Mayor Wu and Immigrant Advancement Announce Opening of Fourth Round of 'Weaving Well-Being' Grants…

Applications for grants are open now through January 16; $200,000 available to nonprofits for community-led initiatives supporting mental health and well-being

Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement(MOIA) today announced the opening of the fourth round of Weaving Well-Being grants. This was announced at MOIA's first-ever Immigrant Advancement Forum: Our Future Now, held on October 26. This forum is a new annual, family-friendly convening launched to enhance Boston and the region's capacity to welcome, support, and uplift immigrant and refugee residents across neighborhoods. Local immigrant-serving nonprofits are encouraged to apply to the current round of Weaving Well-Being grants with $200,000 in funding available for the 2025-2026 program cycle. Applications are openuntil 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 16, 2025.

MOIA's Weaving Well-Being initiative cultivates a stronger network of immigrant-led and-serving organizations seeking to promote Boston immigrant residents, destigmatize mental health in immigrant communities through non-clinical, culturally, and linguistically sensitive interventions, and shift power to communities.

"Immigrant communities often face barriers in accessing mental health services," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "Our community nonprofit partners are providing vital support networks and building systems of care through innovative ways to help people heal. I'm thrilled that the City can support their efforts and look forward to their ongoing work to ensure Boston is a home for all."

MOIA formally launched the Weaving Well-Being initiative in 2022, providing $70,000 in mini-grants to seven nonprofits that year. Since then, the program has grown significantly, with 18 partners in 2023, 21 partners in 2024, and $400,000 in grants to date. The complete list of 2024 participating community partners is available on the Weaving Well-Being website. These awarded grants were funded by the City of Boston's FY24 operating budget and are being used through January 2025.

"Chinese Progressive Association is grateful for the partnership with the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement," said Baolian Kuang, CPA's Community Organizer who leads resident-focused programs. "With this grant, residents had the opportunity to connect with and support each other, develop in-depth friendships, and collectively learn about the history and context of our neighborhood and beyond! Residents also get to participate, engage in community processes, and visit other neighborhoods in the languages they are most comfortable in."

"We are thrilled with the recent funding from the City of Boston and other partners in recognition of the stressors that immigrants face and Casserly House's connective role," said Donna Stiglmeier, Director of Casserly House.

"Sociedad Latina is excited to be partnering with the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement to offer greater opportunities for Latine youth to foster positive physical and mental health by exploring outdoor adventure, movement activities, and mindfulness," said Alex Oliver-Dávila, Executive Director of Sociedad Latina.

Hundreds of participants attended the inaugural Immigrant Advancement forum, which included Weaving Well-Being workshops hosted by community-based organizations. Attendees also got to participate in various speaking sessions and featured remarks from Mayor Michelle Wu, members of the Boston City Council, and community leaders. Weaving Well-Being workshops were led by the Brazilian Worker Center (Aromatherapy), Mutual Aid Eastie (Therapeutic Crafts), and EHR Boston Communities (Yoga). Speaking sessions included Activating Immigrant Voting Power: Your Voice, Your Vote; Unlocking Education: College Access for Undocumented Youth; Weaving Well-being: Building a Movement for Immigrant Community-Driven Wellness; The Power of Your Story: Public Narrative for Immigrant Leaders; and Cooperative Solutions for Community Needs: Empowering Boston's Immigrant Communities.

"The theme of this inaugural forum is 'Our Future Now'. This is not just a catchy phrase; it's an imperative-a call to action for every immigrant, every child of immigrants, and every ally," said Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement. "The immigrant community is not just a part of this city's and nation's future-it is its future-and that future is now."

To complement the Weaving Well-Being programming efforts, MOIA also partnered with the Leah Zallman Center for Immigrant Health Researchto learn how community-embedded practices improve mental health resources for immigrants. These evaluation efforts help guide the City's future investments and empower residents to speak on the importance of these initiatives in addressing the social determinants of health. To learn more about the reports, please visit these links to learn more: 2022-2023 reportand 2023-2024 report.

To explore additional funding opportunities offered by the City of Boston, visit www.boston.gov/grants. For questions regarding City of Boston grant programs, please email [email protected]. For interviews and footage from the forum, contact Bessie King at [email protected].

• Published by: Immigrant Advancement