Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition

Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
Name	Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
Formation	2006
Type	Nonprofit; Community Coalition
Headquarters	Mattapan, Boston, Massachusetts
Region served	Boston area; Greater Boston

Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition is a community-based coalition located in Mattapan, Boston, focused on food access, nutrition, and physical activity. The coalition engages residents, nonprofit organizations, public health agencies, and faith institutions to address chronic disease disparities and neighborhood food environments. The coalition works alongside municipal officials, academic partners, and philanthropic funders to deliver programs in community gardens, farmers markets, and school-based wellness initiatives.

History

The coalition was established in response to local public health assessments and neighborhood organizing that involved actors such as Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Boston Department of Public Health. Early conveners included community organizers connected to Mattapan Community Development Corporation, Roxbury Tenants of Harvard, and clergy from Saint Cecilia Parish (Boston), Twelfth Baptist Church (Boston), and Mattapan Square Baptist Church. Initial pilot projects drew inspiration from national efforts like Let’s Move!, Food Trust, and the CDC Healthy Communities Program, and coordinated with municipal initiatives such as Boston Food Policy Council and neighborhood planning efforts led by City of Boston Mayor's Office offices. The coalition expanded during collaborations with academic research programs at Boston University School of Public Health, Northeastern University School of Public Health and Environment, and Harvard Medical School partners studying food deserts and chronic disease.

Mission and Programs

The coalition’s mission aligns with models advanced by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and local funders to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, promote active living, and reduce obesity and diabetes disparities. Core programs include community gardening projects inspired by GreenRoots, Grow Boston, and Boston Urban Gardeners, supplemental nutrition assistance outreach modeled after Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and farmers market operations akin to Haymarket (Boston). Nutrition education draws on curricula from USDA MyPlate, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and community health worker frameworks promoted by Community Health Workers Massachusetts. Physical activity and youth programming have been coordinated with Boston Parks and Recreation Department, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, YMCA of Greater Boston, and afterschool providers such as Boston After School & Beyond. School-based wellness partnerships have connected to Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and nonprofit school wellness advocates like Boston Public Health Commission School Health Services.

Community Impact and Outcomes

The coalition’s interventions are evaluated with metrics used by researchers at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, and academic centers including Harvard School of Public Health and Boston University School of Medicine. Outcomes reported by allied partners include increased participation in farmers markets patterned after Fair Foods (Boston), expansion of community garden plots modeled on Roslindale Village Garden, and reduced barriers to WIC and SNAP enrollment as coordinated with Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. Health outcome collaborations with clinical partners such as Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital helped track screening and referral rates for diet-related conditions. Neighborhood-level results have been compared with citywide indicators maintained by Boston Public Health Commission and population health datasets used by Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Partnerships and Funding

The coalition maintains multi-sector partnerships with institutions like Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Medical Center, Harvard University, Tufts University, Northeastern University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and community organizations including Mattapan Community Development Corporation, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, and Uphams Corner Health Center. Funding streams have included grants and contracts from foundations such as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kresge Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, and program support through Massachusetts Department of Public Health and federal initiatives administered by USDA and CDC. Philanthropic collaborations and in-kind support have also come from corporate partners and local businesses in Dorchester (Boston), Roxbury, Boston, and Jamaica Plain, Boston.

Organization and Governance

Governance follows a coalition model with a steering committee that mirrors practices used by Coalition for a Healthy Boston and other community health collaboratives. Board and advisory participation includes representatives from Boston Public Schools, faith leaders from Twelfth Baptist Church (Boston), health system partners such as Boston Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, and neighborhood stakeholders from organizations like Mattapan Community Development Corporation and Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation. Administrative infrastructure has leveraged fiscal sponsorship arrangements similar to those used by Fair Foods (Boston) and nonprofit incubators in Greater Boston. Evaluation and data partnerships engage researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston University, and Northeastern University.

Challenges and Future Directions

Persistent challenges mirror those faced by urban food access initiatives in cities like New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago: securing sustainable funding, addressing transportation inequities documented by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, scaling evidence-based interventions evaluated by Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and aligning clinical referral systems used by Massachusetts General Hospital with community services. Future directions emphasize expanding cross-sector collaborations with entities such as Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Health Commission, and regional funders including The Boston Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, piloting policy efforts influenced by Boston Food Policy Council work, and building capacity for community-based participatory research with academic partners from Harvard University, Tufts University, and Northeastern University to measure long-term impacts.

Category:Health organizations based in Boston