Greenwood Memorial United Methodist Church, recently confirmed as a National Historic Site, has been both a physical and spiritual anchor of the Four Corners area of Dorchester for over a century. The church and parsonage were built as a pair to accommodate the needs of a congregation, which has been in continuous ministry in the Roxbury/Dorchester area since 1869. As a result, it can be considered a "fixture" in the community. The church is recognized for its active support of and participation in an urban community, one in great need of economic revitalization and development.
As a major participant in the community, the Church launched the Greenwood Shalom After School Program in 1999 with a $5,000 Shalom grant and $2,000 from the Black Church Capacity Fund. One year later, Greenwood Shalom became a participating site for the Black Ministerial Alliance (BMA) of Greater Boston's Victory Generation After School Program and expanded enrollment to include children in kindergarten through eighth-grade. This affiliation was important for Greenwood Shalom as it identifies with the purpose of BMA’s Victory Generation – for Boston’s youth to "explore and thrive in a nurturing atmosphere of academic excellence where they feel understood and know that the very best is expected of them." To that end, the BMA (and now Greenwood Shalom) is "declaring the victory" for all of their children, to demonstrate confidence that they can face any challenge and reach their full potential - academically, socially and personally.
Greenwood Shalom's mission is to work with children, parents, and young adults within the community to guide them in achieving, to the fullest extent possible, their God-given potential. Our goal is to provide a safe and nurturing environment where we will attend to the spiritual, educational, physical, and social needs of children, parents and young adults. We believe in working in partnership with parents and the community to better equip children, youth, and their families to become productive members of society and to encourage and support parents in their own personal growth and development.
Statement of Neighborhood Assets and Needs:
According to the 2000 Census, 38% of all families residing in Dorchester earn below $30,000 per year. The average educational level is a high school diploma; 31% of the adult population has attained less than a high school diploma, twice the state average. According to the U.S. Census 2000, North Dorchester has seen a 7.6% population increase from 1990 to 2000, among the highest increases in the city. Data from The Health of Boston (The Boston Public Health Commission's report to the Mayor) indicates that, although North Dorchester's birth rates declined in the second half of the 1990's, we are still second highest of all Boston neighborhoods. This translates into a burgeoning school-age population here over the course of this decade.
Thirty-one percent of Dorchester’s children live below the Federal Poverty Level. Dorchester leads all Boston neighborhoods in the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels for children under age 5 (50% higher than the city rate). It also has the second highest infant mortality rates and asthma hospitalization rates among children under age 5.
There has been a recent spike in violence, primarily area youth-on-youth violent acts, in close proximity to Greenwood Church. The Boston Public Health Commission reports that North Dorchester had the second highest non-fatal assault related gunshot and stabbing injuries of all Boston neighborhoods between 2000 and 2003. Further, while 22% of Boston’s population lives in Dorchester, 41% of the city’s victims of violent gunshot and knife injuries for the period 1999-2001 were Dorchester residents. In 2004, 30% of Boston’s homicides took place in Dorchester.
The Need for Quality After-School Programs in Boston:
A recent study by the After-School Alliance found that African American and Hispanic youth spend more time unsupervised than other children, and their families exhibit a higher demand for after-school programs than white families. Another recent study - by Brandeis University’s Community Families & Work Program - discovered that a lack of dependable after-school activities for their children can disrupt parents’ productivity at work and psychological health.
A recent Boston Mayor's Task Force reports that two-thirds of Boston youth ages five to fourteen live in families with either a single working parent or both parents that work. Further, one-third of juvenile offenses occur between 2pm and 6pm. The Task Force also found that, without structured after-school programs, kids also are more likely to be a victim of a crime, use drugs and alcohol, be depressed, and be sexually active.
According to the Boston Indicators Report, North Dorchester has the second fewest Boston Public Library books in circulation of all Boston neighborhoods. This report also cites Dorchester as one of the "kids-intensive" neighborhoods with fewer arts and cultural facilities and resources. At the same time, and despite recent gains, almost 65% of Boston’s 3rd graders need additional resources and support to gain proficiency in reading.
A 2003 After School for All Partnership Parents Survey revealed a growing demand for after-school programs in Boston. In fact, 85% of parents believe after-school programming “an essential public service, critical to their children’s academic and social success.”
Finally, a report to the Boston After School for All Partnership (revised, June, 2002), “After-School Programs in Boston: What Young People Think and Want,” found the following themes to be key aspects of after school programs for Boston youth:
“1) their growth and learning are dependent on the degree to which they are engaged in experiential learning processes, have choices that represent the skills and growth opportunities they seek, and find space in the structure of their time for refuge and relaxation from the stressors they face every day;
2) they require the safety, respect, and trust available only through supportive relationships in order to value their experience in any program;
3) they want a greater degree of voice in a variety of aspects of the programs in which they participate;
4) program infrastructure, including the availability, appropriateness, and condition of facilities and resources, influenced the quality of their experiences; and
5) programs must respond to the wide range of needs and obstacles that can keep after school programs from being accessible to the maximum number of young people.”