winter Night Program.

  • September 2022

    The grand opening of our new building at 20 Felton Street. This expansion in space provides a permanent home for the Seasonal Night Program, access to showers and laundry facilities, the expansion of addiction support and recovery programs, and the enhancement of the Health Care Coordination Program.

  • Present

    As we look back on almost 20 years of service from our organization, we greatly appreciate the support from every one of our donors, partner agencies, guests, staff, and volunteers. This support has provided us the opportunity to continue to expand services for our unhoused neighbors; and we look forward to many more years and continued expansions to come.

Management Team

  • Chloe-Rose Crouch

    Manager

    Chloe-Rose joined the team at CDCW in August 2023. With a background in adult education and humanitarian aid, she previously managed community centers for migrants and refugees in northern Greece. She is excited to apply her knowledge of trauma-informed practice and psychosocial support to the Community Day Center of Waltham.

  • Nina Lordi

    Case Manager

    Nina has been at the Community Day Center for over ten years as a Case Manager. Nina meets one-on-one with guests to conduct intakes and create a tailor-made action plan for each guest. Working closely with area hospitals, shelters, agencies, and law enforcement, Nina is tuned into the needs of the community. Over the years, Nina has trained dozens of student interns and volunteers to perform case work and consistently receives rave reviews for her knowledge, teaching skills, and deep level of commitment.

  • Tom Hylander

    Security Manager

    Tom is a retired Waltham Police Department Lieutenant who led the city's homelessness task force. As the manager of security at the Community Day Center of Waltham, Tom maintains safety in our community and provides support for those struggling with homelessness.

  • Carolyn Montalto

    Executive Director

    Carolyn has been with the Community Day Center of Waltham, as Executive Director, since 2016. Carolyn worked for many years in academia, spending nearly two decades as director of marketing for Northeastern University and Boston University. Carolyn was Executive Director of the Walker Center for Ecumenical Exchange, a retreat center in Auburndale, where her vision of hospitality brought the organization to new levels and expanded its community presence. Leading the CDCW, Carolyn employs her vision of hospitality to create a safe and supportive environment that meets the needs of the community and supports individuals to move out of homelessness.

Executive Team

  • Barbara Blakeney

    President

    Barbara has spent her life supporting others, particularly those who are experiencing homelessness. She is a founding Member, and current board member, for the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and past President of the American Nurses Association. A Nurse Practitioner, Barbara served as consultant for the Methadone Maintenance Program and as Commissioner for the Mayor’s Emergency Shelter Commission. For two decades, Barbara served as the Director of Health Services, Division of Homeless Services for The City of Boston’s Long Island Shelter system. Barbara concluded her professional career as the Innovation Specialist at the Center for Innovation in Care Delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Now retired, she serves on the CDCW board, and highlights housing barriers and resources in her WCAC TV show, Our City Streets.

  • Miles Hutton

    Vice President

    Dr. Hutton has a doctorate in clinical psychology; his motivation to get involved with the CDCW stemmed from concern about the societal challenges that exist for individuals with mental illness. Miles became President of our Board of Directors in 2015, helping to guide the Center through moving into our space on Felton Street, hiring a new Executive Director, and the institution of an Emergency Night Shelter. In 2017, at the end of his term as President, Miles accepted the position as Vice President.

  • Michael Colomba

    Treasurer

    Michael is a local Real Estate Developer and General Contractor for residential, commercial, industrial, and government projects. Additionally, he owns the Zagat-rated restaurant, Brelundi. He has extensive financial knowledge and connections to our community, making him a real asset for the CDCW.

  • Betty Rots

    Clerk

    Since moving to the US in 1979, Betty has become a major supporter of those within the Waltham community. She worked at the Waltham High School Library from 1998 until her retirement. From its very first day to its closure over 17 years later, Betty functioned as the administrator for the all-volunteer New Hope Medical Center in Waltham where uninsured and underinsured people were served. Betty has been involved with the CDCW since we first opened our doors.

Board Members

  • Alan Bone

    Alan is retired after 41 years as a pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. He is a member of both First Parish UU in Waltham and Hope Central Church. In addition to serving on the CDCW Board of Directors, he volunteers with both churches.

  • Keith Gilbert

    Keith is a real estate developer and investor, focusing on hospitality properties. In addition to serving on the board of the CDCW, he serves on the boards of the Waltham Partnership for Youth and Reagle Music Theatre of Boston, and is an active supporter of the Friends of the Waltham Family School.

  • Joshua Lepson

    Josh is a Brandeis University graduate, where he served as a coordinator for Waltham Group’s Hunger and Homelessness program. Josh liaised between Hunger and Homelessness and the CDCW, coordinating volunteer activities, scheduling weekly meals, and participating in advocacy. Josh is currently pursuing MD-PhD programs, with a special interest in providing quality medical care to those experiencing homelessness.

  • Janis Li

    Janis is a recent graduate from Brandeis University, with a BS/MS in Neuroscience. She works as a research assistant at a neurology lab in Boston and is applying to MD-PhD programs. She aspires to be a physician-scientist that might one day improve the quality of and public access to healthcare, especially in relation to mental illness. Janis has been involved with the CDCW since she was a freshman, and constantly feels inspired by the compassion and organization of everyone who works there.

  • Linda Ungerleider

    Linda is a retired special education teacher and administrator, and a current proud Grammy to six. She started teaching swimming as a teenager and has continued to assist local and national organizations ever since. In addition to her work on the CDCW Board of Directors, she currently serves as Membership Director at Temple Beth Israel in Waltham where she is involved with the Sunday Warming Center for the unhoused.

Community Partnerships

At last count, there were over 100 individuals in Waltham identified as experiencing homelessness. As a grassroots organization, we could not do the work that we do without our community-wide partnerships. Whether you support the CDCW financially or in-kind with a Day of Service, we are grateful that you stand alongside us in our mission.