Announcing 19 new grants, harnessing the power of yoga, growing dementia-friendly communities

October 10, 2023

Foundation announcing grants to food justice organizations

The Foundation is announcing 19 new food justice grants today.

These community investments totaling $750,000 will go to organizations coordinating emergency food response and advancing food justice efforts across the region.

The grants support general operations as well as ongoing advocacy efforts to promote system and policy changes addressing the root causes of hunger and aligned with the new National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.

In addition to these new investments, Foundation grants went to the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, City Seed, Cumberland County Food Security Council, New Hampshire Hunger Solutions and Rhode Island Food Policy Council earlier this year.

Using yoga as a tool for self-healing in crisis

Mandela Yoga Project (MYP), a new Foundation grantee, offers a scalable system of peer-led yoga as a tool for self-healing in communities experiencing racism and other systemic barriers.

Their mission is to make their unique yoga practice available to people of color through public and private insurance so that it may be practiced where they live, work, worship and play.

Integrated age- and dementia-friendly approach expands across Eastern Mass.

Leaders in Essex, Gloucester, Manchester and Rockport began working together several years ago to make their towns more age- and dementia-friendly.

The initiative, led by SeniorCare, is implementing programming and improved services for older adults and those living with disabilities. This includes a new Outdoors for All Ages webpage that provides accessibility information for local trails, beaches and parks as well as Dementia Friends education sessions that are expanding to high school and college students. Additional projects include the Cape Ann Virtual Senior Center, new technology navigators, dementia-friendly educational walks, and support for growing age-friendly practices along the Essex County Greenbelt.

With Foundation support, Age and Dementia Friendly Cape Ann is now

engaging the towns of Ipswich, Topsfield, Beverly, Hamilton and Wenham.

Southwick and Mansfield are Dementia-Friendly

Two new communities in Massachusetts are investing and engaging in Dementia-Friendly work.

Southwick is just starting its journey, making critical investments in infrastructure to empower and support residents living with dementia and their families. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the Mass Council on Aging are working together with the town of Southwick to address these needs. They plan to launch services, programs, and public spaces that support people with dementia and their care partners. This will help the town meet the criteria to receive designation as a Dementia-Friendly community.

Mansfield is already recognized as a Dementia-Friendly community. The knitting club there is gaining notoriety for their Fidget Muffs. These knit creations are an effective therapy tool that can help decrease agitation and nervousness for older adults using transportation services. In addition, the town is using an Age-Friendly and Dementia-Friendly Physical Infrastructure guide to design their new Senior Center.

These communities join more than 150 Commonwealth cities and towns engaged in dementia-friendly activities; 113 have signed the dementia-friendly pledge.

Rachel's Table takes a holistic approach to food security

Rachel's Table, a new grantee, alleviates hunger and reduces food waste in Western Massachusetts.

Known as a "gleaner," Rachel’s Table mobilizes volunteers to keep food from ending up in a landfill. By distributing donations from food suppliers, they help bridge the gap between producers and those experiencing food insecurity.

Every week, more than 200 volunteers collect food from local supermarkets, restaurants, caterers and bakeries, and deliver it to more than 60 local organizations including food pantries, community meal programs, after-school centers and shelters.

Learn more about their work and hear from their leaders.

USDA visitors learn from Foundation grantees

Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently visited the Worcester County Food Bank and Community Servings. Both organizations receive support from the Foundation.

The Worcester County Food Bank receives 30% of its food directly from the USDA. The visit was an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen the relationships between food banks and federal officials in the USDA and other agencies. U.S. Representative James McGovern and Stacy Dean, USDA deputy undersecretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, were on hand for the visit, which was covered by Worcester's Spectrum News 1.

Medically tailored meals were the central focus of the visit to Community Servings. These meals help meet the needs of people with health conditions that require specific diets—like heart disease, diabetes, and HIV. Programs that plan and prepare these meals can help people experiencing food insecurity stay healthy. Since 1990, Community Servings has delivered an estimated 11 million medically tailored meals. USDA documented the visit in this recent video.

Free school lunches a great start, but just a start

In her recent OpEd in the Lowell Sun, Foundation President Nora Moreno Cargie, applauds Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and the nonprofit organizations who led the historic effort to secure free school lunches for all public school students in the Commonwealth.

This significant achievement is a testament to the power of collaboration and determination. Still, much work needs to be done to advance food equity for all.

The piece cites the need to build on this momentum, "Now is the time for us to come together to eliminate systemic barriers and increase access to affordable, nutritious, culturally appropriate food, for all — especially children, older adults, and communities experiencing systemic barriers."

Mary Skelton Roberts to represent city on MBTA board

Mary Skelton Roberts is Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's appointee to the MBTA board of directors. Mary fills a newly created seat, which for the first time gives the city a direct role in the governance of the region’s public transit system.

The city's press release notes Mary is "an MBTA commuter who most often takes the bus and Orange Line,...[and] brings extensive experience with transportation policy to advance climate solutions and foster thriving communities."

New toolkit brings awareness to Disabilities in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

The National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) released a new toolkit designed to increase understanding of the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people living with disabilities.

Consider how resources in this toolkit can be applied to your work and are relevant to older adults and people living with disabilities.

Taking steps to end Alzheimer's

The Point32Health’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s team consisting of over 400 colleagues, friends and family has already raised more than $81,000 toward a $105,000 goal.

Funds raised will go to support services for families, advocacy for those living with Alzheimer’s, and research to advance treatments and find a cure.

People with Down syndrome deserve access to Alzheimer’s treatment

A Boston Globe OpEd co-authored by Board Member Jo Ann Simons with Hampus Hillerstrom points out a stark inequity, "People with Down syndrome helped scientists pave the way for Alzheimer’s drugs but are now left out of the treatment."

The authors advocate for action from the pharmaceutical industry, federal regulators, and state and private insurers to include people living with Down syndrome in clinical trials for Alzheimer's drugs.

Point32Health #15 on top charitable contributors list

Point32Health moved up two places on the Boston Business Journal's Top Charitable Contributors in Massachusetts list, ranking #15.

The order is based on cash contributions in Massachusetts in 2022. Each company recognized gave more than $100,000 to community nonprofits.

Overall, Point32Health and the Foundation gave more than $15 million to community nonprofit organizations across our five core states in 2022. Cash contributions in Massachusetts topped $7 million.

Team members pictured at the BBJ event, from left: Henocson Mulatre, corporate citizenship manager; Anne Dumke, corporate citizenship specialist; Stacey Mann, director, corporate citizenship; Caitlin Sullivan, program officer; Regina Donovan, officer manager; Allie Richards, senior communications specialist; and Clarisse Beauvais, corporate citizenship specialist.

See the full list

ALX100 celebrates Latine leaders who advocate and inspire

Amplify Latinx celebrated 100 leaders at the inaugural ALX100 Awards in September. Nora Moreno Cargie, Foundation president and vice president for Corporate Citizenship at Popint32Health, was included on this list with many other inspiring leaders from across the Commonwealth.

The awards recognize "exceptional Latinx leaders who have made significant contributions in their respective fields and communities and inspire us each day to lift up the Latinx community.”

Meet the 100 risk-takers, disruptors and advocates from various industry sectors.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who was on hand for the event, is pictured with Nora.