Community Service
Community Service
The Center for Great Expectations
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CGE celebrates 20 years of transforming lives and building community!
From a two-bedroom house in Somerville serving 12 women a year, The Center has grown to provide two residential-treatment facilities for pregnant and/or parenting women and adolescents, Outpatient services at Roots to Recovery for men and women in need of substance-use treatment, Permanent Supportive Housing, Katy’s Place Child Development Center, and In-home substance use disorder and parent-infant mental health treatment to opioid-addicted women who are pregnant or new parents.
CGE has become a leader in the field of trauma-informed care, serving 600 individuals a year. Join us in helping to break the cycle of homelessness, poverty and abuse.
Rick Fortune's impact in the community with The Center for Great Expectations (CGE) has taken form in many ways since joining the Board of Directors in 2008.
From committee leadership, to recruiting volunteers and donors, his passion and commitment to service has been that of a true champion of sustainability. Specifically, as chairperson of the Development Committee, Rick has led the live auction at the annual gala raising tens of thousands of dollars annually.
Rick’s connections and creative thinking have helped amplify the impact of CGE in the community by not only increasing awareness, but building their development infrastructure and donor base, and inspiring new volunteers to join their cause.
Other organizations have also recognized the value of his service at CGE. In 2018, Rick was recognized by MassMutual Foundation with their highest honor for servant leadership as a Platinum Community Service Award winner, securing $25,000 for CGE.
Morristown Community Soup Kitchen
The Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center was fortunate enough to receive the time and energy of Fortune Wealth Financial Group.
“I think my expectations were to see people that were homeless, people who were well below the poverty line,” said volunteer Paul Dodenhoff. “But when I saw people who looked like me coming in here, it was like, Oh my God, if not for the grace of God that I’m on the other side of the table and not a client.”
The day was positive and uplifting, and many volunteers expressed interest in returning in the future.
- quoted from a Morristown Soup Kitchen Press Release

Over 200 guests were served Friday, January 25th, 2019; one of the biggest lunches in the last two years. Thirty percent of guests at the Community Soup Kitchen are homeless. The remaining 70 percent are members of the working poor—people on fixed incomes or people working multiple minimum wage jobs trying to make ends meet.

“Giving back to the people within the community and making a difference is something myself and my whole team has come to enjoy tremendously,” said volunteer Rick Fortune. “We’re all leaving here today with a warm feeling in our heart but most importantly we made a difference in people’s lives.”

Despite the hectic workload, the energy in the dining room was jovial, and both the guests and the volunteers were in high spirits. The day was spearheaded by Justin Williamson, who has volunteered with the organization on an individual basis for the past year.