Not a week has passed in 2025 that hasn't come with an announcement that some essential service had its budget threatened/cut by the Federal government. And all of these programs/services/institutions are worthy of funding and truly doing important work on a national (and at times, international) level. You may have heard about the grassroots effort to "Adopt a Station" - the site shows how much funding was cut from the public media station so citizens can donate to that station directly. (Yes, I do think there are plenty of folks in the 1% that have plenty of funds to "fix" the situation but when has the 1% done the right thing???)
This spring we learned that the Department of Justice had decided to terminate funding for community violence intervention (CVI). Roca, a Chelsea-based nonprofit that does violence prevention outreach in five Massachusetts cities, was notified in April that three of its grants, totaling $6 million, were being terminated with about $4 million still unexpended. We have selected Roca as our August 2025 We Care Wednesday recipient - though our funding impact is small, we think it's imperative that we highlight this organization that has been relentlessly disrupting violence by engaging young people, police, and systems to heal trauma, find hope, and drive change since 1988. Founded in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Roca is now located in multiple Massachusetts cities as well as Hartford, Connecticut and Baltimore, Maryland. The CVI funding cuts will negatively impact Roca's programs in Boston, Springfield, Hartford, and Baltimore. CVI is proven to work—helping to dramatically lower rates of homicide, reduce recidivism, enhance public safety and save millions for taxpayers in incarceration costs.
Besides learning more about Roca on their website, we also encourage you to check out their volunteer opportunities. Their list of needs is extensive and we feel like so many of you would have skills to offer. And as always, GIVE DIRECTLY. "Dare to hope with us."
*Since launching the We Care Wednesday initiative in January 2017 we have donated over $96,647 to a variety of nonprofits and mutual aid funds doing essential work in our community as well as other places. From the Mayor's Disaster Fund to BAGLY to Abortion Access Front and Material Aid and Advocacy. We select organizations that we feel represent not only our commitment to a better, more equitable world but also our desire to "do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."