District Attorney Rachael Rollins announced that her office is providing $200,000 in grant funds to 44 community-based nonprofits – double the funding delivered to community partners in past years – to support efforts benefiting youth across Boston, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop.
During a virtual ceremony this afternoon, District Attorney Rollins honored the 2021 Community Reinvestment Grant recipients, who received grants ranging from $1,500 to $5,000. In addition to providing funds to support vital programming, District Attorney Rollins and her staff committed to visits at each of the 44 community programs – the most organizations to ever receive the grants from this office in a single year.
“I was elected DA on the promise that I would use the power of this office to lift up communities. Prosecutors are not merely attorneys; we are ministers of justice. That role extends far beyond the courtroom. Racial justice. Economic justice. Educational equity. Equal access to medical and mental health care. Commitment to our youths’ success and improvement. These are all societal issues that impact public safety but that can’t be handled exclusively through a law enforcement approach,” District Attorney Rollins told the nonprofit leaders and guests of this afternoon’s ceremony. “We can’t arrest our way out of substance use disorders or prosecute away poverty and lack of opportunity. What we can do, though, is partner with organizations like yours and support the excellent work that you do to build a better future for our young people and the communities they inhabit.”
During her first year in office in 2019, District Attorney Rollins distributed $100,000 in grants – nearly twice the amount that the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office has traditionally distributed during past years. Last year, the office was forced to suspend the grant program due to concerns about the global pandemic’s impact on the economy but held workshops training more than 100 local organizations on how to effectively apply for the grant funding. The office also took proactive steps to protect its budget, including implementing a furlough and placing employees in the state’s Workshare program. Despite continued economic uncertainty, District Attorney Rollins prioritized the program in 2021 and committed to doubling the total pool of funds to $200,000 to help community organizations build their capacity to perform their vital work serving Suffolk County’s young people.
“The work that our partner agencies perform every day makes a measurable impact in the lives of the young people, families and communities they serve. The last 15 months have been a challenge for nonprofits. At a time that there were fewer available resources and greater difficulties delivering services, members of our communities came to rely on service providers in greater numbers,” District Attorney Rollins said. “The 2021 Community Reinvestment Grant recipients have shown the importance of innovation and evolution, and they have shown the kind of positive impact that grassroots efforts make in our communities.”
This year’s Community Reinvestment Grant recipients are:
1. Becoming A Man (BAM)
2. Casa Myrna
3. La Colaborativa
4. Community Action for Safe Alternatives (CASA)
5. Community Action Programs Inter-City, Inc. (CAPIC)/ Revere Police Activities League (PAL)
6. HarborCOV
7. Hyde Square Task Force
8. MissionSAFE
9. Turn it Around – Charlestown Coalition
10.Winthrop Parks & Recreation