Roca stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
Justice is a verb. It is about what we do. As we continue to witness the unjust and excessive violence inflicted on black and brown men and women across this country, we are grateful for our incredibly brave and courageous Roca staff members who show up everyday to do the work. We are grateful to our partners who stand up with us on behalf of our young people and against racial injustice. We are so deeply humbled by and committed to our young people, who despite experiencing the most devastating effects of historic injustices and systemic racism, allow us to be part of their lives.
At this moment in time, we are clear that our work must continue with an urgency and intensity more critical now than ever. In the face of systemic racism that perpetuates cycles of fear and deep trauma, our work must continue to be about healing. In the face of divisiveness aimed at driving us more apart, our work must continue to be about building relationships and community. In the face of misinformation designed to confuse and overwhelm, our work must continue to be about seeking knowledge and building skills that empower us to act. In the face of our pain, grief, anger, helplessness, hopelessness, our work must continue to remain focused on the absolute truth that change is possible.
As Michelle Obama said, “This is who we still are: compassionate, resilient, decent people whose fortunes are bound up with one another . . . That is the truest form of empathy: not just feeling, but doing; not just for ourselves or our kids, but for everyone, for all our kids.”
COVID-19 Updates
Response to COVID-19/Emergency Fund
Our high-risk young people are now more vulnerable than ever to poverty, trauma, and isolation. As an essential service, Roca is now delivering outreach and providing food and monetary support – all in compliance with strict social distancing guidelines – for 1,000 young people, and often their children, in 21 communities across Massachusetts and in Baltimore, Maryland.
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For more information about tickets & sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ryan Keefe at Ryan_Keefe@rocainc.com (617) 409-3989.
How we do it?
Programs
High-Risk Young Men Program
Roca helps young men leave streets and gangs and go to work
High-Risk Young Mothers Program
Roca helps young mothers get out of violence, go to work and care for their children
News
Baltimore man says he’s ‘a young Black brother pushing for greatness’ with help from a local anti-violence group
October 16, 2020
BALTIMORE — Since March, seven young Baltimore men — all of them on a list to get help from a local anti-violence group — were killed before they got the assistance they needed. But workers from Roca were able to reach and help about 180 other young men in the past year…
FROM: BALTIMORE SUN
Eating Out: Outdoor, Indoor Dining Will Begin in Regal Form This Weekend
June 24, 2020
ROCA Crew members Ray Bennett and Elvin Martinez on Monday near the PORT Park were busy transforming pallets into parklets for the City’s outdoor dining effort, which begins this weekend…
FROM: Chelsea Record
Despite The Pandemic, Immigrants In Mass. Say They Are Afraid To Seek Medical Care
June 15, 2020
In early April, when Esmeralda*, a 24-year-old woman living in Chelsea, started feeling sick, she was too scared to be tested for COVID-19. Her temperature spiked…
FROM: WGBH
Life on the bubble, then a pandemic
May 23, 2020
Whether we will continue to care about Chelsea is an open question now that the grim tallies there, and across the state, are dropping and the beaches are back. But before we move on, let’s meet Veronica…
FROM: The Boston Globe
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