Media Contact: Kelley Chunn
617.427.0046, (Cell) 617.388.7148
Harold Sparrow, Executive Director
Black Ministerial Alliance
617.445.2737, ext. 11
hsparrow@bmaboston.org
BMA will distribute $700,000 invested in services for at-risk youth
(Boston, MA) "Our goal is to develop a stronger network of faith-based and community-based organizations to improve the landscape of services available to youth and children in Boston," said Harold Sparrow, executive director of The Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston, Inc. Along with its partners, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Emmanuel Gospel Center, and Boston TenPoint Coalition, the BMA strategically is committing significant resources to address the needs of high-risk youth in the City of Boston. The partners are making available up to $700,000 in grants to faith-based and secular community-based organizations, which can expand best practice programs to serve high-risk youth in the City of Boston. The proposal deadline is this Friday, August 13 at noon.
The BMA and its partners expect to make 15 to 20 grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, which will be announced by October 1, 2004. Applications may be obtained from the BMA website, www.bmaboston.org. The goal of this grant initiative is to strengthen and improve the network of services offered to high-risk youth in the City of Boston.
The funds are part of a $2 million Compassion Capital Fund grant from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services; this marks the third of three grants made to the four partners. During the past two years, investments in the BMA have served over 96 faith-based and community-based organizations, which in turn have impacted over 22,000 youth and families in Boston’s poorest neighborhoods. To obtain a list of recent grantees, please visit our website at www.bmaboston.org.
About the Black Ministerial Alliance
The Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston, Inc. (BMA) is an interfaith organization providing advocacy and programs targeting issues that critically affect people of color in Boston. The general purpose of the BMA is to help Black youth and their families in the Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan communities through church-based programs.
In early 1960’s, a group of Boston pastors came together to form the interfaith alliance, now known as The Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston. Today, the BMA is one of the largest and most influential faith-based organizations representing the interests of Boston’s Black community. It now has 80 members including neighborhood associations, community development organizations and religious institutions of various denominations serving the Black community in Boston.
As part of our mission, the BMA creates positive change in the Boston area by providing extensive programming for education, training and technical assistance services for churches, youth and families in the communities of Boston’s poorest neighborhoods. Today, the BMA is one of the most diverse and active organizations in the city. It has active participation from churches representing over 20,000 parishioners.
We are a convener of resources, acting as a clearinghouse that collects and redistributes funds and technical assistance to build the capacity and strengthen faith-based and community organizations. Current investments in the BMA have served over 96 faith-based and community-based organizations which in turn have impacted over 22,000 youth and families in Boston’s poorest neighborhoods.
