Thread by @SouthBostonNDC

1/ If ever there was a year to celebrate our wins, 2020 is definitely it! 🧵
First up: Construction finished on our latest affordable development of 46 affordable homes for low-income elderly families!

2/ The opening of O’Connor Way also creates two new employment opportunities on our property management staff. Take a sneak-peek photo tour of the building here: sbndc.org/news-and-event…

3/ This year we organized the South Boston Neighborhood Aid Network to provide emergency help to residents in need + connect them with local service providers for ongoing assistance.

4/ More than 200 families have been helped by the Aid Network to date, thanks to volunteers like Charlotte and Katie, who help deliver Care Kits and information to their neighbors in need.

5/ Many markets were unable to re-open this year, but the @SBFarmersMrkt welcomed a new vendor, Riverdale Farm, and stayed open an extra month.

6/ The Farmers Market is the only place in South Boston where low-income families can get locally-grown produce for free, thru the HIP program.

We missed our usual live music and special event days, but we helped folks get counted in the #2020Census!

7/ This year brought opportunities for the @SouthBosChamber, too. The new website southbostonchamber.org makes it easy for residents and visitors to find and support South Boston businesses.

8/ We launched Chamber newsletters and social media accounts to share info + resources with small biz owners, and redesigned our annual events into month-long business promotion campaigns in September, October and December, helping end a tough year on a positive note.

9/ The pandemic didn't stop development projects from moving forward in South Boston – so we didn't let it stop us from advocating for increased affordability, either!

10/ We pushed for-profit developers to acknowledge + meet the housing needs of the community. Our petition for affordability at St. Vincent's Church has 400+ signatures from residents and community stakeholders. Sign it here: sbndc.org/news-and-event…

11/ We scored a big environmental win this year with the installation of rooftop solar panels on our multifamily buildings. 🌞 The project will cut our reliance on carbon-based fuels by 45%! sbndc.org/news-and-event…

12/ We also made upgrades across our portfolio to reduce energy use, lower costs to tenants + continue progress toward our sustainability goals. A grant from @DedhamSavings Community Foundation is helping to make this work possible! sbndc.org/news-and-event…

13/ Last but not least, we found ways to bring people together even though we couldn't hold our annual @TasteofSBoston or the @SBstreetfest. Our first-ever Halloween Scavenger Hunt invited residents to explore the neighborhood for a chance to win prizes.

14/ Santa even made his annual visit to Southie on an antique fire truck and we managed to have live music by @DaleyAnna. And #SouthBostonOnline captured it all with wonderful photos! southbostononline.com/shop-locally/

15/ We couldn’t have done any of this without YOU! This year has reminded us that helping your neighbors runs deep in South Boston. It's been awesome to see so many newer residents stepping up for this community, too. 🙌

16/ And while we're as happy as anyone to see this year *finally* end, the needs that emerged in 2020 are not going away when the calendar flips.

You can help us keep this good work going in 2021! Visit bit.ly/sbndc-donate to make a donation online.

17/ Donate $1,000 or more by midnight on Dec. 31, and get half of your donation back when you do your Massachusetts taxes. Yes, for real! Learn more here: sbndc.org/support-our-wo…

18/ Of course, not everyone is in a position to donate, especially this year. If you'd like to get involved as a volunteer, check out sbneighborhoodaid.org/give-help

19/ If you know of someone in #Southie who could use a helping hand, please encourage them to visit sbneighborhoodaid.org or call our hotline, 617-221-7594. We can help with emergency food, $ assistance programs, eviction prevention, masks and much more.

20/ Thanks for helping us to celebrate some of the bright spots of 2020. 🙏 We can't wait to see what the new year brings, but we know for sure South Boston will continue to step up to support its neighbors! 💪