Programs

Habitat For Humanity Homes Available in Dorchester!

Submitted by alyssakeil on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 12:14pm

Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston currently has 2, 3, and 4-bedroom homes/condos under construction in Dorchester!  Habitat is looking for low-income working families to fill these homes. Habitat is looking for  households that have the following characteristics:

  • Are low-to moderate-income households (roughly between 50%-80% area median income as established by HUD –for a family of four their gross income should be around $45,000 -$65,000 per year)
  • Have steady employment and the ability to afford 0% interest mortgage payments to Habitat (Habitat tries to keep the mortgage payments below $1,000/month –often it is much lower than that);
  • Are legal residents;
  • Have a current housing need: either housing is overcrowded, unsafe, or too expensive for the family to afford; and
  • Are willing to partner with Habitat to work on the home and attend homeownership classes.  Each family is required to invest 300 hours working side-by-side with volunteers to construct their future home.  (This usually takes 7-12 months.) 

 

Attached is a PDF of Habitat for Humanity's application (which needs to be printed double-sided, flipped on the short side to create a booklet), an information sheet, and photos of the condos available in Dorchester. For more information, call 617.423.2223x17 or visit www.habitatboston.org!

Dorchester Food Pantry is Temporarily CLOSING!

Submitted by alyssakeil on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 10:48am

Dorchester House is temporarily closing their food pantry for the month of March in order to reorganize their service delivery model. As of February 1st, notifications of this closure are being included in food pantry bags during our distribution hours and clients are being given a list of other food pantry sites in Dorchester.  The Food Source Hotline (1.800.645.8333) is also available for SNAP (food stamps) assistance, emergency food assistance and information for school meals Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.; and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

 

Currently, the pantry provides food to anywhere between 400 to 500 families every week. This operation is sustained through the work of volunteers, a small grant from Project Bread and support from the Greater Boston Food Bank. The pantry is adjusting their distribution rules because they cannot serve this growing capacity on a weekly basis.

 

When the food pantry re-opens:

clients will be able to come to our food pantry once a month for pick-up. We will still be open every week  and The pantry will be open every week, and clients can select which week they would like to come.

Only clients who live in Dorchester and Mattapan will be able to access the Dorchester House food pantry.

 

For more information about these changes, please contact Michelle Nadow at 617.740.2521 or by email at michelle.nadow [at] dotwell.org

Signup for St. Mark's Wainright February Vacation Program

Submitted by alyssakeil on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 10:13am

The St. Mark Wainwright Youth Program of St. Mark Parish will host a February school vacation week program.  The program will be Tuesday, February 21 - Friday, February 24, 9am-5:30pm in St. Mark School Hall, for youth ages 6-18. (There is no program on Monday, February 20, in honor of President's Day). The cost is $20 for the week for the first child, and $10 for each additional child. The daily program will include games, recreation, academic enrichment, guest speakers, art, lunch, and snack!

 

More information will follow, including the program flyer, registration form, and code of conduct which must be completed for each youth attending. Space is limited - register ASAP. Please contact the program at 617.825.1052 or wainwright_park [at] gmail.com

Learn How Volunteering Can Get You a Job!

Submitted by alyssakeil on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 12:50pm

On Tues. Feb 7, 2012, the Adams Street Branch of the Boston Public Library is hosting a free workshop for adults on Strategic Volunteering and how it can eventually lead to paid employment. Presented by Operation A.B.L.E., the workshop will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This free workshop is for individuals wishing to give back to the community and/or who are unemployed and looking to bridge the gap between jobs by working in a skills-based volunteer position. To register, please call Operation A.B.L.E. 617.542.4180 x122.

The Adams Street Branch of the Boston Public Library is located at 690 Adams Street, 02122.

Funds Available to Plant Trees in Boston!

Submitted by alyssakeil on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 12:33pm

Grow Boston Greener (GBG) is a competitive mini-grant program administered by Boston Natural Areas Network in partnership with the City of Boston that provides funding of up to $2,500 for tree plantings in neighborhoods throughout the City of Boston.  Funding for the GBG program is provided by the support of corporate and philanthropic donors through the Fund for Parks and Recreation in Boston! The application deadline for the spring grant round is March 19, 2012.

On February 16, there will be a Grant Briefing Session from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will help applicants plan their projects and answer questions. The session will be held at the BNAN office, 62 Summer Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA.

For more information, questions, assistance with formulating your project, and to RSVP, call 617.542.7696, or email mathew [at] bostonnatural.org.

GBG grants are available to non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and their partners, such as community gardens, friends groups, schools, libraries, civic associations and neighborhood associations. Organizations without tax-exempt status can apply with a 501(c)(3) organization serving as the fiscal agent.

To download the application and grant guidelines, visit www.growbostongreener.org

Circle the City Input is Needed from Dorchester!

Submitted by alyssakeil on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 2:25pm

A group of park and fitness advocates are proposing a Circle The City event, which would close selected roads and lanes on a spring or summer Sunday, connecting parks and bike paths.  The group needs suggestions for possible temporary road or lane closures between Dorchester and Franklin Park, and possibly to the Neponset Greenway and the Boston Harborwalk. Want to weigh in? Email dotbike@bostonbiker.org.

Your suggestions are needed! What route do you think would make a good connector to Franklin Park from major Dorchester hubs, if a temporary road or lane closure was possible?  What intersections would need to be carefully marked and monitored?  Keep in mind that major through ways, like Gallivan Blvd. are not good candidates for a proposed road closure, nor are routes with no good possible detours.
 
As an example, see this Google map with a couple of proposed routes and notes on what could be a closed road or lane, and what intersections would still be tricky. These are just suggestions to start discussion.
 
Can you create a similar map to share?  Or just a description of a possible route would be great.  Perspectives from all parts of Dorchester are very important.  Please share your suggestions!

Yoga and Olmsted in Franklin Park, Saturdays in Feb

Submitted by alyssakeil on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 2:48pm

What do landscape architecture and yoga have in common? Find out for yourself this February in Franklin Park! Learn more about Frederick Law Olmsted's design philosophy and the practice of Amrit yoga - and how the two connect! Fitness walk in the park, and a yoga class in the clubhouse. Open to all - even those new to Olmsted and yoga. The sessions are from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Saturday in February. Meet at the Franklin Park Golf Clubhouse on Circuit Drive. To RSVP, please call 617.396.7918. Check out the event's facebook page here!

Open Policy Classroom Series at Northeastern, Spring Semester

Submitted by alyssakeil on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 4:20pm

Every semester, Northeastern University holds an Open Series Classroom Series. In this series, one graduate-level seminar is opened to the public each semester. Each week, prominent guest lecturers are featured who have real-world expertise and experience. The Open Classroom Series topic for Spring Semester 2012 will be “Food & American Society: An Urban Perspective: What we eat, why, where it comes from, and how it all matters, everyday.” The series will be held every Wednesday evening from January 11 through April 18, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in West Village F, Room 20. For more information, including a schedule, detailed course information, teachers, and guests, or to RSVP, visit the Series' website here!

FUEL Seeks Institutional Advancement Intern

Submitted by alyssakeil on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 1:44pm

Families United in Educational Leadership (FUEL) is an organization committed to creating a path to higher education on which low income families can support their children through matched savings. FUEL's philosophy entails the belief that family ambition is one of the most important factors in educational attainment, and strives to expand the focus of educational reform to include families. All FUEL activities culminate in our mission to galvanize communities to foster the ambition of low income families for their children’s higher education.

FUEL is seeking to fill a position for an institutional advancement intern. This position will support the communication and development activities of the Institutional Advancement function of FUEL.

Phone inquiries are not accepted. To find out more about the internship visit FUEL online at www.fuelaccounts.org - to apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Gene Miller at g.miller@fuelaccounts.org. Please include the position name in the subject line of your email.

 

City Spotlights Spoken Word Project

Submitted by alyssakeil on Thu, 01/05/2012 - 4:49pm

Citi Performing Arts Center and Dudley Branch Library are looking for youth ages 11-19 for its winter City Spotlights Spoken Word Project. In this FREE program, participants will develop spoken word, storytelling and performing arts skills while exploring hip hop culture. No prior experience is required. Participants must be able to attend all sessions. Sessions will run from January 11 to February 15, on Wednesdays, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Dudley Branch Library. For more information, please call 617.532.1221.

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