Sid and Isabel Ferreira Recognized by Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce with Community Service Award
A UMass Amherst employee and his wife recently were honored by the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce with the Community Service Award for their five years of service as the co-resident directors of the Amherst A Better Chance (ABC) program.
Sid and Isabel Ferreira were presented the award at the chamber’s “A+ Awards Mask-erade Dinner” on Nov. 10 in the Student Union Ballroom. Sid, who received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UMass, is a special assistant to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Brandi Hephner LaBanc. Isabel, a UMass alumna, is an administrator at Amherst Dental Group.
From 2016 to 2021, the Ferreiras served as the co-resident directors at the Amherst ABC, which is a national residential high school program serving BIPOC males from underserved and underfunded school districts. These academically talented and highly motivated students are brought to Amherst from urban neighborhoods in Massachusetts and New York, and from states as far away as Ohio, Indiana, Arkansas and New Mexico, to attend Amherst Regional High School. The program gives these young men access to advanced placement (AP) or honors courses they wouldn’t normally have access to back in their home school districts. Since the program opened its doors in 1968, over 120 ABC scholars have graduated from the program and have gone on to attend more than 50 colleges and universities. Scholars live family style with resident directors.
Speaking at the event, Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations Nancy Buffone said, “I am honored to be able to represent the chamber as we proudly recognize my friend and colleague, Sid Ferreira, and his incredible wife, Isabel, for their significant contributions to Amherst. As they recently finished their tenure as resident directors at Amherst’s A Better Chance house, they have left a legacy of involvement, support and advocacy. Sid and Isabel have been dedicated to raising awareness of the program, growing funds to operate the house, and supporting the young men in the program as students at Amherst Regional High School and – just as importantly – as members of the community.”
In addition to his service at Amherst ABC, Sid also serves on the Amherst Human Rights Commission and the Amherst Housing Trust.
The Ferreiras both were born in Cape Verde and immigrated to the U.S. at age 14. Sid lived in New Bedford and graduated from New Bedford High School before attending UMass Amherst. Isabel landed in Boston and graduated from Madison Park High School before moving to western Massachusetts to attend UMass Amherst, where she met and eventually married Sid. Prior to becoming the co-resident director at ABC, Isabel also served on the board for the program. The Ferreiras have two adult children, Jamila and Cid, and a grandchild, Mila. Cid currently works at the ABC house as its cook.
