About Us Franciscan Children's Community Health Initiative: Funded Partners

The THRIVE Scholars Program will increase access to a high-quality graduate education by preparing 15 ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse social work students to be leaders and providers equipped with evidence-based and culturally responsive practices. The program will provide academic support, professional training and experience, and post-graduate and career development.

• Read about Springfield College Department of Social Work

The BIRCh Center Fellows Project will support 24 to 30 fellows from marginalized backgrounds enrolled in graduate-level behavioral health training programs across the state. Fellows will be matched with mentors that reflect their backgrounds and interests, attend seminars on community care, explore career opportunities, and develop resources on children’s mental and behavioral health.

• Read about the UMass BIRCh Center

The Children and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative will train a culturally diverse behavioral health workforce to promote the health and well-being of children, youth, and families in underserved communities. The program will expand partnerships with community-based agencies to recruit 60 graduate students and offer mentorship and trainings for non-traditional and underrepresented behavioral health providers.

• Read about William James College

The Brighton Farmers Market Coupon Program will distribute coupon booklets to families monthly, gradually increasing the number of recipients, and will work with community partners to reach more families, especially those with limited access to other benefits. The program primarily serves Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking families in Allston and Brighton.

• Read about the Allston Brighton Health Collaborative

The Family Fun with Fresh Food at the Codman Square Farmers Market and Dorchester Winter Farmers Market program will provide fresh food demonstrations at local farmers markets, distribute Farmers Market Prescriptions, offering coupons to families for shopping healthy foods, with lessons on food safety, nutrition, and seasonal ingredients. All activities are youth-led.

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Family Engagement Initiatives at Boston Food Forest Coalition will engage youth and families in food forests across Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan, promoting healthy eating and urban agriculture. They will expand workshops, host events, and involve youth in designing a new food forest in Allston-Brighton. The project includes growing and distributing healthy food and hosting harvest festivals for the community.

• Read about the Boston Food Forest Coalition

Feeding our Families and Their Neighborhoods will expand the Freight Farm operation, aiming to triple production of greens for local families, food banks, and markets. The school will open a farm stand offering greens and vegetables grown by students and community gardeners, along with nutrition and cooking classes for families.

• Read about Boston Green Academy

Expanding the BHS Brighton Bodega will increase its capacity to serve families substantial meals. Led by students in the Occupational Social Development Skills Center program, this initiative will provide students with disabilities hands-on experience in food preparation, customer service, and inventory management, helping them build workplace skills.

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Oasis on Ballou and Climate Justice Alliance seeks to support the increase production at Ballou Farm, aiming to boost annual output of affordable, fresh food. The project will involve neighbors and community members in farm management while expanding food justice advocacy and organizing efforts.

• Read about Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corp.

Nourishing Families and Children in Our Community aims to improve food access and health in low-income Bowdoin-Geneva communities through three programs: the Healthy Kids Program, subsidized Community Supported Agriculture shares, and nutrition workshops. These initiatives provide free fruit, fresh produce, and nutrition education to families.

• Read about Dorchester Food Co-op

Harvesting Change at Thornton Street Farm includes the Teen Farming Program, which provides hands-on experience and leadership opportunities for local youth, and the "Take Back the Kitchen" program offering free cooking classes to families, focusing on healthy, garden-to-table meals and nutrition education. The farm will also engage with schools, community groups, and local families by offering garden-based activities and seasonal produce to the community.

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Community Services will expand its weekly food distribution and grow its soup kitchen. The program will provide youth education, nutrition seminars, cooking classes, and financial planning sessions, and engage families in food justice lessons at the Boston Nature Center.

• Hyde Park Seventh-day Adventist Church

Cultivating Community supports African, Arab, and South/Central American families in Boston by providing culturally relevant food through partnerships with local markets and the Greater Boston Food Bank and plan to expand offerings by partnering with Boston Area Gleaners. The program will also enhance community engagement through feedback and focus groups to track success and gather perspectives.

• Read about ICNA Relief

Environmental and Food Justice trains youth leaders in urban agriculture and bilingual nutrition education to address food insecurity in Mission Hill and Roxbury. The program will revitalize the Tobin Community Center garden, introduce a greenhouse, and offer workshops on hydroponics and nutrition.

• Read about Sociedad Latina

The Vida Feliz Bodega fosters community while tackling food insecurity. The program partners with Spoonfuls to create a twice-weekly shopping experience in the "HPC Bodega," offering a variety of foods, including meats, vegetables, and prepared meals.

• Read about Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center

Nourishing Futures: Expanding Our Pantry and Services for a Stronger Community aims to expand access to nutritious kosher food for low-income families through a food recapture program, prepared meals, and nutritionist-led initiatives. These efforts aim to address food insecurity, promote community health, and ensure long-term sustainability.

• Read about Tifereth Raphael

Partnership between YouthConnect and Charlestown Adult Education will embed social workers in Boston police stations to address root causes of crime and connect systems-involved youth to case management, mental health support, essential resources, and education and workforce training. Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston will partner with Charlestown Adult Education.

• Read about Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston

Connecting Bridges will engage homeless youth in education and career development programs, housing services, life skills coaching, behavioral health counseling, and creative forms of mental health support such as music therapy, digital storytelling, and other art-based interventions. Bridge Over Troubled Waters will partner with Beat The Odds.

• Read about Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Visions for the Future — Mental Health Support for Returning Emerging Adults will provide mentorship, mental health support, and re-entry services to court-involved youth and young adults who are returning to their communities from incarceration. The Center for Teen Empowerment will partner with Charlestown Adult Education.

• Read about The Center for Teen Empowerment

Youth Empowerment Program will engage immigrant youth in leadership development opportunities, academic support, career exploration, peer mentorship, and mental health resources. Immigrant Family Services Institute will partner with Boston International Newcomers Academy.

• Read about Immigrant Family Services Institute

Connecting Boston Youth in a Community Continuum will connect alternative education students with vocational training in the construction industry alongside wraparound support that includes case management and mental health counseling. YouthBuild Boston will partner with Boston Collaborative High School.

• Read about YouthBuild Boston