CORRECTION: EARLY VOTING AT THE DEWITT CENTER |
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The Dewitt Center will serve as an Early Voting location for the November 8th State Election on Saturday, October 22nd, and Sunday, October 23rd, from 11 am to 7 pm. The City of Boston's Early Voting map has been updated to reflect this. You can learn more about Early Voting in Boston here.
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Join us on
November 17th for Sparks!
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MPDC is very excited to invite you to this year's 2022 Sparks! Gala on November 17, 2022, at Hibernian Hall!
We are thrilled to welcome back our friends and supporters and look forward to an evening of celebration, outstanding performances, and connection.
FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY
Cornell Coley
Kim Tavar
VLA DANCE
Alondra Bobadilla
Fred Woodard
MPDC'S 2022 HONOREES
EMBRACING PROMISE AWARD
Boston Children's Hospital
EDNA V. BYNOE NEIGHBORHOOD CHAMPION AWARD
Hugh Johnson
Village In Progress Block Captain and Haynes House resident
2022 COMMUNITY CATALYST AWARDS
Tito Jackson
CEO, Verdant Medical - Former Boston City Councilor and Mayoral Candidate
Yhinny Matos
MPDC Youth Workforce Development Manager
Xiomara Alicea
Orchard Gardens Resident Service Coordinator
WITH CATERING AND BEVERAGES PROVIDED BY
Ethnica Catering
and more to be announced!
We are also excited to offer all of our sponsors Community Investment Tax Credits (CITC). Through the CITC program, donors who contribute to community development organizations like MPDC can receive a 50% state tax rebate on donations of $1,000 or more. For example, is your business considering sponsoring the Sparks Gala at the $5,000 level? Consider becoming a $10,000 level sponsor and leveraging the CITC program, resulting in a $5,000 donation out-of-pocket after your Massachusetts state tax rebate. For more information, please check out the 2022 sponsorship packet.
Please make your sponsorship commitment before October 24 to be included in event publications.
We can't wait to welcome you back and say thank you in person!
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MPDC x P3 Roxbury: Our Commitment to Building Wealth in Roxbury |
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Kids' Garden Club celebrates the end of Summer |
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The Kids' Garden Club celebrated the end of Summer with games, healthy food, and educational projects. Each participant, ages two to eighteen, received a certificate of completion for MPDC's ten-week program. This year, Richard and Rilee were honored to be leaders and teach our youngest gardeners how to plant, water, turn the soil, and harvest throughout the Summer. During the celebration, the kids gave a tour of their garden plots to families and a special guest, Ekua Holmes, founder of the Sun Flower Project. The gardeners were thrilled to have Ekua in the garden to share how their plots were growing. MPDC is always excited to see kids grow, lead, and educate others.
Congratulations to the Kids' Garden Club for another successful Summer!
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Hibernian Hall comes ALIVE
with latest production
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Hibernian Hall and VLA DANCE invite you to ALIVE: a dance theater experience with immersive elements, live music, awe-inspiring visuals, and costumes. Sight, sound, and motion pull you into a world of excitement, joy, and triumph. With a cast of 11 performers, ALIVE will take you through the dreamy journey of Ayo, guided by Ubuntu, as they follow their heartbeat. ALIVE will rock your world with an overload of sight, sound, and motion.
The show will run on October 29th, November 4th, 5th, and 6th at Hibernian Hall.
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Hibernian Hall hosted a successful brunch with the Friends of Hibernian Hall in September. The event included an introduction by MPDC’s CEO Leslie Reid and a presentation about the 2022-2023 Hibernian Hall events from the Artistic Program Director Haris Lefteri and Technical Director Asad Hardwick. The brunch concluded with a group discussion led by MPDC’s Deputy Director, Dr. Ingrid Tucker, Director of Development Griffin Thomas, and Director of Community Action Grants and Evaluation, Meghan Higgins.
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The Dewitt Center had a super September! |
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In September, members of the Civil Air Patrol program participated in glider flight day in Springfield, VT. Cadet Idil Mohamed, an MPDC resident, was excited to experience her first lift-off on the glider plane!
The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program is now accepting new members.
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Saturday, August 19th, 60 youth participants of the Love Your Magic program gathered at The Dewitt Center to share their stories, celebrate and uplift each other, and learn self-advocacy, self-love, and sisterhood. Love Your Magic's mission is to provide members with the tools to advocate for themselves and their communities.
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MPDC resident Stephanie Thomas hosted the Outstanding Women in the Community event on September 12th at The Dewitt Center, where 20 senior women were honored. The honorees were presented with proclamations from the City of Boston by City Councilor and keynote speaker Tania Fernandes Anderson. Thomas described the recognized individuals as the "jewels that sparkle in the Roxbury neighborhood.
Congratulations to all of the women honored, Rukia Ali, Jeanette Avant, Jeanet Bledsoe, Bessie Braggs, Maria Chavez, Sara Jean Chinn-Coles, Alice Gilchrist, Mary Gilchrist, Virginia Grayson, Lascene Nappier-Hooker, Rosie M. Jones, Valerie Akins-Long, Belencita Rosa, Pauline Sheridan, Linda Townsend, Harriett White, Carol Williams, Diane Williams, Miriam Williams, Bernice Woodley, Ismael Diaz!
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On August 29th, The Dewitt Center hosted the 2nd Suffolk Senate Debate moderated by Jacquetta Van Zandt. Nearly fifty community members joined to discuss economic development, equity, and inclusion within Boston. All current Suffolk County candidates participated, including Representative Liz Miranda, Representative Nika Elugardo, Dianne Wilkerson, Miniard Culpepper, and James Grant.
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On September 17th, WinnCompanies hosted their annual Multicultural Celebration for MPDC residents, where they reconnected, mixed, and mingled. There were fun activities for the youth, delicious food trucks, and energetic live music.
Shout out to WinnCompanies for a fantastic event!
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Get out the vote with MPDC |
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Volunteers, including Madison Park residents, have been working tirelessly to share election information with the community to become more civically engaged. As of mid-September, MPDC has reached 344 residents to keep them informed about getting out the vote. MPDC is looking for volunteers for Saturday, October 8th, from 10 AM to1 PM at The Dewitt Center to share information on a new ballot question, Question 4, added to the General Election. If passed, this ballot initiative grants the opportunity for qualified immigrants to go through the driver's license process.
Remember to vote in the General Election on Tuesday, November 8th!
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MPDC at INBOUND & Harvard |
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From September 6th to 9th, MPDC’s Director of Communications & Public Affairs, Kelly Ransom, and Communications Associate Justina Thompson attended the INBOUND 2022 Conference, hosted by Hubspot. The INBOUND Conference occurs annually in Boston for communications professionals to network, learn, and engage with one another in unique ways, including discussion panels, community spaces, and fun activities. The final day of INBOUND featured a discussion led by former President Barack Obama, who shared his advice, humor, perspectives, and words of wisdom for those in the marketing and communications field.
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MPDC CEO Leslie Reid and Director of Real Estate Intiya Ambrogi-Isaza attended a two-day seminar in September at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design with an international cohort on Affordable Housing: Principles for Changing Domestic and Global Markets.
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Taking time for self-care at MPDC |
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The Opportunity Employment Program has been coordinating self-care events and, in September, organized a Wellness Event hosted by Canvas Studios that let MPDC youth and staff use color theory to explore their identity through art and color.
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MPDC Youth tour Harvard University
with Rep. Tyler
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As a teenager, everyone remembers that moment they were researching for future colleges. It can be such a challenge! MPDC had the pleasure of inviting youth to attend a tour of Harvard University with State Representative Chynah Tyler. Representative Tyler spoke about her experience as a Roxbury resident and being accepted to Crimson Academy at Harvard University. Youth learned about the ins and out of Harvards Halls, historical landmarks, and the experience of a Black female student at an Ivy League college.
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September 2022 Newsletter Contributors |
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Allison Anderson
Arianna Guiseppone
Daria Davis-Fleming
Erica Davis
Griffin Thomas
Haris Lefteri
Jasmine Thai
Justina Thompson
Kelly Ransom
Leslie Reid
Leslie Stafford
Meghan Higgins
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The Dewitt Center is hosting 3x3 Basketball Tournaments every Monday!
WHEN: Every Monday through January 2023
3:00 — 5:00 pm
WHERE: The Dewitt Center
(122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury, MA 02119)
Come through for fun, fitness, and gym time.
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The Dewitt Center is now hosting senior-focused BINGO events!
WHEN: Every 3rd Wednesday through December
2:00 — 4:00 pm
WHERE: The Dewitt Center
(122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury, MA 02119)
Donate a canned good and play BINGO with your neighbors!
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Meal Prep and Participation Class |
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Learn how to prepare, preserve and create healthy meals!
WHEN: Wednesday, September 29th to October 6th
5:00 pm — 6:30 pm
WHERE: The Haynes House Community Room
(753 Shawmut Avenue, Roxbury, MA)
- ALL AGES WELCOME - FREE -
Participants will receive a certificate upon completion
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MPDC x IMSO
Food Pantry @ The Dewitt Center
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WHERE: The Dewitt Center
(l122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury, MA 02120)
WHEN: Every 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month from 11 am — 1 pm
(October 15th)
The Dewitt Center and the Islamic Multi-Service Organization (IMSO) host monthly food pantries. Canned goods, fruit, pasta, spaghetti, and more will be available for pickup! Supplies are limited. Masks and social distancing are required.
For more information, please contact IMSO at
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Celebrate the harvest season at The Dewitt Center!
WHEN: Monday, October 31st, 2022
5:00 pm — 7:00 pm
WHERE: The Dewitt Center
(122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury, MA 02119)
Free - Come have fun and enjoy music, activities, and food!
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