Our Founder
Helen Zucco created Chelsea Restoration Corporation when she saw a great need in the community she was living in, Chelsea MA. This non-profit began as a home-based organization that Helen was able to build up. After managing Chelsea Restoration Corporation for over 40 years, Helen handed her position over but is still the foundation of who we are and what we do.
Our Mission
Chelsea Restoration Corporation (CRC) provides community revitalization support and services to Chelsea, MA and its surrounding communities for over 40 years. Chelsea Restoration Corporation provides home buyer education, pre-purchase counseling, foreclosure prevention, and down payment assistance programs (in English and Spanish) that make it possible for local low-to-moderate income residents make informed purchases, and then effectively manage their purchase over the long-term.
Chelsea Restoration Corporation is a model of stability in our communities, maintaining the same executive leadership over the long haul – Executive Director Helen Zucco has worked for the agency for 40 years, while Assistant Director Marilyn Garcia has been with CRC for 20 years. And now that the administrative rolls have changed- the goals continue to be same. Chelsea Restoration Corporation’s structure is simple and linear – the Executive Director (Marilyn Garcia) and Assistant Director (Leisla Ortiz) jointly supervise the agency’s programs, with a small corps of staff who conduct most direct service activities.
Chelsea Restoration Corporation’s home restoration programs have rehabilitated several blighted properties which deteriorated the quality of life in their neighborhoods; many of these properties were utilized for drug dealing and other criminal activities. In each case, the process of neighborhood revitalization was more complex than simply rehabilitating these homes. Chelsea Restoration Corporation not only managed the construction and restoration process, but also worked to promote local ownership of the properties while helping low-to-moderate income individuals and families achieve their dream of home ownership.