Summer Activites — Park Street Lot Events, Mulching Parties, a Resident Picnic, and a Donor Thank You Gathering

Clearing, Planting, Harvesting, and Eating at the Park Street Vacant Lot

We kicked off the summer with a cleanup and planting at the 381 Park Street lot in Dorchester. BNCLT residents and their neighbors came together to rake, mulch, and plant vegetables and flowers in the raised beds and along the periphery of the lot. On July 15th these neighbors came together again for a community cookout, which also included a harvesting of the raised beds (look at those squash!). We had lots of folks show up and come through. It was a great gathering of all ages (children, teenagers, and elders), together. Neighbors and BNCLT staff  brought amazing side dishes to go with the hamburgers and hot dogs. BNCLT resident leader Nevika Pinyochon sums it up perfectly:

“it’s amazing that the neighborhood is gathering together to get to know each other more and make our neighborhood stronger.” 

Thank you, Park Street residents and neighbors, for making this event awesome!

Gathering with BNCLT Residents at a Franklin Park Picnic

Our resident meeting for July was a picnic at Franklin Park. It was a beautiful day to bring together the BNCLT community, as residents, board, and staff convened over good food and even better discussion.  

“A good time had by all”

said Alma Chislom, BNCLT resident and Board President. 

Thanks to the residents who were able to come out, and for those who couldn’t make it, we hope to see you next time!

Announcing CommUNITY in Bloom 

We are excited to announce the launch of CommUNITY in Bloom, a new placekeeping initiative at BNCLT, focused on the beautifying and greening of BNCLT properties. CommUNITY in Bloom brings residents of our BNCLT community together to plan, design, and implement landscape improvements to their collective properties.  Our properties are more than just the buildings themselves — they are part of the neighborhood fabric that surrounds them. The yards that circle our properties are a key part of the connection between BNCLT’s properties and the rest of the neighborhood. They are a space that residents can bring to life, both for their own enjoyment and for their communities’.  This summer we are expanding on the work we started earlier this year with resident landscape envisioning workshops. Our next step is to hold "mulching" parties at residents’ properties to clean up planting areas, plant some perennials, and continue sharing ideas of other things to do in the yards around their buildings. We also did a cleanup with residents at 6 Humphreys Place to get this started and generate interest in future landscaping and placekeeping events. As we have been learning at the Park Street lot, outdoor spaces can foster community AND communities can foster outdoor spaces.

Are you a resident or a community member interested in getting your hands dirty? We have four more of these CommUNITY in Bloom events coming up over the upcoming weeks. Email our Community Stewardship Manager, Jason Desrosier, at JLDesrosier@bnclt.org for more information or to volunteer! 

Thank you to D&D Mulch and Landscape and Cochato Nursery and Display Garden for supporting these efforts through their very generous product donations!

Our Second Annual (Backyard) Donor Thank You Gathering

In addition to these many amazing events, we were also thrilled to host our 2nd Annual Donor Thank You Gathering. It was a beautiful, breezy summer evening, and guests could hear the sounds off brass instruments as they walked up the street to BNCLT board member Erica Schwarz’s backyard. Upon arrival, people greeted one another and served themselves a glass of wine or seltzer, and a plate of cheese, nuts, crackers, and fruit from AMAZING charcuterie boards prepared by BNCLT resident and board member (and longtime caterer) Eric Boyd. Executive Director Meridith Levy and Board President and resident Alma Chislom gathered everyone in a circle to share what’s new with BNCLT, and to convey deep gratitude for all of our supporters. As part of each of the organization’s updates, Meridith introduced and thanked all of the people who make that update possible — from staff, contractors, board members, residents, donors, community partners, to the musicians performing at the event. Some of these special people walked in right as she was expressing the importance of their contribution, as if on cue!

We are so grateful for the people who made it a great evening, and to all the BNCLT donors and supporters who make our organization what it is. Many, many thanks!