An East Boston organization working with the immigrant community here is among six organizations in the the City of Boston to receive a mental health mini-grant from Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA).
Mayor Michelle Wu made the announcement this week that the Community Healing Center Project with Mutual Aid Eastie will receive $6,500 to help expand mental health programming for immigrant communities.
“Accessing traditional mental health services can be challenging for immigrant communities because of barriers from language and culture,” said Mayor Wu. “These nonprofits are providing mental health support in a way that meets residents where they are, and I am grateful that the City can support their important and timely efforts.”
Mutual Aid Eastie (MAE) connects neighbors to neighbors by building safe, welcoming, and resilient community spaces where residents and organizations live in solidarity with one another. MAE creates community by connecting each other to reliable and trustworthy information, resources, services, culture, and movements.
The grant money will be used to help the Community Healing Center Project with MAE host art fairs and training sessions focused on healing practices like peace circles in Eastie.
“COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted our immigrant communities,” said Yusufi Vali, Director of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement. “As we address recovery efforts, we must prioritize mental health and explore innovative ways to help people heal.”
MOIA will partner with the Leah Zallman Center for Immigrant Health Research to learn how the Community Healing Center Project with MAE and other awardees improve mental health resources for immigrants. The results will be used to guide the City’s future investments in programming.