The Charlestown Coalition News:

Issue 89

January 2024

Welcome to the Charlestown Coalition's Monthly Newsletter!

We are a community-based organization here to support the neighborhood of Charlestown by connecting our neighbors to services, building relationships, and providing fun and safe spaces for community members to connect.

In our newsletters, you'll find event flyers, recaps on what we do on the day-to-day, resources, information on our youth programming, and more. Thanks for following along!

Steering Committee Meeting

In November we asked Steering Committee members to provide our team suggestions on how we can best utilize our time together. We appreciated all the feedback! This information helped us create our January meeting agenda and will be used to implement new strategies in our Steering Committee.

During our last Steering Committee meeting we conducted program updates and shared information among the group. Additionally, we looked at the 2022 Boston Community Health Needs Assessment to review our key priorities. We utilized this information and broke into working groups. Providers, public officials, and residents, with shared interests got a chance to connect. The Mental Health, Youth Prevention, and Trauma and Safety working groups met for the first time to initiate goals and strategies.

Over the next few months, we will continue connecting committee members, forming new working groups, and supporting collaboration among providers to address key priorities and issues in Charlestown.

If you are interested in adding your feedback, we invite you to attend our next Steering Committee meeting on March 26th at noon. The meeting will be held at the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club. Please reach out to pzawatsky@mgb.org for more information or to be added to the Steering Committee distribution list.

We want to thank Councilor Mejia and her team, for joining us at this month's meeting!

Turn It Around - January Newsletter

Peace Park: Stepping in the Right Direction!

We have completed the second phase of our environmental assessment this month. This is an important step that happens before any construction can move forward. We hope to have finalized results of this testing by the end of February so we can start obtaining construction bids for the project by the Spring 2024.

We thank you for your support and understanding throughout this project.

Please consider watching the video below created by Dante Luna, highlighting our work and commitment to the Peace Park.

Charlestown in Solidarity:

Race and Equity Community Dialogue

Our first Race Dialogue of 2024 was fittingly on a very cold and icy mid-January night. But those that braved the cold weather and slippery footing were rewarded with one of our best groups in a while!! The question was not only one of personal accountability towards making the world, and our community, a more equitable and anti-racist place, but also how can one of the many groups that you identify with/belong to (racial group, gender group, age group, career, sexuality, etc.) do a better job towards that goal?



Hoping to see YOU at our next Race Dialogue. Tuesday, February 20 at 5:30!

Charlestown Trauma Response Team:

Overdoses in Charlestown continue to be an ongoing concern among the Charlestown Trauma Response Team. Our team is working with local providers to facilitate and host overdose prevention training in the Spring and Summer of 2024. We anticipate training will take place bi-monthly on the last Wednesday of the month. Residents will learn the signs and symptoms of an overdose and how to administrate Narcan. If you are interested in participating in an upcoming Narcan training, please sign up for our Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training distribution list.

During the last two months our trauma team has seen an increase in overdoses in the community. We recognize the impact this has on Charlestown residents, considering this is a small, tight-knit community.

If you would like support, please consider the Sun Will Rise Grief Group, which supports families who have lost a loved one to overdose. Monthly meetings take place on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. For more information contact ShannMLW@gmail.com.

As a reminder, the Trauma Response Team is available to support community residents. The Trauma Team can connect residents to community resources and provide Narcan. If you need support or would like to refer someone to the Charlestown Trauma Response Team, call our trauma support line.

• (617) 726-0058 during business hours (9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.)
• (617) 643-0449 after hours (5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.)

If you are interested in learning more about the trauma team, please go to our website. Trauma Response Team– Charlestown Coalition

Community Partner Spotlight:

FSC Resource E-blast

The FSC e-blast will go out on the 15^th of each month. If you would like to add your program's flyers to the next e-blast, please send a PDF version of the flyer by the 12^th of each month to MSOTO0@mgh.harvard.edu

January 17th- E-blast

https://conta.cc/47N3yf6

Trauma Response Team

Trauma Team members meet each month to discuss trauma-related concerns in Charlestown.

Contact Phenice Zawatsky to learn more .

Charlestown Family Support Task Force 

Tuesday, March 5th at noon

This meeting will be held virtually.

Contact Phenice Zawatsky to learn more.

Charlestown Coalition Steering Committee Meeting

March 26th, 12-1:30 PM

Meetings are held in person at the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club on the G level in the Performance Room.

Contact Phenice Zawatsky to learn more.

To learn more about our programs, our staff, community partners, resources, upcoming events, TURN IT AROUND, program impact, and more, click below: