02/24/2026
BCL Day Program and All Office Locations are Closed
Wednesday 2/24!
Better Community Living, Inc.
- Home
- United States
- New Bedford, MA
- Better Community Living, Inc.
Serving children and adults with disabilities in the Greater New Bedford community.
Address
128 Union Street
New Bedford, MA
02740
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 4pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 4pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 4pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 4pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |
Telephone
Website
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Our Story
In 1988, founder Thomas C. Riley, had a clear vision of Better Community Living and began putting his ideas into action. After working for the largest provider of human services in Massachusetts, he knew that his biggest goal for this new entity was to provide a larger voice for individuals and their families while staying dedicated to the Greater New Bedford Area. “I wanted to keep it geographically compact so that we could provide high-quality supports. I also thought that by identifying with one area it would help us to get people more involved in the community,” Mr. Riley states.
He decided to designate the new agency as a nonprofit, defining goals that were based on service needs rather than revenue projections. He was driven to provide individuals with choices based on their individual needs and wants, to promote an environment that respects cultural diversity, to deal with behavioral issues with positive social responses (versus traditional institutional approaches), and to offer supports that treat people with respect and dignity. He wanted to provide “homes” for individuals, not just places to live.
In 1988, BCL was granted its first contract with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (“DDS”) to operate a home for four persons. The agency had eight employees that first year.
