We are CAPIC

Community Action Programs Inter-City, Inc. (CAPIC) delivers anti-poverty services to residents of Chelsea, Revere & Winthrop. Since its inception in 1967, the Agency has initiated numerous anti-poverty strategies that have resulted in restoring self-sufficiency for thousands of area residents. The goal has always been and continues to be to assist individuals and families break free from their dependence on public assistance, achieve self-sufficiency, and improve their quality of life. CAPIC is proud to serve a diverse and multi-cultural population.

CAPIC is governed by a twenty-one member, community-based Board of Directors, comprised of representatives from public, private, and low-income sectors of Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. CAPIC also delivers energy-related services to various cities and towns through sub-contractual agreements. CAPIC’s Weatherization Program (DOE and Utility funded) serves: Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop, Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester, and Woburn. CAPIC’s HEARTWAP program serves: Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, Winchester, Woburn, while National Grid Appliance Management Program (AMP) assessments are performed in Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Revere, & Winthrop; and Ever Source electric assessments in Arlington, Chelsea, Cambridge, Lexington, Somerville, Stoneham, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester, & Woburn.

CAPIC’s Responsible Payee Program also serves these additional communities.

In FY2022, CAPIC provided a myriad of essential services to 12,000 local area-wide residents.

The mission of CAPIC is to identify and address the needs, problems, and concerns of those in poverty and to enable the individually poor to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.

CAPIC Programs

CAPIC administers the following programs/services:

After School Program
Chelsea City-Wide Summer Camp
Chelsea Substance Use Disorders (SUDS) and Mobile Outreach Programs
Child Development Center
Crisis Intervention/Domestic Violence
Energy Services (includes Fuel Assistance, Weatherization, & the HEARTWAP programs)
Chelsea/Revere Family Network
Head Start
Emergency Assistance Program
IRS-VITA Free Tax Program *operates January -April
Responsible Payee Program

Our 2024 - 2025 Board of Directors

Lanre Olusekun

President

Revere; Public Sector, for Mayor Patrick Keefe

Ricky Velez

Vice President

Chelsea; Limited-Income Sector

Jenny Reynolds

Treasurer

Head Start Policy Council Representative

Sharon Caulfield

Clerk

Chelsea; Limited-Income Sector

Theresa DiPietro Revere; Limited-Income Sector	David M. Mindlin, Esq. Chelsea; Public Sector for City Councilor Todd Taylor
Elizabeth Forte Revere; Private Sector – Revere Housing Authority	Merlin Serrano Chelsea; Limited-Income Sector
Judy Dyer Chelsea; Public Sector – for City Councilor Giovanni Recupero	Judie VanKooiman Winthrop; Private Sector – Winthrop Council on Aging
Nidia Frometa-Peguero Chelsea; Limited-Income Sector	Town Councilor Hannah Belcher Winthrop; Public Sector
Pastor Eliot Penn Chelsea; Private Sector New Life Christian Center Chelsea	Marc Silvestri Revere; Public Sector, Revere City Councilor
Jackie Bevere – Malone Early Education Consultant	Charles Randall Winthrop; Limited-Income Sector
Jennifer Hassell Chelsea; Private Sector Chelsea Chamber of Commerce

CAPIC Administration

Richelle Cromwell

Executive Director

Richelle Cromwell has been the Executive Director at CAPIC, Inc. since 2019. During her tenure, CAPIC has addressed the issues of poverty among the tri-city service delivery area for Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop. Through the partnerships cultivated during her tenure, CAPIC has addressed the problems of homelessness, eviction prevention, substance abuse, childcare, energy assistance and hunger afflicting area residents.
As a lifelong resident of Chelsea Ms. Cromwell’s affiliation with CAPIC began as a board member – in which she served for 10 years — before transitioning into the role as President for her remaining 15 years on the board. Prior to joining CAPIC as the Executive Director, she was the sole proprietor of her own business for 25 years in the interior design industry. She holds a Fashion Design degree from Newbury College.

Kerry Wolfgang

Director of Planning, Development, & Operations

Kerry Wolfgang rirst came to CAPIC in 1993, working in the Housing Intercept Program; joined CAPIC’s Management Team in 1999 as the Agency’s Grant Manager, and in 2008 was named the Director of Planning & Development for the Agency. Kerry works directly with the Executive Director, Fiscal & Human Resource Managers, as well as Program Directors to strengthen the Agency’s development capacity, assess agency needs, and create and implement agency-wide goals and objectives to achieve the mission and vision of CAPIC. Such work includes the preparation of the Agency’s Strategic Plan, Community Needs Assessment, annual work plans, program progress reports, and all required grants and reports for major funding sources including the state and federal government. Since 2004, Kerry has also served as the Agency’s liaison to the City of Revere, specifically, the Revere Police Department, and is solely responsible for the design, development, research, analysis, evaluation, and contract management of all public safety and law enforcement initiatives. Kerry graduated from Assumption College in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications.

Dolores Benoit

DIRECTOR of Human Resources

Dolores Benoit, Director of Human Resources, first came to CAPIC in 1994 as an intern to do a public relations project. Having been focused on education and public service throughout college, Dolores joined CAPIC full time in 1995 in Human Resources. Today, Dolores manages all aspects of Human Resources for CAPIC management and all programs, including employment law, compliance, policies and procedures, benefits, employee relations, and staffing. A bilingual upbringing enables Dolores to further serve the agency by fostering more effective communication between management and Spanish-speaking staff and clients. Dolores graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1995 with her B.A. in Education