Architectural Heritage Foundation’s COVID-19 relief efforts in Allston-Brighton got a big boost last month from Harvard University. On May 27, the school named twenty-seven local nonprofits – among them AHF and its Speedway Produce Program – recipients of its new Allston-Brighton Emergency Response Grant. Administered through the Harvard Ed Portal, the grants provide one-time funding of up to $5,000 to organizations addressing pandemic-related issues in the neighborhood, such as food insecurity and worker relief.
AHF received $5,000 to extend the Speedway Produce Program, a food access initiative in Brighton, through the end of July. Launched at the end of April in partnership with Charles River Community Health (CRHC), wholesaler Katsiroubas Brothers, and State Representative Michael Moran, the program delivers forty produce boxes each week to CRHC members experiencing economic hardship due to the pandemic. AHF sponsored the first month’s worth of produce boxes and created a GoFundMe page that has raised $3,450 – enough to extend the program by four more weeks.
The Emergency Response Grant from Harvard University will allow AHF and its partners to continue supporting Allston-Brighton’s most vulnerable residents into the summer. We are grateful to Harvard for this opportunity to expand our preservation efforts beyond the Speedway complex to the community surrounding it. We look forward to continuing to partner with our neighbors in Allston-Brighton to address community needs.
Donate to the Speedway Produce Program
Architectural Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)3 dedicated to stimulating economic development in disinvested communities through historic preservation. Follow AHF and its projects on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Learn more about the Charles River Speedway revitalization project.