Basic Needs: clothing, food, shelter, etc.

After School Child Care Program
The After School Program is offered offers to the working parents of the community so that their children will be in a safe and nurturing environment while their parents are at work or school. The program runs Monday through Friday from 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM (during school vacation weeks from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM with coverage on half days of school and also some holidays). Children can choose among gym, cooking, dance, art, science, crafts class, photography/video, community service learning, violence prevention, homework assistance, and computer time. We can refer children and families for counseling, food assistance, education, and health care. Children will increase their social skills, get help with their schoolwork, learn to trust and work with people of different cultures and abilities.

Alternative Middle School
Our goal is to provide a safe atmosphere for students in grades six through eight who have struggled in larger, more traditional schools. The Little House Alternative School accepts students between the ages of 11 and 14 who are at risk of academic failure and truant and referred by the Boston Public Schools, the Department of Social Services and the Boston Juvenile Courts. Classroom instruction is highly individualized and dedicated to providing students with an interdisciplinary, thematic curriculum. The school also provides substance-abuse education and treatment, individual counseling, and therapeutic group activities. At completion of the program, students are mainstreamed back through the Boston Schools or other educational institutions. Students entering high school are given additional support and guidance in their selection.

Camp Programs
The camp programs are designed to provide alternative activities to the city streets during the summer and offer childcare solutions to working parents. We introduce programs to toddlers; for 3-5 year olds, we offer a fun and learning environment; for youth 5-12, a safe day camp experience; and for teens of 11-14, we provide out of city experience and day trips.
The day camp program travels by bus each day and visits 15 different sites during the course of the summer with hiking, swimming, arts and crafts, and space relevant activities. The program for teens includes the Leadership in Progress camp, basketball and softball leagues, an open center at least one night a week, and day and/or weekend trips. The Tiny Tot Camp introduces structure to preschoolers with song, movement and socialization. Teen and tiny tot programs are flat rate fee-for-service with sliding fees for multiple children in one family. The travel camp serves both publicly funded and private clients.

Food Pantry
The Food Pantry distributes food every Wednesday, first come first served, no referral necessary. The program fills emergency feeding requests from the Hunger Hotline and Project Bread and is also a support resource for all families in agency programs (each program can recommend it as needed as a resource for their clients. Holiday giving also flows through and is coordinated by the food pantry.
The Food Pantry is a key gateway spot in the agency for new community members and a great place for individuals, community groups and schools to volunteer, contribute to the agency, or perform community service. Our goals are to provide food for those in need, to provide nutritional education and information, to link people with solutions, from food stamps to educational programs, and to assess new needs through informal interviews.

Recreation Program
The recreation program offers a safe, consistent and friendly alternative to hanging out on the streets. Recreational, educational and positive social opportunities for youth lessen the chance of at-risk behavior.

Teen Program
The program includes instructional sports clinics and organized basketball and gym hockey leagues as well as pick-up gym time, a drop-in game room/lounge with pool, ping pong, bumper pool tables, assorted board games, and special instructional classes in arts, cooking, etc. Hiking, skiing, camping, indoor and outdoor rock-climbing and other special events like dances and over nights and field trips take place throughout the year.

WIC’s goal is to help keep pregnant and breastfeeding women and kids under age 5 healthy. To do this, WIC provides:

• Personalized nutrition consultations
• Checks to buy free, healthy food
• Tips for eating well to improve health
• Referrals for medical and dental care, health insurance, child care, housing and fuel assistance, and other services that can benefit the whole family 

But that’s not all! WIC also offers breastfeeding classes, one-on-one breastfeeding support, as well as immunization screening and referrals. wiC also provides parents with opportunities to talk with other parents about nutrition and other health topics that are important to their families.

Breastfeeding Warmline: Please call us at (617) 533-2243 with your breastfeeding questions or concerns. A breastfeeding peer counselor will contact you within 24 hours.

Free Drop-In Mom's Group: The Mom group offers information and education about parenting and nutrition, breastfeeding support and the chance to connect with other moms. Every Friday 11:00 AM-12:30 PM at the WIC room, the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center, 1353 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA. For more information please call the WIC office at (617) 825-0805.

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.

ABCD Dorchester neighborhood service center provides: fuel assistance for low-income families, free tax preparation, an after school program from 2pm-5pm,  help with food-stamp and Mass Health applications. ABCD also has a job development program that helps individuals with resumes and job searches, and has a summer works program for youth ages 14-21. Most of the services and programs are free but some go by a sliding scale and/or vouchers.

After School Program This program provides 6-12 year-olds with a safe haven after school and helps them advance in school through intensive academic assistance. The program runs Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 5:30 pm. Ensuring children's safety aids families by giving their parents peace of mind to focus on work and education. Participants in this program and their parents are connected to additional support services within and outside of Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses' extensive system. Altogether, the Log School After School program offers a potent combination of academic encouragement, family support, risk reduction, and violence prevention.

Drop-In Child Care Center A drop-in childcare center for infants to children up to age 6 years old is available to parents enrolled in ESL classes, GED classes, or other activities at the Log School during the day.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Classes are available days and evenings, at all skill levels. Adult basic education and literacy classes are also available. Upper level classes include computer instruction.

Food Pantry The Food Pantry at Log School provides free weekly staple groceries on Fridays from 8 am to 9 am. Emergency food is available by appointment. There is no eligibility criteria or costs.

GED Preparation Classes Students from any neighborhood in Boston over the age of 18 can enroll in classes. Instruction is available daily at all skill levels.

Preschool Program Log School offers a fully licensed day care center providing children, ages 2.9 - 6 years, an innovative, multi-cultural curriculum.