Boston LISC Blog: Data Day 2012

On January 27th staff members and affiliates of Boston LISC attended Data Day 2012:  Using Data to Drive Community Change.  Thanks to co-sponsorship by MAPC, The Boston Indicators Project, and Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs hundreds of people interested in data, from novice beginners to seasoned academics and researchers attended the free event and multiple workshops with topics ranging from data mapping and the U.S. Census to using data to tell your story and using data to engage youth in their neighborhoods. Read more...

Connect Program Launched in Chelsea

On Thursday, January 19th the new collaboration Chelsea CONNECT officially launched.  Boston LISC was an early funder of the program which combines financial and employment services in one place.  Details of the event were featured in the Chelsea Record:

"The Federal Reserve Bank in Boston and a Boston legal firm were at the nexus last Thursday of a groundbreaking human services collaboration in Chelsea that could set the standard for the rest of the country. Read more...

114 One-on-One Conversations

When was the last time you sat down with a stranger to hear their story of your neighborhood? Have you ever done it? Three Boston neighborhood groups have and not just a few - one has completed 114 one-on-one conversations.

Mission 180, a Roxbury-centered coalition of organizations and leaders, is connecting with residents to define what’s next for their community. Part of Boston LISC’s Resilient Communities/Resilient Families Initiative, Mission 180’s plan is to engage over 100 residents and stakeholders to identify themes for neighborhood work plans With 114 interviews completed, Mission 180 is enthusiastic about collecting input from all the demographics Roxbury proudly possesses. Read more...

Boston LISC AmeriCorps Spotlight: Lauren Coy, Anahit Tokatlyan, Juania Ashley

Three Boston LISC AmeriCorps members reflect on their positions at the Midas Collaborative.
"In my short time as a LISC AmeriCorps member, I have managed to grow as a person and fall in love with the absolute enthusiasm and dedication in which all of my coworkers and colleagues approach their fields. My time at the Midas Collaborative has allowed me to hone my team-working skills and become privy to the invaluable information that is asset building and development. Learning about individual development accounts has not only led me to recommend them to as many people eligible as I can find, but also to begin the process of applying for one of my own. Read more...

Boston LISC Blog: New York Times Piece on the Manhattan Street Grid as Triumph of Urban Vision 200 Years Ago

By Bob Van Meter

Yesterday's New York Times has a wonderful front page article by Michael Kimmelman, “The Grid at 200: Lines That Shaped Manhattan" celebrating a new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York' "The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan. 1811-2011".  Read more...

Bay State Banner: Mel King Institute fills gap in community

By Sandra Larson, Bay State Banner

R. Michelle Green already had 20-plus years’ experience in business and education administration when she joined Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation as its chief operating officer in 2010. But operations at a nonprofit community development corporations (CDCs) presented an entirely different challenge.

“Real estate development for CDCs is complicated,” explained Green. “While for-profit companies pick a niche, CDCs have to get involved with everything. To build a neighborhood, they may have to do a shopping center here, housing here.”

Read more...