The Center for Impact

KDC’S CENTER FOR IMPACT – June 2026 

On June 5th, KDC welcomed community members, partners, and supporters for a special walkthrough event at the future Center for Impact in New Bedford, MA.

Housed within a historic 3,500-square-foot social hall with deep ties to the city’s history and diverse communities, the Center for Impact will be a hub for connection, opportunity, and purpose. The space will serve not only as a resource for KDC, but as a gathering place for the greater New Bedford community.

Black and white photos, on the left, people are sitting and standing at a table chatting. On the right, people surround a man holding a plaque.
Historical photos of the social hall and its members

For more than 55 years, KDC has called New Bedford home, supporting over 540 individuals and families annually. Today, 125 dedicated team members help advance KDC’s mission locally, including 70 individuals who live and work in New Bedford.

Four people pose for a photo in front of a wooden wall, one in a striped shirt with a black sweater, one in a black shirt, one in a black shirt with a while blazer and one in a white shirt with a black buttoned sweater.
CEO Lisa Morgan with walkthrough event guests.

The vision for the Center for Impact is simple yet powerful: creating a shared space where people can come together.

From community meetings and celebrations to theatrical rehearsals, networking events, holiday gatherings and educational programs, the Center for Impact will provide a welcoming venue for meaningful experiences.

Digital rendering of how the center of impact can look, features a meeting being held with rows of chairs and people, and a speaker at the front of the room by a podium.
Rendering of the future Center of Impact.

It represents the next chapter in KDC’s long-standing commitment to New Bedford.

In addition to modernizing the space, renovations of the social hall will include accessibility improvements, such as adding two new wheelchair lifts. The estimated project cost is approximately $1,000,000. KDC is running a capital campaign to offset construction expenses. Renovations are anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.

Stay tuned for updates as construction progresses! For more information, or to donate to the Center for Impact capital campaign, please contact Mariah Nolan (mnolan@kdc.org).