Pettengill House Expands Amesbury Location

May 29, 2019 – The Pettengill House, Inc. is thrilled to announce the expansion of their site in Amesbury, which will result in more than doubling the size and capacity of the area the agency currently occupies in the Carriage Mills building at 21 Water Street. This expansion will enable The Pettengill House staff to work together in a unified space on a more consistent basis, which will help to streamline communication and collaboration, especially when addressing complex casework. Restructuring will enhance the organization’s overall ability to provide extensive comprehensive case management in its role as the lead social service agency in the greater Newburyport community.
“This expansion will provide a team approach to better meet the needs of our clientele while providing a more streamlined, cohesive delivery of services for all nine communities,” said Deb Smith, Executive Director.
Part of the expansion project involves the construction of additional enclosed offices where social work staff can meet with clients in a private setting. Along with new offices, Pettengill House will have increased space for programs and trainings.
Pettengill House will continue to operate at both the Salisbury and Amesbury locations, and the food pantry will remain at the Salisbury site. Although the Salisbury office will have revised hours going forward, there will be no change in the current hours of operation for the food pantry.
“It is extremely important to note that we are not leaving Salisbury,” said Smith. “Through the continued generosity of both the East Parish Standing Committee, which owns Pettengill’s site at 13 Lafayette Road in Salisbury, along with advisory member Wayne Capolupo, who generously provides us with additional in-kind space, our food pantry and other basic needs and outreach programs will remain as they are.”
Since its inception in 1994, The Pettengill House has worked to adapt and respond to evolving community needs. Two and a half decades into service, the agency annually supports 3,000 clients—17% of whom are homeless, without permanent residency. Needs continue to grow and cases are becoming increasingly complex as local communities face a variety of challenges, including rises in substance addiction and homelessness. Over the last few years, Pettengill House leaders have explored options for expanding the agency’s space, and thus its capacity to better meet clients’ needs. The agency considered a capital campaign to purchase or build a new facility, but ultimately decided to continue leasing space.
“As an organization, we always strive to make decisions that will best serve the community while keeping costs low,” said Smith. “After much discussion and research, it was determined that it would be in the best interest of the agency, both programmatically and fiscally, to lease a space rather than making a purchase, allowing us to put saved resources toward direct service.”
In 2015, The Pettengill House leased their second location in Amesbury, which proved to be an asset to the agency and its clients, streamlining programs and extending the agency’s supportive presence in the community. Pettengill House leaders continued to explore options to expand further, and in 2018 a plan for doing so began to take shape. As a result
of generous contributions from community supporters, The Pettengill House was given the opportunity to expand into
the vacant space adjacent to their current Amesbury site. Construction and renovation began in the early spring of 2019,
and the project is scheduled for completion by the end of May.
“This expansion has been a long time coming, and it’s an exciting step forward. We are thankful for the generous
community support that led us to this great opportunity,” said Tiffany Nigro, Assistant Director.
The Pettengill House extends immense gratitude to the generous contributors who have made this expansion possible,
giving special thanks to The Provident Bank, the Amesbury Healthcare Charitable Trust, Amesbury building owner Dan
Healey and his staff, contractor Jay McPartland, the dedicated Pettengill House Board of Directors and Advisory Board.
The Pettengill House would also like to thank advisory members Laurie Knapp and Pam Bishop, along with community
supporters Mary Williamson and John McGrath, who played key roles in facilitating this project.
Starting on Monday, June 3rd, the revised Pettengill House business hours will be as follows:
Pettengill Food Pantry (13 Lafayette Road, Salisbury, MA): Tuesday, 9:00-2:00 PM and 4:00-6:00 PM
REVISED: Salisbury office for pantry donation drop-off (13 Lafayette Road, Salisbury, MA): Tuesday, 2:00-4:00 PM;
Wednesday, 8:00-10:00 AM; Friday, 8:00-10:00 AM
Amesbury office (21 Water Street, Suite 4A, Amesbury, MA): Monday through Friday, 8:00-4:00 PM
Please visit the Pettengill House website www.pettengillhouse.org and/or follow The Pettengill House on Facebook for
information and updates.