Plummer Youth Promise Opens Newly Restored Historic Building on Winter Island

In early May, Plummer Youth Promise, whose vision is that every young person has a family unconditionally committed to nurture, protect, and guide them to successful adulthood, celebrated the reopening of the historic Caroline Plummer House. The open house and ribbon cutting, held on Plummer's Winter Island campus in Salem, honored the community that made this restoration possible.

While addressing the crowd at the event, Nicole McLaughlin, Executive Director of Plummer Youth Promise, commented, “A year ago, the dilapidated building our kids were living in, and staff was working out of, was hindering our mission. While youth moved into our new residential building in May of 2025, along with them went the administrative team while the historic building was being renovated.”

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“Less than twelve months later, the historic building renovations were completed, and the Caroline Plummer House becomes an administrative hub for the entire organization, supporting not only the 22-youth living on campus, but the hundreds served through our other programs,” added McLaughlin.

Some of the key individuals and organizations that McLaughlin recognized during the ceremony included:

• Michael Whitmore, project architect, who listened carefully to youth and staff.
• Jonathan Lavash, Owner’s Project Manager, who made sure all the disparate pieces moved forward as an efficient, cohesive whole.
• David Groom and Groom Construction, who kept Plummer's young people top of mind.
• Larry Lessard and Achieve Renewable Energy, for designing a system that renders the organization free of fossil fuel.
• Elected officials, Senator Joan Lovely, Representative Manny Cruz, and Mayor Dominick Pangallo, who helped Plummer access public and private resources, as well as the many departments throughout the City of Salem that helped complete this project.
• Kathy and Ted Truscott, Co-Chairs of the Rebuilding Families Capital Campaign.
• Former Plummer resident and current Plummer board member David Guilbeault, who spoke about the impact Plummer has had on his life.
• The amazing Plummer staff and the young people the organization serves, who McLaughlin noted, are the reason Plummer does its work.

For those who weren’t able to attend the celebration, but would like to help, an anonymous donor is matching all donations up to $350,000 made through June 30 in order to assist Plummer Youth Promise as it seeks to raise the remaining $3.6 million to pay off the $25 million expense associated with this major undertaking. Gifts in any amount will make a difference.