The Boston Planning Department has allocated $140,000 in community benefits to 22 nonprofit organizations in the Dorchester neighborhood, according to an announcement on the City of Boston's official website. These grants, presented at JustBook-ish during an awards ceremony, are set to bolster programs for community development, youth, and the arts within the area.
The infusion of funds stems from the South Bay Town Center project, where the Teen Center at St. Peter’s and the MassArt Foundation emerged as major beneficiaries, landing $11,000 and $8,000, respectively. Kairos Shen, Chief of Planning, was quoted saying, "I’m proud that we were able to make this funding available to organizations that do such great work in the Dorchester community." These funds are expected to enhance the Teen Center’s youth programming and expand the MassArt Foundation’s Chain Link Gallery installations.
Looking into the specifics, the Teen Center at St. Peter’s aims to utilize the grant to support Teen Cafes, a weekly event comprising youth-led activities. Lucas Medina, Assistant Director for the Catholic Charities Teen Center at St. Peter’s, told the City of Boston's official website, "This grant is a tremendous benefit to our after-school program, allowing us to expand resources, provide quality enrichment activities, and support more students." The MassArt Foundation plans on harnessing its funding to enhance community access to art through public installations.
In addition, a grant of over $5,000 was awarded to Words as Worlds. Intending to provide social justice themed books for Dorchester's population, the nonprofit, which also oversees JustBook-ish, communicated through Co-Founder Porsha Olayiwola, about the significant impact of this support. "We have been immensely grateful to have received this funding," Olayiwola expressed to the City of Boston's official website.
