It has been indescribable year in our community as we developed a whole “new normal” in our everyday lives, our jobs, our schools, and our health. In Jamaica Plain, we saw triumphs and losses for our small businesses, but we also saw overwhelming residential support that saved lives and businesses. At JP Centre/South Main Streets, we saw enormous change in our workload, but also the greatest work and transformation that we have ever done.
In 2020, we raised over $15,000 to give out as $500 grants to residents and employees in Jamaica Plain who were unable to receive public assistance. We raised over $10,000 to give out as grants to our restaurants who needed outdoor seating. We rallied volunteers to maintain streams of information about who was open and who had closed when the pandemic first hit, and who then promoted our Orange Means Open lantern campaign as our district slowly reopened. Our Executive Director advocated to the city and the state for action to help our small businesses survive, including the permitting process for outdoor seating and pandemic unemployment insurance. We worked one-on-one with many of our residents and businesses to provide much needed help and support in the face of losing their business or their jobs. When our nation came face to face with racism, we updated our mission statement and began work on addressing racial inequity in our organization and district. And even though, we had to cancel many of our events, we knew the importance of giving Jamaica Plain a sense of peace and joy, which is why we still put on projection shows like JP Together/JP Unidas and the Holiday Light Show.
If you would like to learn more about our work this past year, we invite you to join us for our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 10, at 7:30 PM. This meeting is free and open to the public. You will need to register at jpcsms-annualmeeting2021.eventbrite.com.
Through it all, we have not been able to host our usual fundraisers, so we are asking you to support our vital work with a contribution to our Annual Appeal. Any donation helps. If you can contribute:
- $1,500, it will pay for a Projection Show on the J.P. Licks Building.
- $900, it will pay for a one night Drive-In Movie.
- $500, it will pay for our Holiday Stroll.
- $321, it will pay for three months of our Business Directory app.
- $160, it pays for the internet for a month.
- $60, it keeps the lights on for a month.
- $15, it pays for our Zoom subscription for a month.
(Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact us for details.)
We also ask if you will consider volunteering to continue this work. We are actively seeking volunteers for:
- Racial Equity and Inclusion;
- Economic Vitality and Vacancy Reduction;
- Age-Friendly and Accessibility Certification;
- Trivia Fundraiser (April 1 – SAVE THE DATE!);
- Or as a Board Member.
Our success is your community, and we cannot do this work without you.
Your tax-deductible donation, no matter the amount, can help sustain our programs. You can donate online at www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2456344 or via Venmo @jpcentresouth. You can mail a check to our address, or contact the Executive Director at 617.942.2439 or online for more information.
Thank You,
Michael Reiskind, President
Ginger Brown, Executive Director