This just in from the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center:
Summer is officially here! What better way to celebrate warmer weather than enjoying delicious food with friends and neighbors? The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center makes eating healthy easy and fun with our food access programs!
Food is a basic necessity. The World Health Organization and the United Nations deem access to safe and nutritious food a basic individual right, but many of our community members may face barriers to accessing healthy and affordable food. As a proud member of this community, we work to overcome food access issues. Here's how!
East Boston Farmers Market: It's that time of year again: The East Boston Farmers Market returns July 5! The Let's Get Movin' program at EBNHC runs a bustling farmers market through the summer and early fall. Come have fun while you shop for fresh produce and other healthy foods!
Hours: Wednesdays, 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Dates: July 5 through October 18
Location: Lewis Mall, behind the Maverick T station
Payments accepted: Cash, credit, debit, WIC Coupons, Senior Coupons, SNAP/food stamps
Learn more about the Farmers Market!
EBNHC Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA): Our CSA connects community members interested in supporting local agriculture with Farmer Dave's, a farm located in Dracut, MA. Members of the CSA purchase a "share," or part of the farm's harvest, and receive convenient weekly shipments of healthy, affordable produce that change with the growing season! The program began June 15, but we accept applications on a rolling basis. Please join us! Learn more about our CSA!
Healthy Incentives Program: The East Boston Farmers Market and CSA are proud to participate in the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). HIP is a statewide program that provides SNAP recipients with a 100 percent incentive -- a dollar-for-dollar match -- for each SNAP dollar spent on fruits and vegetables purchased at farmers markets, farm stands, mobile markets, and CSA programs. By increasing access to locally grown fruits and vegetables for SNAP clients, the program seeks to benefit family and community health, and support farms and the local economy. Learn more about the Healthy Incentives Program!
Fair Foods: On the first and third Friday of every month beginning at 2:30 pm, community members can purchase mixed bags of fresh produce for $2 per bag. Fair Foods is open to all and aims to increase access to fresh, affordable, healthy food in Boston communities. Learn more about Fair Foods!
EBNHC Wellness Garden: Our Wellness Garden is a collaborative project throughout which participants share in the maintenance and products of the garden, including healthful and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables while building gardening skills, engaging in physical activity, skill building, and creating green space. Learn more about our Wellness Garden >>
Our community initiatives coordinator, Gabrielle Witham, is deeply connected to these programs. "It feels very meaningful to be able to help people gain access to healthy, fresh, affordable foods," Gabrielle says.
This just in:
HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE TRAINING GRADUATION
"Train To Attain" is a new recruitment, screening, and training model to meet employer’s hiring needs. East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) partnered with JVS to place highly qualified candidates into their patient access call center - entry-level positions, with rigorous hiring requirements, including bi-lingual fluency. The Train To Attain model includes contextualized job training and the support necessary to reduce turn over. More than half of the graduates are East Boston residents who were trained in East Boston, and will serve East Boston residents.
WHO: East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, President & CEO, Manny Lopes
JVS (Jewish Vocational Service) COO Carol Grady
8 training graduates/EBNHC’s newest employees
WHAT: Train To Attain, a 4-week paid training program for individuals recruited by JVS to work for East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
WHERE: East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, 20 Maverick Square (4th Floor), East Boston, MA 02128
WHEN: Friday, October 16th, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
BOSTON, MA (June 8, 2015) – On Thursday, June 25, East Boston Main Streets will join Mayor Walsh at the Strand Theatre on 543 Columbia Road in Dorchester to honor the 2014 recipients of the East Boston Outstanding Business Award and Outstanding Volunteer Award.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be able to announce this year’s award recipients. Both the EBNHC and John Tyler have been tireless advocates for East Boston and their partnership and friendship has greatly enhanced the impact that EBMS has been able to have on the East Boston community,” says Max Gruner, Executive Director of East Boston Main Streets.
This year’s winner of the East Boston Main Streets Volunteer of the Year Award is John Tyler for his unfaltering support and tireless work on behalf of the East Boston business district.
In particular, EBMS would like to recognize John Tyler for his over 150 hours of volunteer time, his expertise and superior welding skill, as well as for opening up his work space to us in the construction from scratch of over a dozen magnificent tree-pit surrounds as part of a much needed and on-going beautification initiative in East Boston.
The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center is awarded the Business of the Year Award 2014. The EBNHC, now in its 45th year, has been a tremendous partner to EBMS over the past 20 years. In particular, we would like to recognize EBNHC’s untiring and innovative support of the Neighborhood Business Institute, an educational subsidiary of East Boston Main Streets. We thank the Health Center for use of its training space and equipment, for sharing its staff’s expertise, and ongoing positive outlook and friendship of its administration throughout the planning and implementation of this unique and impactful program.
Both recipients will be honored by Mayor Walsh at the Annual Awards Ceremony which will take place on Thursday evening, June 25th at the Strand Theater in Upham's Corner at 6:00pm. “We encourage members of the East Boston community to join us for this truly fabulous event and to cheer on these two outstanding and well deserving award recipients,” says Jim Buckley, EBMS board chair.
####
EBMS is a non-profit corporation. Our mission is to create a more vibrant business district by initiating private and public improvements, promoting commerce, and supporting efforts to improve the quality of life for all who live, work and do business in East Boston.
