The following is a narrative reflection written by Naja Grasty, Program Manager of the Shared Gifting Cohorts.
From the first time I met the Boston Climate Cohort in October 2024, I was welcomed in with open arms from facilitator Maria Elena and the five cohort groups (Asian American Research Workshop (AARW), Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC), Lynn United for Change, Neighbors United for a Better East Boston (NUBE), Revere Youth in Action (RYiA)). As a former youth organizer and educator, I have an affinity for comradery and the localized community building that is fostered in the Boston Climate cohort. This past April 2025, I was able to gather again with the cohort for the Dorchester neighborhood gathering hosted by AARW.
The cohort and I took part on a walking tour of the Fields Corner neighborhood of Dorchester that dove into Vietnamese history, culture and migration that grounded at the Vietnamese Community Center. Cohort member, and AARW Co-Executive Director, Nicole shared with us how gentrification, rising utility costs and climate change negatively affect the Dorchester community. We got to visit various landmarks throughout the neighborhood and were welcomed into the new bookshop/community space in town, Just Bookish. We visited a community garden, which gave inspiration to other cohort members who are also building community gardens in their areas. That afternoon, we had a meal together from My Sister's Sandwich Cafe. At the cafe we learned more about the history of the neighborhood from the restaurant's owner who has deep roots in the area.
With the expert facilitation of Maria Elena, we were able to wrap up the shared gifting process with a consensus vote framed as solidarity over sacrifice. The cohort members collaborated on a funding decision on how their shared funding pool would be split, in order to best meet the goals of each group and collectively support community climate resilience efforts in the Greater Boston area. The Boston Climate Cohort offers a space for coalition building and collaboration on how to mitigate climate issues through a community grounded approach. Thank you again to AARW's Nicole Eigbrett and Salima Vo for assistance with planning and facilitating this Neighborhood Gathering full of learning and fellowship!
