Community Servings Expands Meal Distribution from Jamaica Plain to Mansfield

Community Servings, a Jamaica Plain-based nonprofit provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition services, and a leader in “food is medicine” research, advocacy and policy, officially opened a new satellite distribution center in Mansfield, a 23,000-square-foot facility specially outfitted for meal packaging and delivery to hundreds of people living with critical and chronic illnesses across the region. The expansion enables Community Servings to better serve current clients and reach new ones who live in southeastern Massachusetts, including on Cape Cod, as well as in parts of Rhode Island, its fastest-growing service area. By summer, the Mansfield facility will efficiently distribute weekly meal deliveries to 1,000 clients, each offering ten healthy meals and other components, including nutritious snacks, wholegrain breads, and homemade, diet-appropriate desserts. “Our new satellite space in Mansfield is critical for our mission as we continue to experience record demand for our scratch-made meals from individuals and families experiencing illness and nutrition insecurity,” said David B. Waters, CEO of Community Servings. “We are grateful for the warm welcome we have received from the Mansfield community and from our elected leaders in Massachusetts who recognize the positive impact the ‘food is medicine’ health care intervention can provide.”

“Everyone in the Bay State should have access to affordable and healthy food options,” said U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss, who attended the March 4 ribbon-cutting event in Mansfield.

376 Views

Letter: White Stadium Plans Do Not Align with Franklin Park Action Plan

As many neighbors are aware, the city is planning a major expansion of White Stadium in partnership with Boston Unity, a professional women's soccer franchise. I am concerned about the planning process, which has not weighed the merits of the proposal as a whole, but has focused on tweaks around the edges. In particular, there has been no conversation about the design of Franklin Park and the role the stadium plays in the park. The city spent a lot of money and hundreds of hours creating a thoughtful, thorough plan for Franklin Park, the Franklin Park Action Plan. The public meeting to discuss how this current stadium proposal integrates (or doesn't) with that plan is coming on February 12, after the Article 80 review and the public comment period is closed.

808 Views

Letter: Faulkner Hospital Construction Truck Parking on Centre Street Endangers Public Safety

During the height of the Monday morning rush hour, two tractor trailers carrying cranes for the Faulkner Hospital expansion PARKED in and completely blocked one of only two inbound travel lanes for commuters going into Boston from the Parkway neighborhoods and southwest suburbs for nearly two hours. These trucks were not unloading but were parked for hours at an already congested and dangerous intersection waiting to be waved on to the construction site hundreds of feet away. This massive disruption was completely unnecessary as there was plenty of parking available on the road shoulder in front of the Faulkner Hospital just across the street - a large, long, mostly EMPTY lane many hundreds of feet long. This area is designed for a bus stop and exclusive right turn lane. The volume of traffic in that lane on that outbound side is exponentially lighter than the inbound side during the morning commute.

617 Views

Letter: That Bang Bang Weekend Noise

The following letter was sent to Jamaica Plain News:

Bang Bang goes the noises each weekend reverberating around the hills of Jamaica Plain. Did you know those annoying repetitive reminders each weekend day are actually gunfire from the Country Club (Brookline) skeet shooting field? I don't know about you but I sure am concerned about this disturbance in my literal backyard.

613 Views

Jamaica Plain Artist Paul Willis Receives Iguana Music Grant

Jamaica Plain artist Paul Willis is set to make an album after being awarded the Iguana Music Grant. Thanks to the grant, he will be able to come out with an album that accompanies a book, where he will discuss workshops, keynotes, and interviews about how hip-hop can change the world through these values. In total, Passim has awarded a total of $41,350 in grants to 23 artists through their Iguana Music Fund this year. The Iguana Fund has funded career-building projects for more than 15 years and has supported hundreds of New England artists. "Over the last 16 years of the Iguana Music Fund, Passim has been fostering local artist development and giving musicians a leg-up in their careers,” said Abby Altman, Club Manager at Passim.

435 Views

Jamaica Plain’s Herst Joins Boston Green Ribbon Commission

The Boston Green Ribbon Commission announced the appointment of Rebecca Herst as associate director for resilience. The long-time Jamaica Plain resident and former director of the Sustainable Solutions Lab (SSL) at UMass Boston will bring extensive experience and expertise to advance coastal resilience and climate justice. Herst will help advance all aspects of the GRC’s work to accelerate climate action in Boston, with emphasis on coastal resilience and climate justice. She will also help with strategic alignment across the GRC’s six working groups and Climate Justice Initiative, leveraging the GRC’s unique convening role among its network of private sector and public sector leaders at the city and commonwealth, as the pressure grows to meet 2030 climate goals. The mission of the Green Ribbon Commission is to accelerate the implementation of the city’s Climate Action Plan by convening, organizing, and enabling leaders from Boston’s key sectors.

489 Views

Jamaica Plain’s Barnhart Directing Choral Society’s Christmas Concert

Jamaica Plain resident Jonathan Barnhart will be directing the Dedham Choral Society's All is Bright Christmas Concert on Dec. 15. The concert will be specially arranged by Barnhart, and features choir, brass ensemble, percussion, and organ. Jamaica Plain residents Jaclyn Limberakis and Kate Ellsworth are singing in the 65-member volunteer chorus. The show will be at 8 pm at Holy Name Church, 1689 Centre St., West Roxbury.

658 Views

MBTA Mobility Center Can Help Explore Accessible Transit Options

The MBTA Mobility Center teaches people how to safely use the T by offering group orientation to the MBTA and individual travel training. The MBTA Mobility Center will also provide assistance with trip planning, technology training (how to use the T website and relevant apps) and assist those who are eligible in applying for reduced fare CharlieCards. The MBTA Mobility Center is funded by MassDOT, so there isn't a charge for services. Please visit www.mbta.com/accessibility/mbta-mobility-center for more info. The MBTA Mobility Center has MBTA Access in Motion booklets in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Kreyol, Cape Verdean Creole, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Braille.

609 Views

JP Non-Profit Community Servings Launches 31st Annual ‘Pie in the Sky’ Fundraiser

Community Servings, a Jamaica Plain-based nonprofit provider of locally made medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling services, and a leader in “food is medicine” research, advocacy and policy, announced a goal to raise over $1 million for the 31st year of its annual fundraiser Pie in the Sky. The fundraising bake sale gives freshly made Thanksgiving pies to those who donate in support of the agency’s chronically and critically ill neighbors across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “Our Pie in the Sky fundraising goal is the highest it’s ever been because we are preparing and delivering more meals than ever before to a record number of clients,” said David B. Waters, CEO of Community Servings. “I am hopeful that with the generous support of our volunteers, community bakers, sponsors and pie sellers, we’ll exceed our goal and be well-positioned to prepare and deliver 1.2 million meals to 6,000 individuals and families next year.”

More than 50 local bakeries, restaurants, chefs, and caterers have teamed up to bake thousands of apple, pecan and pumpkin pies for Pie in the Sky. Now through Nov.

874 Views

Boston City Councilor Candidates Weber and King Debating at All-You-Can Eat Luncheon at Casa Verde on Oct. 18

The two Boston City Council District 6 candidates will do a question and answer session at Casa Verde on Oct. 18. Jamaica Plain resident Ben Weber and West Roxbury resident William King advanced to the November 7 final election, ousting current District 6 City Councilor Kendra Lara. Each candidate will open with a seven minute introduction, and then take questions presented by the Jamaica Plain Business and Professional Association President Jason Gregoricus. The hour-long event is sponsored by the Jamaica Plain Business and Professional Association (JPBAPA) and will take place at Casa Verde (711 Centre St.) at 12:30 pm.

1,159 Views