Boston Resiliency Fund grants awarded to 16 organizations in latest round of funding

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee today announced nearly $500,000 in new Boston Resiliency Fund grants to 17 organizations and nonprofits. Since launching in March to help Boston residents most affected by COVID-19, the Boston Resiliency Fund has distributed over $25.7 million to 340 nonprofit and local organizations and there is $7.6 million in funds remaining. 

"The Boston Resiliency Fund has been indispensable in allowing us to meet the needs of our residents negatively impacted by COVID-19, and contain this virus," said Mayor Walsh. "Many of the organizations that have received support have pivoted during COVID to be a lifeline for the families and seniors they know and serve. We remain dedicated to supporting families, seniors, and anyone who continues to be vulnerable due to COVID-19, its economic impact, and the longstanding impact of racial inequality."

Since Mayor Walsh's launch of the Boston Resiliency Fund in March, 54 percent of grantee organizations are led by a person of color and 57 percent of grantee organizations are led by a woman. 27 percent of grantees are immigrant-serving organizations. A map and a list of every organization that has received funding from the Boston Resiliency Fund can be found here. 

"The Boston Home, a residence and community resource for adults with multiple sclerosis and other advanced neurological disorders, has been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the dedication of our staff and the support of our tremendous partners, The Boston Home has been COVID-19 free for 15 consecutive weeks," said Christine Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of The Boston Home. "The Boston Resiliency Fund's generous award will enable The Boston Home to enhance its services to meet the needs of our 235 frontline healthcare staff, 93 residents, and community program members. We are so grateful to Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the City of Boston for this impactful grant."

"With this support from the Boston Resiliency Fund, we'll be able to enhance our critical medical advocacy services to more effectively support survivors of sexual assault in local hospital emergency rooms, even in the face of the restrictions that the pandemic has brought," said Gina Scaramella, executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.

The latest round of funding will help organizations that are working to increase food access, support direct services for families, youth and older adults, and fund local organizations directly providing supports to the community. These organizations include:

African Bridge Network (Renewal): The African Bridge Network plan to continue to support food security in the African and the immigrant community in Boston by distribution on grocery gift cards. The organization have identified additional partners, the Nigerian American Multi-Service Association and Church of Pentecost Boston, to assist reach new sections of the African community. They propose to serve additional 300 families with an average household size of four people. They are also proposing to work with Project Bread and other food assistance agencies to get qualified African grocery gift recipients to apply for SNAP and other food resources for the next six weeks. Lastly, they are proposing to work with the Metro Housing Boston to get qualified grocery gift recipients to apply for rental assistance through the Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) program for the next six weeks.

Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation (ABCDC): The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the digital divide for low-income people as more activities shift to a virtual format while not everyone has access to proper technology. ABCDC will provide laptops and technology education to 15 families in their affordable rental portfolio.

Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC): BARCC is pivoting its Medical Advocacy Program during COVID to better meet the needs of its clients. Many Boston hospitals and others call BARCC to provide critical support to rape victims in their emergency rooms. BARCC will transition this pivotal service to a sustainable and secure telemedicine model using secure software and tablets for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners to connect victims with Medical Advocates. BARCC responds to over 548 survivors in Boston emergency rooms annually.

Codman Academy: Codman Academy will support families that have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. They will optimally leverage their network of local food businesses, like Fresh Food Generations, Commonwealth Table, local farms like Urban Farming Institute, Daily Table to plan, prepare and deliver healthy fresh produce, delicious, culturally diverse prepared meals and assortment of groceries to feed our community families in need. 

Elizabeth Stone House (Renewal): This grant will support the needs of some of the most vulnerable infants and children the Elizabeth Stone House serves in residence and in the  community. Of critical need are diapers/pull-ups, wipes and infant and toddler formula and toddler foods.  

Fenway Community Development Corporation: The Fenway Community Development Corporation (FCDC) will support the most vulnerable residents through weekly food distribution to approximately 150 food insecure Boston residents, in partnership with Fair Foods. Each resident will receive fresh fruits and vegetables to help feed their household, as well as resource flyers on how to access free assistance when applying for unemployment, SNAP, MassHealth, or receive job skills, career training, and job placement assistance from the FCDC. 

Fresh Food Generation: In partnership with The Food Project, FFG will support 125 additional East Boston residents who are in need of support with food packages that include fresh vegetables, fruits, dry goods and prepared meals. 

Fundación de Milagros Marte (Renewal): Fundacion de Milagros Marte will continue to help provide baby formula and diapers to families in need. In addition, they will provide boxes of culturally competent meals and groceries for the Latino community. 

Garrett Pressley Autism Resource Center: The grant will be used to purchase fourteen tablets for use by families who have children on the autism spectrum. This technology will be used to engage in virtual social skills classes, exercise, cooking classes, family support groups, and one-on-one consultation to address physical and emotional well being. The grant will also provide food gift cards to purchase essential food items for family meals.

Greater Love Community Cares (Renewal): Greater Love Community Cares will provide support for residents who are unemployed or under-employed with rent, utilities, and other economic hardships. They will also hire drivers to deliver medicine and other essential supplies to seniors and immunocompromised residents.

Love Your Menses: Love Your Menses will continue purchasing menstrual hygiene and postpartum care products for people in need. Since the beginning of the pandemic, they have personally packaged and delivered over 300 menstrual and postpartum care kits to girls and women in the Boston area. They will work with partners in the community, such as The Guild, to help distribute the products. 

Neighborhood Development Corp (NDC) of Grove Hall: Grove Hall NDC will work with 20 non-profit organizations and churches in the greater Grove Hall area who need support to clean their spaces. They will contract with a local MBE, who is OSHA- and CDC-certified, to thoroughly clean these community spaces and train existing staff to do follow up cleaning on a regular basis. 

Newmarket Community Partners (Renewal): Newmarket Community Partners will continue to provide the food deliveries, a continuation of their efforts to support last mile delivery of food to Boston neighborhoods in partnership with the YMCA, the Food Bank and others through trucking services.

South Boston Association of Non-Profits (Renewal): Working collaboratively, the South Boston Association of Non-profits will bring together nine local non-profit member organizations to provide fresh food, perishable and non-perishable food items, grocery store gift cards, and prepared meals to the diverse and vulnerable populations of children, families and seniors in South Boston. The organizations are collectively providing weekly access to food pantries, grocery deliveries, cleaning products, and prepared meals,  as well as responding to immediate needs as they arise. 

Talented And Gifted Association, Inc (TAG): TAG Latino Program will use this grant to purchase gift cards for 75 families who are low income and have an identified need for food support. The gift cards will support local, small and culturally-sustaining businesses, based on families expressed preferences and needs. 

The Boston Home, Inc: The Boston Home will update its technology so that front line staff can provide uninterrupted care to the 93 residents and 27 community members who have disabilities and require wheelchairs due to advanced neurological disorders. Due to COVID-19, their residents are relying on technology devices for telehealth appointments, virtual program engagement, and maintaining connection to family.