A Community Development Corporation (CDC) is a not-for-profit organization made up of community residents, businesses and other interested individuals who take on projects to improve economic and housing conditions in the community. The Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC), a community-based organization, established in 1987, is committed to high standards of performance and integrity in serving the Asian American community of Greater Boston, with an emphasis on preserving and revitalizing Boston's Chinatown. The Corporation develops physical community assets, including affordable housing for rental and ownership; promotes economic development; fosters leadership development; builds capacity within the community; and advocates on behalf of the community.
888 Washington St., Suite 102
Boston, MA 02111
T : 617-482-2380
www.asiancdc.org
The Boston Main Streets program provides quality services and resources to entrepreneurs, businesss owners and neighborhood business districts to help businesses expand, redesign storefronts, create jobs and play a vital role in their local community's and the City's economy.
Office of Business Development
26 Court Street, 9th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
T : (617)635-2000
www.bostonunwrapped.com
CPA works for full equality and empowerment of the Chinese community in the Boston area. Our activities seek to raise the living and working standards of Chinese Americans and to involve ordinary community members in making decisions that affect our lives. We emphasize and provide education to develop both skills and awareness towards the goal of empowerment.
33 Harrison Ave., 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02111
F : (617)357-9611
www.cpaboston.org
The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) is an innovative resident-led planning and organizing community nonprofit dedicated to rebuilding the Dudley neighborhood of Boston as a vibrant Urban Village.
DSNI has over 3,000 members, including neighborhood residents (from youth to elders), businesses, nonprofit agencies and religious institutions. It is governed by a 29-member Board of Directors elected by the community. Reflecting its multicultural membership (primarily African American, Latino, Cape Verdean and White), DSNI conducts business in three languages: English, Spanish and Cape Verdean Creole.
When DSNI was conceived in 1984, nearly one-third of Dudley land lay vacant and scarred after years of disinvestment, arson and dumping. Since DSNI's first community meetings in 1985, 600 of 1,300 vacant lots have been transformed into nearly 300 new homes, a Town Common, gardens, urban agriculture, parks and playgrounds; 300 housing units have been rehabbed. Business is growing. Rebuilding continues today.
504 Dudley Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
T : (617)442-9670
F : (617)427-8047
www.dsni.org
GBLS represents individuals and families, assisting with individual client needs as well as systemic problems. We also represent community groups and provide community legal education. We give advice and represent people in court, before agencies, and before city councils and the state legislature.
In 1999, GBLS provided critical legal assistance to more than 17,000 low-income people. Of the clients we served, 76% were women and 27% were over the age of 60. Our caseload broke down as follows: 26% of the cases were Housing; 19% were Health & Disability; 16% were Employment and Welfare; 16% were Family; 16% were Immigration; and 7% fell into other categories.
Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) traces its roots to 1900 with the founding of the Boston Legal Aid Society. GBLS was formed in 1976 by the union of the Boston Legal Aid Society and the Boston Legal Assistance Project. In 1996 we merged with Cambridge & Somerville Legal Services. Today GBLS is New England's largest legal services organization.
197 Friend St.
Boston, MA 02114
T : (617)371-1234
T : (800)323-3205
TTD: (617)371-1228
F : (617)371-1222
www.gbls.org
The Greater Boston Real Estate Board is a trade association serving thousands of real estate professionals in metropolitan Boston.
11 Beacon Street, 1st Floor
Boston, MA 02108
T : (617)423-8700 F : (617)338-2600
www.gbreb.com
In its original mandate, which holds true to this day, was to promote self help for people and neighborhoods. With the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964, ABCD was designated Boston's official anti-poverty agent.
Today, as the largest human services agent in New England, planning with and assisting over 100,000 low income individuals and families annually, ABCD continues to implement this philosophy of self-help through a decentralized, neighborhoood-based structure and a process that provides innovative, practical, and timely programs and services which emphasize education and skilled job-training at all levels, and develop problem solving skills for people and neighborhoods.
178 Tremont Street
Boston MA, 02111
T : (617) 357-6000
TTY : (617) 423-9215
www.bostonabcd.org
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston offers a variety of program activities and support services designed to assist in the educational, emotional, physical and social development of 6-to-18 year olds, without regard to social, racial, ethnic, or religious background.
50 Congress Street, Suite 730
Boston, MA 02109-4002
T : (617)994-4700
F : (617)994-4701
E : info@bgcb.org
www.bgcb.org
The mission of the Center for Teen Empowerment is to realize the potential of inner-city youth to build healthier and safer communities and schools. Teen Empowerment hires and trains urban youth, including at risk youth, to be community organizers. Our programs are based on the belief that urban youth represent a valuable, untapped resource and can significantly contribute to the rejuvenation of neighborhoods and local institutions. We empower youth to develop and implement strategies that impact the school and community issues that they identify and serve as catalysts for positive change in their schools and communities. We positively impact patterns of dysfunctional behavior among urban youth, and provide youth with the tools they need to develop emotionally and intellectually. We also challenge the negative image of youth that is prevalent in the media.
48 Rutland St.
Boston, MA 02118
T : (617)536-4266
F : (617)536-4311
E : info@teenempowerment.org
www.teenempowerment.com
Codman Square Health Center offers ambulatory health care through an approach that views the entire community as clients, in addition to the individuals who walk through the door. Circle of Health a public health initiative that helps community members create individual pathways to improved health by providing clinical, advocacy, research and civic engagement resources.
637 Washington Street
Dorchester MA, 02124
www.codman.org
The mission of the Hyde Square Task Force is to create a safe, clean, and friendly neighborhood that places its priority on young people.
PO Box 1871
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
T : (617)524-8303
F : (617)524-2427
E : programs@hydesquare.org
www.hydesquare.org
Over the past 15 years, Northeast Action has won national recognition for fostering a strong, cohesive and diverse progressive movement in the Northeast by building and sustaining a series of vibrant state-level grassroots organizations and coalitions. By joining together in common purpose, we are building a powerful and effective grassroots movement for economic, social and environmental justice.
Our affiliated organizations include some of the most effective membership-based citizen action groups and innovative statewide coalitions in the country: Connecticut Citizen Action Group, Maine People's Alliance, New Hampshire Citizens Alliance, Citizen Action of New York, Legislative Education Action Program in Connecticut, Ocean State Action in Rhode Island, the Commonwealth Coalition in Massachusetts, and the Dirigo Alliance in Maine. These coalitions bring together over 200 labor unions, civil and immigrant rights groups, environmental organizations, organizations of low and moderate-income citizens, women's groups and gay and lesbian organizations to develop coordinated campaigns on key issues.
The work of Northeast Action and our affiliated organizations is inspired by a vision of a participatory society, based on principles of social and economic justice and cultural and racial diversity, in which democracy and collective action are encouraged, and many more people are involved in the decisions that shape their lives.
30 Germania Street
Boston, Mass. 02130
T : (617)541-0500
F : (617)541.0533
621 Farmington Avenue
Hartford, Conn. 06105
T : (860)231-2410
F : (860)231-2419
www.neaction.org
The United Way of Massachusetts Bay is a community-focused non-profit organization dedicated to improving peoples' lives in the 80 immediate cities and towns throughout the Greater Boston region.
245 Summer Street, Suite 1401
Boston, MA 02144
T : (617)624-8000
F : (617)624-9114
www.unitedway.org
ZUMIX is a non-profit youth outreach organization which offers music and arts opportunities year-round to young people citywide ages 8 through 18 at no cost.
202 Maverick Street
East Boston, MA 02128
T : (617)568-9777
F : (617)568-9797
www.zumix.org
United for a Fair Economy was founded as a "movement support" organization to provide media capacity, face-to-face economic literacy education, and training resources to organizations and individuals who work to address the widening income and asset gap in our country.
37 Temple Place, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02111
T : (860)423-2148
F : (860)423-0191
www.ufenet.org
