$46.1M Funds distributed 82 Awardees from across Massachusetts 110+ Community Partners Cohort 1 (2020) Awardees Town of Ware Read More❯Town of Randolph (Metropolitan Area Planning Council)Read More❯Pioneer Valley Planning CommissionRead More❯Franklin Regional Council of Governments Read More❯Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester (YWCA of Worcester) Read More❯City of New Bedford Health Department Read More❯Cambridge Public Health Department Read More❯Berkshire Regional Planning CommissionRead More❯Vietnamese American Initiative for Development, Inc. – VietAIDRead More❯Valley NeighborsRead More❯Public Health Institute of Western MassachusettsRead More❯Montachusett Regional Planning CommissionRead More❯Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative (Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley)Read More❯MAB Community Services, Inc. / MA Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – MABVIRead More❯LifePathRead More❯Hilltown Community Development CorporationRead More❯Cape Ann Mass in Motion (City of Gloucester)Read More❯Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund and Massachusetts Public Health AssociationRead More❯Men of Color Health Awareness — MOCHA (YMCA of Greater Springfield)Read More❯Lawrence CommunityWorks Read More❯Harborlight Community Partners Read More❯Franklin Regional Council of Governments Read More❯Franklin County Community Development CorporationRead More❯Everett Community Growers (La Comunidad, Inc.)Read More❯Communities that Care Coalition (Franklin Regional Council of Governments)Read More❯Collaborative for Educational Services Read More❯Berkshire Regional Planning CommissionRead More❯All Farmers (Community Involved In Sustaining Agriculture)Read More❯ Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) GranteesTown of Ware See on mapVisit site Working Together for a Healthier Quaboag Hills Region The Town of Ware is implementing a multi-sector partnership comprised of individuals with lived experience, community agencies/service providers, and a cluster of municipalities to plan and conduct a CHIP process in the Quaboag Hills region of central and western Massachusetts, spanning 17 municipalities in three counties. The purpose is to provide data that reflect this unique region comprised of outlying communities in three counties. The CHIP process and data will better describe the needs of the Quaboag region. Town of Randolph (Metropolitan Area Planning Council)See on mapVisit site Randolph Community Wellness Plan Implementation Randolph Health Department and Planning Departments are partnering with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to implement the Randolph Community Wellness which is focused on social, built and environmental determinants of Health. The implementation work will also include sustaining the plan’s Steering Committee, facilitation and actions by a set of working groups, monitoring and evaluation of implementation tasks, and ongoing engagement with town residents and community-based organizations. Pioneer Valley Planning CommissionSee on mapVisit site Hampden County Health Improvement Plan Engagement & Implementation PVPC, in collaboration with the Public Health Institute of Western MA and the Hampden County Health Improvement Network is advancing implementation of the Hampden CHIP including building capacity and involvement of CHIP membership and engaging people with lived experiencing in the CHIP. Franklin Regional Council of Governments See on mapVisit site Franklin County/North Quabbin Community Health Improvement Plan Network FRCOG is facilitating a broad Community Health Improvement Plan Network in the 30-town Franklin County and North Quabbin region. CHIP infrastructure includes convening a Steering Committee and working groups which will guide the CHIP 2.0 spanning 2021-2023. Community Health Network of North Central Mass – CHNA 9 (Montachusett Home Care Corporation)Visit site North Central Mass CHIP 2025: Planning for Sustained Growth CHNA 9 is in the process of planning its next CHIP to begin in 2021. The coalition will undergo sustainability and infrastructure planning to support the CHIP, in addition to developing a communication plan, community engagement strategies, fundraising/development strategies, a policy and legislative action plan, and CHIP leadership development. Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester (YWCA of Worcester) See on mapVisit site Centering Worcester’s CHIP Process in Communities with Lived Experience The 2016 CHIP is entering its final implementation year and partners, funders, and stakeholders are looking toward what’s next for health improvement in the greater Worcester Region. As the 2016 CHIP sunsets and data on final outcomes are coalesced to be shared with the community, a concurrent process is planned to release the next CHIP by fall of 2020. We will center community leadership and engagement throughout all planning and implementation stages of this work. City of New Bedford Health Department See on mapVisit site Health Equity for All Throughout New Bedford (HEALTH NB) The City of New Bedford Health Department is building a diverse and equitable collaborative with the purpose of closely examining the city’s Community Health Improvement Plan to ensure all populations are represented in an equitable manner. Through the review of archival and actively collected data the collaborative will be working to create a report of recommendations and action steps to improve the CHIP. Cambridge Public Health Department See on mapVisit site Cambridge Community Health Improvement Plan – Strengthening Community Engagement and Evaluation In 2015, CPHD published its first CHIP as part of the accreditation process and officially became a nationally accredited public health department in 2018. CPHD is currently completing the final year of its first CHIP and developing its second CHIP. Through this grant, CPHD will further strengthen community engagement; data development, collection, and analysis; and evaluation during the lifecycle of the CHIP, with an emphasis on racial equity indicators. Berkshire Regional Planning CommissionSee on mapVisit site County Health Initiative (CHI) Community Health Improvement Planning Berkshire Regional Planning Commission acts as the backbone organization for this County Health Initiative which is conducting a CHIP process for the 32 municipalities in Berkshire County. The initiative will organize and engage partners in visioning and collecting data, identifying and prioritizing strategies, and implementing these strategies. Healthy Aging GranteesVietnamese American Initiative for Development, Inc. – VietAIDSee on mapVisit site VietAID is working to strengthen their existing older adult program to include more comprehensive services and to expand existing advocacy/organizing efforts. Specifically, the VietAID is 1) surveying and engaging current participants on issues they care about; 2) connecting with partners/allies to develop workshops and identify opportunities for engagement; and 3) training current staff and volunteers on advocacy best practices. Valley NeighborsSee on mapVisit site Valley Neighbors is working to reshape and enhance the resource thin senior support system in their rural communities through a neighbors helping neighbors model, advocacy, and community education. Public Health Institute of Western MassachusettsSee on mapVisit site Age-Friendly Fair Housing and CORIs Health Impact Assessment The Public Health Institute of Western MA is conducting a health impact assessment to identify and implement key policy, systems-level action steps towards alleviating the burden and impact of CORI on older adults seeking to access affordable housing in Hampden County. PHIWM will facilitate health equity-focused conversations between policymakers and older adults who are directly impacted by these issues. Montachusett Regional Planning CommissionSee on mapVisit site Montachusett Age-Friendly Project Montachusett Regional Planning Commission is working to achieve age-friendly designation and create a more livable Montachusett region for residents of all ages. The RPC is assisting communities in long-range plans including identifying barriers for seniors and disabled residents, analysis of needs, and development of action plans with a baseline assessment of age friendliness and indicators to help monitor progress. Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative (Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley)See on mapVisit site Advancing Inclusive Age-Friendly Communities The MA Healthy Aging Collaborative is creating and disseminating a “Healthy Aging for All Guide” that promotes inclusive age- and dementia-friendly practices and that can be adapted to fit specific goals of different communities, with an overarching goal to encourage culture change that leads to communities more thoroughly considering the preferences, needs, and experiences of all people. MAB Community Services, Inc. / MA Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – MABVISee on mapVisit site Raise Awareness and Create More Accessible Age-Friendly Communities MA Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI) is integrating low vision awareness, vision rehabilitation, and accessibility into Age-Friendly planning across the state. This project will improve access to services and awareness of needs for this underserved population. MABVI will work with partners to identify solutions to equity and access barriers, provide tools for the field, and disseminate best-practices―strategies which have applicability for all older adults. LifePathSee on mapVisit site Healthy Aging for All: Supporting Older Adult Networks to Build Age-Friendly Systems and Policy LifePath will support existing networks of older people, professionals, and community members who care about healthy aging to build capacity to tackle major barriers around housing, transportation, social isolation, and access to services in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region. Hilltown Community Development CorporationSee on mapVisit site Hilltown Healthy Aging Hilltown Community Development Corporation is addressing barriers to safe walkability in the Hilltowns through activities including: policies that ensure each town’s Select Board has new tools and information necessary to update bylaws to improve walkable town centers; system change so that each town has the information and resources necessary to work with MassDOT on the unique needs of their town centers; and environmental changes based on specific physical improvements identified in a walk audit to improve town centers’ walkability. Due to COVID-19, we anticipate engaging residents through social media and video conferencing. Healthy aging activities will prioritize life with COVID-19 in relation to healthy living and community involvement. Cape Ann Mass in Motion (City of Gloucester)See on mapVisit site Cape Ann Seniors on the GO Cape Ann Mass in Motion is working collaboratively with the regional transit authority provider (CATA), Councils on Aging, and regional housing authorities to enact long-term policy and environmental change to the senior housing climate on Cape Ann through systemic change in the way residents access healthy food, physical fitness, and opportunities for social inclusion. Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change (PSE)Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund and Massachusetts Public Health AssociationSee on mapVisit site Organizing for Transportation Justice & Stable Neighborhoods in Worcester and Springfield Neighbor to Neighbor MA Education Fund, in partnership with the MA Public Health Association, is working to create an alliance of organizations in Worcester and Springfield to identify and advance local and state policies to increase access to reliable, affordable transportation and stable, affordable housing for people of color and low-income people. The activities begin with a yearlong community engagement process and focus on achieving better transit, cleaner air, stable housing, and ‘more power’ to grow community advocacy in Central and Western Massachusetts. Men of Color Health Awareness — MOCHA (YMCA of Greater Springfield)See on mapVisit site Disrupting Systemic Structural Racism MOCHA is ramping up five new major action arenas: (1) the formation of Affinity Groups, composed of MOCHA graduates, each of which will focus on one specific PSE issue; (2) capacity building for indigenous leadership through trainings on community organizing and policy advocacy; (3) the implementation of a community needs assessment survey in majority minority neighborhoods; (4) partnering with white allies to address the “empathy gap” by opening dialogues with predominantly white civic organizations; and (5) the conduct of both process and outcome evaluations. Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance - MHSAVisit site A Place to LiveMHSA is working with regional entities to create affordable housing with health care supports for disabled persons in need of housing. Activities are designed to engage municipalities, community-based non-profits, advocates, health organizations, state agencies, housing developers, architects, and homeless service providers for the purpose of developing and utilizing modular construction or other efficient and effective models of accessible housing. Lawrence CommunityWorks See on mapVisit site DyeWorks: A Hub for Family Health & MobilityLawrence CommunityWorks and partners are addressing housing instability and barriers to healthy living for low-income, primarily Latinx residents of Lawrence. The development of the new building will include affordable housing units, a grocery store, pharmacy, health center, and more, creating a “community anchor” and “healthy living hub” for residents which will ultimately address health outcomes in Lawrence including chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and asthma. Health Care for AllVisit site Increasing Affordable Housing in Massachusetts Through Health Insurer Risk-Based Capital ReservesHCFA aims to help address housing stability and homelessness, and the underlying unequal distribution of resources in Massachusetts, by launching a campaign to engage health insurers in impact investing to generate more resources for affordable housing statewide. Harborlight Community Partners See on mapVisit site From the Inside Out: Igniting Transformative Change in Racial and Economic Access to Affordable Housing in Essex CountyHarborlight Community Partners (HCP) seeks to create transformative, systemic change, ultimately leading to affordable housing creation and more inclusive and equitable communities on the North Shore. HCP will do this through the creation of a community education and advocacy initiative focused on affordable housing needs, opportunities, and challenges, as well as the policies that perpetuate these challenges within the region. HCP will unite stakeholders, local influencers, elected officials, and others to learn more about the housing challenges in the area. Franklin Regional Council of Governments See on mapVisit site Policy and System Change for Rural Housing AccessThe project partners, as members of the Franklin County/North Quabbin CHIP Network, are implementing a multi-sectoral approach to change policies, systems, and environmental factors that are barriers to individuals with a history of incarceration and/or substance use disorder, and whom experience serious structural challenges in finding affordable housing in a rural region. Partners include CHAPA, Community Legal Aid, Franklin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Franklin Regional Council of Governments. Franklin County Community Development CorporationSee on mapVisit site Increase and Support Workplace Diversity to Overcome Health Inequities in Franklin County/North QuabbinThe Franklin County CDC, along with several other regional organizations and businesses, is examining workplace culture in the region to identify ways in which it perpetuates bias, institutionalized racism, white dominant culture and institutionalized barriers to health equity. Activities to create cultural and systemic changes operate at the leadership, workplace, and community level. Everett Community Growers (La Comunidad, Inc.)See on mapVisit site From planning to implementation: Commercial urban agriculture to lift up our green economyEverett Community Growers, in partnership with La Comunidad, Inc. and Cambridge Health Alliance, is (1) supporting the establishment of a Food Policy Council as the leading coalition for implementing the Everett Community Food Assessment & Plan; (2) developing and enacting a comprehensive urban agriculture policy; and (3) transitioning the Northern Strand Community Farm from a farm-to-pantry model to a farm-to-retail model. Communities that Care Coalition (Franklin Regional Council of Governments)See on mapVisit site Addressing Racial Justice in SchoolsThe Communities That Care Coalition, is reviewing, assessing, sharing, prioritizing and implementing best practices in advancing racial justice in schools to improve the educational and social environment for students of color and addressing racism and structural and institutional barriers to health equity in Franklin County and North Quabbin. They seek to make policy, system and environmental changes to improve school climate, racial justice, and racial equity in the 10 public school districts in the region. Collaborative for Educational Services See on mapVisit site Redesigning power structures to promote community-based leadershipRedesigning Power Structures will intervene at the level of governance or decision-making in institutions to craft more inclusive structures that eagerly welcome people most impacted by health inequities to be involved in governance decisions that directly affect their lives. Working in partnership with municipalities, agencies and community residents, the program will include grassroots leadership development as well as organizational transformation to work towards a shared power model. Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association - CHAPAVisit site CHAPA’s Municipal Engagement InitiativeCHAPA is expanding and enhancing a Municipal Engagement Initiative (MEI), an effort that brings together community members and municipal leaders focused on working with residents to support their efforts to increase housing production, affordable housing opportunities and availability of diverse housing options. Berkshire Regional Planning CommissionSee on mapVisit site Grey to Green: Increasing Health Equity in Pittsfield, MA by Prioritizing Green Planning in Social and Racial Justice ContextsBRPC is partnering with the community members of the Westside and Morningside neighborhoods, the City of Pittsfield, 18 Degrees (formerly known as Berkshire Children and Families), and Habitat for Humanity to lead an environmental justice initiative focused on green development. They will be establishing a working group to conduct an environmental scan of existing community assets and develop recommendations with the City for prioritized projects to increase walkability and access to green spaces within the Westside and Morningside neighborhoods. All Farmers (Community Involved In Sustaining Agriculture)See on mapVisit site Immigrant Farms for Holistic Community HealthAll Farmers with CISA is securing farmland for refugee and immigrant farmers in the Greater Springfield area. Refugee and immigrant farmers are valuable to the health of their communities but have been limited by unstable and inadequate land access. By ensuring continued and affordable access to farmland, this project ensures continued access to cultural produce and healing community spaces for local refugee and immigrant communities. Cohort 2 (2022) Awardees Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change (PSE) Awardee Asian Women for HealthWorkforce Development Job Training Program to Promote More Asian and Minority CHWsAsian Women for Health will launch a workforce development program to recruit, train and find jobs for Asian and other people of color as community health workers, peer specialists, patient navigators, and wellness coaches. This initiative aims to remove barriers to healthcare services by diversifying the healthcare industry and uplifting marginalized populations. Boys & Girls Club of StonehamLGBTQIA2S+ Mental Health InitiativeThe Boys & Girls Clubs of Stoneham & Wakefield will launch a multifaceted LGBTQIA2S+ Mental Health Initiative. This initiative will include but is not limited to: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) focused on LGBTQIA2S+ youth in our service region. This will be open to the general public, not just our members. Investment in LGBTQIA2S+ staff and trainings related to affirming care, intersectionality, etc. with invitations to community leaders such as police, teachers, health officials, among others to join in the trainings. Creation of a safe space(s) for LGBTQIA2S+ youth at our new teen center and advocacy/creation of more safe spaces in other buildings in our service region including at partner organizations. Launching of mentor program where we partner LGBTQIA2S+ youth with adults who have similar lived experiences. Like our SBIRT efforts, this will be open to all youth, not just our members. Produce campaign materials focusing on improving acceptance and generating allies in our service region. Centro de Ayuda y Esperanza Latina, Inc.New Bedford Behavioral Health Training and Fellowship ProgramThe New Bedford Behavioral Health Training and Fellowship Program aims to increase the number of qualified bilingual and bicultural preventionists and peer recovery workers employed in the Greater New Bedford area. This program will offer free trainings, mentorship, and a select number of paid fellowships for real-life experience working with local agencies. This project is highly focused on quality community engagement, community empowerment, and building strong quality partnerships with organizations at the local, state, and national levels. Community Development PartnershipLower Cape Community Housing PartnershipThe CDP’s Lower Cape Community Housing Partnership addresses housing insecurity in our region by equipping residents, business owners, community leaders and local officials with the knowledge and skills needed to support the creation of more homes in the eight towns of the Lower Cape. With this funding we are expanding the community organizing component of the program to support systems change around land use policies in order to increase housing production. FoodCorpsAdvancing Massachusetts School Districts toward Increased Child Access to Food Education and Nourishing School Meals FoodCorps will invest in multi-year school district partnerships in Lowell, Springfield, New Bedford, Chelsea, and Holyoke, and co-create food education and school nutrition goals informed by the district and the needs of its community. FoodCorps will recruit, train, place, and support 20 AmeriCorps service members who will serve across the five districts each academic year. FoodCorps’ menu of specific activities that service members are trained and resourced to deliver will be used to inform the site’s annual plan for each service membertailored to meet local needs. FoodCorps’ will gather and amplify evidence from on-the-ground success in order to build a case for permanent state funding to reach all districts across the state in co-leadership role within the Massachusetts Food for Massachusetts Kids Coalition. Health Imperatives, Inc.Pathways to Power: Economic Empowerment for Survivors of Trauma and Violence Health Imperatives Pathways to Power is a new, survivor-informed, innovative economic empowerment program that will be offered to residents of the agency’s emergency domestic violence shelter and comprehensive supportive housing program for victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Pathways to Power will include a series of career development workshops, one-on-one career coaching and mentorship by survivors, paid internships at Health Imperatives and paid externships with other local employers. Health Imperatives will then develop and implement a new regional strategy that will transform and expand workforce development resources for those who have not been afforded meaningful, sustainable opportunities. HEAL CoalitionHEAL Hope, Empower, Access, LiveHEAL stands for Hope, Empower, Access, and Live and is a Coalition with 100+ members multi sector, and multi-generational partnerships governed by a steering committee composed of 11 local organizations, 10 residents, and 10 youth leaders. HEAL promotes social inclusion, equitable healthy food access, and economic empowerment. The Community Health PSE project will focus on disrupting the racial and power inequities that exist in Gardner and Winchendon. HEAL will facilitate a participatory process where affected youth, low-wealth, and BIPOC residents work with municipal and institutional powerholders to lead and benefit from policy, system, and environmental transformations that prioritize racial equity, and inclusion. Housing Navigator Massachusetts, Inc.Community Engagement for Informing and Increasing Impact Housing instability is a root cause of inequitable health outcomes; housing stability has well-documented positive effects for health and mental well-being. Fair and equitable access to affordable housing is central to a future in which a person’s race, ethnicity, or gender no longer predicts their health outcomes. Housing Navigator Massachusetts is a direct response to improve affordable housing systems and policies. Our mission is connecting people with places to call home. Our work consolidates and streamlines housing information in our free, 24/7 housing search tool, furthering equity by making information clear and accessible to renters. This funding will allow us to build staff capacity in order to engage more fully with the communities we serve, at both programmatic and systemic levels. First and foremost, it will allow us to improve the Navigator resource based on renters’ self-reported needs. We will add features and resources to improve the user experience. Feedback will also help identify and prioritize our approach to systems change. Massachusetts Association of Community Development CorporationsHousing Quality and Health (HQH) Equity Initiative: Addressing Racial Health Inequities Caused by Poor Quality Housing MACDC’s Housing Quality and Health (HQH) Equity Initiative will tackle poor housing quality and associated housing instability, and address the corresponding racial health inequities, by improving existing housing stock in Gateway Cities. The initiative will focus on addressing lead paint and poor indoor air quality, to improve housing quality, housing stability, and resident health. The Initiative will focus on a cohort of Gateway Cities and in the process create a template that can be scaled up. Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI)Statewide Health Access for Justice-Involved IndividualsThe project will identify and execute solutions to overcome systemic barriers to public benefits access and healthy outcomes for criminal justice-involved (“CJI”) individuals upon release from the custody of the Department of Corrections and the County Houses of Correction. The project will initially focus on eligibility and access to health care through MassHealth; over time we will also identify and address barriers to other benefits programs, e.g., SNAP, as well as child support debt incurred while incarcerated, family reunification, and other systemic barriers confronted by individuals upon reentry. Old Colony YMCABreaking Barriers and Advancing Health Equity in TauntonOld Colony YMCA (OCY) will address the root causes that negatively affect opportunities for active living and access to healthy and affordable food through policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies with partners and residents in Taunton over a period of 5 years. Taunton has unique challenges that cause significant health disparities among residents, especially residents of color and low-income residents, which can be attributed to centuries of oppressive systems. OCY and partners will engage and empower residents to lead and advance PSE change initiatives in the most impacted census tracts in a way that benefits residents and mitigates unintended negative impacts of change. The focus will be on improving active living by conducting audits on community walkability/ bikeability and access to public green space. Additionally, the work will focus on increasing healthy eating by connecting residents to public assistance programs. Square OneSpringfield Healthy Food Systems CollaborativeSpringfield Healthy Food Systems Collaborative will engage in efforts targeted to strengthen and expand the existing work of the Collaborative to ensure access to locally grown healthy food in Springfield specifically through systemizing our work and expanding knowledge about, and access to, the Healthy Incentive Program (HIP). HIP is a public benefit unique to Massachusetts that affords SNAP recipients the opportunity to receive an added allowance for locally grown produce. The Center for Hope and Healing, Inc.Greater Lowell Domestic/Sexual Violence Equity Task Force The Center for Hope and Healing Inc. (CHH) will combine force with Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK), Alternative House (AH), and Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) to create a city-wide DV/SV Task Force to ensure that survivors of Domestic Violence (DV) and Sexual Violence (SV), particularly BIPOC survivors have an equitable opportunity to heal from trauma and achieve the highest possible quality of life. This project has several activities including: 1) formalizing a citywide DV/SV Task Force; 2) providing training on impacts of DV/SV as well as antiracism and other trainings that address this social determinant of health; 3) launch a city-wide campaign to destigmatize DV/SV BIPOC survivors seeking services; and 4) host city-wide public awareness activities to educate the public and provide greater visibility/access to DV/SV services. UTEC Chipping Away at Barriers to Health Faced by Young Adults Involved with Gangs or Returning from Incarceration UTEC will look to expand its efforts to break down structural and institutional barriers to health, faced by young adults who are involved with gangs or returning from incarceration. Specifically, they will pursue changes that provide a clean slate for young adults with a past criminal record; advocate for changes in the distribution of resources that are necessary to form a viable financial path from incarceration to stable employment; and foster community organizing and leadership skills so that young adults can create change in their own communities. Winthrop Public Health & Clinical Services (WDPH&CS)Winthrop Youth Mental Health Improvement Initiative With this funding, the Town of Winthrop will work to remove obstacles and disrupt barriers to mental health care for all young people with a particular focus on our most vulnerable and underserved youth populations. These funds will be used to enhance and expand current programming in the WDPH&CS by focusing specifically on the youth in our community. Healthy Aging Awardees Community TeamworkAdvancing Housing Equity for Seniors Community Teamwork will establish Advancing Housing Equity for Seniors project, in partnership with Age Friendly Lowell, Coalition for a Better Acre, REACH LoWell, and Community Teamwork’s AmeriCorps Senior Programs to address the root cause of housing instability among low-income seniors. Dominican Development Center, IncSeniors Transforming Other SeniorsThis project brings together community resources and professional expertise from two organizations—The Dominican Development Center and Nuevo Dia, an Adult Day Health Center—that support seniors in Latino communities in the Boston Area. Our proposed, Senior Transforming Other Seniors, builds upon our experiences with seniors in multiple cities to create a new community model to support the mental health needs of our Latino elders and cultivate their untapped leadership potential. Our goal is to empower seniors through programming that nurtures their physical and mental well-being, honors their knowledge and leadership skills, and restores them to social spaces of joy and companionship GreenRootsReducing Chronic Diseases Through Engagement and Empowerment of Seniors in Chelsea The Reducing Chronic Diseases Through Engagement and Empowerment of Seniors in Chelsea project is planning to address environmental injustice and improve public health by increasing seniors and the aging population’s participation in transit justice. GreenRoots will uplift, engage, and empower multilingual Chelsea seniors to ensure their voices are heard in decision making processes and ultimately ensure they can enjoy a reliable, equitable and accessible public transit system. Southeast Asian Coalition of Central MassachusettsHealthy Aging in PlaceThe Health Aging-In-Place project is planning to address interconnected barriers to aging- in-place in a way that is secure and healthy (For example, food insecurity due to dietary and cultural barriers; undiagnosed and untreated trauma from their past while having few options for mental health treatment; language barriers). The Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts will assess, plan, and implement culturally relevant service expansion for Southeast Asian elders in Central and Western Massachusetts; advocate for the implementation of culturally relevant services and programs with partner organizations; and engage and train elders and their caregivers for self-advocacy. University of Massachusetts AmherstCommunity-engaged family-based healthy aging intervention to promote social and mental health among older adults in Massachusetts The University of Massachusetts Amherst has a profound legacy and commitment to social justice, extending across generations and spanning disciplines. One of the main visions for campus strategic plan is to “organize for success by ensuring the inclusion of underserved communities in the university’s outreach and engagement efforts.” In alignment with this vision, our community-engaged family-based healthy aging intervention, including psychoeducation, problem-solving, breathing exercises, and yoga, aims to improve five “Age-Friendly” movement areas to make communities more welcoming and livable for older residents and people of all ages such as “community and health service,” “communication and information,” “social participation,” “respect and social inclusion,” and “civic participation and employment.” Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) Awardees African Cultural Services, Inc.Working together for a healthier Ugandan Community in Massachusetts African Cultural Services will conduct a CHIP process to further understand the needs of the community and work with other community organizations to address those needs. The CHIP process will primarily engage with Ugandan immigrants in Waltham and many other service providers and organizations that serve or seek to engage with the community. Breaktime United, Inc.Convening a statewide CHIP process to identify, analyze, and address the root causes of young adult homelessness Breaktime seeks to help young adults facing housing insecurity secure career-launching job opportunities and permanent housing while empowering them to serve their local community. We will conduct a statewide CHIP to better understand young adult homelessness by engaging entities throughout the state to form statewide coalitions to end young adult homelessness. City of Lawrence, Mayors Health Task ForceBuilding an Inclusive and Effective Community Health Improvement Plan The City of Lawrence participates in the triennial Community Health Needs Assessment done by the hospital and community Health Center. In an effort to deepen community engagement in the implementation process, the City of Lawrence in partnership with UMass Lowell and other community-based partners, will embark on a CHIP, focused on race and health equity, to strategically complement partner efforts to affect change in the health and well-being of those most significantly impacted by compromised social determinants of health. Family Nurturing CenterBoston’s BIPOC Family Support Network Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts, Inc proposes to meet the needs of BIPOC families with young children in Boston through Welcome Baby visits, diaper pantries, developmental screenings, playgroups, referral services and more, to improve mental health outcomes for children and adults; address social determinants of health, particularly education and socio-cultural environments; and disrupt the effects of racism, xenophobia and poverty on Boston’s BIPOC families. Cohort 3 (2024) Awardees Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) Full Grant Awardees Multicultural BRIDGE (Berkshire Resources for the Integration of Diverse Communities) BRIDGE Expanding Culturally Specific Community Programming through Collaborative Partnerships and Wellness Programs The CHIP funding will help BRIDGE sustain and build their community health programs rooted in equity and culturally specific approaches. BRIDGE, a culturally specific organization that is women and people of global majority run, evolved and expanded its core programs through a mutual aid and solidarity economy response during COVID-19. It was nationally recognized for its response to community needs by the National Community Action Council and just before COVID-19, BRIDGE was included in a public health documentary, Mosaic by UMASS. For over 16 years, BRIDGE has built a complex of equity builders with Community Development Financial Institutions, public health institutions, community foundations, cultural institutions and participating in existing agricultural, health, food security and housing networks all in alignment with community members and their needs at the center. Franklin Regional Council of Governments Franklin County/North Quabbin Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) The Franklin County/North Quabbin Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Network launched its 3rd CHIP cycle in 2024. They’ve identified more than a dozen priority health issues that their rural region of 30 municipalities will be able to improve on by 2028 . The CHIP Network’s overarching role in this process is to encourage collaboration and to showcase and support efforts that identify and remediate inequitable systems, policies, and environments in their communities. Outer Cape Community Solutions, LLC Addressing Rural Health Inequities through Collaborative Networking Solutions Outer Cape Community Solutions(OCCS) rural health network addresses root causes of health inequities across the Outer Cape towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, and Eastham. The network collectively and actively identifies health needs in the four Outer Cape towns and work to address these needs through an upstream collaborative process. OCCS will utilize its cross-sector rural health network structure to support various initiatives across the full network and within its work groups – including Transportation, Food Access, Opioid Remediation, and Local Health Department Collaboration – to implement strategies that address community-identified challenges and goals. Healthy Aging Full Grant Awardees Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) Planning Grant Grantees North Shore Community Health, Inc. Improving Community Health Outcomes through a Community Health Improvement Plan Process North Shore Community Health (NSCH) will convene a Community Steering Committee comprised of NSCH consumers, staff and local community residents who will lead the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) process by using local data (surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups, and Customer Satisfaction Surveys) to identify local priority health issues, systemic issues, health disparities, and to improve health equity. Data will assist the committee in developing and implementing strategies for action and change. Healthy Aging Full Grant Awardees DEAF, Inc. Health Care Access Disparities in the Massachusetts Deaf Adult and Older Deaf Adult Populations The Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened ‘Deaf” community struggles with multiple significant health disparities compared with hearing adults. Additional disparities exist regarding the quality, quantity and effectiveness of interactions between Deaf and health care providers – numerous systemic, societal and institutional inequalities also contribute to these disparities. Utilizing accessible, culturally knowledgeable material and approaches designed specifically to include Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened Massachusetts residents, Deaf Inc. will obtain data and information to demonstrate the need for and promote changes, with the goal that Deaf individuals receive effective communication, equitable treatment, and similar experiences interacting with the health care system to their Hearing peers. LifePath, Inc. Age- and Dementia-Friendly Plan Implementation In 2019, LifePath began a project to re-envision aging in our community. Employing the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly model, they will embarked on a three-year project to engage the community in developing an Age- and Dementia-Friendly Action Plan. This project seeks to build on these community relationships to implement the action plan and evaluate the results. Massachusetts Senior Action Council Seniors Power Up! Building Senior Voices for Justice in Aging Massachusetts Senior Action Council (MSAC) will expand and strengthen its successful model of building active agents of change among lower-income seniors so they may use their own voices and collective power to address key public policy and community issues that affect their lives. They do this through a combination of community outreach, leadership development, and collective action. MSAC’s approach to community organizing shifts power into the hands of those who are most impacted and achieves tangible policy and institutional change that benefits all of our communities. OutstandingLife Increasing Inclusion & Combatting Social Isolation of LGBTQ+ Seniors in Massachusetts The goal of OutstandingLife’s initiative is to increase inclusion and combat social isolation of LGBTQ+ seniors in Massachusetts. By working with the Councils on Aging (COAs), Senior Centers, and Aging Service Access Points (ASAPs) in Gateway Cities and Cape Cod they will expand online and other programming options for LGBTQ+ seniors across the Commonwealth. As a result, senior-serving organizations will change so that LGBTQ+ seniors will be better able to connect to local services, their LGBTQ+ neighbors and other LGBTQ+ seniors throughout Massachusetts, reducing isolation and feelings of loneliness, thus improving their mental, physical, and emotional lives. Healthy Aging Planning Grant Awardees Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission How Happy is the heart of Massachusetts? Discovering the Happiness Factor of Central Massachusetts The Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) is launching its newest initiative, “Discovering the Happiness Factor in Central Mass”, examining how social connections impact the happiness and well-being of older adults in the region. This initiative is in alignment with the Age-Friendly Central Mass Action Plan and seeks to delve into how civic involvement can influence senior residents’ quality of life. Massachusetts Association for Mental Health Establishing a Statewide Hoarding Resource Network to Support Stable Housing and Eviction Prevention The MA Hoarding Resource Network (MHRN) will lead advocacy, technical assistance, and public education to strengthen support and homelessness prevention for older adults with hoarding conditions in diverse communities throughout the Commonwealth. Their initiative includes conducting an environmental scan to identify service gaps and best practices; piloting peer-led bilingual hoarding support groups; and bringing together first responders, mental health and aging services providers, people with lived experience of hoarding, and other stakeholders. MHRN’s goal is to help people at risk of housing loss to live healthy lives in the community. Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change (PSE) Full Grant Awardees Behavioral Health Partners of MetroWest, LLC. MetroWest Care Connection Housing Coalition Behavioral Health Partners of MetroWest’s initiative focuses on the continued development and convening of a Housing Coalition (HC) comprised of cross-sector partnerships. The HC aims to enhance accessibility to housing supports and advocate for policy changes in the MetroWest region, particularly in the City of Framingham and nearby towns. Key activities include diversifying HC membership to include residents with lived experience of housing insecurity, engaging in local and state housing advocacy to increase access to affordable housing, and creating Peer Housing Specialists to empower marginalized communities, addressing systemic racism and promoting sustainable housing solutions. Codman Square Health Center, Inc. Building Futures, Building Health: A Youth-led PSE Approach to Healthcare Careers in Randolph Codman Square Health Center, in collaboration with the Town of Randolph, Randolph Public Schools, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and other partners, is dedicated to empowering youth through their initiatives: the Youth Health Ambassador Council (YHAC) and the Youth Health Careers Exploratory Pathway Program. These programs equip Randolph’s young individuals with leadership skills, healthcare career knowledge, and hands-on training opportunities. By fostering strong community partnerships, they strive to create a youth talent pipeline that addresses health equity and socio-economic upward mobility. Community Builders,Inc. HEAL Worcester: Health Equity and Access for Low-Income Residents Through a coordinated approach incorporating resident lived experience, the Health Equity and Access for Low-Income Residents (HEAL Worcester), aims to dismantle underlying systems that cause inequitable health outcomes around homelessness, housing stability, and social determinants of health. They will achieve this goal through three key activities: 1) build, preserve, and rehabilitate over 800 affordable and permanent supportive housing (PSH) units, with priority screening for individuals experiencing homelessness; 2) train, empower, and scale a cohort of Health Champions (HCs) as thought leaders and program decision-makers; 3) expand Community Life resident services, an evidence-informed, and outcomes-driven model that uses stable housing as a platform for creating access to opportunities and advancing health equity for residents. Empowerment WORKS Inc., Sahiyo U.S. Project Systems of Care and Response for the Prevention of FGM/C and Support for Survivors Lead applicant, Sahiyo U.S., and project partners, the U.S. End FGM/C Network and UMass Chan Medical School Collaborative in Health Equity, aim to build a statewide coordinated system of care and response for the prevention and support of survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). This project aims to achieve three primary goals: (1) build a comprehensive network of stakeholders and service providers to implement a coordinated, systems-based approach to address how FGM/C is treated in Massachusetts; (2) facilitate equitable access to healing and improve health outcomes for survivors of FGM/C, with a special focus on people of color; and (3) prevent FGM/C among future generations by increasing resources to disrupt barriers such as lack of awareness among service providers regarding FGM/C and connected social issues. Herring Pond Wampanoag, Inc. Herring Pond Wampanoag Food Sovereignty and Health and Wellness Program The Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe’s initiative aims to restore traditional food systems and practices, foster ecological stewardship by promoting practices that enhance biodiversity, soil health, and climate resilience. They aim to transform food systems by promoting health education, and address food insecurity by establishing community gardens and greenhouses, which serve as hubs for sustainable food production and educational workshops. They will advocate for policy change that recognizes and protects Indigenous food systems, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and ensures equitable access to valuable resources. Homes for All Massachusetts Building Statewide Organizing to Protect Tenants & Low-Income Homeowners Homes for All Massachusetts (HFA MA) will strengthen and grow their network in key gateway cities to advance a statewide community-centered housing justice policy platform. Anchored by their coalition members work in Springfield and Lynn, HFA MA will support municipal and state-level organizing around solutions that will stabilize tenants and low-income homeowners in their communities. Lawyers for Civil Rights Housing Justice in Greater Worcester Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) will expand its housing justice initiative in Central Massachusetts and drive upstream policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes to meaningfully impact access to safe, affordable, and stable housing for local residents. In close partnership with legal and community partners, LCR will drive change through four key strategies: 1) legal and policy advocacy; 2) impact litigation; 3) coalition building and mobilizing; and 4) community education, outreach, and engagement. Massachusetts National Org for Women Foundation Inc. (MASS NOW) Bleeding for Change: Advancing Menstrual Health Equity in Fall River and New Bedford Mass NOWs Bleeding for Change Initiative addresses the structural and institutional barriers, gender inequality, unequal distribution of resources, and poverty that contribute to menstrual health inequity and adverse mental health outcomes among the youth and adult menstruators in Fall River and New Bedford. In partnership with the Massachusetts Menstrual Equity Coalition, Coalition Against Period Poverty, and 30+ community agencies in the region, they are strengthening community organizing efforts to support policy systems and environmental change to combat period poverty and improve the menstrual and mental health outcomes of menstruators in the region. Massachusetts Immigrant Refugee Advocacy Equitable Access to Mental Health Care for Immigrants The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) will convene and engage a comprehensive network of members, partners, allies, advocates, and immigrants/refugees to identify barriers to equitable mental health care for immigrants and refugees to design and implement an effective legislative advocacy, community organizing, and communications campaign to disrupt barriers and open opportunities for mental health care regardless of immigration status. Mujeres Victoriosas (Victorious Women) Activadoras En Accion Activadoras En Accion is a community activation and leadership development model that will be developed by Mujeres Victoriosas, a Latina-led organization that focuses on creating safe and empowering spaces for women in New Bedford, MA. The model consists of utilizing community organizing principles to train community members as community health organizers tasked with disrupting systems of oppression and ensuring these systems serve their communities better. The goal is to plant the seeds for a future where the voices of those most impacted by inequities are embedded in decision-making spaces transforming how community expertise informs health and education initiatives. Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts Live Well Springfield Transforming Communities Initiative Live Well Springfield’s Transforming Communities Initiative will expand its efforts to improve health outcomes, promote racial justice, and achieve health equity for the residents of Springfield by addressing issues of housing and homelessness. The Public Health Institute of Western MA will convene Live Well Springfield Resident Advisors and partner organizations including Neighbor to Neighbor, Springfield No One Leaves, Arise for Social Justice, Partnership in Practice and Way Finders to lead the Transforming Communities Initiative on policy advocacy on housing including Access to Counsel legislation, increased funding for the Springfield Housing Trust Fund, establishment of a City of Springfield Office of Tenant Support, and other advocacy to address poor conditions in rental housing. Springfield WORKS Western Massachusetts EDC Bridge to Prosperity Pilot: Creating Pathways for Cliff Effect Policy Change The Bridge to Prosperity Pilot is an innovative initiative addressing multi-generational poverty for low-wage working families by tackling the benefits cliff. By providing cash bridge payments, one-on-one coaching, and career pathways through employer partners, the program supports participants in achieving economic mobility. Prioritizing communities of color and women, this initiative aims to test and refine solutions to the benefits cliff, serving as a model for long-term policy development and systemic change to eliminate cliff effects. To the Moon and Back Developing Best Practices in Care for Children Born with Prenatal Opioid Exposure (POE) To the Moon and Back will hire a school based clinician to support all children with prenatal opioid exposure in elementary school in Plymouth, MA. They will evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions and develop best practices in care beyond infancy to disseminate nationally. United Way Of Massachusetts Bay, Inc. United Way’s DRIVE: Advancing Equitable Developmental Screening and Referral Practices Across Communities United Way’s DRIVE works for equitable access to developmental screening and indicated referrals by providing training, technical assistance, and access to aggregate data, built on the inclusion of community partner and parent leader voices to ensure responsivitity to the needs of community. DRIVE seeks to ensure that all resources are available to all families of young children – for all children to grow and thrive developmentally to enter school ready to learn and grow, and for all families to thrive as well. Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change (PSE) Planning Grant Awardees Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, Inc. Planning a Collaborative Medical Clinic for New Bedford CEDC will plan a complementary care delivery model via a Neighborhood Health Resource Center designed to meet residents’ health and wellness needs consistently and sustainably in the Near North End of New Bedford. Health services and wellness programs will be offered to reach linguistically and racially marginalized populations to support healthy aging and outcomes across the lifespan for all neighborhood residents. The Marion Institute, Inc. Marion Institute’s PSE Planning for Transformative Nutrition Security, Health, and Social Connection Change Work in Southeastern MA The Marion Institute engages individuals and communities in root cause solutions that elevate health, food, and environmental equity for all residents of Southeastern MA. Their community-focused programs include: Frogfoot Farm, a farm to food relief and gleaning program; Grow Education, a farm to school initiative that provides hands on elementary agricultural enrichment programming; and the Southcoast Food Policy Council that leads a diverse coalition to eliminate food insecurity, strengthen their regional food networks, and advocate for inclusive food system policies. The Marion Institute’s programs are advancing a culture of health that is on track to serve as a state model for equitable nutrition security in a region.
