Village Voices 
Network members' voices are heard bringing good news and sharing highlights from around our community. 

February's Courageous Conversation: "Discipline" What does it mean to you?
A room full of caregivers and family advocates gathered to participate in a courageous conversation about discipline. The topics ranged from considering parent and community trauma, the role that organizations can play, and the various resources that families and organizations can turn to for answers. The group concluded that there must be collective ownership over the community's children, saying, "The key is WE."  Thank you to our co-hosts:  Judith Scott , ACEs Connection , Family Nurturing Center , Fathers' Uplift , Father Friendly Initiative at Boston Public Health Commission , and Suffolk County Sheriff's Department Family Matters Program . See relevant resources throughout this newsletter.

Peer Breastfeeding Support Training
The Boston Breastfeeding Coalition is excited to welcome 13 new breastfeeding peer counselors to our network! In February, they participated in a 3-day training facilitated by trainers from the Atlanta-based organization, Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), and Coalition members, Dominique Bellegarde and Jenny Weaver. An additional 9 alumni peer counselors participated in a day and a half continuing education training. Together, these 21 community transformers will staff weekly breastfeeding support groups across Boston for the next six months and lead the mission to improve access to unconditional, culturally-competent breastfeeding support for every parent. Email us with any questions.
 
Network Events
Connect with Vital Village Network at these upcoming events. Click on event titles to learn more and RSVP.

6-8pm @ Roxbury Innovation Center, Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Dudley Square
A co-hosted meeting with the Boston Children's Museum, Countdown to Kindergarten, and First Teacher. See flyer for highlights and more information.

12-2pm @ Boston Medical Center, 85 E. Concord Building Room 1130
An opportunity to share innovations in breastfeeding, coordinate resources for new parents, and connect with a larger network of support groups.

5:30-8pm @ Boston Medical Center, Evans Seminar Room 112A
A mediation-related learning opportunity that is open to current and new SJMP community members. Our guest facilitator, David Hoffman, is from the Boston Law Collaborative.
 
Community Events
Join Vital Village Network partners and other community organizations at these upcoming events. Click on event titles to learn more and RSVP.

Weekly Tuesdays: Dorchester Family Nurturing Program
5:30-8pm @ UP Academy School, 35 Westville Street
Sessions are hosted by the Family Nurturing Center and designed for parents and children together to build their nurturing skills and understanding of healthy development, appropriate expectations, and discipline with dignity. Contact Tara Register via email or call 617-474-1143 x263.

March 10: Parent University Winter Learning Conference
9am-2:30pm @ Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington Street (Dudley Square)
BPS Parent University is an opportunity for parents to sharpen their skills as they work in one of life's most important and demanding roles. Sessions focus on child development, what children are learning in schools, advocacy, parent leadership and effective parenting skills.

March 27: Healthy Fathers, Healthy Families, Healthy Communities
12-1:30pm @ Brown Rudnick LLP, 1 Financial Ctr
Join Fathers' Uplift as a featured 2018 social innovator for the Social Issues Talk Series. The topic of discussion is "Addressing Father Absenteeism as a Public Health Matter".

April 7: Youth & Public Health Summit
9am-3pm @ Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave
High school students with their youth programs/organizations are invited to t his half-day, free Summit. Programming  aims to help young people learn and get excited about public health and its diverse opportunities. Email  Tariana V. Little or Nayely Chavez to register.
 
Opportunities
Check out job, volunteer, and learning opportunities available in our community.

Nurturing Fathers Program with 365Dad and Fathers' Uplift
Make a difference as a dad in your child's life! Learn nurturing skills and improve parent-child relationships with this 13-week program. See flyer for more information.

Volunteer with Silver Living Mentoring
SLM is currently in need of dedicated, caring volunteers to support their mission of empowering youth in foster care to flourish through committed mentoring relationships and the development of essential life skills. Learn more at their March information sessions or email Lara Kingstone.

Family Advocate (Paid Position) with Horizons for Homeless Children
Family Advocates will work with parents on coaching, accountability partnering through mentoring and advocacy/resource support in Dorchester and Jamaica Plain. See job description and email Ayesha Rodriguez for application questions.

Financial Coach (Paid Position) with Working Compass Capital
Financial Coaches are members of the front-line team that work directly with low-income families to ensure that they reach their financial, educational and asset-building goals. See application and more information or email for questions.
 
Resource Connector
Learn more about resources relevant to children and families in our community from our community. 
 
Parenting with ACEs (adverse childhood experiences)
What does it mean to be an ACEs, trauma-informed, and resilience-building parent/caregiver? And to be a parent with ACEs? What do parent education, training, and support services look like through this lens and how can they reach the largest number of parents/caregivers? Explore these questions through the community chats, articles, and even a special feature with our director, Dr. Renée Boynton-Jarrett.

This program is committed to helping inmates and their families work toward positive relationships, connect families with community resources and help families prepare for the release of their loved.

Father Friendly Initiative (FII) with the Boston Public Health Commission
FFI is committed to providing opportunities for men living in the city of Boston to become fully involved members of their families and community. Their core principles are based on the overwhelming evidence that "Dads Can Be the Difference" in the life of a child. See brochure for more information.

Community violence on a neighborhood, country, and even global level impact us and our children.  NCTSN has many  resources  to support healing and coping with tragedies  for schools, parents, caregivers, families and youth.

 
Scoop on the Stats
Explore data related to child and family well-being in our community.
 
CONtexts is a free text messaging service that promotes child and family wellness by providing current information about community resources on health and nearby fun. To access the texting program, text KIDS to 8-8-5-8-8.

CONtexts resources are also mapped. Currently, there are approximately 188 resources mapped related to food, playgroups, exercise, social support, clothing, civic associations, clinics and organizations connected to Vital Village Network. Find out how you can contribute resources here.

Our Mission
Vital Village is a network of residents and
agencies committed to maximizing child, family, and community wellbeing.
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