Women

Boston Parent Organizing Network organizes, develop and support parentsand families who are marginalized by class, race, language, disability and immigration status to  work with and hold accountable the Boston Public Schools to provide an excellent education for all students.

In all we do we are guided by these principles:

• Parents and families are the most effective advocates and leaders to bring about lasting improvements in student education.
• Parents, families and students are the key source to identify the educational needs of children and youth.
• Networking and collaboration among community based organizations and school based parent groups are necessary to effect system-wide change
• Both system-wide and community-based issues must be addressed collectively to assure sustained success.

Our Vision

Because of BPON's effectiveness parents and families who are marginalized by class, race, language, disability and immigration status directly influence decision making at all levels of the Boston Public School System.

The mission of the Boston REACH Coalition is to promote health equity and eliminate racial and health inequities in Boston. REACH: Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health. The 200-member coalition has met monthly for ten years. The coalition has earned an outstanding reputation in the local and public health community for its work in raising awareness of racial and ethnic health disparities, educating the public about health issues that affect the Black community in Boston, and for its credible partnerships with community members, policymakers, faith-based leaders, and academic institutions. The coalition includes community members, community groups, health care providers, business and faith leaders, and academic partners. With new funding as a Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (CEED), the coalition will expand its scope of work to address cardiovascular disease and public health issues related to men’s health, adolescent wellness, community advocacy, public policy, and environmental health. A strategic plan will ensure that community efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities can be sustained.

Thrive in 5's mission is to get every one of Boston's 39,000 children under age 5 ready to succeed in school and in life and to prevent the readiness gap currently evident at school entry. For the Fields Corner Children Thrive, please click here.

Thrive in 5 is a public-private partnership sponsored by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, with additional funding partners. Also see a breakdown of Thrive programs and goals. Contact information for various program branches is available here.

Boston Children Thrive in 5 is currently being implemented in 5 neighborhoods. In each neighborhood a "hub agency" leads and coordinates the effort. Each hub agency works in collaboration with many community partners.

Neighborhood : Hub Agency

• Allston-Brighton : Family Nurturing Center
• Roxbury/North Dorchester : Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
• South End/Lower Roxbury : United South End Settlements
• East Boston : East Boston Community Partnerships for Children Neighborhood Cluster
• Field's Corner : Dorchester House Multi-Service Center

Boston Community Capital (BCC) is a community development financial institution whose mission is to build healthy communities where low-income people live and work. We accomplish this mission by investing in projects that provide affordable housing, good jobs, and new opportunities in low-income communities, connecting these neighborhoods to the mainstream economy.

Since 1985, BCC has invested more than $550 million to support organizations and businesses that benefit underserved communities. Our loans and investments have helped:

Build or preserve affordable homes for over 10,000 families and individuals

Support child care facilities serving over 7,000 children

Finance schools and youth programs serving over 2,000 low-income students

Renovate over 750,000 square feet of commercial real estate in distressed inner-city communities

Create more than 1,400 jobs in low-income communities

Generate over 1.4 million kilowatt hours of solar capacity annually on affordable housing serving over 1,100 families and individuals,

Provide fixed-rate mortgages that have allowed over 80 families facing foreclosure to remain in their homes.