Yearly Archives: 2018

Bob Moses is a “big picture” person whose life work has been continental in scope.  A civil rights leader described as an inspiration by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Bob launched the Algebra Project in Cambridge with the proceeds of a MacArthur Fellowship (known as the “Genius” grant) he was awarded in 1982. Bob, Maisha, and Janet Moses Civil Rights are important to Bob and Janet, his wife and partner at the Algebra Project, but equally important are the very specific and very local needs of children—their own and those in our community. The Algebra Project began when Bob realized that structural gaps in local education blocked access to key upper level math courses for certain children – specifically low-income children and children of color. He began teaching math to kids at the MLK School on Saturdays and after school, beginning with his daughter, Maisha, and her classmates. Bob has always been an important presence in the community, says Khari Milner, who grew up with the Moses children in the neighborhood known now as “The Port.” Today, Milner carries the same Moses family-like focus on effective education as co-director for Cambridge Agenda for Children Out-of-School Time [...]

Domestic Violence is hard to talk about and deeply personal. It’s also pervasive and universal, affecting people of all backgrounds, including Cambridge residents. While the executive director of Transition House, domestic violence was Risa Mednick’s adversary.  She knows first-hand a problem this big can’t be solved by a single domestic violence organization quietly working alone. “Historically, shelter was seen as the antidote to domestic violence, but it’s a tiny drop in the bucket of possible responses,” said Mednick. “It’s not the solution to an issue that’s driven by a culture of misogyny, violence and inequity.” Transition House provides transitional housing for about 100 people every year and serves over 1,000 community members of all ages and backgrounds with a wide range of support services, education, training, and prevention tools.  Cambridge Community Foundation has funded Transition House since it started more than 40 years ago as the first domestic violence shelter on the East Coast and only the second in the country. Under Mednick’s leadership, Transition House analyzed what was and wasn’t working in domestic violence prevention and re-committed to finding solutions.  As a result, the organization looked for reliable partners to create new strategies to both deliver services to [...]

CEOC: A Passionate Advocate With a Very Wide Reach Volunteer Fernende Desir offers a box of cereal to a client at the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee food bank. People carrying shopping bags line up early at the basement door of 11 Inman St. four days a week. What brings them here is the hope of taking home a box of free groceries to help feed their families for another few days.     For some, the food pantry at the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC) is the difference between having a meal that day or going to bed hungry. Volunteer Fernende Desir is very aware of the difference the small agency is making in the community every day as she prepares each food parcel with bread, fruits and vegetables, canned goods and maybe a carton of eggs or a pack of hot dogs.   Volunteer Fernende Desir helps clients at the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee food bank.  “Oh, my God they are a blessing. I am blessed, blessed, blessed,” said Desir, wearing a white apron, slipping a baguette into a plastic bag. “There are good people here with good hearts. They understand people’s problems and they help.”   The CEOC is a one-stop shop for Cambridge residents in need of immediate help, and assistance navigating the complicated web of federal and local social service programs available to them. For more than 50 years, the agency has provided a wide [...]

Lives in Limbo: Trauma, Healing and the Immigrant Experience REGISTER HERE Monday, October 29 Wong Auditorium, MIT Tang Center, Building E51 2 Amherst St, Cambridge 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Immigration policies, along with anti-immigrant rhetoric at the local and national levels, have generated trauma with lasting impacts on children, families and residents who consider the United States their home.  In this CCF forum, researchers, primary care physicians, and mental health practitioners will discuss the impact of current immigration policies on the health and wellbeing of immigrant populations, offering practical strategies for individuals coping with trauma and the clinical teams supporting them. Admission is free; voluntary donations to the Cambridge Legal Defense Fund for Immigrants are welcome. The lecture hall is at the corner of Amherst and Wadsworth Streets, a two-block walk from the Kendall Square/MIT MBTA Station. Parking is limited. For detailed directions, visit the MIT Building E51 webpage. Forum Speakers Renee D. Boynton-Jarrett, MD, ScD Primary Care Pediatrician, Boston Medical Center Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine Founding Director, Vital Village Community Engagement Network Diya Kallivayalil, PhD Staff Psychologist, Outpatient Psychiatry Department, Cambridge Health Alliance Co-author, The Trauma Recovery Group: A Guide for Practitioners Smith Guillaume [...]

Rowing for the Community The Head Of The Charles® Regatta (HOCR) is the world’s largest two-day rowing event, drawing athletes from across the country and nearly 45 countries.  Did you know these rowers are also committing to Cambridge?  The Cambridge Community Foundation has been an official charity of The Head Of The Charles® Regatta since 1998. Through the generosity of rowers who participate in the HOCR Charity Program and direct contributions from the Regatta, the Head Of The Charles Fund at CCF makes grants through our Community Fund supporting issues ranging from hunger and homelessness, to education, and an array of programs that create a pathway for Cambridge residents to achieve their dreams.  And the grantmaking has also supported rowing.  When the fund was started, the HOCR Board helped Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Crew program purchase a boat. Fred Schoch, Executive Director of the Head Of The Charles® Regatta said, “We are committed to supporting our local community, and the Cambridge Community Foundation is an ideally suited partner. The Foundation knows the community well, understands the needs, and has stewarded our funds in the best interest of our neighbors in Cambridge.  Our goal is to build pathways to the future [...]