In 2012, Allston-Brighton organizations commissioned a neighborhood needs assessment. The report found a lack of community cohesion, limited interaction between organizations serving the same populations, and a need for greater community knowledge of local resources. Additionally, community members discussed the adverse health impacts of the built environment and the lack of access to healthy and convenient foods. This assessment led to the formation of ABHC in order to address these social determinants and create spaces for information sharing, collaboration, and partnership. In 2013, funds from St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center were earmarked to build infrastructure for the newly formed Collaborative. The Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation (CDC) serves as ABHC’s fiscal sponsor; an MOU between the two organizations defines ABHC as programmatically separate with freedom to raise funds consistent with its mission.
In 2022, we established tools and systematized processes to help democratize our decision making and power while ensuring a welcoming environment for community members. We created network membership, which is free and open to anyone who lives in, works in, works on behalf of, or cares about Allston-Brighton. Members join by completing a form and identifying personal priority interests, ways that they want to engage in the network’s work, and by agreeing to a set of shared commitments. ABHC’s website includes access to a resource sharing portal and system that is empowering, accessible, and transparent to all ABHC Network members. All members gain access to data sets and reports, calendar invitations and events, contact information to connect with each other and key neighborhood leadership, tools and strategies to support their advocacy work, and more. Members can use an information portal that also includes transparency about ABHC’s operations and strategies, and tools and best practices for fellow organizations to integrate these systems into their models.
ABHC staff convene the network in varied virtual and in person ways throughout the year: monthly neighborhood check-in calls and committee meetings, and annual Network Meetings and resource fairs. The Food Access Committee, Transportation and Mobility Committee and Steering Committee have additional commitments based on their specific work.
By creating this transparent system for information sharing, ABHC has established a framework to better engage BIPOC and other marginalized community members and connect them with opportunities to lead and influence public health in Allston-Brighton. By combining this information framework with our committees and community leadership programs, community members are more equipped to create connections, share their knowledge, and build their power.