December 3, 2014- Mayor Martin J. Walsh celebrated the opening of the new Julia Butler Youth and Family Center at the Lenox/Camden public housing development in Lower Roxbury. The new Center is the focus of a community building initiative that will provide programs for local youth and families and ultimately seeks to support improved public safety and well-being for all residents of the neighborhood.
“It’s crucial that youth and families in our neighborhoods have the resources and support they need to achieve positive outcomes and quality of life,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “This collaboration proves that by working across departments and sectors we can bring about positive change in our communities.”
The Center’s focus is to connect local youth with opportunities within the community and provide a positive place for them to engage in educational and social programming. A partnership between the Boston Housing Authority, Boston Police Department, and the North American Family Institute (NAFI) led the effort, which is patterned after a similar project undertaken by the same partners that revitalized the youth center and programming for residents at the BHA’s Franklin Field public housing development in Dorchester. The Franklin Field effort has proven to be very successful and the center provides after-school programming, a Culinary Arts program, a focus on youth and police trust building and other activities for area youth. Adult programming to support wellness, fitness and economic empowerment will be provided as well. NAFI runs the programming at Franklin Field and will also oversee programming and community engagement at the Julia Butler Center.
“We’re excited to finally be able to see youth and families utilizing this space once again and so appropriately be naming it after Julia Butler,” said BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle. “This new partnership captures Julia’s giving spirit perfectly.”
In order to meet the needs of the community, the initiative grew to include a number of private partners. Wells Fargo contributed more than $145,000 in financial donations and volunteer support from local team members and partners to help open the center and support the vision. On October 30, Wells Fargo volunteers led a Day of Giving that included NAFI staff, other partners, and the kids from the neighborhood who will use the space. The children provided input on the décor, computer and electronic equipment, and games that were purchased and installed by Wells Fargo and the team of partners.
Northeastern University has made a two-year financial commitment to the Center and program and provided furniture for the space. Other donors and sponsors who have contributed at various levels to make this extraordinary opportunity become a reality are listed below.
The BHA renovated the space, and installed new handicapped accessible kitchens and baths as well as a wheelchair lift with the assistance of United Elevator and the Boston Building Trades.
The Center is being named after long-time BHA resident leader Julia E. Butler. Julia was a member of the BHA’s Resident Advisory Board and was on the Board at the Committee for Boston Public Housing (CBPH). She was known for her community activism and as “Nana” in the neighborhood due to her giving spirit and continual help to others around her, whether it be a hungry child, a sick neighbor who needed a ride to the doctor, or a victim of Domestic Violence. Julia passed away in April at 88 years old.
Julia Butler’s grandson, Brent Henry, along with Vincent Cameron, created a program and an opportunity for neighborhood kids about four years ago through his long-standing relationship to the neighborhood and his community based work. This effort, called Vibrant Boston, became the inspiration behind the creation of the Center with the support and determination of Police Officer Jorge Dias. Officer Dias is a 20-year veteran of the BPD who has spent his entire career in District D-4, which covers the South End and Lower Roxbury neighborhoods. He is a passionate community advocate and a champion of our youth, particularly of those less fortunate. Officer Dias was unwavering in his vision to create a "safe space" in which "kids could simply be kids."
Youth programming existed at the space at one time through the BHA’s Youth on the Rise program but the center had to be closed in 2001 when the federal government eliminated funding for the program.
The initiative also received support through the Executive Office of Public Safety/Shannon Grant, Boylston Properties, Druker Co Ltd., Police Athletic League, Normandy Properties, The Boston Foundation, National Development, John Boyle, and Jim Geraghty.
The Boston Housing Authority is the largest housing authority in New England and provides almost 10% of Boston’s residents with subsidized housing. For more information, visit www.bostonhousing.org.
North American Family Institute (NAFI) is a human service agency made up of 100 innovative learning and healing programs in 10 states. NAFI has been operating since 1974 and uses research-based approaches to achieve a high level of adult/youth cooperation in all of its programs. The common theme across NAFI¹s treatment, education, and prevention services is the development of community through mutual respect and accountability. NAFI has been working with the Boston Police and Boston Housing Authority at the Franklin Field Housing Development since 2007. NAFI has a daily presence at Franklin Field with youth programming, case management and parent supports that have resulted in an increase in youth success, including 30 involved youth moving on to higher education.
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.6 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,700 locations, 12,500 ATMs, and the internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 29 on Fortune's 2014 rankings of America's largest corporations. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy all our customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs and Wells Fargo Stories.
To see more photos from this event, visit our Flickr page.