Community outreach & organizing, after school programs and program planning.

Loretta Peres has lived and worked on Cape Ann for over 26 years. Active in many sectors of the community, she serves on the board of Action Inc. and past board member of Pathways For Children for 11 years. She has served on many committees including, the Essex County Community Organization, Healthy Gloucester Collaborative and continues to work with the Riverdale Park Resident Group. She has worked and volunteered for the non-profit sector for over 22 years and has assisted in the development of non-profit programs, events and campaigns. Her work has focused on supporting the emotional development and empowerment of families and youth, social justice, vulnerable populations, and human relations.

The Chill Zone is a community living room where youth (between the ages of 12-18) can come and connect with friends, do homework and get a hot and nutritious meal. The Chill Zone's mission is to provide youth with a place of their own in which they can hang out with each other and engage in fun activities while developing the essential assets that enable youth to thrive at school, at home, and in the community. From the beginning our major guiding principle has been "youth voice" and the commitment to youth being the ones to initiate and create a place in the community they can truly call their own.