Health Equity & Community Wellness
Building Healthy Homes & Communities
What We Do
MPDC promotes healthy homes, healthy people, and healthy communities. We empower residents and encourage them to connect – and with the community.
How We Do It:
We offer programming that encourages individual residents and families to be physically active and use public green spaces. MPDC works with resident leaders to plan activities such as community gardening, walking clubs, running groups, and exercise classes that bring people together and keep them active. This helps them achieve their health and wellness goals and facilitates community within the neighborhood.
To Learn More, contact Leslie Stafford / 617.849.6231
Current Projects
- Fitness Program: The Fitness program helps participants to develop a healthier wellness routine and provides fitness education
- Supermarket Tours: Tours provide education on shopping for healthy foods on a budget and increase food security
- Meal Preparation and Participation Class (MPP): Classes to educate participants about healthy food, food access, and food preparation
- Community Gardens: The Community Garden initiative promotes healthy eating, urban farming, physical activity, and social connectedness for all ages
Check out Health Equity & Community Wellness info sheet!
Roxbury In Motion
Roxbury in Motion is a coalition of community partners and residents working on three project areas: urban growing, active transit, and complete streets.
Who Are We?
We are part of a statewide movement that works to change the conditions that affect health and equalize access to the things that keep us healthy in Roxbury. Furthermore, our project work to reduce barriers to healthy living and increase access to health opportunities.
How We Do It:
Our work focuses on WHO as part of the decision-making team, HOW decisions are made, WHO will benefit from our work, and WHAT projects we focus on. We work with resident groups like the Madison-Whittier Coalition and local organizations to share information and solicit residents’ feedback about planning processes in Lower Roxbury.
Madison-Whittier Coalition
The Madison-Whittier Coalition is a means of empowering residents with knowledge and social capital so that they influence the built environment in Lower Roxbury. The Madison-Whittier Coalition was founded in 2011 to bring resident voices to the Whittier Choice process. Historically, Lower Roxbury has been excluded from the envisioning of the future. Through the Madison-Whittier Coalition, residents can positively affect the public health of Lower Roxbury by being a part of the decision-making process for changes in systems, policies, and the built environment. Since its inception, the Madison-Whittier Coalition has had many impacts on the built environment of Lower Roxbury. Members began by providing input on the Whittier Choice process. Since then, MWC members have impacted the Ruggles Street redesign by keeping part of it a two-way street.
Current Projects:
- PLAN: Nubian Square
- Corridor Redesigns
- Public Art
Why is this important?
These projects are important because they address the social determinants of health, which refer to the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. These circumstances are shaped by the global, national, and local distribution of money, power, and resources. Our project areas work to reduce barriers to healthy living and increase access to health opportunities. The project strategies are long-term, sustainable, and impactful ways to improve community health in Roxbury.
Why should you be involved?
As a Roxbury resident or a community organization, we need your voice to help influence how these projects happen. Understanding neighborhood priorities and needs help us advocate for improvements and projects more effectively to benefit the Roxbury area. If you are interested in getting more involved with Roxbury in Motion, we invite you to take this short survey.
To Learn More, contact Tahara Samuel / 617.849.6223
Peer Health Leader Program
Healthy neighbors build healthy neighborhoods!
How We Do It:
The Peer Health Leader Program is a group of residents who all work together to promote health in the Roxbury community. They do this through outreach, planning promotional health events, sharing health topics, educating community members about healthy living, and helping residents engage in health activities. The Peer Health Leader Program was started in 2005 by Dana Farber Cancer Institute to help reduce the significant cancer disparities in the Roxbury community.
Learn more about the Peer Health Leader Program here or contact Tahara Samuel / 617.849.6223
Community Garden Program & Kids’ Garden Club
MPDC’s Community Garden Program allows residents & their kids to grow healthy foods, meet their neighbors, and learn about gardening & healthy recipes.
How We Do It:
Orchard Gardens Community Garden and Madison Park Village Community Garden are the two gardens used by residents of MPDC properties. The residents work together to grow and harvest fresh produce for their community.
To Learn More, contact Leslie Stafford / 617.849.6231
Get Involved!
Interested in Health Equity & Community Wellness @ MPDC?
Fill out this short form and someone from the MPDC Health Equity & Community Wellness Team will be in touch shortly!