In case you missed it:
A special announcement from MPDC
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MADISON PARK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WELCOMES INCOMING CEO, LESLIE REID, AT ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GALA
ROXBURY, MA.
- On behalf of MPDC’s Executive Search Committee, we are happy to announce that after a lot of heartfelt and intentional deliberation, the MPDC Board of Directors arrived at a determination regarding MPDC's next Chief Executive Officer. After the interview process, one candidate emerged to the forefront based on skill, experience, knowledge, creativity, and grit.
As of November 4, 2019, Leslie Reid will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer at MPDC. Jeanne Pinado will transition into a Chief Advisor role until the end of 2019. We are looking forward to embarking on this journey with Leslie.
Leslie has over twenty years of affordable housing, commercial, and community development experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Currently, she serves as MPDC’s Vice President of Programs, overseeing youth development, health equity, public safety, arts and cultural, and community facilities programming. Leslie’s community development experience includes asset management, acquisition, planning, financial feasibility, financing, design and construction for residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties, most recently with
Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation
. In her role at the
MA Department of Housing & Community Development
, she assisted public housing authorities with mixed-finance, private affordable housing, and non-residential development.
MPDC shared this announcement on Friday, November 1, 2019 at the annual Sparks for Arts Gala.
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A sparkling evening at MPDC's
annual Sparks for Arts Gala
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With five performances –
Zili Misik
,
Ashley Rose
,
D. Ruff
, Ashleigh Gordon, and the George Russell III Band –
a great time was had by all!
Many thanks to everyone who attended this festive night (old friends and new), our generous
sponsors,
and to the fabulous bidders who raised their hands for MPDC's
Opportunity Bid
hosted by
Lisa Morishanti
, MPDC's Board President, who began the night’s program with a lot of energy and fun as our "auctioneer."
Stay tuned to MPDC's
website
for more photos & videos of the evening!
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MPDC welcomes 76 families to their new homes at Melnea Cass Apartments
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On Saturday, October 26, MPDC celebrated
the completion of the Melnea Cass Apartments
, the first residential address on Melnea Cass Boulevard.
The building completes the last phase of Madison Park Village (MPV), a housing community that began five decades ago and has been renovated and preserved by MPDC since then. Today, MPV is a vibrant community that is affordable to families of all income levels. The Melnea Cass Apartments includes
76 mixed-income units
. The ribbon-cutting celebration featured remarks from Jeanne Pinado,
Mayor Marty Walsh
, resident
Stephanie Thomas
, and other elected officials. Families were welcomed to their new homes with a celebration following the ribbon-cutting featuring food from
Fresh Food Generation
,
Cool Cow Ice Cream
, face painting, and activities. Check out
these photos
and
this video
of the event from
BNN News
!
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Roxbury residents "speed-date" with At-Large candidates
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MPDC's
At-Large Candidate Speed-Dating Forum
was held on October 22nd at The Dewitt Center. The event was well attended by members of the Roxbury community and over 80 MPDC residents. The forum was moderated by local activists from Boston, including
Sheena Collier
of the
Collier Connection
,
Justin Kang
of
City Awake
,
Harry Smith
of
Harry Smith Consulting
, and
Kelly Ransom
, MPDC's Communications & Marketing Manager. The forum featured incumbents
Althea Garrison
,
Annissaa Essaibi-George
,
Michael Flaherty
, and
Michelle Wu
as well as candidates
Alejandra St. Guillen
,
David Halbert
,
Erin Murphy
(represented by her sister), and
Julia Mejia
. The questions for the candidates were collected via the event’s registration page and from our MPDC residents through our civic engagement efforts. We want to also give thanks to our partners from
MassVote
for helping us make sure our event was a success! You can watch each round that was live-streamed on Facebook
here
,
here
,
here
, and
here
. The forum was followed by a fun
Roxbury Community Mixer
at
Dudley Cafe
where locals were able to mix, mingle, and discuss the upcoming Municipal Election on November 5th.
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An outstanding October at
The Dewitt Center
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Recently,
Positively Impacting Teens & Parents
(PI-TAP) launched at The Dewitt Center. PI-TAP provides
job readiness skills for parents and their teenagers
with the goal of completing a certification course for
Salesforce
Administrators & Consultants. Students enrolled in PI-TAP learn, Salesforce,
TinkerCAD
,
Fusion 360
, Excel, and Microsoft Word. All students are assisted in obtaining internships and job placement at the end of the course. Parents receive a $500 stipend & students receive a $250 stipend upon completion.
Interested in joining Pi-Tap?
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The Dewitt Center welcomed ten students from
Boston University’s First Year Student Outreach Program
. Program Coordinator, Arlene Baldwin, led the students on
a tour of The Dewitt Center to provide the students with a better understanding of the history of Roxbury
. Students viewed the art gallery, learned about The Dewitt Center programs and enjoyed lunch. The session ended with a Q & A about Roxbury, and information about upcoming volunteer opportunities.
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The Dewitt Center opened its doors for the first time as a polling location!
Over 130 voters cast their ballots at The Dewitt Center during the Preliminary Municipal Election. Mary Gaskin & MPDC resident, Pauline Sheridan were happy to welcome voters and encouraged them to return on November 5th for the Municipal Election. Pauline said, “
We need everybody’s vote, remember change starts with you. Get out and vote!
”
The Dewitt Center will be open on Tuesday, November 5th for the Municipal Election from 7 am to 8 pm.
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Empower Our Crown
held a Stress Management Training apart of the City of Boston
WEBOS Week
. Psychologist Dr. Asha Ragin of
Trinity Boston Connects
& Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student Pilar Tucker, M.A, CEO of Empower Our Crown, led a group of women in clinical training that provides evidence-based practices on how to clinically identify their stressors, implement healthy coping mechanisms into their daily living and step into their power healthily. The workshop was catered to
women who uphold entrepreneurship or leadership roles
but struggle with maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
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The
Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council
held a
three-hour expungement clinic for cannabis-related crimes
as part of
National Expungement Week
, a nationwide effort to bring awareness to expungement programs. The evening included a presentation on the Massachusetts expungement process, along with legal aid on-site to start the expungement process, voter registration, and civic rehabilitation resources. The event concluded with remarks from Boston City Councilor, Michelle Wu and State Representative Chynah Tyler.
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The Dewitt Center held a
First Aid, CPR, and AED training for Madison Park Development Corporation employees
. All participants were trained in CPR indications, scene assessment, victim assessment, choking, and demonstration and practice of CPR on adults, kids, and infants. Participants also learned how to respond in case of emergencies such as choking, allergic reactions, stroke, and seizures. MPDC would like to thank Michelle Rubiera for teaching the course!
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On October 20th, day two of the
Boston Book Festival
took place at The Dewitt Center. The Boston Book Festival celebrates the power of words to stimulate, agitate, unite, delight, and inspire by holding year-round events culminating in an annual free festival that
promotes a culture of reading
. The day was filled with
workshops
for all ages, live
performances
, a
popup shop
by
Frugal Bookstore
, and
book signings
.
Dewitt Center member &
Boston Pulse Poetry
student, Sumeya Aden, introduced keynote speaker, David Betts, author and poet followed by an interview and Q&A session led by journalist and
Mass Poetry
Board Chair, Nicco Mele.
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Stay connected by following The
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Applications are now being accepted for 2451 Washington Street
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MPDC is creating
opportunities for homeownership near the heart of Dudley Square
with our latest development at 2451 Washington Street. This project includes the construction of 16 mixed-income condominium units. These units will consist of 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom condos.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!
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A fantastic Fall for MPDC's Resource Development Department
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The Friends of Hibernian Hall
had a great
opening night reception for 'Stick Fly'
– Hibernian Hall’s final major play of the year. Good food and plenty of cheer abounded with a short program featuring a brief presentation by our honored guest,
'Stick Fly' playwright Lydia Diamond
who also participated in a talkback following the performance.
Hibernian Hall hopes YOU will become a member of the Friends of Hibernian Hall
and join an energized & active group of Hibernian Hall supporters and receive discounted tickets and special events like night’s opening receptions and house parties.
Interested in becoming a Friend of Hibernian Hall?
Contact
Kay Mathew
/ 617.849.6335 for more information.
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MPDC was honored to share space with fellow
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Gun Violence Prevention Initiative
partners during a series of October training and planning gatherings. We are grateful to the Commonwealth for this major investment in
ensuring all young people have access to the training, mentoring, and suppor
t needed to thrive and in fostering safer communities for all. Be sure to stay tuned to MPDC’s monthly newsletters for updates on this exciting project!
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2101 Washington Street receives Preservation Achievement Award
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MPDC is honored to have
received a 2019 Preservation Achievement Award
from the
Boston Preservation Alliance
in October. The award recognized the
2101 Washington Street
building in Dudley Square for its transformation from
Tropical Foods (El Platanero)
to a beautiful mixed-use building with street-level retail and 30 residential units, most of which are dedicated affordable units.
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MPDC celebrates ten OSHA-30 graduates
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MPDC and
Dellbrook/JKS
hosted their first Community OSHA-30 class at The Dewitt Center in October.
Ten Greater Boston residents received training
on reducing the risk of workplace hazards. Dave Arancio, Dellbrook/JKS’s Field Safety & Risk Manager, spent five days delivering comprehensive material to aspiring tradesmen & women. Four of the OSHA-30 graduates are alumni of MPDC’s OSHA-10 classes. Many thanks to our community partners at the
Department of Correction
,
LH Daniels & Associates
, Dellbrook/JKS, and the staff of The Dewitt Center for making this possible.
Congratulations to the graduates of MPDC's OSHA-30
October 2019 class!
Mark “Malik” Seales
Rashaan Daniels
John Lopes
Nathaniel Toribio
Wayne Flemings
Helena “Ne Ne” Judge
Brady Drayton
Joseph Majors
Joi Taylor
Tayon Watson
"On behalf of the Department of Correction, thank you. On Friday, October 18, 2019, four participates from
Boston Pre-Release
graduated with OSHA 30! Because of MPDC, four individuals have a better chance of gaining employment."
- Daniel J. DiSangro
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Summer highlights from MPDC's Community Garden Program
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With the garden season coming to a close, we’d like to thank all of our community gardeners, Garden Leaders, volunteers, and funders!
Over
500 lbs of fresh vegetables and herbs
were grown this year (a record!), a value of nearly $1,000 or around
$100 in grocery savings
per gardener throughout the season. We would also like to thank
United Way of Massachusetts Bay
and
Technology Underwriting the Greater Good
, which together helped recruit over
130 volunteers
from companies that included
Asics
,
Deloitte
,
Eli Lilly
,
Ernst & Young
,
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
,
Lola.com
,
PlatformQ
,
Putnam Investments
,
Red Stone Equity
, and
Silicon Valley Bank
.
Some Summer Community Garden Program Highlights
o 3 Community Gardens featuring 100 plots
o 10 garden cleanups with 6 organizations
o Over 119 volunteers!
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MPDC AYEP participants to host youth
led-forums
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MPDC is also excited to host the first of a series of
youth- planned and youth-led forums this November
, focused on the impact of trauma and community solutions for addressing its root causes. A cohort of MPDC After School Youth Employment Youth Leaders will be leading this project, in partnership with youth from
Teen Empowerment
. MPDC would like to sincerely thank
Boston Children’s Hospital
for supporting this forum as part of its investment in Community Trauma Response work through the
Collaboration for Community Health
funding initiative.
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'Stick Fly' at Hibernian Hall a hit!
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Hibernian Hall was packed
from October 17th to October 27th
for performances of 'Stick Fly,' Lydia R. Diamond’s family drama set in the family's Martha’s Vineyard vacation home. The week-long run included a t
alk-back with playwright Lydia Diamond
on opening night, a pay-what-you-can
community night
, and a
Friends of Hibernian Hall
pre-show
reception
.
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Stay connected by following Hibernian Hall!
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MPDC Staff Spotlight:
5 Questions with Ben Baldwin
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As a way for our community to learn more about our staff members, we have started the '5 Questions' series. These monthly interviews in our newsletters feature five random questions with an MPDC staff member.
This month we are chatting with
Project Manager,
Ben Baldwin
.
1. What does a Project Manager do at MPDC?
BB
:
Project managers work with architects, contractors, and other partners to oversee all elements and stages of new building projects, from planning and permitting process to construction to lease-up. Here at MPDC, that means building and maintaining affordable housing. I’m currently project managing the
Haynes House renovation
and the new homes at
Melnea Cass Apartments
.
2. What are some MPDC developments or projects you are excited about?
BB
:
Homeownership, especially small scale and low profile projects that can create small affordable pockets. These are hard to find and hard to execute, but I hope we can move forward with something soon.
3. Where is your favorite place to visit in Roxbury?
4. What do you like to do in your spare time?
BB
:
I like to travel and get into the mountains. When I’m at home, I usually spend my spare time playing music or organizing the
Somerville Community Land Trust
.
5. What do you hope for the future of Roxbury?
BB
:
I hope Roxbury can continue to grow, but in a way that benefits existing residents. I would also like to see improved public transit in the area.
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The Dewitt Center is a Polling Location!
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Get out the vote at The Dewitt Center!
WHEN:
Tuesday, November 5
7:00 am - 8:00 p
m
(122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury)
The Dewitt Center is a polling place for the City of Boston Municipal Election.
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MPDC's OSHA-10 Training for Women
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Are you a woman looking to advance your career? Take MPDC's OSHA-10 training!
WHEN:
Tuesday,
November 12 & Wednesday, November, 13
8:30 am - 3:30 p
m
(184 Dudley Street, Roxbury)
REGISTRATION FEE:
$10
In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, MPDC is hosting a two day OSHA-10 training for women.
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What to Send Up When It Goes Down
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WHEN:
November 13 - 16
7:30 pm
(184 Dudley Street, Roxbury)
What to Send Up When It Goes Down is a community ritual created in response to the deaths of Black people as a result of racialized violence. As lines between characters and actors, observers, and observed blur, a dizzying series of vignettes build to a climactic moment where performance and reality collide. Meant to disrupt the pervasiveness of anti-blackness and acknowledge the resilience of Black people throughout history, this theatrical work uses parody, song, movement, and audience participation to create a space for catharsis, reflection, cleansing, and healing.
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CPLAN School Fair: Know As You Go
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Join
CPLAN
for a resource fair for families navigating the Individualized Education Program in Boston
WHEN:
November 16
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
(122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury)
Know As You Go is a resource fair with workshops for families to learn how to navigate the IEP process, ELL placement and processes. This event will bring together educators, parents, and community partners to a space of learning and collaboration to support our most vulnerable learners.
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The Dewitt Center Member Holiday Dinner
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Members of The Dewitt Center are invited to join us for a fun evening of celebrating!
WHEN:
Tuesday, November 19
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
(122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury)
Enjoy a free community dinner as we say 'Thank You!' to our community members and program partners. The evening will include live performances, special acknowledgments, along with fun activities and of course, food! We invite you to share a meal, laughter, and a chance to make new friends! All are welcome to attend.
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Madison Park Village Thanksgiving Celebration
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Annual MPV Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration for all residents of Madison Park Village
WHEN:
Thursday, November 21
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
(122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury)
Residents of all ages gather for a night of feasting, raffles, dancing, and Thanksgiving with their family and neighbors. Space is limited, please visit the management office to register.
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MPDC's Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway
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MPDC's annual Thanksgiving giveaway event for residents!
WHEN:
Saturday, November 23
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
MPDC will distribute over 200 Thanksgiving meals this year! Please, contact
Leslie Stafford
/ 617.849.6231 to
sign up or for more information.
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Madison Park Development Corporation offices, The Dewitt Center & Hibernian Hall will be
Closed: Monday, November 11
Closing at 2 pm: Wednesday, November 27
Closed: Thursday, November 28 & Friday, November 29
We apologize for any inconvenience.
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