Your stories, our campaigns

Accessing healthy and affordable food

My family is proud of our stores and that they not only provide healthy, culturally appropriate food to the community but good-paying jobs for our over 100 employees, many of whom lived below the poverty level before this loan allowed us to expand and invest in Vicente’s, and in our community.”

Jason Barbosa
President, Vicente’s Supermarket in Brockton

Vicente’s received a loan from the Massachusetts Food Trust Program in FY20 to renovate its original store location on Main Street. The renovation includes new equipment and expansion of the produce, meat and dairy departments.

After years of advocacy by MPHA, this year the Massachusetts Food Trust Program awarded its first loans and grants to expand healthy food access in low- and moderate-income communities. In its first year of operation, the Food Trust used $1M in state seed capital to leverage $4.1M in private funding. In all, the Program has now provided low-interest loans and grants to 12 healthy food enterprises in seven communities – from Adams to Roxbury – and improved healthy food access for more than 470,000 people.

Creating New Collaborations for Affordable Housing

MPHA is a leader in bringing together the health care and social service sectors to focus on housing as a social determinant of health. Through education, advocacy, and relationship building, MPHA supports health care institutions in taking action to address housing instability and builds the capacity of social service organizations to partner with the health care sector.”

Joe Finn
President & Executive Director of the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance.

MPHA made significant strides in our effort to bring together healthcare leaders and housing advocates to address the Commonwealth’s affordable housing crisis and its impact on health equity. Working with a broad coalition of partners, we developed the “Massachusetts Principles for Healthy and Affordable Housing” and secured more than 50 endorsements from hospitals, community health centers, and other organizations. We also organized a series of webinars to educate health care leaders about housing policy, existing partnerships, and the health impacts of inadequate affordable housing. Next year, we will continue ramping up our efforts to mobilize healthcare leaders and institutions to help resolve this critical issue.

Enhancing transportation equity

MPHA’s organizing work to build support for the Regional Transit Authorities is changing the public debate in our region. More people are starting to understand that transportation is not just about roads and rails. It is about the health, lives, and well-being of real people. For people with disabilities and older adults, good public transportation is essential for independent living. Partnering with MPHA, we are making real progress in maintaining and expanding the transportation services that are essential for the communities we serve.”

Jennifer Lee-Rambharose
Coordinator of Independent Living Services at Stavros, a provider of independent living services to people with disabilities in Western Massachusetts

Following up on our successful efforts in 2018 to defeat major proposed funding cuts, in 2019 MPHA helped increase funding for public transportation in communities across the state by co-leading the Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition. Working together, the coalition protected and expanded critical transportation services – which provide access to jobs, groceries, education programs, social services, child care, medical appointments, and substance use disorder treatment for more than 34 million residents of 262 Massachusetts cities and towns.

Strengthening Public Health Infrastructure

MPHA is an invaluable partner in the campaign to end childhood lead poisoning in Massachusetts. Their leadership and commitment to this issue has been transformative. MPHA is bringing together people from a wide swath of perspectives to galvanize change and work toward a future where all children in Massachusetts will be free from lead exposure.”

Julian Cyr
Massachussetts State Senator, Cape and the Islands

Continuing our efforts to bolster preventative public health services in Massachusetts, MPHA secured funding to implement recommendations made by the Special Commission for Local and Regional Public Health and also won $2.7M in new funding for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at the Department of Public Health (DPH). This will allow DPH to respond more quickly to existing cases of childhood lead poisoning and work more effectively to prevent future cases.

Your stories, our campaigns — 2019

Your stories, our campaigns

Accessing healthy and affordable food