The Manchester Community Action Coalition (MCAC) serves as a community hub, both in practice and in spirit. Since its founding in 2020, MCAC has served as an incubator for community members or groups identifying pressing local issues and seeking to take meaningful action. In 2025, MCAC opened its own dedicated space in the heart of Manchester, expanding what is possible for the community. Addressing needs from early childhood education to advancing racial justice and more, MCAC unites New Hampshire’s largest city’s residents in their pursuit of cultivating thriving communities.
From the moment you walk into MCAC, you are met with a smile and a warm welcome that says you belong. MCAC’s growth over the last six years has been led by founding Executive Director Kile Adumene, who brings wisdom and a deep commitment to this work. Kile’s vision is realized every time community members gather, voices are heard, connections are built, learning happens, and a true sense of belonging and inclusion is felt.
The establishment of a physical center is a major advancement for MCAC and the communities and organizations they work with; it is a central hub for ideation, togetherness, growth, and learning. Information on topics such as racial justice, emotional regulation, and health equity fill the room, outlined by vibrant colors and calming plant life. When people gather there, there is a sense of intentionality and belonging that highlights MCAC’s commitment to being an organization by the community and for the community.
A Q&A with MCAC Executive Director, Kile Adumene
Q: What is now possible with MCAC’s new physical space?
A: The core function of our new space is to strengthen working relationships. In an increasingly digital and transactional world, this space allows us to focus on essential human connections. By fostering authentic interactions, we can better navigate complex dynamics and resolve conflicts – both being necessary steps toward changing systems.
Specific examples of how the space supports our four core activities:
– Agency: The space is a Community-Led Project Incubator where members prototype ideas like childcare initiatives, voting projects, and mutual aid, etc. This ensures the community co-creates and drives the agenda. Participatory research hub for the community, leadership and professional development.
– Advocacy: Our Public Testimony Prep Room provides a supportive environment for community members to practice [giving] testimony, receive coaching, and workshop talking points before engaging with policymakers.
– Engagement: Through Community Space Hours and Intergenerational Circles, we offer flexible time for people to engage in community conversations on cross-sector issues, socialize, share stories, and organically surface emerging issues.
– Education: We facilitate Hands-On Skill Labs and a Community Research Studio equipped with laptops and printers, providing a hub for self-directed learning and workforce development.
Q: As a leader who focuses a lot of time on supporting and lifting up others as leaders, what keeps you up at night?
A: I am often up at night thinking about the responsibility of ensuring I am doing my part to maintain and sustain this space alongside our community.
Q: As the founder of MCAC, an organization that has shifted and changed so much in five years, what gives you hope?
A: Knowing that the sustainability of this space is co-held by the people it serves, rather than resting solely on my shoulders.
The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation awarded MCAC a 2025 Community Grant for their mission to elevate the voices of People of Color (POC) in New Hampshire by co-creating spaces for community engagement and development, equipping POC to have equitable opportunities and representation in civic and community matters.
To learn more about MCAC, visit: https://www.mcacnh.org/
To learn more about our other 2025 grantees, visit: https://nhwomensfoundation.org/grantmaking/2025-grant-recipients/.
