Stevens Square Community Organization

Stevens Square Community Organization (SSCO) supports the Stevens Square/Loring Heights neighborhood through community building events, greening initiatives and public safety programming. Some specific work includes:

Food and Supply Distribution Programs: SS/LH is a food desert. SSCO hosts a Farmers Market weekly throughout the summer into early fall where individuals can access fresh food. EBT can be used for payment and for every $10 of EBT used, people receive a matching $10 of market bucks to select more food items for themselves and their families. 

SSCO held aid/distribution drives over the summer which allowed individuals who could to donate items to do so and for those you were in need to access food and household items. Any items not distributed on drive days went to the Groveland Food Shelf which operates out of the Plymouth Church. Groveland was supplying food to roughly 140-150 individuals weekly before Covid-19, but that is now an almost daily figure. SSCO was able to help them increase their stores during this time of ever present need. SSCO will continue to work with Groveland to get food to residents of SS/LH throughout the year.

SSCO is also installing a Little Free Pantry unit adjacent to Stevens Square Park, which will allow individuals to access food items whenever they are needed. It will be a continuous effort to keep that unit stocked.

Anti-racism trainings and conversations: After the murder of George Floyd, SSCO changed our Red Hot Art programming to highlight the messages of the Black Lives Matter movement. We focused on promoting BIPOC artists, vendors and filmmakers through each and every event this summer. We began important community conversations through pop-up art fairs, artist-led hands-on workshops, book readings, presentations of locally produced films created to address the racism in our world, creation of murals in the SS/LH neighborhood and small art events focused on raising community knowledge and awareness of racism in our daily lives. We will soon begin organizing next year's Red Hot Art which will continue the theme of Love, Hope and Unity - ensuring that our programming highlights efforts to bring justice, equity and inclusion to our community and our city.

Rent and bill pay relief program: SSCO operates a Rental Rebate program with the three largest rental management companies within SS/LH. Residents of these apartment buildings can volunteer with SSCO for a determined number of hours a month and receive a credit to their monthly rent. We are working to expand the volunteer opportunities accepted by these management companies as well as expand the number of management companies allowing their residents to access the Rental Rebate program. For many residents, this rent relief is what allows them to cover their rent expense. SSCO is also working with other neighborhood organizations to help them establish similar programs for their residents.

Reimagining and Addressing Public Safety Conversations: This is an absolutely critical component of the work at SSCO. Like many neighborhoods, SS/LH has seen an increase in numerous activities that all lead to a decrease in public safety. We host a monthly Safety Committee meeting to bring together residents, business owners, members of the MPD and the Office of Violence Prevention. These continuous conversations are essential to establishing an understanding of what is happening in the neighborhood and how we can work together to find the resources needed to ensure public safety for every person in SS/LH. Additionally, our Block Patrol has been an effective tool to monitor and assist the neighborhood for decades.