Community/Neighborhood Improvement

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.

Peabody Slope Neighborhood Association's mission is to help preserve and enhance the quality of life in the neighborhood.  As a non-profit civic organization it:

• Acts as a unified voice for residents and facilitates on issues and activities affecting our neighborhood.

• Identifies and represents the best interest of the neighborhood while serving as a community link with City government agencies on matters affecting our residents and neighborhood.

• Facilitates neighborhood social activities.

• Fosters relationships with organizations within the Dorchester to promote improvements within its district.

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.

The Dorchester Community Co-op is an organization currently in formation by residents of Dorchester, MA and surrounding communities, who are in the process of creating a food cooperative - a community-owned business that will bring healthy food into the community and make it accessible to all.

The Dorchester Community Co-op is committed to:

• Inclusivity: The co-op will celebrate the diversity of our neighborhoods and reach out to the different ethnic groups, age range, and mixed income groups that make up our community.
• Healthy Food:  Access to healthy, affordable, and nutritious food is essential to creating a healthy community.
• Building Community: The coop will serve as a dynamic space to bring people together.
• Sustainability: Social, economic and environmental sustainability are the cornerstones of the co-op business model.
• New Economic Model: An economy controlled by its local residents provides stability.
• Youth: Engaging our youth is important for building our future.
• Jobs for our Community: Money spent in our community creates more local jobs and supports the Dorchester community.

The mission of the network is to connect and unify Boston’s diverse park and community stakeholders. We aim to build our capacity, share resources and information, raise public awareness, and strengthen the collective impact of our network members to influence public park policy and increase support for the range of urban parks and open spaces.