KLO Community Spirit was born from members of the KLO School Community. After the school closed in 2025, community members continued their work to advocate for those in the community with the highest needs. Because of its roots of organizing within the community, the KLO spirit lives on through its values: 

• Trust: KLO Community Spirit is driven by the community for the community, so trust is a key aspect of the work. When supporting a family, we always follow their lead - never pressuring them to take a specific action or forcing them to do something. This builds trust, which leads to referrals within the community. This is why the organization grows through word of mouth.
  
  

• Community: KLO Community Spirit is for the community and led by the community, with several board members who have been doing work in the Cambridge community for years. Community members at risk have diverse needs, and through mutual aid and collaboration, the organization supports families on a holistic level.
  
  

• Accessibility: One mission of KLO Community Spirit is to take down barriers to make receiving support easier. This means community members are able to tap into the resources and support without having to deal with language barriers, bureaucratic forms, or spending hours finding the right resources for their situation. 

Although there are many non-profits based in Cambridge, there are no non-profits specifically meeting the needs of newly arrived immigrants and undocumented families. Many avenues of support involve lengthy and complicated processes to access resources. Because of this, people who have limited capacity, do not feel safe, or are experiencing barriers may shy away from getting the help they need.

KLO Community Spirit is committed to breaking down those barriers so those who need it most are able to get the help they deserve. This might include finding resources, being an advocate, or providing mutual aid or material goods. The idea for KLO Community Spirit isn’t new - but it’s not being done in Cambridge. Examples of this work in other communities can be found at:

• La Colaborativa: Based in Chelsea, MA, La Colaborativa partners with the community to support newly arrived immigrants, undocumented families, non-English speakers as well as low-income tenants and workers.
  
  

• La Comunidad: Based in Everett, MA, the organization strives to provide a better future to the Latino-American community through immigration services, community organizing, social services and adult education.