We celebrate Black histories and futures…honoring our enduring strength, ongoing contributions, and perpetual joy. May this month and all those throughout the year, be a time of reflection, recognition and renewal of our collective growth and wellness.
Threads of Connection
The Telling Lives, Living Histories Roxbury Oral History Project production phase of the pilot is complete. This legacy project brings together original Roxbury elders and local young adults to preserve community stories rooted in lived experience, resilience, and connection.
We're excited to invite you to join us for a video presentation featuring clips and highlights from the pilot phase of this evolving project. The presentation offers a glimpse into these lives and the meaningful places across Roxbury that shape our past, present and future. This is a free event, please register HERE to secure your spot.
Telling Lives, Living Histories - Roxbury Oral History Project
February 21, 2026 from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Shaw-Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library
149 Dudley Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
We extend our heartfelt thanks to MA Humanities Expand Massachusetts Stories initiative, in addition toour participants, partners, and community spaces whose generosity and collaboration made this project possible.
Where the Work Lives
This season, our TWC Shared Co-working Space served as a living hub for creativity, care, and collaboration. It became a welcoming home for multiple community-rooted initiatives, including HABIT Study cohorts, Castle of Our Skins programming, and the pilot of Telling Lives, Living Histories Roxbury Oral History Project.
Across these offerings, the space held group learning, intergenerational storytelling, wellness practices, planning sessions, and reflection. Bringing together researchers, artists, elders, young adults, clinicians, and community members. As our work continues to grow, this shared space remains central to how we gather, listen, and build together. Ensuring that wellness, culture, and community remain deeply connected and rooted in place.
Spotlight on Partnerships
This past year, The Wellness Collaborative strengthened vital alliances across our community. From research collaborations with Massachusetts General Hospital (HABIT Study) to creativity-infused health dialogues with Roxbury International Film Festival (Healing Arts Film Series), our shared work deepens wellbeing, builds capacity, and uplifts voices historically left out of wellness conversations. These partnerships help us connect community members with tested tools for physical, emotional, and relational health. Bringing our mission to life every day.
Project Feature
The HABIT Study (Healthy Aging as Black Adults: In It Together) is an ongoing research collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and Community Conversations: Sister to Sister, focused on understanding wellness approaches for Black adults living with chronic pain and early memory changes. The initiative is designed to be culturally responsive and explores movement, mindfulness, and group-based activities as part of a research effort examining healthy aging.
Community partners, participants, and clinicians are contributing valuable perspectives that will help inform future research and practice related to chronic pain, cognitive health, and aging. Outreach activities conducted by community health roles and partner organizations have supported awareness of the study’s goals and helped foster engagement and trust across neighborhood, faith-based, and community settings.
Partner Event Highlight
We were thrilled to take part in MassQ Ball 2025: Color, a free, family-friendly celebration of ritual, performance, and cross-cultural arts held at the Arnold Arboretum of Boston. This vibrant outdoor event celebrated the rich artistic expression and cultural heritage of Boston’s communities of color through music, dance, spoken word, visual art, and connection with nature.
As Bridge Greeters, TWC welcomed guests into the experience with a reflection on the power of emotions and their connection to community expression and well-being.
We were grateful for the opportunity to join this inspiring gathering of artists, neighbors, and culture bearers, and to stand with community partners in uplifting creativity, joy, and belonging.
We are excited to welcome Wanna Charlot, MHA, as our new Director of Project Management and Operational Administration. Wanna is a strategic healthcare leader with over a decade of experience advancing health equity through medical education, clinical training, and community-based initiatives. At TWC, she leads cross-functional efforts that strengthen operations and support culturally responsive wellness programs. A Howard University alumna and former Peace Corps HIV/AIDS Outreach Volunteer in South Africa, Wanna brings a deep commitment to community-centered care, education, and sustainable impact. We are thrilled to have her leadership supporting the continued growth of The Wellness Collaborative.
Spotlight - Suffolk University Service-Learning Students
This fall, TWC was proud to partner with Dr. Sonia L. Alleyne, Assistant Chair of Department of Public Services and Healthcare Administration at Suffolk University. As part of the Service-Learning Projects, we welcomed her students to learn more about us.
Through research, analysis, and creative strategy, the students learned about our unique interdisciplinary approach on health equity and community engagement. Offering thoughtful and actionable ideas to strengthen our mission.
Where We've Been
Over the past year, The Wellness Collaborative has shown up in spaces where connection, trust, and access matter most. With our partners we engaged community members at local centers, neighborhood gatherings, faith-based spaces, as well as arts and film events that offered valuable information and sparked honest conversations about wellness and care.
In our continued commitment to Gather, Give and Grow, each stop, conversation, and exchange strengthened our belief that wellness grows through presence, partnership, and trust...one community space at a time.
Whats Ahead at TWC
We have exciting programming ahead and can’t wait to share more details soon!
February 21, 2026 – Telling Lives, Living Histories event at the Shaw-Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library, register HERE.
Spring 2026 – Healing Arts Film & Conversation
Summer 2026 – Martha’s Vineyard Soul Fest
Fall 2026 – Reemergence of the ReImagining Forums
Support the Work
Your generosity keeps this work alive.
We welcome your support to preserve our stories, strengthen our health, and grow wellness in our community. You're invited to make a donation, every gift sustains care, connection, and opportunity for change.
The Wellness Collaborative, Inc. | 20 Eustis Street Suite 1 | Roxbury, MA 02119 US
