Monday July 6th marked the start of the sixteenth year of the B-SAFE Program (Bishop's Summer Academic and Fun Enrichment Program) founded by St. Stephen's Youth Programs, which this summer will serve more than 600 young people in six neighborhoods across Boston and Chelsea. This same day was also the start of something new. A group of ten teen community organizers who are working with the B-PEACE for Jorge Campaign launched their effort to make specific changes in Ramsay Park, right next to Jim Rice Field, in Lower Roxbury.

B-PEACE organizers are bringing fitness activities to Ramsay Park, including evening tennis and basketball programs for neighborhood young people and adults. The organizers also painted a mural of a tree with both night and day scenes. The mural was completed on Friday July 10th and unveiled the next day when Boston Mayor Marty Walsh visited Ramsay Park to have coffee with local residents. B-PEACE organizers spoke with Mayor Walsh about their concerns, including violence that happen too regularly in Ramsay Park.

This negative activity limits the opportunities for children to go outside in the evenings or on weekends. Unfortunately, young people cannot play outside in peace due to the environment of drug use and vulgar language.

The B-PEACE teen organizers plan to meet with Mayor Walsh again to design solutions for Ramsay Park and to work with the city Parks Department to help maintain a cleaner Ramsay Park. Organizers want Ramsay Park to be just as welcoming for the children of the South End and Lower Roxbury as the parks that are a few blocks away, such as Titus Sparrow Park, Ringold Park or Peters Park.

At the Church of St. Augustine and St. Martin, across the street from Ramsay Park, Father Evan Thayer gave his thoughts about what has been happening at the park so far. "The other day, I was at the park and I was watching the volunteers and the teen organizers play tennis with the kids in the neighborhood. It was a great feeling to see that things are changing in the community and that the kids can come outside to the park and have fun and play with others. Ramsay Park is so important to not only to the members of St. Augustine and St. Martin but also to all the people of the neighborhood, including the kids in this community. We can't wait for all the children to play there again, along with the adults in the community, too. Ramsay Park is coming back!"

Seventeen-year-old B-PEACE Teen Organizer Cristian Pimentel observed, "It's nice to see that people I grew up with are coming together to make positive changes in the neighborhood."

B-PEACE Teen Organizer Stoni Drane, age eighteen, said, "I grew up across the street from the park and never spent any time there. but I'm excited about the changes being made to make the park a safer place!"