The Blue Hills RCC is ready to begin implementing pilot projects in three of our communities, addressing issues of transportation equity and access with the help of our community partners.
The Blue Hills RCC is excited to announce that we were recently awarded a 2021 Community Transit Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This annual funding stream supports projects that expand mobility for older adults and people with disabilities.
We are thrilled to announce that the Massachusetts chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-MA) has selected the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council for their 2020 Social Advocacy Award. The APA-MA states that the Social Advocacy Award “honors a project that has made a significant contribution to creating great communities for all in Massachusetts...a program, project, group, or individual that advanced social justice, inclusion, and fairness for marginalized populations.”
As difficult as it is to believe, we’re approaching the two-year anniversary of the founding of the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council (BHRCC). The BHRCC was founded to address transportation equity issues within the Greater Quincy Metro region, and in our first two years we’ve accomplished many of our targeted goals.
After seven years as the Program Director for CHNA 20, Kym Williams -- the founder of the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council -- has decided to scale back on her role. Kym will remain with the CHNA and with the BHRCC in a reduced capacity, and will continue to shape important initiatives. However, we know that her decision to step aside will be keenly felt, as her impact has been so great. As we prepare for this transition, we wanted to share a recent interview with Kym in which she shared her thoughts on the formation of the BHRCC and its accomplishments to date.
During this time of great uncertainty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council and CHNA 20 are taking every possible precaution to keep our communities safe. We have suspended all in-person meetings and events beginning in early March, and continuing indefinitely, until we can be reasonably confident that the imminent danger has passed. However, even though we can’t continue with public activities for the time being, we are absolutely still moving forward with our BHRCC needs assessment!
My name is Melissa Pond and I am a Principal Planner for the City of Quincy Department of Planning and Community Development. I am a Steering Committee member and past Vice Chair of the Blue Hills Community Health Network Alliance (CHNA 20).
I got involved with the BHRCC because I believe in the power of our organization - collective impact, the right organizations at the table, and the backbone support of talented staff - to address a community issue that cannot be tackled by any one organization on its own. We must work together to find solutions that work for our communities.
Our needs assessment process is moving along! In the past month, we’ve held six more Community Conversations covering the communities of Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Milton, and Hull. Through the continued process of listening to community members and partners, as well as conducting follow-up evaluations, we’re learning more deeply about the needs and priorities of the region where healthy aging, mobility and transportation equity are concerned.
In our first round of Community Conversations, we heard from Quincy and Randolph residents about a specific set of core challenges. Expanding to other communities within the region allowed us to get a more nuanced view of those issues, as well as hear about other needs and hopes residents and partners have for the future of accessibility and healthy aging.
We recently sat down with Karen Peterson, Community Benefits Coordinator for South Shore Health and an inaugural member of the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council. Karen shared with us some of her personal perspectives on the founding of the BHRCC and her experiences as a member of the coalition. Watch the video to hear her thoughts.
My name is Val Sullivan and I joined the Town of Weymouth in 2005, as the Community Wellness/Mass in Motion Coordinator. Although we have made great strides in Weymouth, we know that health continues beyond the borders of our town. The BHRCC brainstorming sessions and sharing of best practices have been beneficial to the Weymouth community in our work to promote healthy and active lifestyles. The CHNA 20 partnership and the BHRCC is helping to move the Mass in Motion work forward.