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News

A “BigTime” Hero to the NECAT Family

May 31, 2020

It was the middle of the night when Anthony “BigTime” Seymour got a phone call. “It was one of our students,” he said. “She was clearly distraught, and had to get out of a bad situation.”

The apartment she had temporarily been living in had just been raided by the police and her two roommates were arrested. Her two young children were terrified, and she didn’t know what to do.

Fortunately, she knew who to call for help: Big Time – her NECAT case worker and hero to hundreds of people in the city of Boston.  “I immediately called the Hampton Inn on Mass Ave and got her a room, then arranged for an Uber to take her there.”

Helping people through crises is all in a day’s work for “Big Time” – a name that reflects not only his tall stature and big personality, but also the size of his heart. He will show up day or night. He spent years working for Mayor Walsh’s initiative, the Boston Center for Youth and Families’ Streetworkers Program, and continues to hold a leadership role within the organization. This means he knows who to turn to and how to get help for his clients. 

Big Time in face mask.

Anthony in a Sons Against Violence Boston face mask – yet another community initiative of which he plays a major role.

During the COVID-19 crisis, BigTime has helped scores of NECAT students and graduates navigate the system. “I help them find resources they don’t know about—I’m a broker between them and the agencies that can help them,” he explains. Knowledge and connections are only part of the solution—empathy plays an important part as well. “Their world has been turned upside down,” he adds, “I can relate to that—I had some bumps in the road growing up as well.”

Big Time feels we’re all living through a time of uncertainty, where the old rules of engagement may not always work. “We have to be creative when we’re trying to help people,” he says. “Not everyone is willing to talk about their problems.”

To help keep students engaged through the past few months of virtual learning, he encourages them share photos of the meals they are cooking at home on a group chat – it has spurred on a fun little competition among the classes. These regular checks ins also ensure that BigTime knows when someone needs help securing groceries, is about to lose their housing or needs emotional support.

“We can’t always help everyone as much as we’d like, but we can do a lot for those who want to help themselves,” he says with pride. “Everyone here at NECAT is so committed—I’m really happy to be part of this diverse, talented and caring team.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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https://www.ne-cat.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/BT-for-Website.jpg 560 1900 competenow /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/logo.png competenow2020-05-31 19:45:422023-07-31 17:04:56A “BigTime” Hero to the NECAT Family

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NECAT
23 Bradston Street
Boston, MA 02118

(617) 442-3600
info@ne-cat.org

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In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

NECAT Boston Training Center

NECAT Boston Training Center
23 Bradston Street
Boston, MA 02118

NECAT’s headquarters is our main training facility and home to our administrative offices. The Center includes a classroom auditorium with a demonstration kitchen, our teaching kitchen and the Career Services and Alumni Engagement Center. There are always two cohorts in session – Black Hats (the first seven weeks of training in the classroom) and Orange Hats (second seven weeks of training in the kitchen) and ten cohorts a year will graduate.

The next scheduled cohort start date is August 16, 2023. Click here to find out how you can register.

East Boston YMCA

215 Bremen Street
East Boston, MA 02128
617-569-9622

NECAT offers a 12-week culinary training program taught at the East Boston YMCA. The mission and program elements mirror NECAT’s Boston Program, but the geographic target areas for program participants and employment are focused in East Boston and Chelsea. Additionally, NECAT’s training in East Boston will be conducted in Spanish and English, respectful of the language and cultural diversity of local participants. East Boston has the largest percentage of Spanish speaking adults in Boston.

The next scheduled cohort start date is September 2023. Click here to find out how you can register.

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Behind the Walls

Suffolk County House of Correction (SCHC)

NECAT’s Behind the Walls program brings our holistic training program directly to the adults incarcerated at SCHC. Working in partnership with the re-entry team at SCHC, and using the prison’s teaching kitchen, a NECAT chef fulfills NECAT’s curriculum to the same standards as its Boston program. NECAT’s career services team provides job counseling and placement services when graduates are released from incarceration.