The Charlestown Coalition News:

Issue 85

September 2023

Welcome to the Charlestown Coalition's Monthly Newsletter!

We are a community based organization here to support the neighborhood of Charlestown by connecting our neighbors to services, building relationships and providing fun and safe spaces for community members to connect.

In our newsletters you'll find event flyers, recaps on what we do on the day to day, resources, information on our youth programming, and more. Thanks for following along!

Recovery Month

September is Recovery Month

Every year our team participates in a number of events to educate and increase our awareness, reduce stigma, celebrate people in recovery and honor people who have lost their lives to addiction.

MOAR Recovery Walk

Staff members Emma Cook, Melanie Soto and Zaire Richardson participated in the MOAR's (Massachusetts Organizations for Addiction Recovery) Annual Recovery Walk where they marched alongside 100 people. They heard testimony from people in long term recovery and learned about supports and resources available in the the state.

15th Annual Candlelight Vigil

Shannon Lundin White collaborated with the Charlestown Coalition, Turn It Around, the Charlestown Trauma Response Team and the Charlestown community, for the 15th Annual Candlelight Vigil.

We want to thank everyone that joined us for this special event!

TIA Back to School

TURN IT AROUND has gone back to school with style - thanks to RSM here in Charlestown for donating money for backpacks and school supplies! We are so grateful for this community going above and beyond for our youth.

Charlestown Says Goodbye to Ciara

The Coalition held a beautiful event to honor Ciara's time in Charlestown. Those who know us well, know we like to break bread - accompanied with music and good company.

As a true testament to Ciara's work, City Councilor Gabrielle "Gigi" Coletta awarded her an official resolution in recognition of "her dedication to the Charlestown Coalition and the Community."

Ciara shared in her farewell message, "After two years of learning from and supporting this amazing community, I am departing my role at the Charlestown Coalition this afternoon. Words might not do it justice, but I have deep appreciation for the people I have met, the lessons I’ve learned, and the sheer resilience of this community. It’s been an honor to show up for, support, and have fun with some of the people that make this neighborhood so special. I could have never anticipated how special this stop on my journey would be."

Thank you, Ciara!

Academic Year 23-24 Coalition Interns!

Please join us in welcoming Rachel, Emma and Julia to the Coalition Team! Each one of them bring unique skills and backgrounds and we are so excited to have them.

Rachel, previously an inclusion specialist at Boston Public Schools, is in her final year of her Master of Social Work (MSW) program. She loves working with youth and is passionate about expanding access to mental health services in and out of schools. Rachel will be supporting TIA JR, Recovery Court, Alternative to Suspension programming and case management through the Coalition.

Emma is a first year Masters of Social Work student with a background in legal services, especially for incarcerated folks and their mental health needs. Emma loves building relationships with people and deeply values being a support and resource for people navigating oppressive systems and experiencing some of life’s hardest challenges. Emma will be supporting TIA and case management during her time at the Coalition.

Julia has a background in holistic psychology and wellness, and is in a program to become a Licensed Mental Health Clinician (LMHC). Julia believes in the power of loving one’s body, mind, and spirit, and finding integration between the three to support mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health. Julia will be leading wellness groups and supporting case management during her time at the Coalition.

Race Dialogues: September

The topic for this month's Race Dialogues began with a discussion around the importance of different movements like Civil Rights, Black Lives Matter and LGBTQIA+ rights. Mswati invited participants to think about if it is beneficial to compare and contrast these movements with one another.

As always, we extend our thanks to everyone who showed up and shared their opinion and truth.

Will you join us in shifting your perspective? The next Race Dialogues meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 17th! This meeting will be held outdoors at the Charlestown Peace Park *weather permitting*

Peace Park Updates

As many of you know, the Coalition was given grant funding by the Community Preservation Act through the City of Boston back in 2018/2019 to revitalize and transform the plaza at Prospect St, Lowney Way and Mt. Vernon Street, our beloved Peace Park. Through the pandemic and other unforeseen obstacles, the project was delayed. Our team, the Friends of the Peace Park nonprofit, has been working tirelessly for a year now to move the project forward.

Below is an updated rendering of what the park will look like once completed! Kyle Zick & Associates presented a design to us years ago that went through a community process - but since that design, costs have increased and some things have changed. This is the most recent rendering for the design of the park, and we can't wait to share progress in the upcoming months with you all.

If you have any questions about the Peace Park, please reach out to Mel!

Community Partner Spotlight:

Congratulation to Sarah Coughlin, MGH CCHI Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships and former Director of the Charlestown Coalition. Sarah is the first social worker to be appointed to the Massachusetts Parole Board. We have been honored and privileged to work alongside Sarah in Charlestown and see her in action. Often advocating for those most vulnerable in our society, Sarah will be a remarkable addition to the parole board and we can't wait to see what she accomplishes in her new role. We wish Sarah all the best as she takes this next step in her career.

https://masslawyersweekly.com/2023/09/21/coughlin-confirmed-to-shorthanded-parole-board/

FSC Resource E-blast

The FSC eblast will go out on the 15^th and 30^th of each month. If you would like to add your program's flyers to the next e-blast, please send a PDF version of the flyer by the 12^th and the 27^th of each month to MSOTO0@mgh.harvard.edu