By John Lynds
Peggy Bradley has long been a recognizable figure in Charlestown through her work with the Charlestown Preservation Society, Charlestown Sprouts and Charlestown Neighborhood Council.
This month, Bradley received the well deserved honor of being named an Action for Boston Community Development Community Hero.
Bradley received the honor at ABCD’s annual Community Heroes Gala at the Copley Marriott. She was nominated for the award by the staff and volunteers of the John F. Kennedy Center in Charlestown.
“The John F. Kennedy Center is one of my favorite places in town that is led by a group of dedicated staff and volunteers,” said Bradley. “Through my work with the CNC distributing grants around Charlestown I’ve had the honor of working closely with this staff as well as connecting then center with other groups in the neighborhood. I feel like I am part of big family.”
Bradley said that there is a misconception that social service programs like the John F. Kennedy Center are places driven by the government and government funding.
“What the center really does well is identify families that are having hard times connect with programs,” said Bradley. “They find out what the families need and base their services on that.”
One program at the John F. Kennedy Center funded by CNC grants. Bradley said, was a pilot program that identified young mothers that were overwhelmed and basically helped them become better parents.
“They figured this whole program out at the center,” she said. “It wasn’t government driven but driven by the staff and volunteers at the center that saw a need for a program like the one the CNC was able to fund.”
Bradley is a retired cancer researcher and administrator with a doctorate in molecular virology. She joined the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and spent many years teaching and writing grants in support of her work there, at other institutions and start-up companies. Bradley also holds an Executive MBA degree from Suffolk University.
When she moved to Charlestown, she became a member of the North Area Task Force, and played a key role in the development of Charlestown’s City Square Park. A resident of a 200-year old house, Bradley became a board member of the Charlestown Preservation Society. She was President of the a community garden program, the Charlestown Sprouts.
As a longstanding member of the Charlestown Neighborhood Council she organized the distribution of $1 million in grant awards to various non-profits.
Also, her work with the Spaulding-CNC Community Partnership Fund brought forth $500,000 in pledged grants over the next five years.
A signature event, ABCD’s Community Heroes Celebration honors everyday heroes and legends that help support the anti-poverty agency’s mission to provide low-income residents within the Greater Boston region the tools and resources needed to transition from poverty to stability to success.
“Once again, ABCD is proud to put the spotlight on the volunteers and community members that go above and beyond to assist, serve, and educate our most vulnerable residents and economically disenfranchised families,” said ABCD President/CEO. John Drew.