Volume 13, Issue 2: February, 2026

"We shall rise for we are the dream and the hope of the next generation. We shall rise."

- Dr. Maya Angelou

Dear Valued Community Member,

Thank you for your shared community and participation in our local Boston Network Connector Newsletter. This month's edition contains a range of opportunities for reflection, engagement, and action. You will find:

A welcome and tribute for Black History Month: Black History, Collective Power: Rising Through Community Action
A Call to Action from our partners at Immigrant Family Service Institute: Protect Temporary Protected status for Haiti
Register for the the February Network Connection Meeting - Advocacy in Action: Building Power Through Policy, Civic Engagement & Organizing
Learn about, apply to, and share leadership training opportunities with VVN
Explore opportunities in your community with VVN Partners
February Scoop on the Stats featured resource: “Food Insecurity in the United States and Greater Boston"

Village Voices

Black History, Collective Power: Rising Through Community Action

Welcome to the February edition of The Network Connector. As we move through a complex and shifting moment, Black History Month reminds us of purpose, possibility and legacy. We continue to rise with purpose and clarity, knowing that who we are and what we build together is more expansive than any circumstance, more luminous than any political season.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor the many leaders, both known and unsung, on whose shoulders we stand, and we recognize the lasting impact they have made in our communities.

Last month, during our annual Network Visioning, villagers came together to share innovative ideas, co-create priorities, and identify collective actions across key social drivers of child wellbeing, self-care and mental health, housing and economic opportunity, and social, racial, health, and immigration justice. This space created an opportunity to reflect on the values and aspirations that guide our shared vision and inform ongoing civic engagement.

Looking ahead, our February Network Connection Meeting on Monday, February 23, 2026, will focus on Advocacy in Action: Building Power Through Policy, Civic Engagement, and Organizing. Together, we’ll hear the experiences of community leaders deeply engaged in this work, learn from their advocacy journeys, and explore lessons that can be adapted and put to action in our own communities.

Through learning, partnership, and connection, we remain committed to fostering community spaces that support children, families, and communities in living healthy, thriving lives.

Call to Action: Protect Temporary Protected Status for Haiti

Advocates, such as our partners at Immigrant Family Service Institute, are urging immediate public action as Temporary Protected Status for Haiti faces potential termination. If approved, more than 500,000 TPS holders could lose work authorization and face deportation, with significant impacts on families, caregivers, workplaces, and local economies. A discharge petition is currently before the U.S. House of Representatives and requires additional signatures to move forward. Supporters are encouraging individuals to contact their House Representatives and ask them to sign the petition.

View the entire Call to Action message here >>>

Calls can be made through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Learn more and view current signatories here: Discharge Petition: To the Clerk of the House of Representatives

Network Events & Resources

February Network Connection Meeting - 2026 Village Visioning

Monday February 23, 2026 | Hybrid

5:30 pm ET in-person at FGH Building 820 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA or 6:00 pm ET on Zoom

Join us for our February Network Connection Meeting as we come together to deepen our shared understanding of how advocacy, policy, civic engagement, and community organizing shape the conditions in which families and communities thrive.This evening will be co-hosted by Latoya Gayle, Community Champion and Colleen Roan, Early Childhood Coalition Coordinator.

Whether you are new to advocacy or deeply experienced, this meeting offers space to connect, learn, and envision ways we can use our collective power to advance more equitable outcomes for all.

Language justice and childcare services will be available. We request that you register at least one week in advance if you require interpretation services or childcare to participate fully.

The Village Healing Circle for Black Men - Ambassador Leadership Cohort

Application Deadline: February 23, 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 Black Men Healing Circle Ambassador Leadership Cohort. This three-day Leadership Cohort prepares community leaders to facilitate Healing Circles that promote healing, wellness, and belonging for Black men. Participants will learn facilitation skills, trauma-informed practices, and approaches that support connection, reflection, and peer support. A dedicated module centers culturally grounded healing for Haitian men.

This is a compensated leadership opportunity. Ambassadors receive a $1500 stipend to support leadership cohort participation, facilitation of healing circles, and ongoing learning.

Leadership Cohort Dates: March 13–15, 2026

Location: 801 Albany St, Boston, MA

Application Deadline: February 23, 2026

Decisions will be issued by: February 27, 2026

Questions: Contact Smith Guillaume Lamothe at sglamothe@vitalvillage.org

Learn more and apply here >>>

Apply for the ROSE Community Transformer Training

Apply by Friday February 13th, at 11:59 pm EST

Training Dates: March 18-20, 2026 9:00 - 4:00p EST

The ROSE Community Transformer Training workshop takes place over three days during which individuals will learn essential skills for providing peer counseling in lactation management and methods for making referrals to resources for interventions outside their scope of practice. Continuing Education Recognition Points (CERPS) will be available for this training. After completing either the R.O.S.E. training, scholarship recipients will complete 6 months of volunteering with a breastfeeding support group or our breastfeeding Warmline.

If you have any questions, please email breastfeed@vitalvillage.org.

Learn more & apply here >>>

Apply for the Lactation Education Resource Training

Apply by Friday February 20th, at 11:59 pm EST

Spring and Fall Cohort Dates Available

We are excited to offer a lactation training opportunity through Lactation Education Resources. This comprehensive training includes 52+ hours of lactation education, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to support families through pregnancy, breastfeeding initiation, and the full course of lactation.

If you have any questions, please email breastfeed@vitalvillage.org.

Learn more & apply here >>>

My “Self” in the World Children’s Mental Health Story Times with the Boston Public Library

Virtual Storytimes on Thursdays from 3:30 - 4:00 pm ET on Zoom | In-person dates, times, and locations vary:

Vital Village Networks and the Boston Public Library partner to offer Children's Mental Health Story Times both on Zoom and at your local libraries across Boston. Join us for live and pre-recorded readings, reflections, songs, activities, and more! Story times are intended for children ages 3-8 years old; older and younger siblings are welcome to join the fun! We require a caregiver to attend with their child. See January dates, times & locations on the VVN website Calendar and register for virtual sessions at https://cutt.ly/CMHS-Web-Registry

Join us in welcoming the 2026 Community Food Systems Fellows

Are you passionate about advancing birth equity and justice in Massachusetts? Join the movement with the Greater Boston Birth Equity Coalition and help create real change. Follow the link below to become a valued member of the Greater Boston Birth Equity Coalition or to apply for a seat on our Elder Council.

Learn more and join the movement today >>>

Save the date for the first session of the 2026 NOW Webinar Series

March 19, 2026

We invite you to save the date for this year’s 2026 NOW Webinar Series, The Practice of Belonging! We’ll be joined by local leaders to explore how practices of humanity, connection and agency move our collective liberation forward Please save the dates for this year’s events:

March 19, 2026
June 4, 2026
November 19, 2026

Stay tuned here >>>

Events & Opportunities in Our Community

Free Immigration Consultations

The Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement

Do you need immigration advice from a lawyer? The Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement - Boston offers free one-time immigration consultations on the first and third Wednesday of every month by telephone. Registration is required. The consultations are limited to advice and information and do not lead to legal representation.

To register for an appointment, call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov.

Find out more information and translated graphics below

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC)

Application Period: January 6 - February 13, 2026

Join the Family Advisory Council Help Shape Early Education in Massachusetts! Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) is inviting parents and caregivers to help improve programs and services for young children and families across Massachusetts.

Application Period: January 6-February 13, 2026

How to Apply: Family Advisory Council for Early Education and Care

Questions? Please contact Ayesha Rodriguez at ayesha.rodriguez@mass.gov.

Setting the table: Supporting Survivors on the path to justice and Healing

Monday February 9, 2026 | 11:00 am - 2:00 pm ET

“Join Chaplain Clementina Chéry and District Attorney Kevin Hayden for the latest installment of Setting the Table. They will sit down and speak on Supporting Survivors on the Path to Justice and Healing. An integral part of the City of Boston's Homicide Response Protocol is The Survivor's Court Preparation & Resource Guide, giving survivors a clear path on how to navigate complex court systems and advocate for their loved one, all while processing grief and trauma.”

>>> Learn more & RSVP here

The Sankofa Infant Mental Health History Project

The first film of the Sankofa Project debuts in a 4-day Premiere Week celebration, February 10th -13th, hosted by the Indigo Cultural Center!

The Sankofa Infant Mental Health History Project™ is a multi-year effort focused on retrieving the healing and relational wisdom from our pasts, cultures, and communities and telling a fuller history of Infant Mental Health (IMH) – including the contributions of professionals and communities of color and the role of power and privilege in the field’s development.

This project is a love letter to our field, co-created by the Sankofa Project Steering Collective and Indigo Cultural Center.

>>> Register here.

Mothers for Justice and Equality (MJE) is thrilled to invite the community to table at their Resource Fair

Friday February 20th, 2026 | 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

This is an amazing opportunity to connect with the community, showcase your services, and support local families.

Location: 149 Dudley Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
Vendor Setup: 10:30 AM (please arrive early to set up)

>>> RSVP Here

Free Youth Mental Health First Aid Virtual Training

AMIkids, Florida Blue Foundation, and SAMHSA

This course gives parents, educators, community partners, and leaders the tools to recognize and respond to mental health challenges in youth ages 6–18. You will learn how to listen with compassion, assess risk, and connect young people to the help they need. It’s a simple way to start the year by giving support, hope, and understanding to a child in your community.

>>> Sign up here

Scoop on the Stats

Food Insecurity in the United States and Greater Boston

Introduction

Food insecurity, or not having consistent access to enough nutritious food, continues to be a major public health problem in the United States. It contributes to chronic diseases, poor mental health, and developmental challenges (Rabbitt et al., 2023). Rising food and housing costs have made the issue worse, especially for low-income and racially marginalized families (Ribar et al., 2025). This paper summarizes national and Massachusetts food insecurity trends, highlights current datasets, and reviews how programs like SNAP, WIC, and school meals are used to measure food access.

Data and Methods

National data: Sourced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA ERS). Uses the Household Food Security Survey Module to collect national food insecurity estimates (Food Security in the U.S. - Survey Tools | Economic Research Service, 2025).
Massachusetts data: Taken from the Greater Boston Food Bank’s 2024 Statewide Food Access Report, Project Bread’s Hunger by the Numbers dashboard, and Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap 2023 (GBFB & Mass General Brigham, 2024; Project Bread, 2024; Ribar et al., 2025). These sources combine household survey results with community-level data for a detailed local picture.

Findings

National level:

In 2023, 13.5% of U.S. households (around 18 million) were food insecure; 5.1% had very low food security (Rabbitt et al., 2023).

Massachusetts:

Food insecurity rate: 12%, above pre-pandemic levels (Ribar et al., 2025).
Racial gaps: 22% of Hispanic, 18% of Black, and 8% of White non-Hispanic households were food insecure (Ribar et al., 2025).
Children: 13.2% faced food insecurity; average meal cost $3.96; annual budget shortfall around $600 million (Ribar et al., 2025).

Measurement Indicators

Survey data: USDA’s Household Food Security Survey Module provides yearly estimates (USDA ERS, 2025)
Program data: SNAP, WIC, and Massachusetts’ Universal Free School Meals policy offer insight into access and participation (DESE, 2024).
Combined, these data sources help evaluate both the scale of food insecurity and the reach of assistance programs.

Conclusion

Food insecurity is about more than just access to food, it’s also shaped by housing costs, wages, and inequality (GBFB & Mass General Brigham, 2024). Expanding food programs like SNAP and school meals helps, but solving the problem long-term means improving income and housing stability.

Collaboration between federal, state, and community partners is key to building lasting food security for all Massachusetts residents.

Figure 1. Line graph of U.S. household food insecurity rates (2000-2023, USDA ERS)

Figure 2. Comparison of overall food insecurity in Massachusetts vs. U.S. households (2023, Feeding America).

References

SESE. (2024). Universal free school meals legislative report (FY 2024). Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.https://www.doe.mass.edu/cnp/universal-free-school-meals.pdf
Project Bread. (n.d.). Hunger & Food Insecurity in Massachusetts | Project Bread. Projectbread.org. https://projectbread.org/hunger-by-the-numbers
Rabbitt, M. P. , Hales, L. J., Burke, M. P., & Coleman-Jensen, A. (2023, October). Household Food Security in the United States in 2022. Www.ers.usda.gov. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details?pubid=107702
Ribar, D. C., Harris, V., Dewey, A., Dawes, S., & Engelhard, E. (2025). Map the meal gap: An analysis of local food insecurity and food costs in the United States in 2023. Feeding America National Organization.
The Greater Boston Food Bank. (2025). The Greater Boston Food Bank. https://www.gbfb.org/what-we-do/data-research/ma-food-access-report/

Village Snapshot

Stay connected and explore more of our engagement pathways and opportunities across Vital Village Networks programming. You can view upcoming events and opportunities through the gallery snapshot below, by following us on social media, or keeping up with our website calendar and Linktree.