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Network members' voices bring good news and share highlights from
around our community.
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New Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Boston Schools Fund |
As the 2020 pandemic has shown us, the need to both amplify parent voice and engage parent advocacy is critical now more than ever. Vital Village co-Director of the Social Justice Mediation Program, Latoya Gayle, will now lead the way in championing these efforts as BSF's new Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Read more about Latoya's role and this new position at the Boston Schools Fund website.
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Back to School Community Champion |
Josette Williams, President of Vital Village Community Partnership, helped incoming kindergartners and their families feel excited and safe about the start of the new school year. As program manager for the annual Countdown to Kindergarten event, Josette played a vital role in making sure that students had the resources they needed both in the classroom, and at home. Listen or read more at the WBUR website.
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Network Partner Discusses Mental Health and Race during COVID-19 |
Toy Burton, member of the VVN Mental Health Committee and Executive Director of Dee Dee’s Cry, was recently interviewed for a Boston Globe article about the intersection of mental health, race, and COVID-19. DeeDee's Cry is well-known throughout the local community for championing suicide prevention and awareness.
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As Schools Reopen, Don't Forget the Hidden Victims of Police Violence: Children |
Dr. Renee Boynton-Jarrett, director of Vital Village Networks, recently co-authored an article for WBUR. We now know so much about the long shadow cast by childhood adversities, but we do very little to address the role of systemic racism, specifically when expressed as police violence, as a major source of such adversities. |
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Network Events
Connect with Vital Village Network at these upcoming events. Click
event to RSVP or learn more.
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2020 National Community Leadership Summit |
Vital Village Networks proudly presents the 2020 National Community Leadership Summit! This is one of the most important conferences on the topics of child wellbeing and early-life adversity in the Northeast region and beyond.
Join us! Shape the conversation with fellow community leaders, practitioners, change agents, and advocates with over two days of virtual panels, workshops, breakout sessions, and plenaries.
Limited number of technology scholarships available.
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October Network Connection Meeting |
Join Vital Village Networks and Co-Host, Children's HealthWatch for our virtual October Network Connection Meeting. We will connect, share, and learn more about leadership pathways & potential job pipelines!
We'll start the evening by build relationships and connecting with each other during the Network Meet-Up by the Village Strategists of Boston. Then, we'll learn from Co-Host Children’s Health Watch before we collaborate in Zoom Breakout Rooms.
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Child Wellbeing Needs Assessment |
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We are seeking families with children ages 0-11 to complete the survey.
Our goals are to:
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Understand mental health needs of children and their families during the pandemic
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Identify ways Vital Village can better support the mental health needs of children and their families during the pandemic
Survey available in English and Spanish!
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NEW TIME: Thursdays 10:00-10:30 am
From your computer or smartphone!
Families with young children are invited to Children’s Mental Health Virtual Storytimes co-hosted by the Vital Village Network Mental Health Committee and Boston Public Library. We will bring families together for book readings, activities, and resources focused on Social-Emotional Learning inspired by our Children's Mental Health Storytime Toolkit. Sessions are designed for children 3-8 years old, but younger & older siblings are welcome!
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October Breastfeeding Coalition Meeting
Mother's Milk Bank Northeast
With Co-Host Naomi Bar-Yam
Thursday, October 29th @ 12pm ET || RSVP
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Call or email the Warmline:
857-301-8259
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Community Events
Join Vital Village Network partners and other community organizations at these upcoming events. Click event to RSVP or learn more.
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DeeDee's Cry and Roxbury Unity Parade: Movement in the Park Series
Every Saturday in October: Movement in the Park
10:00 am - 11:00 am @ Roxbury Parks
Join DeeDee's Cry as we move our bodies and strengthen our minds. In collaboration with the Roxbury Unity Parade, we will be moving our bodies in a Roxbury park each week. Registration is required due to limited space and masks are mandatory. Email "I'm in" to deedeescry@yahoo.com for the weekly location update.
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Cory Johnson Program for Post-Traumatic Healing Series
October 8th, 15th, & 22nd: Can We Talk? Conference Call
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm @ Conference Call
Are you experiencing trauma or loss? Come, share your voice, share your story. The Cory Johnson Program for Post-Traumatic Healing, based out of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church Social Impact Center, is offering Can We Talk? by phone every Thursday night at 6:30 PM.
Join by phone:
- Dial: 1-929-436-2866
- Enter Meeting ID: 887995182#
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October 6th: The Boston Foundation- The State of Hunger in Massachusetts with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley
The Boston Foundation, together with Project Bread and Children’s Healthwatch, is pleased to join Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley for an exploration of pre-existing racial and ethnic inequities in food access, now dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 9th: Men's Trauma Recovery Online Support Group
Join Doug Lomax of BMHC for a time to connect and reflect with men of all ages. Topics include trauma, addiction, loss–whatever is on your mind is welcome here.
To join by phone:
- Dial: 1-312-626-6799
- Enter Meeting ID: 83530587549#
October 14th: Boston Museum of Science - Reno Family Foundation Symposium: How to be Antiracist with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Professor Ibram Kendi, one of the nation's foremost historians and leading antiracist voices, joins the Museum of Science, Boston for a one-night-only virtual conversation about the urgent issues of race, equity, and justice in America today.
October 23rd: Massachusetts General Hospital - "Setting the Stage for Healthy Eating Habits"
Feeding children can be complicated, and even more so in a world that targets children with food marketing and convenience food. While the way a child eats is not solely in the hands of parents, there are strategies that can help your child build a healthy relationship with food.
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Opportunities
Check out job, volunteer, and grant opportunities available in our
community.
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JOBS:
The Boston Public Health Commission is hiring a Public Health Advocate to provide outreach, education, support, and advocacy services to Boston residents with a particular focus on children and families and immigrant populations.
The FJC Training Manager will provide leadership in partnership with FJC onsite- and community partners to raise community awareness, enhance the service delivery skills of providers, and in developing advocacy platforms for the prevention of domestic and sexual violence.
The Content Marketing Manager's duties include developing marketing plans for the community & events team, crafting emails to engage members, writing blog articles, and helping to design cross promotional language with sponsors.
The Culture and Membership Community Manager will be responsible for managing the online membership community on a daily basis to facilitate connections between members and make the online space feel like an in-person experience.
MAC’s Racial Equity and Access Project (REAP) works collaboratively to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and transform K-12 education into a racially equitable system in Boston. MAC seeks a committed individual to work with REAP as a temporary, part-time parent advocate to address racial equity in education.
VOLUNTEER MENTOR POSITION:
SLM is looking for men of color to mentor and check in with foster youth (ages 7- 23) and share life lessons for adulthood. Our mentees want to be with Black and/or Latinx mentors who can identify with their own racial and cultural background and be a great male role model. We're looking for genuine and real people who can meet our youth where they're at. If you want to sign up, contact cayla@silverliningmentoring.org.
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Resource Connector
Learn more about resources relevant to children and families in our community from our community.
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Connections and Healing:
The Community Advocacy Program provides support to survivors of intimate partner violence remotely; carefully and safely providing crisis intervention, safety planning guidance, emotional support, referrals to community resources and advocacy via hotline. If you are a provider or an agency that feels it could be a mutually beneficial connection with our program, please reach out to us at 857-303-9047. If you would like to call the hotline, visit CAP's website to find a list of phone numbers in six different languages.
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MassSupport Network is providing community outreach and support services to residents of all ages in response to the unprecedented public health crisis, COVID-19. The Network provides emotional support, coping strategies, resources, and up-to-date, factual information. You can view their flyers in five different languages below.
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Scoop on the Stats
Explore data related to voting rates across the United States
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Sharing Technology
Explore technology related to child and family well-being.
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The Abundance App is now available on iOS and Android devices, as well as on desktops. Abundance empowers Boston residents to easily access affordable, high-quality food resources. Download the FREE app today!
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CONtexts aims to promote positive outcomes between caregivers and children by sharing weekly resources through a FREE text service and interactive resource sharing map. These resources are ideal for anyone working with or caregivers of children ages 0-5.
To subscribe, text KIDS to 8-8-5-8-8
Once you're subscribed you will receive 3 weekly FREE text messages:
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Monday: Nearby community resources
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Wednesday: Wellness tips
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Friday: Family-fun events
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Our Mission
Vital Village is a network of residents and agencies committed to maximizing child, family, and community wellbeing.
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Share with Us
Have an event, job opportunity, or resource to share with the network?
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