Framingham's Hoops And Homework Celebrates Decade Of Helping Kids

FRAMINGHAM, MA - When a Framingham philanthropist visited a local public housing development site a decade ago, he saw conditions that he described as "glum and grim." But he also envisioned the potential to create an afterschool program to give its young residents a place to learn and play.

He was motivated to create Hoops and Homework, a nonprofit charity, to bring educational and enrichment opportunities for children in the neighborhood near Beaver and Waverly streets. It serves 30 children between the ages of 5 and 14.

Chasan now hopes to expand his vision by creating a teen center and other efforts.

"Some of the alumni for the program have come back to volunteer with the kids," Chasan said. "What motivates me is seeing these kids smile and build teamwork skills."

Chasan grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania and attended Penn State University. A Framingham resident in the north side of the city for the past 55 years, he previously worked in several professions, including teaching, engineering and computer science.

He was unfamiliar with the south side of Framingham until he was invited to tour it with current Mayor Charles Sisitsky.

"Charlie Sisitsky, our mayor, was running for selectman at that time," Chasan explained. "He took me downtown, and I had never been really downtown before, where the lowest-income area is. It was really an eye-opener for me.

"We saw kids running around unsupervised and getting in trouble with the law with drugs and sex and God knows what else after school especially," he continued.

To counter this situation and help kids who were disadvantaged economically, he began talking with kids and parents 10 years ago about what could best help them. He was told that what was needed was "a combination of athletics and activity." From there came the concept for Hoops and Homework.

At 2011's Fall Town Meeting, he led a group of residents who requested $81,000 for the creation of the Hoops and Homework afterschool program at two locations: Framingham Housing Authority's site at Carlson and Pusan roads and the Cochituate Cooperative Homes site at Interfaith Terrace. It opened soon after the town's approval. After its first year, it relied on community donations for support, eventually gaining traction and garnering six-figure donations from businesses.

Hoops and Homework was incorporated as a nonprofit charity in December 2014. Money received helps to pay for staff, insurance, supplies and snacks at both sites. Many of the youth served come from Framingham's Black, Hispanic and Brazilian communities, Chasan said.

The next step in Chasan's mission was the renovation of a basketball court at Carlson. There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for it in August 2016 attended by officials including state senate President Karen Spilka and Attorney General Maura Healey, who currently is running for governor.

Next came a new basketball court in the fall of 2016 at Interfaith Terrace in a community-driven effort with donations from local businesses including $10,000 from Carmax. State and local officials rallied around the project, including Rep. Jack Lewis and Priscila Sousa, the current school committee chair who is running for state representative.

In addition to being a gathering space for young people, Chasan said the courts provide opportunities for exercise as well as learning team-building skills. He proudly showed dozens of pictures with young people engaging with one another.

In June 2017, the Massachusetts Office of Early Education and Care approved Hoops and Homework as a licensed childcare provider. It is the only neighborhood-based after-school program in Framingham, according to Chasan. Five months later, Hoops and Homework earned eligibility for state tuition vouchers.

"It can take a year to get a voucher," he explained. "People will come in crying with change. So we take the kids until they get the vouchers - we don't turn kids away."

Another highlight was in March 2020. La'Keisha "Swish" Sutton, formerly of the Harlem Globetrotters, ran basketball drills on the court with the kids.

Chasan's next effort was to expand the Interfaith site. The addition tripled the capacity of the program there. It also included a kitchen and accessible bathroom. JBJ Construction renovated the site, which cost about $100,000.

Chasan recently was recognized for his work, receiving the Framingham Senior Heroes Award from the Framingham Council on Aging for his contributions to the community.

What is equally satisfying to Chasan is seeing the smiles on the faces of all the children who have benefited from his initiative, which he hopes will help "break the cycle of poverty" for kids from economically disadvantaged homes.

His vision for the next decade includes building a teen center, which he said will cost about $170,000. He is piloting evening programming for teens 14 and up with operating funds while applying for grants.

Chasan also wants to open a full-day affordable childcare center for 3- and 4-year-old children at a cost of about $263,000.

"This is a big deal for parents because they just can't afford daycare," he said.

He eventually also wants to replicate the program in other areas of Framingham as well as build a community center, which he estimates will cost about $282,000.

"We've got four big items for the next 10 years," said Chasan. "What keeps me going is raising money to keep things going. We've been fortunate to run a sustainable program for 10 years, and the community has gotten behind us."

For more information or to donate, go to the Hoops and Homework website.