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Boston Connects closing its doors, but its dream lives on by Ashley Rigazio
MySouthEnd.com ContributorTuesday Dec 1, 2009 Source of funding for several South End businesses and nonprofits closing its doors
Now that federal funding for its economic development and community building initiatives has dried up, Boston Connects will phase out its programs and shutter its doors on Dec. 31. But those involved with the nonprofit say their dream will live on, starting with an awareness-building closing event next month.
On Jan. 13, Boston Connects will host the Dream Gala at the UMass Campus Center from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The theme of the event is "Celebrating the Journey," and organizers hope the event not only acknowledges the progress made in some of Boston’s poorest neighborhoods, but also recognizes the people and smaller nonprofits behind the initiatives.
"We have to have a ceremony just to let people know, one, that we’re leaving, and that all our work and efforts with all the people involved-citizens, politicians, activists-won’t be reversed," said event chairwoman and Boston Connects board member Anh Nguyen.
Nguyen promised "a free-flowing event" that celebrates local people and businesses-nothing at the event, she said, will be supplied by a national or international business. Instead, Boston Connects is relying on catering by Snap Chef and services by Nex Graphics and local artists.
Admission is free.
"We’re not charging for the event because we don’t want to compete with existing organizations or anyone else fundraising this year," said Nguyen.
Executive Director Shirley Carrington explained that those involved with Boston Connects knew all along they were under a congressional deadline.
"From day one we knew that it would be a 10-year initiative," she said.
The Empowerment Zone program began in an early form in 1994, when the Clinton Administration designated parts of Boston as an Enhanced Enterprise Community. It received $44 million in funding. The resources assisted in the development of projects such as the South End Community Health Center, Palmer Warren building and Fairfield Center in Dudley Square, and Grove Hall Mall.
In 1999, the 5.8-square-mile area covering Chinatown, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, Roxbury, the Seaport District, South Boston, and parts of the South End was identified as an Empowerment Zone and placed in a federally funded program that planned to deliver $100 million a year to blighted areas of Boston. Nearly 60,000 people, or 10 percent of the city’s population, live in the Empowerment Zone.
However, Carrington explained, "We never received the $100 million that we expected but rather $25 million, or a quarter of the expected amount." While they hoped that funding would be resumed under the Obama Administration, it was not.
She said they received the end of their federal funding around 2005, a sum of $661,000. Overall, she added, the group was only able to accomplish a quarter of what it set out to do a decade ago in its strategic plan.
Still, Carrington is proud that Boston Connects was able to make a positive impact on the neediest areas of the city by pumping resources into education, job training and placement, and the redevelopment of Dudley Square and Grove Hall. It funded 128 local nonprofits, providing services to more than 8,000 youth and adults, and loaned out more than $450,000 to roughly 25 small businesses.
In the South End, Boston Connects funded training at the South End Technology Center, youth services through Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), job training for people with CORIs (Criminal Offender Record Information) through the South End Neighborhood Action Program, English for Speakers of Other Languages initiatives, and GED programs. Several neighborhood businesses benefited from microloans.
Carrington further noted how the organization set a precedent of neighborhoods coming together for a common goal. Board member Carlos Henriquez of Roxbury agreed, stating that the work of Boston Connects "showed the commonalities among different neighborhoods from Chinatown to South Boston, the South End and Roxbury."
"What I loved about the work that Boston Connects did is that it didn’t reinvent the wheel and create redundancy," he said. "It supported existing infrastructure and built capacity of good organizations that have consistently done great work. As a community member, it allowed you to focus and direct efforts around the issues that are the most important in the empowerment zone neighborhoods."
Unfortunately, the organization must close when residents of the Empowerment Zone may need them most. Without Boston Connects resources, it is likely that fewer residents-including youth-will receive services from local nonprofits.
"It is a tough time, if not the worst time, to lose a program like this," said Henriquez. "Nonprofits are having to do more with less. Residents and community partnering businesses will need to step up to help organizations remain sustainable. The city will need to be creative in continuing to help start small local businesses. And hopefully, President Obama will restore the program under a new moniker."
Dream Gala organizers expect that the event will facilitate new ideas for Boston’s future. Nguyen believes the art and music at the gala-inspired by Boston’s growing potential-will "act as a bonding agent" to bring together the hundreds of diverse community leaders, politicians, businesspeople, and volunteers expected to attend.
"We don’t want to be so irresponsible as to leave a void in Boston," said Nguyen, later adding, "Hopefully this will be successful and our work won’t be in vain. We believe that in a downward economy, our successors or somebody will pick up where we left off."
And that begins with community involvement. Among the people Boston Connects has reached out to are South End artists, one of which, Felice Mendell, has volunteered to design the award for the final award ceremony. Artists are encouraged to submit their paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, or graffiti work inspired by the "Dream" theme by Dec. 20 for a chance to win up to $2,500.
For more on the Dream Gala, the art contest, or to RSVP, visit www.dreamboston.org.
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