Patricia M. Jorge comes from a long lineage of cooks; her grandmother owned a successful street cart business for 30 years in San Cristobal of the Dominican Republic. Patricia would help her grandmother season the food after school as a child. In addition, Patricia’s mother, Deyanira, is in high demand in the Lawrence community for her recipes and catering. Consequently, Patricia’s passion for cooking came at an early age. In November 2019, she opened Joy Empanadas in Lawrence, MA, to share her passion for cooking with her community.
Ms. Jorge first came to Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI) in January 2019. She shared with us her dream of opening a one-of-a-kind eat-n-go eatery that shows off an authentic blend of Latino flavors in a modern and fun atmosphere here in Lawrence, MA. As you can see from the pictures above, she has accomplished her dream.
Some of Patricia’s challenges were a lack of access to capital and education to plan for and run her business effectively. MCCI helped Patricia write a business plan and financial projections to qualify her for an MCCI Lawrence Venture Fund loan of $70,000 to purchase equipment, outfit a space, and to launch Joy Empanadas. Patricia also took advantage of MCCI’s 8-hour Bookkeeping course, which qualified her business for a $1,000 MCCI technology grant. She used this grant to purchase a Point of Sales system to better track her business sales, inventory, and cash flow. In 2020, Patricia planned to take MCCI’s 9-hour QuickBooks training to put more training into best practice.
Joy Empanadas officially opened its doors on November 1st, 2019, and it now employs five hardworking individuals, including Patricia, her mother, and her sister. The business has already become a bright spot in the community that represents the culture and flavors of Ms. Jorge’s heritage.
We’re excited to grow our team and welcome a thoughtful, mission-driven leader into the role of Small Business Lending Director. This newly created position plays a key role in our next phase of growth, leading day-to-day lending operations, managing portfolio performance, and expanding access to capital for small businesses across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you’re passionate about supporting entrepreneurs, strengthening local economies, and advancing financial equity, we’d love to hear from you.
Download Job Description
The Nectar Community Investments residential team recently attended the 2025 MassEnergize Conference, which proved to be a thoughtful and impactful event full of advocacy, connection, and shared commitment to climate action at the community level. Residential Services Director Lissette Paukert spoke on a panel about funding residential decarbonization, joining representatives from Mass Save, the Community Climate Bank and Abode to talk about ways we can make energy efficiency upgrades more accessible and affordable for Massachusetts residents. Here are a few of her insights from the conversation.
What are the biggest challenges Nectar clients face in pursuing decarbonization projects?
These days, we see some fear of financial uncertainty and a lack of trust in the energy industry due to aggressive, predatory-like marketing behaviors. That’s also due to divisiveness and misinformation in our current environment, including whether climate change is real and if decarbonization efforts even matter. When you have limited cash flow, you invest carefully in products that are going to last and not cause issues. There needs to be clear and truthful messaging around the impact of decarbonization, from both an economic and environmental perspective. Not only do homeowners need education, but it’s just as important that the contractors and all professionals …
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for Nectar’s official launch in Rhode Island. We’re thrilled to be working in the Ocean State, and engaging with the entrepreneurs, ecosystem partners and other attendees at the event boosted our sense of excitement and community.
Since our founding in Massachusetts in 2008, we’ve made it our mission to invest in community and build generational wealth. We’re continuing that commitment in Rhode Island — today, tomorrow and well into the future. This launch event was only the beginning! We’re looking forward to working together, supporting dedicated small business owners, and collaborating with ecosystem partners to build on their successful efforts throughout the state.
