Broke but not poor; Advice from Grandma.

• Position: NEWS

Byline: John J. Monahan

WORCESTER - Gov. Deval L. Patrick, overseeing one of the state's worst economic crises in memory, managed to find some silver linings yesterday as he spent a couple of hours walking through what in past decades was widely considered one of the worst neighborhoods in the city.

Walking through the Main South neighborhood, the governor met a family from Ghana that was finally having insulation installed in their home.

To his "astonishment," he said, he learned that the house previously had no insulation at all.

Just down the street, a couple provided him with a tour of their first new home. Mr. Patrick described them as "proud as you could imagine" of their piece of the American dream obtained through the Buy Worcester Now home ownership program.

He visited homes that were once dilapidated but have been refurbished and utilizing solar panels.

The governor also singled out one neighborhood man from a group of young adults receiving training in home weatherization projects this summer who had earned his GED. The man plans to pursue a career in the energy field.

The success stories were the result of years of dedicated work by neighborhood residents and nonprofits that, assisted by government funding, have helped transform the Gardner-Kilby-Hammond district into the vibrant area it is now.

The governor was there to kick off efforts concentrating on weatherization, home ownership, youth programs and other revitalization programs in neighborhoods that are part of the state's Communities Count initiative.

The intent is to leverage all available programs "to ensure that we are fighting the effects of foreclosure, creating job opportunities and bringing long-term economic prosperity to our cities and towns," Mr. Patrick said.

The governor met with city officials, neighborhood groups and agencies, as well as officials from another partner in the effort, Clark University, at the new Boys & Girls Club, and he laid out a series of new funding plans to keep the effort going.

He said the administration will allocate about $4.73 million to the city for weatherization and heating-system upgrades for 361 homes over the next three years, including about 120 in Main South neighborhoods.

With $2.39 million in federal economic stabilization funds for foreclosed properties in the Piedmont/Chandler section of Main South already in hand, the governor said an additional $2.4 million matching state...