February 29, 2024

GRANTEE STORIES

Prioritizing culturally diverse communities through accessible materials

Dementia Friends Massachusetts, a program of Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Boston, is part of a global Dementia Friends public awareness initiative. They have developed training and materials that reflect the diverse cultures in Massachusetts communities.

“Let’s Talk about Dementia and Culture,” a virtual symposium held last year, featured nine community partners talking about dementia in their communities. This included members of the Black/African American, Burmese, Brazilian, Chinese, Haitian, Latine, and Vietnamese communities as well as people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. These community partners roundtables are available on YouTube.

Documentary series shines a light on the maternal health crisis in the U.S.

SISTA Fire was recently featured in The Risk of Giving Birth, a three-part documentary series from Rhode Island PBS, highlighting the maternal health crisis in the U.S.

In the series, Ditra Edwards, co-founder and director of SISTA Fire, highlights the need for a more diverse workforce to better support the care Black birthing people are receiving at Women and Infants Hospital in Providence.

The series builds on the organization's Black Maternal Health Campaign.

Program brings fruit and vegetable prescriptions to Conn. mothers

Food4Moms, a new equity-centered fruit and vegetable prescription plan has launched in Hartford, Conn. It was developed in direct response to research that highlights the need for fresh produce during pregnancy and barriers faced by Latine in accessing fresh food.

The program provides 20 mothers in Hartford $100 a month for 10 months to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables. This is a partnership with WholesomeWave, Hispanic Health Council, and Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.

Urban Farming Institute celebrates permanent home

The Urban Farming Institute (UFI), a pioneering organization that promotes urban farming practices and cultivates communities, recently completed the purchase of the 1786 Fowler Clark Epstein Farm at 487 Norfolk Ave in Mattapan, Mass.

Redeveloped by Historic Boston Inc. in 2018, the property now serves as the permanent home for UFI. The organization provides various programs, including farmer training; farmers markets; raised beds for community gardeners; fitness activities; and programs for men and youth.

Farming as a tool for healing and connection

"I love the idea of not just wanting my community to survive but thrive.”

In the first episode of Conexión: Rooted in New England's Outdoors from New England News Collaborative, Flor Cron of Presente! Maine shared how they reconnected with food and farming after the pandemic hit.

Presente! Maine works to empower displaced Afro/Indigenous and Latine people through survival programs, community power building, cultural celebration and transformative healing practice.

Efforts to improve Medicare Savings Program deliver mixed results

As of March 1, Massachusetts will no longer consider an older person's assets when evaluating eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program. This change means more people will be eligible for the program, which covers some out-of-pocket costs.

The Executive Office of Elder Affairs and MassHealth will host a webinar today to share more information about the Massachusetts program.

Although Maine lawmakers approved a similar update to their Medicare Savings Program during their last legislative session, that change is now in jeopardy.

Last week the team at the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) shared an update that the Governor’s Supplemental budget proposes a "full roll-back" of the new eligibility limits. (States can set different eligibility requirements within limits set by federal law.)

Jess Mauer, the executive director of MCOA, wrote, "this has a direct impact on tens of thousands of older Mainers, especially older women, state retirees, older people living in affordable housing, people of color, LGBTQ+ older people and older people with disabilities."

Point32Health Foundation has joined Maine Council on Aging and other organizations expressing opposition to these cuts. Reach out to Jena Jones at Maine Council on Aging to add your organization's name to the growing list.

RESOURCES

New toolkit explains how to talk about mental health effectively

The Massachusetts Association for Mental Health is offering free training, tools, and resources to help organizations communicate, boost knowledge, shift attitudes and build support for mental health and wellness.

This partnership with the FrameWorks Institute provides resources to frame issues in ways that tap into people's innate optimism, empathy and shared values as they advocate for change.

United Way of Rhode Island kicks off new Alliance for Nonprofit Impact

The Alliance for Nonprofit Impact is a new statewide resource center for Rhode Island nonprofits.

The alliance, created to strengthen Rhode Island nonprofits, particularly focuses on smaller organizations and those led by people of color to work for systemic change.

At the kickoff celebration, Nancy Wolanski, the organization's inaugural director, spoke about challenges of sustaining a nonprofit organization and the immense "social profit" the nonprofit ecosystem provides, noting that the "nonprofit workforce is one of the largest and most important employment sectors in the state."

The United Way of Rhode Island led in developing the alliance with an 11-person nonprofit design team plus more than 400 nonprofit staff, capacity-building organizations and funders.

Communications resources for nonprofits now posted on Foundation website

Looking for graphic design templates, DEI resources, tools to check your grammar and help you meet word counts, social media planners?

Our team has posted no-cost resources on the communications resources page on our website.

Use these tools to advance your organization's policy, advocacy and program goals.

And, if you know of resources not on the list, please let us know.

Visit our website

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP UPDATES

Drive for organizations working to end and prevent homelessness exceeds goal

Colleagues supported neighbors experiencing homelessness by donating nearly $13,000 in cold weather gear, personal care items and other essentials during Point32Health’s annual Essential Needs Drive last month.

Donations will go to people in Conn., Maine, Mass., N.H., R.I. and Wisc. served by Hartford Interval House, Hearth, Families in Transition, Family Services of Rhode Island, Pillars, Inc., Preble Street, and Women’s Lunch Place.

Point32Health colleagues volunteer at Community Servings' new facility

This week, 15 Point32Health colleagues packed 200 medically tailored meals at Community Servings’ new distribution center in Mansfield, Mass.

The new facility allows Community Servings to efficiently reposition and expand meal packaging and delivery operations for critically and chronically ill clients throughout the region south and west of Boston, Mass.