BOSTON – The Boston Public Health Commission, in partnership with the Codman Square Neighborhood Council, the Boston Alliance for Community Health, and the BOLD (Breath of Life Dorchester) Teens, will host a community forum to discuss how to improve the health of Codman Square residents. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7, at the Great Hall, 6 Norfolk Street in Dorchester. This is the fourth in this year’s series of citywide health forums that the Commission conducts annually.
The Dorchester meeting is an opportunity for people living and working in the community to discuss health issues in their neighborhood. Participants will hear findings from the latest Health of Boston report including about consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and rates of resulting chronic disease such as diabetes, as well as health initiatives taking place in the community and the impact they are having. A major goal of the meeting will be for residents to envision their ideal healthy community, and to develop partnerships that will help build a stronger, healthier Dorchester.
“I always look to this annual meeting to hear what some of the needs are and how we can work better together to get to the causes and help BOLD Teens identify specific action to move all of us forward,” said Shaquille Jones, a BOLD Teens leaders.
“We’ve been so inspired by the work occurring in neighborhoods like Codman Square and thrilled that the meetings we have held in Dorchester have begun to support residents to make positive change in their neighborhood,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “We are excited to be back in Codman Square for the third year in a row, and to continue working with the BOLD Teens and others in the community to help make our community healthier.”
Cynthia Loesch, former President of Codman Square Neighborhood Council, said, “We are always excited to see that by working together with community residents we can make important changes, through our effective partnerships with the Boston Public Health Commission. And by doing more preventative work, by addressing the causes of illness and disease in our communities, Commissioner Ferrer, and her staff, are to be commended for their leadership.”
WHAT: Codman Square Community Health Forum
WHEN: Wednesday, December 7, at 6:00 pm
WHERE: The Great Hall, 6 Norfolk Street in Dorchester
The event is free and open to the public. Light dinner will be provided at no charge. For more information, contact Aliza Wasserman at 617-534-7781, awasserman@bphc.org or Rev. Bill Loesch 617-650-2049, bill.loesch@codman.org.
-BPHC-