Planning Department Presents $140,000 in Community Benefits to Nonprofits Serving Dorchester

Members of the Planning Department presented 22 community organizations serving the Dorchester neighborhood with a total of $140,000 in community benefits funding at an awards ceremony Thursday at JustBook-ish. The organizations that are being recognized with this funding focus on various public services including: community development, youth programming, and promoting the arts in Boston. The organizations that received the largest amounts of money were the Teen Center at St. Peter's and the MassArt Foundation. The funding is a result of the South Bay Town Center project.

"I'm proud that we were able to make this funding available to organizations that do such great work in the Dorchester community," said Chief of Planning Kairos Shen. "I want to thank the community for their advocacy for these funds, and the development team for their collaboration."

The Teen Center at St. Peter's, which received $11,000, supports hundreds of students in the Dorchester area by providing them with programs and activities to increase their self-esteem, as well as providing the necessary tools for them to succeed personally, academically, and within their communities. The organization plans to use this funding to support their Teen Cafes, which take place every Friday and include free youth-led activities such as music, poetry, and spoken word. These events allow teens to build connections, express themselves, and develop leadership skills.

"This grant is a tremendous benefit to our after-school program, allowing us to expand resources, provide quality enrichment activities, and support more students in a safe, nurturing environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive," said Assistant Director for the Catholic Charities Teen Center at St. Peter's Lucas Medina.

The MassArt Foundation, which received $8,000, is the fundraising arm of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. With this funding, the organization plans to expand its Chain Link Gallery exhibitions, which are outdoor gallery installations that allow community members to convene and enjoy art, free of charge, and enable local artists to express their diverse work.

"The Chain Link Galleries grew from a simple idea-that art belongs in our daily lives-and with support from the Boston Planning Department, that vision has flourished," said Center for Art and Community Partnerships Associate Director and Director of sparc! the ArtMobile Ekua Holmes. "Their investment helps us transform everyday fences around the City into vibrant, open-air galleries that reflect the creativity, resilience, and voices of our communities."

In addition, local organization Words as Worlds, received more than $5,000 in grant funding, which will allow them to provide a selection of social justice themed books that cater to Dorchester. Words as Worlds is the non-profit organization in charge of events and programming, that owns bookstore, (for-profit subsidiary) JustBook-ish.

"We have been immensely grateful to have received this funding. We used our grant to purchase initial inventory so that we could in fact open our literary gathering space to community members," said Words as Worlds and JustBook-ish Co-Founder Porsha Olayiwola. "It wouldn't have been possible to have this space and the curation of literature without everyone pitching in, especially South Bay! We are excited to keep the work going by offering this third space and a plethora of high-quality, free programming and events for folks."

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About the Planning Department

The City of Boston's Planning Department shapes growth that serves Boston's residents and centers their needs. Our mission is to address our City's greatest challenges: resilience, affordability, and equity, and to take real estate actions and prioritize planning, development, and urban design solutions that further these priorities. We seek to build trust with communities through transparent processes that embrace predictable growth and shape a more inclusive city for all. Learn more at bostonplans.org, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BostonPlans.

• Last updated: September 19, 2025