Village Voices
Network members' voices bring good news and share highlights from around our community. 
Champion Leadership
Vital Village Community Champion, Marisa Luse, spoke on a panel at the   Tufts Black Maternal Health Symposium on April 13th. The evening was guided by experts on Black maternal health and health disparities working to end the racial disparity in adverse maternal health outcomes.

Investing in the Village, Investing in People
Our Community Mobilization Coordinator, Amita Wanar, reflects on the Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) training and service-learning pathways in the Breastfeeding Coalition . Check out the whole blog here !

Mobile App Fights Food Insecurity and Stigma
The Vital Village Network Food Access Community Group 's Abundance App was featured on the Boston Medical Center's Health City , an online platform dedicated to exploring the most pressing issues in healthcare today.

Charles Clayton Daniels Selected for the 2nd Obama Foundation Fellows Class
Charles ( Fathers' UpLift President) will join a two-year, non-residential program that brings together leaders from across the globe who are creating transformational change on many of the world’s most pressing problems. The Obama Foundation selected Charles to continue Fathers’ UpLift’s work on providing mental health services to support fathers with remaining apart of their children’s lives. Congrats, Charles!

Network Events
Connect with Vital Village Network at these upcoming events. Click event to RSVP or learn more. 
Different Location! Vine Street Community Center, 339, Dudley St.
5:30-6:00pm  Network Meet-Up
6:00-8:00pm  Join Vital Village, Child Witness to Violence Project , Care Dimensions , and community partners for an evening of activities covering mental health de-stigmatization, trauma-sensitive & creative coping strategies, and sharing community resources.
Join Vital Village members at the Boston Public Library to read & highlight children's books that promote positive mental health in youth. Come by for story time and to learn about resources that encourage positive mental health practices!

We are launching an online campaign to share & promote positive mental health practices! Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing stories from the community about the ways we keep our minds healthy. Want to be a part of the movement? Share how you keep your mind healthy with #4mind4bodyBOS or by filling out this form .

Vital Village & partners are hosting community events around the Boston area designed to build social connectivity and highlight how  creative expression , self-care , and civic engagement  can positively impact metal health. Check out and share the full calendar, here !
Community Events
Join Vital Village Network partners and other community organizations at these upcoming events. Click event to RSVP or learn more.
Stakeholders from all corners of the city are invited to celebrate the first five years together building the First Teacher movement. The goal is to highlight the impact of a school-readiness movement from within: one that has been built, sustained, and nurtured by the same families that participate.

10am-2pm @ Bruce C. Bolling Building, 2300 Washington St.
Join Union Capital Boston, Citizens Bank, and dozens of organizations for hundreds of resources, rewards, and Bostonian connecting with each other and opportunities. Stop by the Vital Village table to say hello!
 
6pm-8pm @ ABCD, 178 Tremont St.
Come celebrate yourself as an educator with the EPS Region 6 team! The event includes dinner, a coaching cafe, journal creation, networking, and more.

11am-3pm @ Simmons College, 300 Fenway
This FREE event includes workshops, resources, food, fun, music, and the opportunity to meet women leaders. Workshops topics are: My Body, My Temple; Coping with Trauma; Spa Experience; Building Me Up; Not Your Average Yoga; Healthy Relationships; Express Yourself.

8am Program, 8:30am Walk Launch @ Towns Field Park, 1520 Dorchester Ave.
Join the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute for this beloved Boston tradition. Every year, families walk to celebrate our potential to create more peaceful communities and demand dignity and compassion for all families impacted by murder.

5:30-7pm @ Jeremiah Program, 130 Warren St.
Are you, or do you know, a single mother interested in starting college? Explore how Jeremiah Program can help you realize your potential, beginning with empowerment and life skills training.

Check out more community events on our   Website   and   Facebook
Opportunities
Check out job, volunteer, and grant opportunities available in our community.
Jobs:
Marketing and Communications Manager at Boston School Finder
This position will be responsible for driving usage of the tool and Boston School Finder’s supporting programs. The position will also be responsible for building brand awareness of Boston School Finder across a number of channels. See job description and apply here !

Family Partner (bilingual Spanish/English) at the Home for Little Wanderers
The Family Resource Center (FRC) is looking to secure a Family Partner for it's Roslindale based location. A Family Partner is a caregiver who has experience raising a child or youth with special needs, preferably with significant mental health needs. See job description and apply here !

Patient Navigator at Martha Eliot Health Center
This position will support families with young children (birth-6 years old) in achieving healthy development within our pediatric primary care center. See job description and apply here !

Training and Professional Development:
May 4, 11, and 18 from 9am-2pm @ 31 Germania Street, (Building -B)
The Boston Public Health Commission is delivering this training fully in Spanish. This free, interactive curriculum will cover the impact of trauma on children, their families, and professionals, strategies to support parent and caregiver partnerships, and more. Contact Diana Chaves at  dchaves@bphc.org   or 617-534-2836 to register and see flyer in Spanish!

May 16 from 6-8pm and 18 from 11am-1pm @ Nurtury, 38 Horadan Way
Nurtury is seeking passionate and dynamic infant/toddler and preschool teachers and lead teachers for their Jamaica Plain, South End, and Roxbury locations. See flyer for more details!

May 18 from 9-3pm @ ABCD/EPS Region 6, 178 Tremont St
Supportive Trauma Interventions for Educators   (STRIVE) is providing a workshop at the   Region 6 Educator & Provider Support (EPS)   Spring Professional Development Day to discuss a general overview of trauma, impacts on brain development, attachment theory, and the important of self care. Registration required!

The Infant Parent Training Institute at JF&CS is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships for the 2019-2021 cohort. Scholarships will cover full tuition for the Fellowship for two years as well as the required Infant Observation course. For more information, visit website or email IPTI@jfcsboston.org. Apply by June 30!

May 31-July 19 Fridays from 10am-12pm @ Jeremiah Program, 130 Warren St.
This course is meant to expose community partners to the work that we do with families and strengthen the understanding of how Jeremiah Program operates from an empowerment space. See flyer or email dantone@jeremiahprogram.org for more details!
Resource Connector
Learn more about resources relevant to children and families in our community from our community.
Created by the Boston Bar Association, this guide provides information about the kinds of behavioral health services available for children in MA, how to get those services, and how to pay for them.

Created by the MA Department of Mental Health, this directory provides simple information on organizations by listing neighborhood, contact information, services offered, and languages offered.
Scoop on the Stats
Explore data related to child and family well-being.
Social connection improves physical health, mental health, and emotional wellbeing. Research has demonstrated the link between social relationships and many different aspects of health and wellness. People with strong social relationships are 50% more likely to live longer, have strengthened immune systems, and can recover from disease faster. Learn more here !
Sharing Technology
Explore technology related to child and family well-being.
  Abundance App   is 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!

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:
  • Monday: Nearby community resources
  • Wednesday: Wellness tips
  • Friday: Family-fun events
Our Mission
Vital Village is a network of residents and 
agencies committed to maximizing child, family, and community wellbeing.
Have an event, job opportunity, or resource to share with the network?

Complete this  form !