Civic groups are hoping to get all of the diverse, spread out neighborhoods in Dorchester together for a night of socializing, entertainment, and community building.

MyDorchester Night, going on Thursday at the Codman Square Tech Center on Washington Street from 6 to 9 p.m., is a free event designed to build social networking and create a sense of togetherness across the urban residential neighborhood.

"One of our main goals is to bring people together from all of Dorchester's neighborhoods," said Jennifer Gerber, 23, of Weston, an Americorps volunteer involved in the event. "Having worked in the community, I've heard a lot about how people sometimes don't like to go into neighborhoods they're not from. We want to get all of the nine neighborhoods together in one place and get to know each other, breaking down the stereotypes."

The event is being put on by SCI Dorchester, a partnership between Social Capital Inc., a statewide community building organization, and DotWell, a nonprofit group providing clinical services in the neighborhood.

Part of the evening will feature four networking rooms, each with a different theme - expand, connect, share, and enjoy - and with its own focus, such as signing up volunteers for area nonprofits, or pointing out services offered in the city like Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Ella J. Baker House for at-risk youths. There will be a coffeehouse in the "enjoy" room, featuring poetry, dance, spoken word, and jazz music.

It's all about building "social capital," organizers say.

"Social capital is the idea that the more people in a community each person knows, and the more connected they are to local resources, the better off the community is," Gerber said. "Economic capital is not the only capital that really matters to make a community sustainable, vital, and a safe place for everyone."

Original Article
JOHN GUILFOIL

***For Immediate Release***

May, 7, 2008

Re: Dorchester Honors Its Model Citizens

(Dorchester, MA) On Friday May 2nd, 2008, SCI Dorchester celebrated its 3rd Annual Model Citizens Awards Ceremony at The Historic Great Hall in Codman Square. This year we honored seven individuals for their exemplary service and commitment to their community. This event was held in conjunction with National Volunteer Week (April 27th- May 3rd) as a way to show appreciation for all the good work our volunteers do everyday.

Model Citizens is an annual award that celebrates volunteers who have contributed their time and talents to their community. An individual or organization nominates each Model Citizen and a review committee consisting of community volunteers then chooses the award recipients. The 2008 Model Citizens Awards recipients included: Dynell Andrews-Blake, Byron Beaman, Marion Bowden, Jamarhl Crawford, Vivian Girard, Arlene Lopes, and Jeff Smith. Ron Bell, Director of the Office of Civic Engagement, was the special guest speaker for the event and he was presented with a special award for his activism and accomplishments in increasing voter registration in our communities.

The event was a fantastic celebration of volunteerism in the Dorchester community. Every volunteer who came to the event received an official certificate of appreciation. In addition to recognizing the Model Citizens, SCI Dorchester and DotWell gave awards to its seven AmeriCorps members: Grace Ejiwale, Jennifer Gerber, Kathy McKenzie-Johnson, Joao Ramos, Carlotta Richardson, Carla Smith, and Kelley Winters.

For more information about the Model Citizens Awards Ceremony please contact Kelley Winters at 617-822-8297 or kwinters@scidorchester.org.

Join the celebration as Boston welcomes home one of its favorite Dance Crew, at the Reggie Lewis Track & Field Center today from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.

SCI Dorchester had the great fortune of getting to know the leader, Ernest "E-Knock" Phillips and his crew in 2004 when they won first place in the Dorchester Idol Talent Show contest at the Great Hall in Codman Square.