Mission Hill Health Movement Accomplishments 2019

It’s been a busy year! Here are just a  few of the Mission Hill Health Movement’s Accomplishments in 2019 towards a healthier Hill.

Improve Health by Increasing the Availability and Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables

• Successful Farmers Markets at Roxbury Crossing and Brigham Circle (June-November)
• Served free summer lunches & snacks to 35 children and teens daily at Roxbury Farmers Markets
• Received $62,000 grant from the City of Boston for construction of Gore St Community Garden (June)
• Distributed 200 tomato plants free to residents to encourage growing our own food (May)
• Support Bodega Makeover Community Outreach Event in Roxbury (July)

Support Mission Hill Residents in Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness

• Held successful 9^th Annual Health and Wellness Fair on September 21
• Feet First Walking Groups walked 3-5 miles every Thursday and Saturday Morning, with over 80 participants (Spring-Fall)
• Holding Line Dance Class, the 2^nd Saturday of the month at Tobin Community Center with grant from the Mission Hill-Fenway Neighborhood Trust
• Supported Boston Self Help Center Power Wheelchair Soccer

Create a Resilient and Healthy Mission Hill Environment and Community

• Kicked off Noise Monitoring Project on Mission Hill with The Community Noise Lab at Boston University funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Organized Senior Homeowners and Tenants in Private Housing to identify and begin to address aging in community concerns
• Supported Senior Activities including Mission Hill Senior Prom
• Oriented 1^st year Residents of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 1^st year MPH Students from Harvard Chan and 1^st year Harvard Medical and Dental Students to Mission Hill Community and our Health Concerns
• Participated in Halloween on the Hill: handed out Local MA Apples; and decorated a record 45 Pumpkins with children and parents
• Participated in Outreach Activities at Whittier Street Health Center (Dec) and Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (May)

          Additional Accomplishments

• Participated in the Boston Community Health Needs Assessment/Community Health Implementation Plan process including recruiting residents to Mission Hill meeting.
• Distributed approx. $3,000 worth of Toys, Books and other items donated by Shriners Hospital to Mission Hill and Boston area children youth and Families Participated in Ten-Taxpayer Group organized by CCHERS to address hospital impact on communities
• Improved 1534 Tremont St by installing energy efficient lighting and improving HVAC system.
• Worked with Wentworth Students on restoration of deck at rear of 1534 Tremont St (August)
• Sponsored Boston Cyclist union at the Roxbury Crossing farmers market to perform free bike repairs, maintenance and tune-ups (Summer 2019)
• Wrote Report reviewing 7 years of BWH Mission Hill Community Activities Reports, 2010-2018 (Spring 2019)

Thank you to our Supporters and Collaborators

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Shriners Hospital for Burns

New England Baptist Hospital

Mass Eye and Ear Institute

Whittier St Health Center

Harvard T.F. Chan School of Public Health

Northeastern University

Wentworth Institute of Technology,

Thank you, Sandy Pascal!

Boston University

Community Noise Lab at Boston University

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Mission Hill Main Streets

MacArthur Farms

Gary’s Too Farmstand

BCYF Tobin Community Center

Mission Hill Legacy Project

InFocus Camera Club

Mission Hill Artists Collective

Partners in Mentoring/Family Intervention Team

Roxbury Tenants of Harvard

Kristen Mobilia

Laura Serapigilia, MCPHS

1. LIFTED

Bodega Makeover

Maynard Clark

Roderick Kersey

The Food Project

Joshua Wolfsun

Youth paint at a fun back to school event.

Mission Hill Fenway Neighborhood Trust

City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development

All of US Health Study

Lily’s Pasta

Mike’s Donuts

COGDesign & Jennifer Kimball

Laura Feddersen

Daniel Janowiec, WIT

Michael Ateek, Computers

Harvard University Day of Service

Boston Public Library, Parker Hill Branch

Friends of the Parker Hill Library

State Senator Sonia Chang Diaz

Representative Nika Elugardo

City Councilor-elect Kenzie Bok

Age Strong, Mission Hill!

Mission Hill Residents Discuss What They Need and Want to Age-Strong on Mission Hill.

In August, 20 older Mission Hill residents got together to discuss concerns, questions and plans for completing their lives on Mission Hill.  Below are the notes from the discussion.  The group decided to meet again on October 24 at 10 am to learn more about the following programs that help Seniors remain in their homes as they age:

•   JP@Home;
• PACE at Uphams Corner Health Center; and
• City of Boston Senior Property Tax Programs.

 

Notes From August 16, 2019 Mission Hill Age Strong Meeting at the Mission Hill Health Movement

CONCERNS:

Household Maintenance including: yardwork; snow removal; getting the trash out; and referrals for building maintenance and repair work.

Grocery Shopping: getting to the store; shopping; getting home with the bags; and putting food away.

City Resources for Older Bostonians-(Age Strong Dept.)

• What are they?
• How Do you access them?
• Do you need to be income eligible?

Possible sources of information: City Hall;Library; Jamaica Plain Senior Center; ABCD

Admitting that we need help; What does this mean about us?

Loneliness & Safety (Falling Concerns too)

Need for One Time Services

Home Accommodations: what do we need; how to get them?

SCAMS- (some have already been victims!)

Transportation

Property Taxes

Long-term Senior and Low-income Tenants in private housing, How to keep them/afford them.

Estate Planning- Referrals to Affordable Attorneys

Access to Social Workers

Financial Administration Assistance/Monitoring

SOLUTIONS

Friendship Works

Workshop on SCAMS (AARP)

Urban Edge (Federal & State Tax Preparation)

Challenge Property Assessment to Lower Taxes

Tobin Community Center-  Create Work Program for Teens to work with Seniors in their homes

MHHM:  cooperate with Tobin on programing collaboratory

Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly

Fair Foods/Senior Meal Programs

Friends and Family

Neighborhood Groups

Building Materials Co-op: Tools on Loan/Service Referrals

Collecting and sharing contact info for electricians, plumbers, etc

Senior Shuttle-Shopping Trips

Local Colleges & Universities- RCC, NEU, BU, Wentworth, MassArt, Simmons

RTH Senior Programs/Maria Sanchez/High Rise @ Mission Main/ 75 St Alphonsus (Pool Use)

VILLAGE CONCEPT (explore)

Beacon Hill Village($700)/JP @ Home ($500)

PACE Program

Home Health Care

Home Modifications

NEXT STEPS

Request meetings: Beacon Hill Village, Ethos: JP2Home, PACE, FriendshipWorks

Mark a list of Resources

Next meeting, October 24 10 am.

 

 

 

Make a Plan for a Healthy School Year!

Youth paint at a fun back to school event.

Make goals for a healthy school year with your parents or guardians! Here are 6:

1. Be a Healthy Eater!
· Start each School Day with a Healthy Breakfast
· Eat Fruits and Vegetables Every Day
· Only Eat Salty or Sweet Snacks Sometimes

2. Drink Healthy Beverages!
· Water and Milk are the Best Choices
· Not too much Juice, Soda and Sugary Drinks

3. Keeping Moving!
· Enjoy Playing with Your Friends.
· Walk Places
· Get Up and Move

4. Reduce Screen Time!
· Limit Time Watching TV, Using Computers, and Cell Phones & Tablets

5. Get Healthy Sleep!
· Make a Regular Bed Time
· Don’t Bring Your Cell Phone or Tablet into Bed
· Get Enough Sleep to Have Energy in the Morning

6. Have Your Medicine At School
· Have your parents follow the school’s directions.

7._____________________________________________ _______________________________________________
With Best Wishes for Your Best School Year Ever!
Mission Hill Health Movement
http://www.mhhm.org 617 427 6919

Mission Hill: Sound or Noise?

The Mission Hill Health Movement has joined with the Community Noise Lab at BU School of Public Health to do a 2 years study of noise and sound on Mission Hill with a grant funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The study will focus on two sound issues on Mission Hill
1. The sound impacts from emergency vehicles, MEDIVAC helicopters, and local hospital HVAC equipment; and
2. how rapid development in this neighborhood is transforming its sound levels.

Residents and businesses can participate in the study in a variety of ways including:
· Have sound monitoring equipment at their apartment or building;
· attend a sound walk or another sound event;
· participate in a study on the impact of sound on people; or
· create a Sound Portrait of your sound experience.
Noise monitoring on Mission Hill is scheduled to begin in June 2019. Get more information at www.mhhm.org or www.communitynoiselab.org.

Mission Hill Health Movement 2018 Year Highlights

Cindy and Alice Diggs receive the Gloria Murray Humanitarian Award at the MHHM Annual Meeting Wed. Nov. 28, 2018 presented by Gloria’s daughter, Esohe Amadin, and State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez who was also the keynote speaker.

Accomplishments 2018 (just a few!)

Improve Health by Increasing the Availability and Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables

• Successful Farmers Markets at Roxbury Crossing and Brigham Circle (June-November)
• Served free 35 Lunches & 35 snacks to children and teens at Farmers Markets
• Designated Developer by City of Boston of Gore St Community Garden (June)
• Distributed 200 tomato plants free to residents to encourage growing our own food (May)
• Presented options to Whittier Street Residents to increase fresh food availability as part of their study of food security (April)

Support Mission Hill Residents in Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness

• Held successful 8^th Annual Health and Wellness Fair on September 22 including Head and Throat screenings by Mass. Eye and Ear
• Feet First Walking Group walked 3-5 miles every Thursday Morning, (Spring-Fall)
• Supported Boston Self Help Center Power Wheel Chair Soccer

Create a Resilient and Healthy Mission Hill Environment and Community

• Conducted 2 Mission Hill Sound Walks with Noise and the City
• Co-sponsored with Mission Hill Artists Collective: Healing + Art Show 2018
• Supported Senior Activities including Senior Sneakers and Mission Hill Senior Prom
• Oriented 1^st year Residents of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and 1^st year Harvard Medical and Dental Students to Mission Hill Community and our Health Concerns
• Participated in Halloween on the Hill: donated 170 children’s books; handed out Local MA Apples; and decorated Pumpkins with children and parents.

Additional Accomplishments

• Held May Program on Single Payer Health Insurance with Maria Termini, Healthcare Activist (May)
• Provided meeting and activity space to BPL Parker Hill Branch Library, In Focus Camera Club and ad hoc neighborhood groups
• Distributed approx. $4,000 worth of Toys, Books and other items donated by Shriners Hospital to Mission Hill and Boston area children youth and Families
• Participated in Ten-Taxpayer Group organized by CCHERS to address hospital impact on communities.

 

Thank you to our Supporters
and Collaborators

 

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Shriners Hospital for Burns

New England Baptist Hospital

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital

Mass Eye and Ear Institute

Whittier St Health Center

The Family Van

Harvard T.F. Chan School of Public Health

Northeastern University

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Mass College of Art

Boston University

Spinney Insurance

Monte Crisco Restaurant

Mike’s Donuts

Mission Hill Main Streets

Lily’s Pasta

TrillFit

Noise and the City

MacArthur Farms

Gary’s Too Farmstand

BCYF Tobin Community Center

Mission Hill Legacy Project

Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services

InFocus Camera Club

Mission Hill Artists Collective

Partners in Mentoring/Family Intervention Team

Roxbury Tenants of Harvard

Project Bread

The Food Project

Fair Foods

Children’s Hospital

Mission Hill Fenway Neighborhood Trust

Boston Properties

Savage Properties

City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development

COGDesign  & Jennifer Kimball

Laura Feddersen

Sarah Boyer

Michael Ateek, Computers

Ms. Massachusetts Exquisite International, Connie Kirven

 Ms. Massachusetts Exquisite International Lifetime Queen, Sondra Hardy

Boston Public Library, Parker Hill Branch

Friends of the Parker Hill Library

New England Black Nurses, Boston Chapter

State Senator Sonia Chang Diaz

Representative Jeffrey Sanchez

City Councilor Josh Zakim

Whitter St. BHA Residents Plan for Food Security

By chance, I was at a meeting at Northeastern Crossing the same Saturday in January that Residents of Whitter St BHA Development had the 1st meeting of the Whittier Food Resource Group to discuss food and food systems in their community. As the MHHM had discussed opening a Farmers’ Market near Ruggles station, I mentioned it to one of the organizers and offered to help if that issue came up. A few months, later I was asked to do a small presentation on what the Mission Hill Community had down to improve food availability in the community.
At the beginning of May, I was last of 4 presenters from community organizations and Northeastern who spoke about different issues of food and food availability. I explained the role of the MH Community in getting a major supermarket in the neighborhood (Stop & Shop), and how the MH Link bus improves transportation between Alice Taylor and the Stop & Shop, suggesting Whittier St residents could walk the short distance to Alice Taylor and catch the bus. I described the MHHM’s two Farmers Markets and the food subsidy programs available for low income residents through government and private programs including the subsidy formerly provided by BIDMC to support nutrition of Seniors at the MH Farmers Markets. Some of the suggestions I made they had already considered such as developing a community garden and having a closer farmers market had already been considered. They also had discussed having a training or commercial kitchen in the new development. I learned they had concerns about the price and quality of produce at a major grocery store close to the development. Tenants said they often took road trips to cheaper suburban super markets for groceries.

 

On July 7th, Whittier Food Resource Group released its Action Plan with 10 Goals:
• Goal 1 Have the Fresh Truck make regular appearances at the Whittier St development.
• Goal 2 Have nutrition and cooking classes for residents in the newly developed community room
• Goal 3 Have a farmers’ market nearby the Whittier development
• Goal 4 Residents have space for a community garden
• Goal 5 Transportation services to local grocery stores are m to senior residents
• Goal 6 Ensure the availability of food access programs (i.e. Healthy Incentives Program – HIP)
• Goal 7 Design a food pantry for the redeveloped community room
• Goal 8 Ensure local stores accept EBT
• Goal 9 Residents obtain more coupons and discounts to local grocery stores
• Goal 10 Work with Food Access partners to ensure a better quality of products
The BHA hopes to use the process under which these goals were established as a guide in other developments.

Some of these goals align with MHHM’s plans to increase the consumption of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in the community such as the availability of farmers markets. Currently, the MHHM has 2: Brigham Circle, Thursdays, 11-6; and Roxbury Crossing Tuesdays and Fridays, 11-7. The MHHM is developing a new Community Garden: GORE ST GARDEN over the next few years. The MHHM works to provide subsidies for Seniors to make the Farmers Market affordable to the community.

I attended the completion ceremony for the plan were participants received farmed certificates signed by the head of the BHA and the Mayor of Boston. State Representative Chyna Tyler also gave each participant a certificate of achievement from the Massachusetts State Legislature. All the Whittier Food Resource Group Members was so excited to have their hard work and accomplishments acknowledged. One participant excitedly said this was the first time she had completed anything and got a certificate for it.

The MHHM looks to continue support the residents of the Whitter St Development as it implements their plan.

Please contact the MHHM for a copy of the plan.

 

Mission Hill Health Movement Twelve Walks for Summer 2018

Mission Hill Health Movement
Twelve Walks for Summer 2018

1. Walk to Meet Your Daily Step Goal.
2. Walk with a Friend.
3. Walk with your Family.
4. Walk with a Walking Group.
5. Walk in the Rain.6. Walk along the Beach.
7. Walk next to a Pond or River.
8. Walk in a Park.
9. Walk to (or part of the way) Work.
10. Walk to a Summer Event
11. Walk in a Different Section of Boston.
12. Walk to the Farmers Market.

BONUS: Walk to the 8th Annual Mission Hill Health and Wellness Fair, Saturday September 22, Mission Hill Playground!

As always, check with your health care professional before starting an exercise program!