Site icon Madison Park Development Corporation

Thank you for joining us for Sparks! 2022

We were BACK IN BLACK!

We are profoundly grateful to everyone who made the evening a success. We exceeded our fundraising goal of $325,000, and everyone had a great time celebrating in person.

SEE PHOTOS HERE

SEE THE 2022 PROGRAM BOOK HERE

DONATE

Make your year-end gift to Madison Park!

It is not too late to support Madison Park’s daily work to make Roxbury strong. We count on your support to keep our programs running throughout the year.

If you make a gift of $1000 or more, you will be eligible for the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) and receive a 50% tax credit on your state taxes. If you make a gift of $2,500, you will get $1,250 back at tax time! Make your donation here: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/E5Ar6Q?vid=vsqoy

If you have questions about donating or CITC, please contact Griffin Thomas at gthomas@madison-park.org or 617-849-6254.

MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Equity Partner

Silicon Valley Bank

Winn Residential

Community Investor

Dellbrook | JKS

Eastern Bank Foundation

NEI General Contracting

Roxbury Amplifier

Trinity Financial

Cultural Influencer

BlueHub Capital

Boston Children’s Hospital

Klein-Hornig LLP

Peabody Properties

Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH)

Marsh McLennan

M&T Bank

Neighborhood Champion

Akiki Auto

Awaken Christian Church

Bank of America 

Campaign for Catholic Schools

CohnReznick 

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

DREAM Collaborative

Alison Gottlieb

Susan Haas

Hunneman Real Estate

ICON Architecture

Kaplan Construction

The Life Initiative

Marsh, Moriarty, Ontell & Golder

Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation

McPhail Associates

Peter Munkenbeck 

Northeastern University

Origin Property Group

RBC

Redstone Equity

Resonant

Ivelise Rivera

Esther Schlorholtz

Stull &Lee

Alicia Toney

VIVA Consulting

THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR’S PERFORMERS!

Cornell Coley

Kim Tavar

VLA DANCE

Alondra Bobadilla

The Fred Woodard Collective

THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR’S PARTICIPATING FOOD BUSINESSES!

The Pearl

Ethnica Catering

MIDA

Fresh Food Generation

Jamaica Mi Hungry

Sweet Teez Bakery

Rhythm N’ Wraps

Slade’s Bar and Grill

Gourmet Kreyòl

Starbucks Coffee

Bully Boy Distillers

The Urban Grape

Samuel Adams

THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR’S HONOREES AND AWARD PRESENTERS!

EMBRACING PROMISE AWARD

Boston Children’s Hospital’s Office of Community Health

Over thirty years ago, Boston Children’s Hospital was one of the first academic medical centers in the country to expand the traditional missions of patient care, teaching, and research to embrace a fourth mission — community. Boston Children’s community mission is to improve the health and well-being of children and families in our local community. The Office of Community Health brings together hospital and community resources to address health disparities, improve health outcomes, and promote health equity. Our community efforts are focused on offering programs and partnering with others that offer support and services that benefit Boston’s children and families, specifically those most affected by the social determinants of health.

The Office of Community Health is led by Shari Nethersole, MD, Vice President for Community Health and Engagement. Dr. Nethersole is also a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center. The expertise informs Boston Children’s community mission of two leadership groups, the Board Committee for Community Health and the Community Advisory Board. Both Boards have diverse representation from health care, education, government, and business sectors as well as grassroots organizations and provide the Office of Community Health with feedback from the communities reached through our programs and partnerships.

EDNA V. BYNOE NEIGHBORHOOD CHAMPION AWARD

Hugh Johnson

Village In Progress Block Captain and Haynes House resident

Hugh Johnson is a Village in Progress Block Captain and the recipient of the 2022 Edna V. Bynoe Neighborhood Champion Award. The oldest of eight children, Hugh was born at Boston Medical Center. His first home was on Auburn Street (now Dewitt Drive) in Roxbury. Hugh attended the William Bacon School and graduated from Boston English High School, still located in the Fenway. 

After graduating from high school, Hugh entered the U.S. Army and spent five years serving his country, including two tours of Vietnam. After returning to his beloved Boston, Hugh had a career rooted in public service, especially working with veterans and the incarcerated.  

Hugh enjoys helping keep the area around Madison Park Village safe, but he is not only active in Madison Park’s public safety efforts. He volunteers his time at the Smith House and Dewitt Center food distributions. He is also active in our civic engagement and health and wellness programs. He even got his grandson involved in our youth programs. 

Hugh is grateful to his mother, who inspired him to be involved in the community. Hugh says he “stands on the shoulders of others who saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself.” Hugh and his wife Cheryl live at Haynes House. They enjoy spending time with their six amazing grandchildren.

2022 COMMUNITY CATALYST AWARDS

Tito Jackson

CEO, Verdant Medical – Former Boston City Councilor and Mayoral Candidate

Yhinny Matos

MPDC Youth Workforce Development Manager

Yhinny Matos was born in the small southern town of Barahona in the Dominican Republic. A few years later, in 1979, she landed in Boston to receive medical care and never moved back. A daughter of immigrants, she didn’t see her father until about six years later when he moved to be with his family. Yhinny has two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother. She is also a mother to a 20-year-old aspiring pilot. Yhinny graduated from Bay State College, Emerson, and recently in 2021, obtained an MBA from Cambridge College.

Her main passion is in the performing arts, beginning her career as a folkloric dancer at six. Fast forward to age 13, when she joined BPS’s citywide dance company, All City Dance Company, where she was a principal dancer throughout high school. Upon graduating high school, she auditioned for Phunk Phenomenon, where she danced for three years. Transitioning to breakdancing, she became one of four “b-girls” performing nationwide with the notable Floorlords, where she danced for thirteen years. She then began her own dance company, United Roots. While running the dance company for seven years, she got performing arts/teaching contracts with Puma, Reebok, Staples, Gillette, and Converse. She was also on the radio as a co-host for Big City’s “ Way Back When” radio show.

Yhinny has always had a dedication to the arts and youth development. In her early 20s, she worked as an accountant for a travel firm for about two years, then transitioned to arts marketing at Artists for Humanity, where she was employed for over ten years. She then acquired several positions at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, where she left as Marketing and Program Manager after eight years. Now working as Youth Workforce Program Manager for MPDC, she oversees programming for youth ages 14-21 and the scholarship program.

Yhinny believes that arts combined with youth development are her true calling. Forever grateful to MPDC, Yhinny hopes to continue building and designing dynamic programming for Boston’s future.

Xiomara Alicea

Orchard Gardens Resident Service Coordinator

Xiomara Alicea is the Resident Service Coordinator at Orchard Gardens Estates, a mixed-income property in Roxbury, Ma. She implements an array of programming and case management within the property management setting, serving 331 households and 150 senior homes. 

Xiomara believes it is essential for individuals, families, and seniors to provide programming to assist their educational and personal advancement. Working closely with a resident board and community partners to provide much-needed resources.

Xiomara has supported families in her roles as a Family Services Manager for Jeremiah Program-Boston, Ma, Program Coordinator for Heading Home Inc. at a Family Shelter and individuals at an SRO setting for Women in Boston, MA, and Cambridge, MA, a Unit Director for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford County, MD, and over five years as the Teen Director of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, MA.  

Xiomara is certified in BEST trauma settings, is knowledgeable in Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s programming for Non-Profits, and exhibits experience and abundance of knowledge working with individuals, seniors, and families from diverse circumstances.

Xiomara has an educational background in liberal arts and business.

Exit mobile version