SCI Dorchester : Building Social Capital -

3rd Annual Model Citizens Award Ceremony

DOT Volunteers — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:17:03 -0500

***For Immediate Release***

May, 7, 2008

Re: Dorchester Honors Its Model Citizens

(Dorchester, MA) On Friday May 2nd, 2008, SCI Dorchester celebrated its 3rd Annual Model Citizens Awards Ceremony at The Historic Great Hall in Codman Square. This year we honored seven individuals for their exemplary service and commitment to their community. This event was held in conjunction with National Volunteer Week (April 27th- May 3rd) as a way to show appreciation for all the good work our volunteers do everyday.

Model Citizens is an annual award that celebrates volunteers who have contributed their time and talents to their community. An individual or organization nominates each Model Citizen and a review committee consisting of community volunteers then chooses the award recipients. The 2008 Model Citizens Awards recipients included: Dynell Andrews-Blake, Byron Beaman, Marion Bowden, Jamarhl Crawford, Vivian Girard, Arlene Lopes, and Jeff Smith. Ron Bell, Director of the Office of Civic Engagement, was the special guest speaker for the event and he was presented with a special award for his activism and accomplishments in increasing voter registration in our communities.

The event was a fantastic celebration of volunteerism in the Dorchester community. Every volunteer who came to the event received an official certificate of appreciation. In addition to recognizing the Model Citizens, SCI Dorchester and DotWell gave awards to its seven AmeriCorps members: Grace Ejiwale, Jennifer Gerber, Kathy McKenzie-Johnson, Joao Ramos, Carlotta Richardson, Carla Smith, and Kelley Winters.

For more information about the Model Citizens Awards Ceremony please contact Kelley Winters at 617-822-8297 or kwinters@scidorchester.org.

Welcome Home, Status Quo

SCI Dorchester — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:59:40 -0500

Join the celebration as Boston welcomes home one of its favorite Dance Crew, at the Reggie Lewis Track & Field Center today from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.

SCI Dorchester had the great fortune of getting to know the leader, Ernest "E-Knock" Phillips and his crew in 2004 when they won first place in the Dorchester Idol Talent Show contest at the Great Hall in Codman Square.

Boston Civic Summit

OTC — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:04:12 -0500

Are you civically engaged?

Do you want to get involved, but don't know how?
Then, you should consider attending the first Boston Civic Summit.

The Boston Civic Summit is a first of its kind effort to assemble Boston area civic and community leaders from every neighborhood with the purpose of having an open discussion on how we can strengthen the vitality of the city life by promoting greater civic engagement and fostering dialogue between community groups. The event will be held the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center on Saturday, May 3rd from 8:15-3:45 pm .

THE PURPOSE
We can build a better city but only by working together. The foundation for this future is our diverse civil society groups and their leaders whose partnership with the city sustains and improves the quality of life in our communities. But increasingly, the ranks of these groups is thinning, growing older and operating in isolation from other organizations.

This summit will start a conversation on how we can strengthen the overall vitality of city life by promoting greater civic engagement and fostering dialogue between community groups. It will also provide current and prospective community leaders with tools, training and support to better exercise their important civic responsibility.

THE GOALS
1.To begin a conversation on city-wide strategies to improve and expand overall civic engagement and foster better cooperation and communication between communities and neighborhood organizations.
2.To provide current and prospective community leaders with tools, training and support to make their exercise of civic responsibility more effective for city residents.
There will be opportunities to build your social networks, learn and share best practices and find ways to get better involved in your community.
For more event information or to register visit www.bostoncivicsummit.org

Dorchester Resident Named as Community Social Capitalist

OTC — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:50:56 -0500

Dorchester resident Keyna Samuel was honored by Social Capital Inc. (SCI) as a “Community Social Capitalist” for exemplary service to her community. Ms. Samuel was joined by four other Community Social Capitalist winners at the Social Capitalist Luncheon, which drew over 200 business and community leaders to the Holiday Inn Beacon Hill. Dain and Constance Perry of Charlestown were presented with the SCI Idealist Award at the event. Keyna Samuel exemplifies the type of quiet community activist that is making a real difference in Dorchester, the community in which she lives and works. First, this single mother of three is active close to home in her children's parent-school associations. As a long-time Dorchester resident, she is also treasurer of her local civic association. This role builds on her staff position with the Codman Square NDC’s financial literacy initiatives. Ms. Samuel is also a stand-out volunteer with the Boston EITC Coalition at the DotWell free tax sites. In addition to lending her strong financial skills and MPA credentials to the volunteer team and tax clients, she has leveraged her social capital to recruit other volunteers for the program. "I told them it was a lot of fun and it was a lot of work as well. But volunteering really makes you feel good." She juggles all of this activism with parenting by “doing laundry between 9 p.m. and midnight." Others recognized as Community Social Capitalists were:

David Abromowitz, partner at Goulston & Storrs;
Cathy Downs, Manager of the Boston Globe Foundation;
Kevin Noyes, Community Reinvestment Officer, Danversbank;
Jennifer Price, Principal of Newton North High School;

“We were pleased to shine a spotlight on these very worthy individuals like Keyna Samuel who are making a difference in local communities,” commend SCI President David Crowley. “Holding up such stellar examples of active citizenship is one way we encourage others to participate in their communities.” Ms. Samuel was nominated for the award by DotWell, which as a major event sponsor and serves as SCI’s lead partner in the Dorchester community. DotWell is the partnership between Codman Square Health Center and Dorchester House Multi-Service Center. The health centers founded DotWell in 1998 to provide state-of-the-art and enterprise wide mangement support for information Technology, including clinical applications and programs, research and evaluation, development, chronic disease prevention and public policy advocacy. In recent years the health center partners have charged DotWell with cross-site coordination and management of non-clinical programs, including health education and outreach, Civic Health, Youth Services, Public Health, Wellness Services and most recently the Diabetes Initiative. SCI was founded in 2002, and opened its first expansion site in Dorchester in 2004. SCI’s mission is to strengthen communities by uniting diverse individuals and groups through civic engagement initiatives. Major funding for SCI Dorchester comes from the Boston Globe Foundation. For more on SCI Dorchester and to connect with other Dorchester community resources, visit http://mydorchester.org.

For a more freindly printing version see the press realease attached.

DFSI Boston Marathon Rally

DOT Volunteers — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:26:07 -0500

On Tuesday, April 8th at the Codman Square Commons, students from the Lucy Stone, Emily Fifield, and Joseph Lee elementary schools participated in a pep rally to promote the DFSI Boston Marathon Fundraiser.

Children ran laps around the park and participated in three legged races. After the races, student representatives from each of the three schools helped to MC a press event for the fundraiser.

Some of the people who where in attendance included: Councilor Charles Yancey, Councilor Sam Yoon, Principal from Lucy Stone Patricia Niles, Principal from Emily Fifield Craig Lankor, representatives from Mt. Washington Bank, and Boston Marathon runner Doug Palmer.

During the event, representatives from Mt. Washington presented a donation of $1,500 to the students for the DFSI Boston Marathon Fundraiser.

Students from the three schools took turns posing with Doug Palmer, one of the three runners representing the schools in the Boston Marathon. The rally was a great way to kick off the fundraiser and was a fun event for both the students and adults. Learn more about the DFSI Boston Marathon Fundraiser

National Volunteer Week: Volunteer to Change the World

DOT Volunteers — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:30:31 -0500

National Volunteer Week (April 27 - May) This year's theme is focused on a individuals giving back to not only change their communiites, by also giving back to change the work

Tell us about how are you plan to recognizing your volunteers in Dorchester? We know many individuals are committing their time, knowledge and expertise toward making Dorchester a better plan to live, work and play.

Here is a great way you can recognize a volunteer:

- Nominate A Model Citizen: SCI Dorchester will be recognizing volunteers at the 3rd Annual Model Citizens Awards Ceremony held on Friday, May 2, 2008 at the Great Hall in Codman Square from 6:30-8:30 pm. The goal of this event is to celebrate those individuals who have increased social capital in Dorchester. We are still accepting nominations, so if you know an outstanding individual nominate them today!

Additional ways:

- Recognize a "Volunteer of the Month" in your newsletter or on your website. Also, include information why the volunteer received this type of recognition. Include photos as well.

- Distribute bumper stickers or other promotional items to recognize volunteer contributions.

- Honor the first volunteer recruited during National Volunteer Week. Give this volunteer special prizes or recognition.

- Create a National Volunteer Week yearbook, which can be displayed in a library, courthouse lobby, or another public office. You can also create a display or exhibit at a local public office.

- Ask local radio and television stations to run a week-long series that recognizes a different volunteer for each day of National Volunteer Week.

(www.pointsoflight.org)

Learn about National Volunteer Week. Nominate a Model Citizen.

Youth Build Social Capital in Codman Square

Dorchester Youth Council — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:29:08 -0500

On Saturday, March 29 at 450 Washington Street in Dorchester, SCI's Lynn, Woburn and Dorchester Youth council's were building social capital. The youth started their day off with a networking activity to get them aware of what they do everyday but to take it a step further.

The Youth were instructed to state what people might not know about them and then toss the balls of yarn, therefore creating (as you see in the picture to your left) a social capital (relationship) web.

Youth dined on a beautiful and tasty nutritious organic lunch , which was prepared by Miscellaneous. She prepared a mouth watering potato and egg salad, a batch of chicken which was either curry, BBQ or plain, a beautiful crisp bright juicy salad with her famously renowned mustard dressing and tofu.

After lunch, the youth was actively engaged in 3 presentations which all had one theme, social capital. The youth program coordinators from all 3 SCI sites: Lynn, Woburn and Dorchester. The Youth coordinators talked about how music and art are ways people create social change. With music from Billy Holiday "Strange Fruit" and art from J.W. Turner "The Slave Ship", all helped the youth think of how simple things make a difference.

It doesn't take a whole lot of brain power to make something happen. Here is the formula to make social change.

Things you need:

1. An issue to address

2. A medium (canvas, paper, speaking, singing, etc.)

3. The most important piece. You!!!

4th Annual Mini Grant Awards Ceremony

Dorchester Youth Council — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:14:22 -0500

Youth philanthropy has been a signature part of the Dorchester Youth Council (DYC). Each year, the youth council funds individual youth and youth programs who want to make a difference in the Dorchester community through service learning projects. Council members are truly committed to funding projects initiated by youth and executed by youth with community service learning at its core.

On March 20, the Council held its 4th Annual Mini Grant Ceremony, hosted by the Boston Globe Foundation, in honor of youth taking an active role toward improving their communities. This year’s mini-grant recipients are: The Food Project (Build-a-Garden), The ATLAS program (Bully Stoppers), Close to Home (Acting Out Against Teen Violence Dating), The Teen Center (Teen Magazine and Pool Mural Project), and the Grover Cleveland Middle School Leadership Council (Peace Week).

Council presented a community recognition award to Louis D. Brown Peace Institute at the ceremony for their service project funded two years ago. The Peace Squad youth organized a marketing campaign to send a visible message of peace by distributing 5,000 Peace Boston buttons, purple ribbons and “Start Peace” t-shirts in the community. The project also helped increase youth involvement and participation in the Mother’s Walk for Peace with billboards featuring Peace Squad leaders.

Clementina Chery, Peace Institute President and Founder, shared some thoughts on the impact of the mini-grant, “This campaign taught our peers and other students the importance of leadership and the importance of working together. We all learned that there are more of our peers doing the right things in the community. Watching the moms (of the victims and the offenders) working side by side gave us the energy to exceed our original goal of 5,000 Peace Boston buttons.”

Over the past four years, the Council members have disseminated over $35,000 in the community to fund youth-initiated projects to make a difference. It has acted as a next step to help the youth of today be agents of active change in specific areas of concern to them like violence, domestic abuse and how media affects the lives of minority youth. Through this philanthropic initiative, it has increased a greater awareness and a growing desire for youth engagement in the Dorchester community.

The Dorchester Youth Council is a youth engagement leadership program that serves youth between the ages of 12 and 17, who work together to better the Dorchester community through community service learning practices. The Dorchester Youth Council is coordinated through a partnership between Social Capital Inc. (SCI) and DotWell. The Boston Globe Foundation, Lenny Zakim Fund, Massachusetts Service Alliance, Boston Scientific and Sovereign Bank provide major funding.

For more information about the event or the Dorchester Youth Council, please contact Grace Ejiwale, Youth Program Coordinator at Gejiwale@scidorchester.org or (617) 822 8297. Make sure you check out www.mydorchester.org to find out the Dorchester Youth Council’s upcoming events

Model Citizen Runs for Mayor of Dorchester

SCI Dorchester — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:23:12 -0500

Gloria Vieira, a 2007 Model Citizen recipient and friend of SCI Dorchester, will be running for the Mayor of Dorchester. We cannot think of anyone more qualified for this community tradition. She is a dedicated community member, giving freely all her time and energy making a difference in the lives of everyone who calls Dorchester home. If you have not had the pleasure of meeting her, you have definitely benefited from her countless hours of service to this community. To learn ways you can support Gloria, click here. Every dollar raised is a vote and will benefit the Dorchester Day Parade. To nominate a 2008 Model Citizen, click here.

Website Updates

OTC — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:52:08 -0500

It's now possible to create recurring events on the community calendar. Simply edit an existing event or create a new one, by clicking the "repeat" link below the start and end time (see attached
screenshot). The instructions are available in smaller letters pertaining to how the events repeats.

We also have added drop down categories for the community calendar in hopes of making it easier for users to find events of interests to them.