Why Roxbury? To smash stereotypes and see the motives behind philanthropic efforts

By Megan Donovan

Raised-beds hoist sustainability in Dudley

By Megan Donovan

ROXBURY – Behind a blue house off Dudley Street, green leaves and yellow flowers have sprouted in the soil of a three-by-eight foot garden. The raised-bed garden is an enclosed frame made out of 2x6 wood filled with compost. By mid-June, the plants, which now look like weeds, will produce strawberries.

These raised-bed gardens are part of The Food Project’s Build-a-Garden plan which encourages residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan and Jamaica Plain to grow their own food. Nearly every other house in the Dudley neighborhood has some sort of garden bed, and requests for more raised-beds continue. This year, The Food Project plans to construct some 200 garden beds in these neighborhoods.

“Our focus is on food access and helping people grow their own food in Boston,” said Michael Iceland, the outreach coordinator for The Food Project.

The Build-a-Garden initiative began as a response to large amounts of lead in the soil of the Dudley neighborhood. Over time, lead from paint on houses had ran off into the soil, making it dangerous to grow crops.

The solution was a raise-bed garden, made out of four pieces of wood from local sources with a weed mat as a base. The base is then filled with 4 to 6 inches of compost on top of the lead-ridden soil.

Since it began in 2008, the Build-a-Garden project has built more than 400 beds, providing enough food to feed over 700 people.

The Food Project constructs and delivers the beds, along with soil and seedlings at a cost of about $250. The average applicant only pays about $40 for the bed because of the programs “pay what you can” philosophy.

“I think only a couple people have paid in full,” said Danielle Andrews, the community food organizer of The Food Project’s Boston office.

The Food Project began with a few acres of farm land in Lincoln and has since taken up projects in Boston. With the acquisition of 1.6 acres of land off West Cottage Street, granted by the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, the program began to educate locals about agriculture and sustainability. Since then, The Food Project has acquired two more plots of land in Roxbury and has launched a new farm in Lynn, which employs youth in the summer.

The Food Project’s latest community plan is to use another space acquired by the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative as a greenhouse that would cultivate crops to be locally sold year round.

For the time being, the 10,000 square foot greenhouse is being used as a space to build and store more raised-bed gardens.

Somali community comes together in Roxbury Crossing

By Megan Donovan

ROXBURY – Since it opened 10 years ago, Butterfly Coffee has become more than a place for Somali men and women to gather over lattes and scones. Located directly off the Orange Line at Roxbury Crossing, it has become a sanctuary for Somali refugees.

“It is a lifeline to those who wish they could be here,” said Abdillahi Abdirahman, owner of Butterfly Coffee and and its adjacent money-wiring service.

Political instability and civil war has caused many Somalis to seek refuge in America. Since the 1990s, more than 6,000 Somalis have come to the Boston area.

Roxbury Crossing in particular has become a cultural center for Somali refugees. Somali-owned businesses and a mosque are major draws to the neighborhood.

Abdillahi, also known as “Mash”, came to the United States in ’83 and opened his business in 2000. He opened Butterfly Coffee as a backdrop to his money-wiring service, the only one in the New England area, which allows Somalis to send money directly to refugee camps in Africa. Without his business, Somalis wouldn’t be able to send as little as $50 to $200, which can last an individual in Africa about a month.

Mash, a Roxbury resident for more than 25 years, also serves Somalis living in Boston as president of the Somali Development Center in Jamaica Plain. Founded in 1996, the Center helps Somali refugees through the naturalization process.

“We are working to build both cultures together,” Abdillahi said.

Every year, between 500 and 1,500 immigrants depend on its services. Besides providing English language and citizenship classes, the Somali Development Center helps refugees find housing and jobs, provide health assistance and legal counsel.

“Some have adapted more than others,” said Ahmed Gedi, a friend of Mash’s who wears a pink Ralph Lauren oxford.

In order for a Somali refugee to begin the naturalization process, they must first be a living in the United States for a year. After one year, the law states that one may apply for a green card. After five years, the individual may apply for citizenship.

“We work with an individual well passed the six years it takes to become a citizen,” said Abdirahman Yusuf, the executive director at the center.

The Somali Development Center has three locations outside of Boston, including Springfield, MA, Chelsea, MA, and Manchester, NH.

Somalis account for the third largest nationality seeking refuge in the United States, after Afghanistan and Iraq. Abdillahi used this as an example of why Somalis are easily accepted.

“Because America is so diverse, you can work your way up the ladder fast simply if you are determined and work hard,” Abdillahi said, “that isn’t true of any other country.”

Somalis have also been drawn to Roxbury Crossing as a place of congregation and worship since a mosque opened last June. Religious holidays, celebrations and funerals bring the Somali community together, even from those living outside Massachusetts.

Mash says many will make a long trip into Roxbury from out of state on a weekly basis to wire money to family, pray and converse about politics over a cup coffee.

Restuarants that can take the heat could see upturn

By Megan Donovan

ROXBURY – After a pipe burst and caused severe water damage, a 30-year-old southern style staple, Mississippi’s, was no more. Owner Jim LaFond-Lewis saw the damage as a symbol he should get of the business, so he took the insurance money and put his popular cafeteria style restaurant up for sale.

“I had fallen out of love,” Lewis said.

Lewis says his interest in Mississippi’s began to dwindle as his restaurant’s sales declined. That was in March 2009.

Nationwide sales in the service sector dropped in 2008 and 2009. Figures from the US Department of Labor showed more job loses than gains per month during those two years. But according to the latest reports from the U.S. Department of Commerce, an increase in sales revenue and jobs has been shown in January and February 2010.

Massachusetts is projected to register $12.4 billion in sales for year ending 2010, but only those who have survived months of losing sales will benefit from a projected turnaround.

Lewis cites significant drops in his customer base, the majority of which comes from corporate catering jobs, during 2008 and 2009. With no partners or peers in the business, Lewis could only draw from himself to motivate his employees and finance developments within his restaurant.

“There are expectations in a restaurant, especially in a one-of-a-kind restaurant,” said Lewis. “If you aren’t continuously expanding and planning new ventures, you’re business will suffer.”

Other business owners in the area have seen a decline in customers. Butterfly Coffee has been serving muffins and lattes to fewer and fewer students and commuters, who account for 80 percent of its business.

“Over the summer it’s dead,” said Amelia Walker, barista at Butterfly Coffee.

Abdillahi Abdirahman, owner of the coffee house, says he has struggled with bills, even though he has close ties to his customers.

“Sometimes I can’t make payroll,” Abdirahman said. “I give them what I can under the table, until we make the money back.”

Abdirahman says he works up to 18 hours everyday and makes other sacrifices to cut costs.

“I haven’t gotten paid in months,” Abdirahman said. “It’s as if I am running a non-profit for the community.”

When asked why he started his business, he replied: “That’s what I ask myself.”

Some businesses say they are fairing well, though, amid tough economic times. Restaurants who have focused on take-out and delivery are some who have been able to tough out the last two trying years.

Jasvin Saini, a manager at AK’s Take Out & Delivery, which has three locations, one in Roxbury Crossing, says business has slowed significantly, but they are still able to pay bills.

“It’s very bad, but we are surviving,” Saini said.

Ideal Sub Shop on Dudley Street, which has been co-owned by Antonio Rosa for 35 years, says they are as busy as ever. One of their secrets: using family as labor.

“It keeps wages low and allows us to spend more on the best meat and best ingredients,” Rosa said.

Roxbury Community College sees steady enrollment rate

By Megan Donovan

ROXBURY – At a time of recession and increasing unemployment, community colleges across the country have seen jumps in enrollment. Though most have seen increases of at least 5 percent, at Roxbury Community College, the number of students taking courses for credit has increased only 3.5 percent from 2007 to 2008.

“We still have classes that are vacant during the day,” said Walter Clark, dean of enrollment at Roxbury Community College.

Community colleges such as Capital in Hartford, Conn. and Bunker Hill in Charlestown saw enrollment from 2007 to 2008 increase more than 5 percent and have since put caps on admission. Roxbury Community College, though, is seeking more students to enroll in classes.

“Our demographics are different. There is a lot of hand holding,” Clark said. “Out of all the individual community colleges in Massachusetts, we serve students who are the most economically depressed.”

More than two-thirds of degree-seeking Roxbury Community College students are part-time. Most work jobs during the day and take classes at night. Many are also the first in their family to attend college.

“There is a lot of anxiety for adults seeking to earn a degree,” Clark said. “Students right out of high school are used to theory, but adult learners are a little different. They question: ‘How can I use this information in my job?’”

Every semester, the college holds a career fair, making up to 40 employers accessible to students, alumni, and the surrounding community. The fairs aim to connect students to higher paying jobs.

“When employers commit to do the fair, they commit to hiring someone,” said Irina Galatskaya, fair organizer and career placement and planning counselor at Roxbury Community College.

The career center holds resume and interview workshops in order to prepare those heading out into the job market. The center is also responsible for attracting new students. They attend every area high school’s college fair and have made efforts to simplify the application process in order to attract students.

“We just ask for a high school diploma, application and $10,” said Gloria Castro, an admissions counselor. “We will not look at GPA or transcripts.”

The average age of a student at the college is 28, and almost 70 percent are women. Clark said those factors, along with other sociological reasons, skew retention rates when compared with four-year colleges.

“Mothers can’t find day care for their children and are forced to withdraw,” Clark said.

Because of lack of support and financial inadequacies, some students still find accessibility to college life difficult.

“My 6-year-old son has a computer, but my students don’t have a laptop, desktop, anything,” Clark said.

Those who seek shelter or service won’t be turned away

SOUTH END—An unmarked van rolls up to Pine Street Inn’s back lot and several men and women with shamrocks pinned to their green shirts begin to unload steaming pots and pans.

Every third Saturday of the month, about 18 members of the Holy Ghost Parish in Whitman serve a prepared meal to 300 homeless men at the shelter on Harrison Avenue. This Saturday’s dinner was in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, with 150 pounds of corned beef, 150 pounds of potatoes and 50 pounds of cabbage.

Coffie Fields, the volunteer coordinator at Pine Street Inn, said she gets many requests from individuals and groups seeking to volunteer. Many are like those from the Holy Ghost parish, members of a local church.

“We focus on getting volunteers who show potential for long-term, consistent volunteering,” Fields said. “But we won’t turn others away unless help isn’t needed for that particular day.”

Paul Stokinger, Ed MacGilvrey, and Wayne Andrews have collectively spent over 75 years volunteering at the Inn. In the many years they have spent preparing and serving food here, they have noticed a change in the volume of homeless men they cater to.

“We used to serve up to 500, but now it’s usually somewhere between 250 and 325 people,” Stokinger said.

“And we have never run out of food,” MacGilvrey said.

They said a day of cooking in their parish kitchen and driving 20 miles to serve the food was rewarding.

“We never want to serve something that isn’t good so we try it, especially the desserts,” Andrews said.

Particularly during the holiday season in November and December there is an influx of people wishing to volunteer. Overall, the numbers of individuals and groups seeking to help at the Pine Street Inn are steady, Fields said.

According to Pine Street Inn’s annual report, nearly 60 percent of revenue, over $20 million, is government funded. Over $2.9 million is raised through in-kind donations, accounting for only 7 percent of the budget.

“We’ve been spared from cuts,” Fields said.

Though funding has been the same for the past few years, costs have continued to rise at the Inn. As a result, developmental housing projects and renovations have slowed.

A building on Upton Street is being renovated and, when completed, will be sold at market price. Originally, the building was intended to be permanent housing for homeless men and women, but changed as the result of an agreement with the Union Park Neighborhood Association.

“The decision to sell was more of an effort to appease residents of the South End, but the money doesn’t hurt,” Fields said.

Controversy came from South End residents who said that the permanent housing project could alter the character of the neighborhood. A compromise to sell one row house was made that would keep 19 units available to formerly homeless men and women.

Amid the slow development process for permanent housing, Pine Street Inn is providing emergency shelter for 450 men and women. When there aren’t enough beds, surrounding shelters are contacted until all who wish for shelter receive it.

“Yesterday, we shuttled 35 people to Pilgrim Shelter in Dorchester,” said David Johnson, a supervisor at the check-in desk. “We won’t turn anyone away just because we may be full.”

Ruggles Crime Rate Gives NU Students Reason to Shuttle

By Megan Donovan

ROXBURY -- Ruggles station, which borders Northeastern University had significantly higher crime rates than nearby stations at Massachusetts Avenue and Roxbury Crossing, according to recent MBTA. Last year, Ruggles had 35 crimes reported, or 8 percent of total crime on the Orange Line. The Mass Ave station had 19 and Roxbury Crossing had 18 crimes reported.

“The MBTA is one of the safest forms of transportation in the country,” said James Varior, associate director of crime prevention at Northeastern University. “Ruggles is one of the busier stations. Buses, the T and the commuter rail all run out of there.”

Varior says Ruggles’ proximity to high schools such as Boston Latin School affects the crime rate. He could only recall one incident in which a student was involved in a crime on the T, and that was at Copley Square.

“The attacks are typically not random,” said Varior.

Still, Northeastern students tend to avoid Ruggles station and choose the green line.
“I do not feel as comfortable traveling alone on the Orange Line, especially at night, and less comfortable waiting alone at most of their train stations,” said Mary Avila, who graduated in 2009.

Northeastern’s public safety division provides students who feel uncomfortable around campus with an escort service from dusk until dawn. They also provide a shuttle that runs hourly between dusk and dawn, which picks up off-campus students at a designated location and drives them home.

“I have had friends who frequently made use of the shuttle to get back from the library to the Davenport residence halls as well, as they did not feel safe crossing through the garage or Ruggles past midnight,” Avila said.

Though some students are safety conscious, others still choose to walk 2 miles at 2 a.m., intoxicated and unaware, to save money on a cab. These are the crimes of opportunity Varior worries about.

“Use street smarts,” he says. “Travel in groups and don’t let your guard down.”

Ruggles ranks third in stations with the highest crime rate. Downtown Crossing is second, reporting 64 crimes, or 15 percent of total Orange Line crimes. Forest Hills station ranks No. 1 with 95 crimes, or 22 percent of crime on the Orange Line.

Clergy Members Gain Trust; Crime Rates Drop

By Megan Donovan



ROXBURY-- Reverend Bruce Wall of Global Ministries Christian Church uses his two cable TV shows and numerous radio shows to raise money to fight crime. Rufus Faulk, the gang mediation coordinator for the Christian based TenPoint Coalition, employs workers within the community to meet with youth to prevent gang activity.

From 2006 to 2009, violent crime rates in the Roxbury and Dorchester areas has decreased by 22%. Some have attributed the decrease to influence from the clergy who have used their presence to create programs that focus on educating the youth about the destructiveness of gang violence.

“The black churches have great credibility and visibility within the community,” said David Trueblood, spokesman for the Boston Foundation, which sponsors programs to reduce youth violence. “They make good partners because they have a history within the community.”

The Boston Foundation is a main donor to StreetSafe, a program that deploys street workers into the community to create relationships with at-risk youth aged 16-24. StreetSafe has offices within different community centers throughout the South End, Roxbury and Dorchester. It partners with non-religious based organizations, such as the Yawkey Club of Roxbury, as well as the Black Ministerial Alliance and TenPoint Coalition for street worker hiring and training. Street Safe attributes some of its success to clergy members that run these contributing foundations.

The decrease in violent crimes, which include homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, combined with an unstable economy, has meant cuts to grants that support these youth programs.

“We’ve seen a lull in street violence and a decrease in resources,” Faulk said. “People become complacent.”

While the TenPoint Coalition has seen cuts to grants, such as the Shannon grant, it receive from other foundations, Global Ministries has taken a self-reliant approach to finance its Stop the Violence campaign. It raises money through advertising on cable and radio shows.

“I don’t want to compete for money with other members of the clergy,” Wall said. “It becomes counterproductive to crime reduction.”

Still, some question whether the anti-gang message is compromised by the religious message. The Boston Police Department has formed partnerships with several organizations, including the Youth Service Providers Network, as a way to prevent crime without mixing with the church.

The Youth Service Providers Network office is also located in the Yawkey Club of Roxbury and its partnership brought in new members. Liz Skinner, a Northeastern student and volunteer coordinator at the club, said the network recommended the 7-year-old brother of a gang member join.

“He was allowed to skip the waitlist in this case,” Skinner said.

Others say too much police involvement with youth programs deters resolutions and prevents trust from building between street workers and gang members.

“You have to learn how to do things without the police because they aren’t going to be around 24/7,” Wall said. “They usually aren’t preventative. They show up after the fact.”

For some, trust is what makes the church more effective than police in crime reduction.

“I’d trust a member of the church community over a police officer because they’re more focused on ridding the streets of violence rather than what their next paycheck is going to look like,” said Kyle Rosa, 19, a native Roxbury resident.

Turner uses allegations to draw attention to Roxbury

By Megan Donovan
Image by AP Photo/Angela Rowlings

ROXBURY-- City Councilor Chuck Turner awaits trial which is set for June 21st. Tuner was re-elected to a sixth term last November by a 20-point margin amid federal corruption charges.


Despite preparing for court, Turner says his focus is still on the neighborhoods he represents, including Roxbury, Lower Roxbury, and parts of the Fenway, South End and Dorchester.


Turner says, though, the allegations have affected his family and what he can do in office. “The president [of the education committee] won’t let me sit as chair, but you don’t have to be chair of a committee to be involved,” Turner said.



His projects include prodding the State Department of Conservation and Recreation to repair an old ice rink in the North End and make it available to youth programs. He is also spurring his community to participate in the census.


Harold Raymond, 54, a former Roxbury resident, started a 41 unit housing project on Rockland Avenue with Turner in 1995. He called the allegations against Turner a political stunt and said the attention would work in his favor.


“It fits into the scope of his community activism by drawing attention,” Raymond said.


Turner accuses former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan of filing the charges to remove him from office. Turner argues the charges are retaliation for the pressure he put on Sullivan from 2000 and 2004 after a series of police brutality cases. Tuner also said that Sullivan may want to run for office.


“[Sullivan’s] saying to himself, ‘If I can take out Diane [Wilkerson] and Chuck it will help gain favor with white politicians,’” Turner said.
He also links Sullivan to former US Attorney General John Ashcroft, who hired Sullivan to the Boston office of his consulting firm. He says that perhaps his plan is make opportunities to put his people in office.


“One of my concerns is activity that puts tax money down industry rat holes,” said Turner about the worries he has about Sullivan and Ashcroft seeking power.

Turner has turned the attention of his corruption charges to attention in his community, Councilor John Tobin of neighboring District 8 said.


“He has a full staff right in the middle of his community in Dudley Square and at city hall,” said Tobin. “He’s always been there for them.”


Turner’s challenger in the November election, thirty three year-old Carlos Henriques, said he saw inadequacies in the way the government was being run by, what he called, “gatekeepers.”


“Politics have gotten more attention in Roxbury since the elections of Deval Patrick and Barack Obama,” said Henriquez, who he cites as some of his own inspirations for running for office.


Though he had the support of The Globe and Herald, age, experience, and personal connections to Turner are reasons why Henriquez says he lost the election.


“Turner maintains his innocence and his community supports him until otherwise proven guilty,” said Henriquez.

Bringing Food Justice to BPS and Roxbury

By Megan Donovan

ROXBURY----At the Hi-Lo market in Jamaica Plain, Didi Emmons picks 10 bags of white beans, five onions, eight carrots and a head of garlic which will work as the base for her vegetarian bean chili. She’s preparing for a test run that could result in her chili recipe as the main entre in the cafeteria of some of Boston’s poorer public schools located in Roxbury, Dorchester and Jamaica Plain.

Emmons says too many children eat processed foods and wants school cafeterias to be able to prepare more than ready-made foods high in saturated fat. She wants to get more calories on a healthier plate so that these students get the right nutrition and aren’t hungry later. Her solution: teach “food justice” and put fresh vegetables on the menu.

“These students need to know they are at a disadvantage,” Emmons said. “Because some come from lower income families, they are a fast food target.”

Emmons set out to make healthy, filling and delicious food for kids three years ago when she started a program called Take Back the Kitchen, along with Boston Police Officer Bill Baxter and curriculum manager Kelly Dunn. The program offers cooking classes to middle school students about how to eat healthy foods that taste good. It includes ‘side-by-side’ lessons for parents and children to learn how to shop at the grocery store and how to prepare simple meals.

“Didi’s recipes and honesty has gotten through to them,” Dunn said. “She’s in touch with the community and realizes that they don’t have a lot of time or money, but she finds a balance and comes up with delicious food.”

Once in Emmons’ class, the students claimed to have an allergy which suddenly disappears when they smell fresh vegetables roasting in the oven.
Emmons has opened four restaurants, Veggie Planet in Cambridge, DeLux and Pho Republique in the South End and the café portion of Dudley’s non-profit Haley House.

“I’m still wrangling with the idea that I need to make a name for myself and to be appreciated for my culinary creativity. But that’s not always satisfying. I want to know, what can I do to help?” Emmons said.

Bing Broberick, currently the Business Marketing Manager at Haley House, said that the lack of healthy food options in the area is what drew Emmons to the area.

“I had a vision of over-stepping the black boundary,” said Emmons who is white. “There is a whole world I was not aware of. The non-profit scene in Roxbury is so huge.”

At Haley House, ex-convicts make up the majority of employees. Emmons says she has never been the victim of a crime in her 5 years working in Roxbury. Instead, she has gotten to know the community and says she has met incredibly resourceful men and women who have changed her outlook on life.

“They were my adoptive family,” Emmons said. “There is a lot of concern for other people [in Roxbury] that you can’t find in JP or Brookline.”

Emmons has moved on from Haley House but is still teaching Take Back the Kitchen courses and is writing her third cook book.

She demonstrated her veggie white bean chili recipe to 50 public school cafeteria managers last Thursday and is optimistic change is coming to menus.