Bus Route 41 | My Dorchester

St. Mary's Food Pantry

Location

St. Mary's Church

14 Cushing Avenue

Dorchester, MA, 02125

United States

42° 18' 57.9888" N, 71° 3' 51.8688" W

Mailing Address (if different than physical location):

Phone:

617.282.3181

Email:

pantry@stmarysdorchester.org

Website:

www.stmarysdorchester.org

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Mission:

The Food Pantry is one of the most established ministries at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. Concerned by issues of hunger and poverty in the Uphams Corner neighborhood of Dorchester, St. Mary’s Food Pantry was established in 1991 to help address the needs of those struggling to put food on their tables. Today the food pantry is staffed solely by volunteers and feeds approximately 300 low-income families (875 individuals) from Dorchester, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain each month.

St. Mary’s food pantry is a member agency of the Greater Boston Food Bank and receives most of its food from this source. In addition, the pantry relies on Partner churches, community groups and individuals to help keep its shelves stocked.

Key Partners:

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

FOR CLIENTS

The St. Mary’s food pantry located at 14 Cushing Ave. in Dorchester is open on Tuesdays from 9:30 -11:30 AM.
Those in need of assistance may come to the pantry once a month to receive a variety of dry, canned and perishable food.
ID is required at each visit.
Recipients must be “income eligible” to receive food assistance. See guidelines at point of registration.
For information about Food Stamps and other free and low-cost food resources, call Project Bread’s Food Source Hotline: 1-800-645-8333.

FOR VOLUNTEERS

There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at St. Mary’s food pantry:

Hands-on assistance during pantry hours: Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 (Volunteers arrive at 8:30). Tasks include client sign-in and registration, translating for non-English speaking clients, food storage and pantry maintenance.
Planning and implementing a food drive on behalf of the pantry
Translation of written materials such as pantry policies and procedures, etc. – most notably Spanish, Creole and Portuguese
Clerical assistance: telephone, written correspondence, etc.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities or to request a Volunteer Application, please contact our Food Pantry Coordinator.

FOR DONORS

Donations of non-perishable dry and canned foods (no glass containers, please) are always welcome. For a “wish list” of most needed foods, to plan a food drive or to arrange a food delivery, please contact our Food Pantry Coordinator.

Key Programs Offered:

Shanti, Taste of India

Location

Shanti

1111 Dorchester Avenue

Dorchester, MA, 02125

United States

42° 18' 45.2952" N, 71° 3' 26.7444" W

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

Lunch: Sun-Sat 11:30am - 3:00pm
Dinner: Sun-Wed 5:00pm - 10:00pm; Thu-Sat 5:00pm - 11:00pm

Mission:

From Shanti's website:

Taste of India - Shanti was created to bring quality ethnic food to Dorchester, South Boston and the surrounding areas. Shanti began with just Indian cuisine, but quickly expanded due to the diverse tastes of our community. Today, Shanti proudly serves a blend of Indian, Pakastani and Bangladeshi foods.

More than 10 years after its inception, Shanti continues to proudly serve fresh, authentic South Asian cuisine. The menu has numerous traditional items, such as Mulligatawny soup, Indian salad, Samosas dishes, tikka dishes, naan, Roti, poori, Tandoori specials, kebobs, vindaloo, curry, raita and so much more.

You are welcome to dine at our restaurant and become immersed in the sights, sounds and aromas of South Asia. Enjoy the Taste of India and you'll become a regular, too!

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Savin Bar & Kitchen

Location

Savin Bar & Kitchen

112 Savin Hill Avenue

Dorchester, MA, 02125

United States

42° 18' 41.886" N, 71° 3' 13.3344" W

Mailing Address (if different than physical location):

Phone:

617.288.7500

Website:

www.savinbarandkitchen.com

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

The Kitchen is open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and holds brunch on Sundays from noon - 3 p.m. and dinner from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. The bar is open from 3 p.m. to close Monday through Thursday, and 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and from noon - 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Mission:

Key Partners:

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Key Programs Offered:

Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester: Walter Denney Youth Center

Location

Boys and Girls Club, Walter Denney Youth Center

270 Mount Vernon Street

Dorchester, MA, 02125

United States

42° 19' 9.318" N, 71° 2' 46.0356" W

Phone:

617.822.3701

Email:

Office Manager Tara Lewis, tlewis@bgcdorchester.org

Website:

www.bgcdorchester.org

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

September 8 - July 1
Bantams/Cadets/Juniors – Monday – Friday 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Intermediates/Seniors – Monday - Friday 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Closed Saturday and Sunday.

July 7 - August 15
Bantams/Cadets/Juniors – Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Intermediates/Seniors – Monday – Friday 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Mission:

To inspire and enable all young people, from diverse circumstances, to realize their full potential by providing opportunities for personal growth to become contributing, caring and responsible members of the community.

Our Boys & Girls Clubs Provide
A safe place to learn and grow.
Ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals.
Life-enhancing programs and character development experiences.
Hope and opportunity.

Executive Director/CEO/President/Coordinator/Other:

Bob Scannell- President & CEO; Katherine Parker- Director of Resource Development

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Membership in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester is open to all children between the ages of 6 and 17. Our Club has an "open door" policy. Members are well supervised while in the program areas, but may come and go as they please. The membership fee for all ages is just $5.00 per year, or $10.00 per year for immediate family members registering at the same time. All members must furnish proof of age when signing up.

Bantams: ages 6 - 7 (limited membership; no drop-in, programmed activities only.)
Cadets: ages 8 - 9
Juniors: ages 10 - 12
Intermediates: ages 13 - 15
Seniors: ages 16 – 17
Orientation
After registering, members must attend a member's orientation. Parents are encouraged to attend as well. The orientations are held according to the following schedule:

Fall 2008 – Spring 2009 (September 8 – July 1)
For the Marr & McLaughlin Buildings (Deer Street & Dorchester Ave.)
(Held in the Marr building lobby)
4:00 – Monday - Friday

Summer 2008 (July 5 – September 8)
For the Marr & McLaughlin Buildings (Deer Street & Dorchester Ave.)
(Held in the Marr building lobby)
9:15 – Friday
9:30 - Monday & Wednesday
4:00 – Monday - Friday

Charge for services:

$5

Key Programs Offered:

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester offer club members the chance to participate in programs that foster the intellectual, artistic and athletic interests of its members. Each program is age appropriate, supervised, structured and most importantly - designed to accommodate the wide variety of learning styles, social skills and intellectual abilities that our children bring to the Club each and every day. Members are grouped according to age and interests with activities falling into the following categories:

Triple Play – A comprehensive wellness program that weaves physical fitness, nutrition, stress reduction, healthy lifestyle choices together by drawing upon the 200+ programs that take place at the Club

The Arts – Painting & drawing, sculpture, photography and digital design

Music - Comprehensive music program including instruments, voice, and dance lessons. Partnership with Berklee College of Music

Education - Daily homework help, one-on-one tutoring, reading & writing enrichment, MCAS & SAT preparation

Life Skills - Leadership groups for 13-17 year olds (Keystone Club) and 10-13 year olds (Torch Club) teach civic responsibility and pride

Technology - Three computer learning centers, each with 10 computers, are available to members for educational and research purposes

Athletics - Basketball, hockey, soccer, baseball, track, volleyball, gymnastics, Judo and more

Aquatics - Organized swim teams, swimming lessons and drop-in swimming for all ages and levels

Social Recreation - Chess and other strategic board games, puzzles, pool, foosball, and movies

Career Service – Career preparation, placement and guidance for teens seeking employment support

Child Care - Licensed care for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers; after-school care for children ages 6-12

Scholarships available:

Yes

Vouchers accepted:

Yes

Transportation provided:

No

Number of people served each year:

501-1000

Community Meeting Space Available:

Yes

Type of facility in which this program/organization located:

Private Building

Last Updated:

10/23/2009

City School, The

Location

614 Columbia Road

Dorchester, MA, 02125

United States

42° 18' 46.08" N, 71° 3' 9" W

Phone:

617-822-3075

Email:

ruby@thecityschool.org

Website:

www.thecityschool.org/

Mission:

The City School develops and strengthens the power of youth to work toward building a just society. We do this through creative education and critical thinking, leadership development, action and service, and promoting understanding and relationships across differences.

Executive Director/CEO/President/Coordinator/Other:

Ruby Reyes & Seth Kirshenbaum, Co-Executive Directors

Charge for services:

No

Key Programs Offered:

The Summer Leadership Program is where teens learn that individually and collectively, they are powerful agents of social change. Sixty diverse teens unite to bridge social barriers and empower themselves with hands-on leadership training, classroom learning, internships at local nonprofits, and social action projects they implement throughout the city.

Youth Outreach Weekends engage teens in the realities of homelessness and poverty. City School youth leaders guide the way with challenging discussions, learning games, workshops to uncover root causes and undo sterotypes, and community service at nearby shelters and soup kitchens.

The Prison Empowment Project connects people inside and outside of Massachusetts' prisons. Youth and adult participants travel to prisons to dialogue with volunteer inmates about the circumstances, behaviors and choices that have caused them to be behind bars. (Taught in collaboration with Boston Police Dept. Community Disorders Unit.)

The Social Justice Education Institute uses The City School's pedagogy and youth-adult model to assist teachers, youth workers, administrators, civic leaders and others in developing curricula and programming with a strong social-justice-based focus. The goal is to transform our practices and engage young people to help support youth agency, voice and leadership. (Educators can receive Professional Development Points through the BPS Center for Leadership Development.)

The Grads' Program promotes youth leadership, youth power and youth action for teens who've been through any City School program. It strengthens their leadership skills and knowledge, provides a proactive place for networking, and engages in youth-adult collaboration on advocacy, service work, retreats, the Youth Summit and more.

Rose from Concrete uncovers the leadership potential in youth who are court-involved, through workshops, leadership training and learning groups at several DYS community re-entry sites.

Scholarships available:

Yes

Vouchers accepted:

Yes

Transportation provided:

No

Number of people served each year:

251-500

Community Meeting Space Available:

No

Type of facility in which this program/organization located:

Community/Cultural Center

Last Updated:

04/23/2010

Casa Esperanza

Location

263 Eustis Street

Roxbury, MA, 02119

United States

42° 19' 37.1352" N, 71° 4' 30.648" W

Phone:

(617) 445-1123

Website:

http://www.casaesperanza.org

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

M-F: 9-5

Mission:

Casa Esperanza Inc.’s mission is to help men, women and families overcome homelessness, recover from alcoholism and drug addiction, gain the skills they need to be self-sufficient, contributing members of society and to repair and strengthen families torn apart by substance abuse.

Executive Director/CEO/President/Coordinator/Other:

Rick Quiroga

Charge for services:

Yes

Scholarships available:

No

Vouchers accepted:

No

Transportation provided:

No

Number of people served each year:

1-50

Community Meeting Space Available:

No

Type of facility in which this program/organization located:

Community/Cultural Center

Last Updated:

03/04/2010

DOTtots: A Weekly Neighborhood Playgroup

Location

Dunn Hall at Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish

800 Columbia Road

Dorchester, 02125

United States

42° 19' 14.16" N, 71° 3' 27.36" W

Mailing Address (if different than physical location):

DOTtots Playgroup
C/O C. Gillis
14 Hinckley Street
Dorchester, MA 02125

Phone:

(617) 436-8227

Email:

cara.gillis@comcast.net

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

Thursday mornings 9:30-11:30 AM

Mission:

Parents and caregivers of children under 5 are invited and encouraged to attend this weekly neighborhood playgroup. It is a great opportunity to connect with other local parents and give your child(ren) an opportunity to socialize with other youngsters. Come for support, conversation, even snacks! We have toys and equipment for children from birth to preschool and everyone is welcome.

Executive Director/CEO/President/Coordinator/Other:

Contact C. Gillis or R. Gould

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Just come on in and play

Charge for services:

No

Scholarships available:

No

Vouchers accepted:

No

Transportation provided:

No

Number of people served each year:

1-50

Community Meeting Space Available:

No

Type of facility in which this program/organization located:

Other

Project Hope

Locations

Family Residence & Children's Center

45 Magnolia Street

Dorchester, MA, 02125

United States

42° 19' 0.7392" N, 71° 4' 14.4372" W

Community Building & Main Offices

550 Dudley Street

Roxbury, MA, 02119

United States

42° 19' 17.3028" N, 71° 4' 19.8516" W

Phone:

(617) 442-1880

Fax:

(617)238-0473

Email:

info@prohope.org

Website:

http://www.prohope.org

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

Seven days a week

Mission:

Project Hope works in partnership with families so they can move up and out of poverty. We do this by being a catalyst for change in the lives of families and in the systems which keep them poor; developing and providing family support solutions for homeless.

Executive Director/CEO/President/Coordinator/Other:

Sr. Margaret Leonard

Charge for services:

No

Key Programs Offered:

Dorchester Adult Literacy Coalition(DALC): Sarah Bayer (ABE/ESOL) - sbayer@prohope.org; Project Hope provides services in ABE, ESOL, GED, and Job Skills. They have licensed child care and operate in morning and afternoons.

Adult Educational Services (AES): offers a basic adult education to more than 80 low-income women a year. It combines full time, intensive academics with creative programming to foster each woman's empowerment and self-development in mind, body, and spirit.

Children's Center: a high-quality, nationally accredited child care center for 26 homeless and low-income children, ages 0-6. Eighteen percent of Boston centers achieve this rigorous standard of national accreditation. The center promotes the whole child’s physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth; targets children in crisis and with special needs; involves parents in promoting family literacy and kindergarten-readiness; and works for better access and quality child care in the broader community.

Family Child Care Business Enterprise (FCCBE): an innovative venture that trains 30 low-income women a year for child care careers and oversees a network of 20+ home-based family day care businesses. Trainees take part in college-level child development coursework, internships, and business preparation. The day care providers are assisted with their professional development and business success.

Family Shelter: one of the first homeless shelters for families in the state and remains a model for its respectful and empowering approach. Approximately 20 women and their children are sheltered each year.

Housing Service: assists Dorchester/Roxbury families with various housing issues. A team of experienced staff provides housing counseling, landlord negotiation, housing search assistance, budgeting advice and training, emergency rental funds, and more.

Workforce Development & Employer Partnerships (WDEP): founded to assist women—single mothers predominantly—and other community members in the Dudley neighborhood who found that without adequate training and an accessible path to employers their dreams of living wage jobs were out of reach. Aids in job readiness training, access to career ladder job opportunities, and ongoing case management support during the program and for a full year after job placement.

Scholarships available:

Yes

Vouchers accepted:

Yes

Transportation provided:

No

Number of people served each year:

501-1000

Community Meeting Space Available:

Yes

Type of facility in which this program/organization located:

Community/Cultural Center

Last Updated:

11/29/2011

Food Project, The

Location

The Food Project - Dorchester Office

555 Dudley Street

Dorchester, MA, 02125

United States

42° 19' 16.3848" N, 71° 4' 20.7228" W

Phone:

(617) 442-1322

Email:

info@thefoodproject.org

Website:

http://www.thefoodproject.org

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

M-F: 9am-5pm

Mission:

To grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. This community produces healthy food for residents of the city and suburbs, provides youth leadership opportunities. Most importantly, we strive to inspire and support others to create a change in their own communities.

Executive Director/CEO/President/Coordinator/Other:

Margaret Williams

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Donate, volunteer, buy our food, work on our farm, sign up for our mailing list, shop weekly at any of the Dorchester farmers' markets July through October.

Charge for services:

Yes

Scholarships available:

Yes

Vouchers accepted:

Yes

Transportation provided:

No

Number of people served each year:

over 1000

Community Meeting Space Available:

No

Type of facility in which this program/organization located:

Private Building

Last Updated:

11/02/2009

Annapolis Neighborhood Association

Location

Annapolis St

Upham's Corner, 02125

United States

42° 19' 2.2476" N, 71° 3' 41.0364" W

Phone:

(617) 233-9177

Email:

Gloria-Ann.Vieira@va.gov

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates):

Last Thursdays, 7PM, Community Hall of Annapolis Street Development

Mission:

Keeping our Neighborhood Safe

Executive Director/CEO/President/Coordinator/Other:

Gloria-Ann Vieira - Chairperson

Key Partners:

Columbia Savin Hill Civic Assocaition, Neighbors of Annapolis, Sumner, Stoughton, Bakersfield, Willis, Morrill, Mayfield, Trescott, Chase, Sumner Pk, Sumner Sq, Conrad Sumner Place Kevin Road

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures:

Flyers are given out each month announcing upcoming meetings.

Charge for services:

No

Scholarships available:

No

Vouchers accepted:

No

Transportation provided:

No

Number of people served each year:

251-500