Boston – Rebuilding Together Boston (RTB), with its sponsors and volunteer partners, conducted community service projects on April 23-24.
The days of volunteer service were designed to create a community garden and gathering space in Mattapan, as well as supply desks to two local institutions to aid in student learning. This year’s efforts mark the 30th anniversary for RTB as a community-focused service organization serving low-income Boston homeowners and community centers.
The Edgewater Food Forest
Volunteers from sponsoring organizations worked with the Boston Food Forest Coalition, the Edgewater Neighborhood Association, and the Women’s Committee of the New England Council of Carpenters to create a new community garden and gathering space in Mattapan. Volunteers helped convert a derelict and landlocked parcel into a vibrant space for the neighborhood to gather and grow fruits and vegetables in a sustainable manner. Once completed, the Edgewater Food Forest will include paths, art installations, a platform for events, a walnut processing station, a rain catchment system, a shade garden, berry bushes, fruit trees, and a tiny library.
Build-A-Desk
Volunteers from Gilbane Building Company and the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston worked together to construct desks from material kits to supply them to two area institutions: the Mather Elementary School and the Church of the Nazarene in Dorchester. The New England Council of Carpenters offered its training facility to use as a staging area to construct the desks.
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“Rebuilding Together Boston is the only nonprofit in Boston to provide critical service projects at no cost to area homeowners and organizations,” says RTB’s executive director, Karen Clay. “We’re excited to be able to partner with our sponsors to offer these two opportunities for people to give back to the community. With heightened safety protocols in place, we are confident we will be able to hold safe and productive days to support these Boston organizations and make a real positive impact on the lives of so many Boston residents and school children.”
To learn more or get involved, visit rebuildingtogether.org.
