ANNUAL REPORT 2006

The Parker Hill/Fenway (PHF) Neighborhood Service Center serves the Fenway, Mission Hill and Lower Roxbury communities. For the fourth year in a row, PHF addressed the crisis created by limited funding for SummerWorks, a summer jobs programs for at-risk youth. PHF called on the area’s political representatives and mobilized community resources, including the area’s hospitals, colleges and businesses. Thanks to the outstanding response, and the significant assistance of State Rep. Jeff Sanchez and City Councilor Mike Ross, PHF raised $41,302 to augment funding for ABCD summer jobs and also secured 23 donated jobs in the area. Job donors and financial supporters included Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, New England Baptist Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Merck Pharmaceutical, Harvard School of Public Health, Northeastern University Gear Up Program, MASCO, Mass. College of Pharmacy, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Judge Baker Children’s Center, Horizon Beverage Co., New Boston Management, New England Regional Council of Carpenters, Raymond Property Co., Samuels Associates, Weston Associates, and Louisberg Gardens. PHF also worked with Bank of America to enable SummerWorks youth to open bank accounts and to learn how to save for the future.

PHF has a strong collaboration with Wentworth Institute of Technology. In 2006, 9 Wentworth Institute of Technology students participated in PHF activities as volunteers and work-study students, gaining valuable community-based experience and making a significant contribution to the agency. These students ran our after-school tutoring program for high school and first-year college students. All students reported an increased school performance as a result of tutoring help. In addition, Wentworth students served as curriculum developers and computer instructors. They developed a number of quality computer classes and taught them throughout the year to community residents seeking computer skills in order to obtain employment. In addition to working with Wentworth, PHF also received a second year Master of Social Work student from Wheelock College who assisted clients of the Family Resource Center in applying for low-income housing, finding child care and educational/job training programs and made referrals for car seats, cribs, and baby clothing. Without these collaborations, PHF would be limited in the number of programs it can provide in this community.

This year, through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, PHF helped 296 working low-income residents complete their income taxes and obtain Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC). A total refund received by clients was $471,000. PHF also processed 336 applications for fuel assistance and helped clients to obtain a total of $140,751 in benefits. During the holiday season the center provided toys to more than 120 children. Additionally, 30 kids enjoyed a Christmas party sponsored by the Red Sox staff where they received food, toys and Christmas wishes from Wolly the Green Monster. New England Baptist Hospital staff was also generous in adopting 10 families for Christmas and provided them with boxes of toys and gift cards for the families to enjoy.

The PHF Emergency Food Pantry served more than 600 clients this year with special food services provided at Thanksgiving and Christmas and a summer Farmer’s Market co-sponsored with Mission Hill Main Streets. PHF is very grateful to Simmons College for their outstanding donation of $6,817 to the food pantry raised in a silent auction at the college and to the Stop and Shop at One Brigham Circle for collecting a total of $2,167 in donations from their shoppers. This year PHF received a grant from the US Department of Food and Nutrition and Project Bread to process online food stamp applications for its clients. The NSC assisted 63 clients in applying for food stamps and clients received a total of $5775 in food stamp assistance.

The active Senior Center served over 100 seniors and provided recreational activities, health screenings, health education workshops, information, referrals, translation and advocacy. The center collaborated with Whittier Street Health Center and ABCD Elder Services to provide these services and received funding from the Elderly Commission on Aging.