Youth ages 6-12

The Home for Little Wanderers: Family Resource Center

Mailing Address (if different than physical location): 

Roslindale (main site)
780 American Legion Highway
Roslindale, MA 02131

Dorchester (satellite site)
Up Academy Dorchester
35 Westville Street
Dorchester, MA 02122

Boston (satellite site)
Suffolk County Juvenile Court
24 New Chardon Street
Boston, MA 02114
*check in at Juvenile Clerk’s office, 2nd floor

Phone: 

(617) 469-8501

Email: 

FRC@thehome.org

Website: 

www.thehome.org/frc

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates): 

Roslindale

  • Tuesdays 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Wednesdays 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Thursdays 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Fridays 12 noon– 4 p.m.
  • Saturdays 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Dorchester 

  • Mondays 9 a.m. – 12 noon
  • Wednesdays 12 noon – 5 p.m.
  • Fridays 9 a.m. – 12 noon

Boston

  • Mondays 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Mission: 

The Family Resource Centers (FRCs) of Massachusetts are a statewide network that provides services to strengthen families and keep them connected to resources within their own community. There are FRCs in every county in the Commonwealth. In addition to assisting families, the FRCs support the children of those families that may have behavioral issues and need additional supports.

Locations

Up Academy Dorchester
35 Westville Street
Dorchester, MA 02122
United States
Roslindale (Main site)
780 American Legion Highway
Roslindale, MA 02131
United States
How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures: 

For services or to make a referral, please contact:

Amy McCarthy, Program Director
amccarthy@thehome.org 
FRC@thehome.org
(617) 469-8501

Key Programs Offered: 

How They Can Help
Families come to the FRC for many reasons. The goal of the FRC is to connect those looking for help to the appropriate services, whether they are within the FRC or in the community. Some of the resources the staff at the FRC help families find include:
• Housing support
• Utility assistance
• Legal aid
• Summer camps and sport leagues
• Other family needs

Children who need assistance or are at risk of needing court involvement (Child Requiring Assistance-CRA) can be assessed by an FRC clinician to develop a Family Support Plan to address the child’s and the family’s needs.

Services Offered
The FRC offers an array of services through its experienced staff.
School Liaisons help families with truancy, absenteeism, special education and behavioral issues.

Family Support Workers connect families with resources in the community.
Family Partners help families navigate the child-serving system and use their lived experience as caregivers to partner with other caregivers to help achieve their goals.

Peer Support Workers work with youth to engage them in a process of change by sharing their experiences and struggles
as young adults.

The FRC also facilitates groups and classes for families such as evidence-based parent groups and family enrichment activities.

Boston Youth Sanctuary

Phone: 

617-322-3380

Fax: 

617-322-3381

Email: 

contact@bostonyouthsanctuary.org

Website: 

http://www.bostonyouthsanctuary.org/

Mission: 

Boston Youth Sanctuary (BYS) provides a safe and nurturing environment where at-risk youth are encouraged to express themselves positively and gain sustainable coping skills that aid in academic, community and home life success. Youth that attend BYS After School Program will graduate feeling empowered and better equipped to face the challenges that arise in their daily lives.

Who We Are:

BYS is a therapeutic after-school program for youth ages 6-11 that have experienced traumatic events or circumstances in their lives. BYS works with children and families from the Boston community providing clinical and case management services designed to improve youths’ functioning in home, community and academic settings. BYS works to address the needs of children across all life domains by providing wrap-around services to them and their families in one centralized location.

Our Youth:

BYS serves youth ages 6-11 who live in inner-city Boston. BYS youth have experienced a variety of traumas including but not limited to the violent deaths of parents/siblings, neglect, homelessness, foster care, and physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse. BYS youth need not have a formal diagnosis of PTSD but must present with symptoms suggesting a socio-emotional impact of the trauma that they have experienced. BYS youth come from a variety of academic settings and familial structures, and BYS is committed to meeting children and families where they are.

Services Offered:

  • Therapeutic/Activity Groups

BYS youth participate in daily therapeutic skill-building and enrichment activities. In cohorts of same-aged peers, youth attend rotating multi-sensory groups catered to their developmental needs. These groups include trauma-informed yoga led by a licensed therapist/yoga instructor, expressive arts therapy, gender-based empowerment groups, cooking, gymnastics, hip hop dance, and group therapy led by licensed BYS child clinicians, focusing on areas of need such as problem-solving and conflict resolution.    

  • Individual Therapy
    BYS youth have access to weekly individual therapy with experienced, clinicians. Clinicians develop individualized treatment plans and clinical goals highly tailored to meet the specific needs of each child. BYS clinicians incorporate theory from evidence-based practices including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment Theory, Narrative Therapy, and the Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) Model. BYS Clinicians utilize play therapy, art-based interventions, sensory modulation, and role play/social scripting to incorporate age-appropriate methodologies in youths’ treatment.
  • Family Support Services
    Family engagement is an essential component of BYS’s approach and families are encouraged to help guide their child’s treatment. Families/caregivers are expected to attend meetings approximately every six weeks to discuss their child’s treatment and progress, as well as to ensure their family’s needs are being met. BYS offers case management services to the families/caregivers of BYS youth, and each child enrolled at BYS is assigned a Family Liaison. Family Liaisons work directly with families/caregivers to establish long and short-term goals to achieve familial stability and strength. Family Liaisons offer strategic and direct support in pursuit of established goals. Case management services vary based on the needs and expressed wishes of families/caregivers. All BYS Family Liaisons are highly experienced navigating social service systems and accessing community resources.
  • Transportation
    BYS provides free, private door-to-door transportation to and from the program daily. BYS vans pick children up from partner schools and bring them to BYS, and at the end of the program day pick them up from BYS and drop them off at home, releasing them only to children’s caregivers or to parties authorized by caregivers. BYS vans are driven by Massachusetts certified children’s van drivers contracted by local professional transportation company Kidz on the Run.
  • Educational Advocacy
    BYS offers educational advocacy for youth as needed. BYS believes that success in academic settings is essential to long-term social and emotional success. BYS is available to review existing Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans, attend IEP and 504 meetings, request testing, and advocate for a child’s educational needs. Educational advocates are available in conjunction with a youth’s broader clinical team to consult with youths’ schools about effective behavior management strategies as determined by their treatment plans and goals.
  • Nutrition and Health
    BYS provides youth nutritious food options each day in collaboration with City Fresh Foods. BYS also provides education about healthy eating choices. BYS youth participate in a cooking group in which they learn about nutrition, portion control, and general health in an effort to support youth in healthy physical and emotional development. BYS also offers youth a variety of opportunities to engage in physical activities including outdoor free play, staff-led physical activity, yoga, and gymnastics.
How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures: 

For a copy of our referral please contact 617-322-3380 or visit www.bostonyouthsanctuary.org /about/referral-form/ 

Created: 
10/22/2012

Beantown Jumpers

Website: 

beantownjumpers.com

Mission: 

We are a competitive Double Dutch team from Boston, Milton, Quincy and Pembroke.  Our team members include girls & boys who are in Grade 2 through high school.   Our mission is to share the sport of  Double Dutch with others while encouraging physical activity, teamwork and fun.  In conjunction with the Red Auerbach Youth Foundation we believe in the value of sports and athletics to the healthy development, both physical and emotional, of children.

Artists for Humanity

Phone: 

617.268.7620

Website: 

afhboston.org

Mission: 

 

 

 

 

Founded in 1991, Artists For Humanity’s mission is to bridge economic, racial and social divisions by providing under-resourced youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.

At the heart of Artists for Humanity is the belief that skills equal power and opportunity. AFH has four goals, which provide urban teens with:

  • a safe meaningful place where they are respected for their contributions and develop mentoring relationships so important to teens;
  • an opportunity to have a voice through exhibitions, commercial services, and public presentations;
  • the respect and responsibility of paid employment that promotes self-esteem and financial accountability.  At AFH, young people learn entrepreneurship and get paid for their own creative production.
  • provide access to educational experiences and support that encourage academic achievement

Location

Artists For Humanity EpiCenter
100 West 2nd. Street
South Boston, MA 02127
United States
How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures: 

Artists For Humanity is all about bringing people together to share their talents in our community.

  • If you’re in middle school and want to explore and develop your artistic skills, get involved with us.
  • If you’re in high school and want to get paid for your creativity while doing meaningful work for real clients, get involved with us.
  • If you’re in college, and want to intern with us to better understand our methods of youth empowerment and arts entrepreneurship, get involved with us.
  • If you appreciate what we all accomplish together here at Artists For Humanity, get involved with us.
Created: 
09/13/2012

Neighborhood Response Team (NRT)

Phone: 

617-635-4500

Email: 

Flavio.Daveiga@cityofboston.gov (Bowdoin-Geneva); Walter.Applewhite@cityofboston.gov (Mattapan)

Mission: 

The Neighborhood Response Team (NRT), a cross-departmental group representing Public Works, Transportation, Inspectional Services, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, seeks to address the local and specific issues affecting Boston's neighborhoods. Meeting with residents, community organizations, and numerous municipal bodies, the Team will focus on basic city services and improvements such as street lighting and sidewalk repairs, prioritizing trash and debris removal, and cracking down on problem properties and health and safety violations.

As of Nov. 2011, there are three regular NRT meetings, to address Mattapan, Codman Square, and Four Corners; Dudley Square and Blue Hill Ave.; and the Bowdoin-Geneva areas. The meetings are co-chaired, with one chair representing an official body (such as the Office of Health and Human Services) and other representing area residents. 

The Mattapan/Codman Square/Four Corners meeting covers city services, with (as of Nov. 2011) a noted emphasis on foreclosure/absenteeism.

Likewise, the Dudley/Blue Hill Ave. meeting covers city services. Prostitution is seen to be particularly bad problem in the area and many interdepartmental actions have worked to address this issue (as of Nov. 2011).

The Bowdoin-Geneva meeting incorporates human services in addition to city services, with an emphasis on youth development and violence prevention -- specifically, the Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative. See a release on the formation of the Bowdoin-Geneva NRT here.

Key Partners: 

City Agencies:

Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Transportation Department, Boston Center for Youth and Families, Code Enforcement, Department of Neighborhood Development, Inspectional Services, Jobs and Community Services, Office of Human Services, Office of Neighborhood Services, Mayor's Office, Public Works Department, others?

 

Community Organizations and Collaborations:

Bowdoin Geneva Violence Intervention and Prevention, Upham's Corner Violence Intervention and Prevention,
United Neighbors Association (UNA), 4-Street Crime Watch, 

Bird Street Community Center, College Bound Dorchester, Family Nurturing Center, Roxbury Resource Center,

 

Faith-based: First Parish Church in Dorchester, St. Peter's Parish, 

 

Main Streets:

Bowdoin-Geneva Main Street
Four Corners Main Street
 

Healthcare:

Bowdoin Street Health Center
 

Partial list!

Key Programs Offered: 

Biweekly meetings; neighborhood walkthroughts; forum for cross-departmental, cross-sector collaboration and neighborhood improvement.

Created: 
11/21/2011

Boston Children's Chorus

Phone: 

617-778-2242

Fax: 

617-778 2248

Mission: 

The Boston Children's Chorus harnesses the power and joy of music to unite our city's diverse communities and inspire social change. Our singers transcend social barriers in a celebration of shared humanity and love of music. Through intensive choral training and high-profile public performance experience (locally, throughout the U.S. and around the world), they learn discipline, develop leadership skills, and proudly represent the city of Boston as ambassadors of harmony.

Location

112 Shawmut Avenue, Suite 5B
Boston, MA 02118
United States
Key Partners: 

New England Conservatory (NEC), WCVB-TV Channel 5 (ABC), Boston Public Schools (BPS) Arts Office. A selection of choirs exist through partnership with the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center & Villa Victoria Center for the Arts (in collaboration with Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción). See here for many more collaborators.

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures: 

To join the chorus, you must fill out an application and audition:

  • Auditionees must be between the ages of 7 and 18 (must turn 7 years old by December 31)
  • No prior musicial training is necessary
  • A prepared piece is not required
  • Audition process is quick and simple (ten minutes!)
  • Placement will be determined on skills and maturity

To book the Boston Children’s Chorus for your organization’s next event or private function, please complete the following Book Us Form or contact:

Anthony Victoria
Manager of Programs
P 617-778-2242 x225
F 617-778 2248
E avictoria@bostonchildrenschorus.org

Key Programs Offered: 

Our repertoire is unique among children’s choirs, as it includes an extraordinary range that spans across many different countries and music genres. Each performance is unique and the Artistic Director carefully crafts each program to suit the theme of the event. We offer performances consisting of Classical music, Folk music, Spirituals and World music.

Choral Activities/Music Education

BCC is developing a reputation for professional level performances and innovation in music education. The 40-plus annual performances are rooted in Boston but have national impact – particularly through our nationally televised Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert that has become a New England tradition.The music education program, most often recognized for a unique approach to diverse students of both urban and suburban backgrounds, levels the field of learning for singers with varying degrees of experience and leads all to achieve high levels of musicianship.

Artists and Scholars

BCC builds relationships with leading professional artists and scholars in the field of music and music education. These leaders interact and partner with BCC singers and the Boston community providing meaningful musical experiences. The 2010-2011 roster includes the following:

  • Composer in Residence: Bill Banfield, Berklee College of Music
  • Conductor in Residence: Maria Guinand, Schola Cantorum de Venezuela
  • Educator in Residence: Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, The American Boy Choir

Tours and Excursions

Tours provide our singers with first-rate performing opportunities within the U.S. and abroad. Through this travel and the specially-designed pre-tour education programs, singers’ lives are changed as they learn about foreign cultures, their histories, and from friendships across global boundaries. Recent travels include tours to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America.



Youth Development (Modulation)

BCC empowers youth to take ownership of their participation, assisting their development as independent and responsible learners, thinkers, musicians and citizens. The youth development program provides opportunities to develop skills that allow singers to develop their own voices through omni-directional mentoring, leadership development and through the building of networking, public speaking and communication skills. In addition, the singers become deeply engaged in the community through targeted community service projects.

Choirs include:

Premier Choir
Advanced singers ages 12-18. Our premier performing group offers a stimulating, comprehensive and demanding choral repertoire requiring advanced level of musical skill. The Premier Choir participates in local, national and international tours.

Young Men’s Ensemble

A special program to meet the unique needs of boys ages 10-18 with changing and changed voices.

Concert Choir

Singers ages 10-16 with advanced musical skills receive intensive training in music theory, music history and foreign languages; performances include regional tours.

Choral Union

A choir created in 2010 to provide intense vocal and theory training for older singers ages 12-18 who have a great interest and enthusiasm for singing, but not the formal musical training.

Central Intermediate Choir

Intermediate singers ages 10-14. This level requires individual attentiveness, vocal skills and theory comprehension while offering expanded repertoire and performance experiences.

Dorchester House Training Choir

A neighborhood-based choir for beginning-level singers ages 7-12, established in collaboration with Dorchester House, in Fields Corner.

Dorchester House Intermediate Choir

Intermediate level neighborhood-based choir established in collaboration with Dorchester House, in Fields Corner.

West End House Training Choir

A neighborhood-based choir for beginning-level singers ages 7-12, established in collaboration with the West End House in Allston-Brighton.

Central Training Choir

Beginning singers ages 7-12. This program develops music basics such as theory, interval training, rhythm and sight-singing techniques. Attention span and concentration are points of focus.

Villa Victoria Training Choir

A neighborhood-based choir for beginning-level singers ages 7-12, established in collaboration with Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), in Boston’s South End community.

In addition, Rapid Achievement Practice (RAP) is a required weekly half hour music education program specially designed for all levels of singers to help advance sight-reading and musicianship skills.

Greater Grove Hall Main Streets

Phone: 

617-427-2560

Mission: 

The Greater Grove Hall Main Streets is committed to supporting the Grove Hall area commercial district through marketing, technical assistance and organizing. GGHMS promotes Grove Hall's diverse business district while maintaining the neighborhood’s historical character. We encourage innovative and creative techniques for fostering economic development that enriches the lives of business owners, employees and residents of our community. 

Location

Greater Grove Hall Main Streets
320B Blue Hill Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02121
United States
Key Partners: 

Neighborhood Development Corporation of Grove Hall

Project Right Inc.

Quincy Geneva / New Vision

United Housing

Prince Hall Grand Lodge

Created: 
05/16/2011

Temple of Martial Arts

Phone: 

(508) 991-1519

Hours of operation (or meeting times & dates): 

 

   
    DAY   TIME   LEVEL / GROUP    
   

  Monday

  5:00 - 5:50 PM   Beginner / Advanced    
   

  Tuesday

  5:00 - 5:50 PM   Beginner / Advanced    
   

  Wednesday

  5:00 - 5:50 PM   Beginner / Advanced    
   

  Thursday

  5:00 - 5:50 PM   Advanced kids only    
   

  Saturday

  9:00 AM

10:00 - 11:30 AM
         Beginner

       Advanced
Mission: 

Temple of Martial Arts (TOMA) is a non-profit organization geared toward the inner-city youth. Martial arts classes are a great way for children to release extra energy in a safe and constructive environment. The highly trained staff at the Temple of Martial Arts channels the students’ energy in a positive way while teaching personal life skills such as self-discipline, respect, and courtesy.

Location

Healthworks at Codman
450 Washington Street (Healthworks at Codman)
Dorchester, MA 02124
United States
Created: 
05/10/2011

Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition

Phone: 

617-696-2900

Mission: 

The Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition draws on the wonderful ethnic and cultural diversity of the Mattapan community to promote a healthy living environment, with a focus on access to healthy foods and the promotion of physical fitness for all ages.

Location

1613 Blue Hill Ave
Mattapan, MA 02126
United States
Key Partners: 

ABCD Head StartB-3 Community Services Unit of the Boston Police DepartmentBoston Organization of Nutritionists and Dietitians of Color, the Boston Public Health Commission,  Brookwood Community Farm, Church of the Holy Spirit, Christine’s Fitness Vibe, Citizen Schools, Mildred Avenue Middle SchoolCity Natives Nursery/Boston Natural Areas Network, Clark-Cooper Community Garden, Colorado Street Neighborhood Association, Community Economic Development Assistance CorporationThe Food Project, Harvard Prevention Research Center, Jubilee Christian Church,  Mattapan Civic Association, Mattapan Community Development Corporation, Mattapan Cultural Arts Council, Mattapan Community Health Center, Mattapan Family Services Center, Morton Street Board of Commerce, Nutrition and Fitness for Life Program, Boston Medical Center, Youth and Family Enrichment Services.

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures: 

Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at the Mildred Avenue Community Center, 5 Mildred Ave. in Mattapan. All meetings are open to the public.

If you would like more information about the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, or to find out how you can get involved, please contact MFFC at info@mattapanfoodandfitness.org.

Key Programs Offered: 

The Mattapan Farmers Market: The MFFC sponsors a weekly farmers market in Mattapan Square on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July through October. This year, the market will be held in the parking lot of the Church of the Holy Spirit, 525 River St. form July 10th through October 2. At the market you can find a wide variety of fresh, affordable, organic fruits and vegetables from local farms. Farmers at the market accept EBT/SNAP (Food Stamps), WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Coupons.

Mattapan Moving for Life: To promote the utilization of community resources for physical fitness, the Coalition is establishing an annual Mattapan Moving for Life fitness event.

Healthy on the Block: Join MFFC to help corner stores in Mattapan offer healthier options, including better quality fruits and vegetables at a reasonable price. The Strategic Alliance for Health Corner Store Initiative is working with community members and organizations to increase community access to healthy affordable food through community corner stores. Help MFFC to plan for this project and identify corner stores to participate in this community- supported effort. Contact the program coordinator, Cassandra Cato-Lois for more information about how to get involved.

Created: 
04/26/2011

MyDotTour

Mission: 

My Dot Tour is a project of the Fields Corner Collaborative (FCC). FCC is a group of non-profit organizations concerned with touting the history and architecture of Fields Corner for increased economic development and social capital, as well as with supporting and strengthening youth leadership skills. The organizations include: the Dorchester Environmental Health Coalition, Dorchester Historical Society, Fields Corner Main Street, Historic Boston Incorporated, and SCI Dorchester/Dotwell. The 2011 Tour coordinator is Kate Balug.

2010’s My Dot Tour established a walking tour route, map, and live walking tour created and presented by teen participants.

My Dot Tour 2011 is a new and improved version of the tour that will emphasize residents’ contributions and will feature expanded methods of disseminating tour content through cell phone technology and other media. FCC thanks the Boston Foundation for Architecture for contributing grant funding for the Tour.

What’s your Fields Corner story?

Key Partners: 

Dorchester Environmental Health Coalition, Dorchester Historical Society, Fields Corner Main Street, Historic Boston Incorporated, and SCI Dorchester/Dotwell

How to get involved/application guidelines and procedures: 

To contribute to or inquire about the tour, please contact mydottour [at] gmail.com.

Created: 
04/25/2011
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