News

Thank You!

Tee Off for Oak Square a Success!

Allston Brighton Block Party

Join The Presentation School Foundation Community Center, Allston-Brighton Family Support Network,& Action for Boston Community Development for the Allston Brighton Block Party!
We’ve got lots of fun activities planned including children’s crafts, pumpkin painting, music, food, community resource tables, and a Zumba class provided by the Oak Square YMCA.

Fresh Truck to Host Affordable Fresh Food Market at PSF Community Center Weekly Starting Monday!

Check out Fresh Truck’s Mobile Food Market at PSF Community Center’s parking lot every Monday from 4 pm to 6 pm! $5 gift certificates will be available to the first 25 customers. As always, Fresh Truck will sell a great variety of affordable fruits and veggies All are welcome to purchase produce from Fresh Truck; Fresh Truck accepts cash, credit card, and EBT/ SNAP. The Friends of the Faneuil Library and Family Nurturing Center’s Allston Brighton Family Support Network will host Book and Puzzle Exchanges.

Backpack & School Supply Drive!

Support our Backpack & School Supply Drive! Donation boxes are set up at PSF Community Center and Starbucks (Brighton Center & Soldiers Field Road). We’ve also set up a Wish List on Amazon. If you purchase an item on the Amazon Wish List at https://amzn.to/3geZHiP, make sure you select Registry Address during checkout.

Fresh Truck to Host Affordable Fresh Food Market at PSF Community Center Weekly Starting Monday!

Starting this Monday, Fresh Truck will be bringing its Mobile Food Market to PSF Community Center’s parking lot every Monday from 4 pm to 6 pm! Thanks to a generous donation from the Friends of the Faneuil Library, this Monday, $5 coupons will be available to the first 25 customers. As always, Fresh Truck will sell a great variety of affordable fruits and veggies, and will accept cash, credit card, and EBT/ SNAP. The Friends of the Faneuil Library and Family Nurturing Center’s Allston Brighton Family Support Network will host Book and Puzzle Exchanges.

Tee Off for Oak Square on September 25

Our 10th annual golf tournament is scheduled for Saturday, September 25 at Norwood Country Club, Join us for a fun day on the links followed by lunch, drinks, and prizes.

As always, Tee Off for Oak Square supports the wide array of critical services available in the PSF Community Center.

You can support the event by:
• Sponsoring a hole for $150
• Registering as a single golfer for $150
• Registering as a foursome for $560
• Making a donation in the amount of your choice
• Purchasing a 50/50 raffle ticket

Pay for your registration, raffle ticket, or sponsor a hole below:

Buy a 50/50 Raffle Ticket

This year, the Tee Off for Oak Square will include a 50/50 Raffle. Purchase your tickets here. 1 ticket is $10, 3 tickets are $25.

Summer Celebration & Fresh Truck on June 21

Fresh Truck to Host Affordable Fresh Food Market at PSF Community Center

Fresh Truck will be hosting a Fresh Food Market at PSF Community Center on Monday, May 24 from 4 pm to 6 pm. Stop by to purchase affordable fresh fruit and produce. Cash, credit and SNAP/ EBT are accepted!

Fresh Truck to Host Affordable Fresh Food Market at PSF Community Center

Fresh Truck will be hosting a Fresh Food Market at PSF Community Center on Monday, April 26 from 3 pm to 5 pm. Stop by to purchase affordable fresh fruit and produce. Cash, credit and SNAP/ EBT are accepted!

Red Fire Farm to Host Summer CSA Farm Share Distribution at PSF Community Center

Red Fire Farm will be hosting their summer CSA distribution at PSF Community Center on Thursdays starting in June. Sign up to pick up your summer share of fresh produce at PSF Community Center. More details about registration are available here. Checks, credit cards and SNAP/ EBT are accepted!

East Boston Savings Bank Supports PSF Community Center

Thank you to East Boston Savings Bank for their support of the Allston Brighton Pandemic Relief Center at PSF Community Center.

Winter Farmers Market

Please contact Clodagh Drummey with any questions at 617 782 8670 or [email protected].

Pre-order here.

Coat Drive

Flu Vaccine Clinic

Join us for a Flu Vaccine Clinic on December 5 from 9 am to 12 pm at the PSF Community Center at 640 Washington Street in Brighton. The Flu Vaccine Clinic is offered in collaboration with Tufts Health Plan and CVS Pharmacy. Vaccines are provided by CVS pharmacists. The flu clinic will take place in the PSF Community Center parking lot.

Flu vaccines are available at no cost to you. If you have a health insurance card, please bring it and CVS will bill your health insurance plans for the service. Those without health insurance are also eligible to receive a vaccine on December 5.

Register in advance to ensure you receive the vaccine. Click here to register.

Please contact Clodagh Drummey with any questions at 617 782 8670 or [email protected].

Adopt a Family in Need

Please consider supporting the PSF Community Center’s Holiday Gift Drive by adopting a family in need this holiday season! This Holiday Gift Drive will support families in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood involved with the Family Nurturing Center and ABCD’s Allston Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center.

If you are interested in participating in the Holiday Gift Drive, please complete this form:

After you complete this form, we will reach out to you with more details about the family you will be supporting, including a wish list. We are asking that all gifts be delivered or mailed to the PSF Community Center by 12/11.

Meet Lance!

Hi my name is Lance Gordon and I have recently joined the PSF team as an intern from Boston University School of Social Work. I am in my first year at BU in hopes to obtain my Masters in Macro Social Work. I graduated from the University of South Carolina in May of 2019 with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. I then moved to Seattle to work with City Year AmeriCorps. That was an amazing opportunity solidifying my passion for this field of work. I had the privilege of working in a school community and supporting the students and families within the school. I am excited to be working at PSF because I am very interested in community grassroots work and agencies. Looking forward to a great year at PSF Community Center supporting the Allston Brighton community!

Will You Attend a Winter Farmers Market? Tell Us What You Think!

PSF Community Center is considering hosting an outdoor Winter Farmers Market this January to April. We would love it if you could take a minute to complete this very brief survey which gives us a better understanding of the desire in the community for an event like this. Thank you all so much, stay safe, and we looking forward to hopefully seeing you soon!

Honor a Loved One and Support a Vital Community Resource

Because of the extraordinary commitment of neighborhood residents to preserve a community resource, today the PSF Community Center is an anchor institution for the Allston Brighton neighborhood.

With the support of wonderful neighbors like you, the PSF Community Center strengthens the community, serving thousands of children, young adults, and elderly residents each year.  Please consider supporting this vital community resource by making a donation to our Brick by Brick program.

Through the Brick by Brick program, we are asking neighbors and friends like you to purchase personally engraved bricks for $250. Currently over 300 bricks line the upper level walkway along Tremont Street leading to the entrance of the building.  For more information, or to order a brick, click here.

Resources Available at the PSF Community Center During COVID-19 Pandemic

ABCD’s Allston Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center’s food pantry located at the PSF Community Center is open to all residents needing food . NO documentation needed. Their updated hours, starting Tuesday, 3/25, are: Monday: 11am-4pm, Tuesday: Closed, Wednesday: 10am-4pm, Thursday: 10am-2pm, Friday: 10am-4pm. If you are in need of additional food resources, contact Project Bread’s Food Source Hotline at (800) 645-8333.

Community Wide Resources During COVID-19 Pandemic

Special Resources for Seniors

Food Delivery
The Allston-Brighton Health Collaborative and Commonwheels Bicycle Collective have partnered to pick up and deliver items by bike to Allston Brighton folks who can’t get to them. Sign up here to volunteer to make a delivery! If you are a senior in need of help, or know someone who is need of assistance, please contact Anna Leslie at [email protected].

Addressing Elder Isolation
During this time, FriendshipWorks is continuing to connect isolated elders with volunteers. However, instead of in person matches, they will be telefriends.

Do you know of an older adult who may be feeling isolated?Would you like to volunteer during this time and are you able to make a weekly phone call to an older adult?

For more information, contact Kara Jeter at 617-823-7050 or [email protected]

Meals on Wheels: Food Delivery
To register, call their intake line at Boston Elder Info at 617-292-6211, visit www.ethocare.org/contact-ethos, or email [email protected]

Additional Food Assistance in the Community

ABCD’s Allston Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center’s food pantry located at the PSF Community Center is open to all residents needing food . NO documentation needed. Their updated hours, starting Tuesday, 3/25, are: Monday: 11am-4pm, Tuesday: Closed, Wednesday: 10am-4pm, Thursday: 10am-2pm, Friday: 10am-4pm. If you are in need of additional food resources, contact Project Bread’s Food Source Hotline at (800) 645-8333.

Allston Brighton Food Pantry at the Congregational Church is sharing meals for take out to those in need. Go to the side door for a hot meal as long as the food supply lasts on Wednesdays 4:30-6:30pm (404 Washington St., Brighton, MA 02135).

City of Boston in partnership with Project Bread, YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and other community organizations will also be providing free meals to school-aged children at various locations and times across the city: bostonpublicschools.org/coronavirus​. You may call 311 for the most up to date information. ​Meal Distribution sites in Allston and Brighton:
1. YMCA Oak Square — 615 Washington Street 8am-12pm
2. *NEW* Charlesview Community Center– 123 Antwerp Street, 9 am- 12 pm3.*UPDATE* Jackson Mann Community Center is closed at this time.

Neighborhood Mixer and Volunteer Fair Postponed

Our of an abundance of caution, we have decided to postpone the Neighborhood Mixer and Volunteer Fair, initially scheduled for tomorrow, March 12. We take the health and well-being of everyone who uses the PSF Community Center very seriously. As confirmed cases of COVID-19 increase, we felt it was best to reschedule this large group gathering.

Winter Farmers Market This Saturday

Neighborhood Mixer to Showcase Ways to Volunteer in Allston Brighton

PSF Community Center is pleased to partner with Brighton Main Streets to host a neighborhood mixer and volunteer fair to showcase volunteer opportunties in Allston and Brighton on Thursday, March 12. Come stop by the PSF Community Center in Oak Square between 6 pm and 7:30 pm, to learn about these neighborhood groups and how you can volunteer:

– The Presentation School Foundation Community Center
– Brighton Main Streets and Allston Village Main Streets
– ABCD Allston-Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center
– Oak Square YMCA

This isn’t your mom and dad’s volunteer fair though! We will have Brato Brewhouse + Kitchen selling beer and food, Abbott’s Frozen Custard Boston will have custard cookie sandwiches and other local businesses to showcase. We look forward to hosting you on March 12th! Register to attend here.

Yoga at PSF Community Center!

Brighton Winter Farmers Market to Launch on Saturday!

Beer Fest a Success!

To see all photo booth photos, click here.

This Saturday, January 11, Oak Square Liquors sponsored the second annual Beer Fest to benefit the PSF Community Center. Special thanks goes out to George and Pam Kondylis, the Owners of Oak Square Liquors, and to Ted Stevenson, the Store Manager, for putting this fun, sold out, event together. All funds raised will support programs at the PSF Community Center.

Big thanks to all of the participating breweries: Aeronaut, Anonymous, Artifact Cider, Carlsons Cider, Clown Shoes, Harpoon, Jack’s Abbey, Medford, Night Shift, Small Change, Springdale, Storm-A-Long Cider, Troegs True North, White Lion, Wormtown, & Zero Gravity.

Also, thank you to Brian Smith & EventSmith Boston for donating a photo booth to the event, to Wolfie’s Catering Company for providing delectable appetizers & snacks, and to George Kondylis and his band for the great music!

Oak Square Liquors To Hold Beer Fest Fundraiser on Saturday for PSF Community Center!

Online ticket sales have closed. Some tickets are still available for sale at Oak Square Liquors. Tickets are limited!

Winter Farmers Market Coming to PSF Community Center!

The Presentation School Foundation Community Center is excited to launch the Brighton Winter Farmers Market

In 2015, the Presentation School Foundation Community Center launched the Summer Farmers Market in collaboration with the Allston Brighton Health Collaborative. Based on the success of this initiative, and with the support of the Collaborative, the Presentation School Foundation Community Center is launching a Winter Farmers Market.

The Winter Market will take the last Saturday of the month from January to April 2020 from 10 am to 2 pm in the Lower Level of the Presentation School Foundation Community Center.
The Winter Farmers Market will feature:
• Farmers selling healthy, fresh produce
• Coffee, pastries, bread and other prepared foods from local
vendors
• Music and children’s activities like face painting and games
• Community organizations sharing resources and activities

Holiday Gift Drive

Please consider supporting PSF Community Center’s Holiday Gift Drive by purchasing a gift for a family in need this holiday season!

Click here to see list of wishes from Allston Brighton residents who are in need of assistance this holiday season. To participate, just sign up to purchase an item below, and bring the unwrapped item to ABCD’s Allston Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center on the second floor of PSF Community Center by Friday, 12/13.

PSF Community Center’s Gift Drive will support families involved with the Family Nurturing Center, ABCD’s Allston Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center and the Allston Brighton WIC Program.

Thanks for your support! Happy Holidays!

Thank You for Joining Us!

Thank you to those who came out to join us for WinterFest!  It was a great night. Special thank to The Family Nurturing Center, FriendshipWorks, Little Sprouts, ABCD’s Allston Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center, and Brighton Allston After School Enrichment Program for their help
decorating and organizing the event!

Save the Date for Winter Fest

PSF Community Center will continue the tradition of opening our doors to host a community celebration following the Oak Square Christmas Tree Lighting. Stop in to PSF Community Center after the Oak Square Tree Lighting, scheduled for 6:45 pm, on December 7 to warm up and continue the holiday celebration with your neighbors. Santa will drop in for a visit and there will be a variety of children’s activities including cookie decorating and holiday arts and crafts. We will have hot beverages and refreshments, and beer and wine will be for sale.

Winterf Fest is sponsored by: Presentation School Foundation Community Center, ABCD Allston Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center, Abundant Grace Church, Brighton-Allston After School Program, Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts, FriendshipWorks, Little Sprouts, & Jamaica Plain-Brighton WIC.

Free Flu Clinic  & Health Information Fair

Join us for a Flu Vaccine Clinic and Health Information Fair on November 19 at the Presentation School Foundation Community Center at 640 Washington Street in Brighton.

Community members over 18 years of age can stop in for a free flu shot between 3 pm and 6 pm. No health insurance card is necessary. Walk ins are welcome but you can register in advance to ensure you receive the vaccine. You can register by visiting www.brightonfluclinic.eventbrite.com or contacting Clodagh Drummey at 617 782 8670 or [email protected]. Vaccines are provided by St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

The Flu Vaccine Clinic is part of a Community Health Fair, which is sponsored by Family Nurturing Center, ABCD’s Allston Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center, and the Presentation School Foundation Community Center. Learn more about community health resources available to Allston Brighton residents from 2 pm to 5 pm. The Family Nurturing Center will be offering children’s activities. Refreshments, including pizza from Flatbreads, will be served.

Please contact Clodagh Drummey with any questions at 617 782 8670 or [email protected].

Thank You for Helping Us Celebrate!

Thank you for all who joined us for our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony & Celebration!

Please Join Us for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony & Celebration on 10/25

Please join us for a Ribbon Cutting Celebration on 10/ 25 at 4 pm to celebrate the completion of the final phase of our building transformation at the Presentation School Foundation Community Center. We have been working hard this year to increase the accessibility and safety of the Community Center.  Specifically: 1) For greater accessibility, we installed an ADA accessible handicapped/stroller ramp and stairway from the street to the building; (2) For greater safety and accessibility, we expanded and improved the parking lot and, (3) For a greater sense of welcome and in keeping with visual landscape of the historic Oak Square, we improved the appearance of the grounds and addressed safety issues through landscaping and site improvements.

All are welcome to attend the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Celebration, which will be held at the Presentation School Foundation Community Center at 640 Washington Street.  Please contact Clodagh Drummey with any questions at 617 782 8670 or [email protected].

Thank You To All Who Supported Our 9th Annual Tee Off for Oak Square!

Thank you to all who joined us for our annual Tee Off for Oak Square on September 14, 2019 at 1 pm at the Sandy Burr Country Club!  Even a little rain couldn’t but a damper on our spirits— it was a great day of golf, food, drinks, prizes and awards.

Tommy DeRosa, Rick Barry, Sara Barry and Mike Hernon were the Winning Foursome! Rick Barry and Jayne Franchini received awards for the Longest Drive and Bill Andrews and Jayne Franchini were recognized for Closest to the Pin.

Tee Off for Oak Square supports the wide array of critical services available in the PSF Community Center—including an affordable daycare and preschool; afterschool programs; school readiness activities; support services for the elderly, youth employment and job readiness; food pantry and fuel assistance programs; community rooms available for resident use; educational support services; and community events

If you have questions, please contact Clodagh Drummey at (617) 782-8670 or [email protected].

Space Available for Lease

The Presentation School Foundation Community Center has 752 square feet of space available immediately in our LEED-certified, accessible building at 640 Washington Street in Brighton’s Oak Square neighborhood. The  Community Center, which is home to 7 community organizations, is searching for a nonprofit tenant that shares our commitment to engaging and supporting members of the Allston-Brighton community. All tenants in the building have access to two large community rooms, which are suitable for classes, meetings, and functions.

Our Oak Square location is extremely convenient- close to Mass Pike & Storrow Drive, and on the #57 Bus Line.

Join our vibrant community center, which is already home to:
ABCD, Abundant Grace Church, Brighton-Allston After School Enrichment Program (BASE), WIC: Brookside Community Health, Family Nurturing Center, FriendshipWorks, and Little Sprouts.

View the complete listing here. To find out more about the space that is available for lease, please contact Neil Eustice of Prime Realty at 857 829 0024.

Visit the Ellie DeLuco Memorial Garden

This lovely garden at The Presentation School Foundation Community Center, planted by the Brighton Garden and Horticultural Society; Brighton, MA, was dedicated to Ellie DeLuco, who recently passed away at the age of 88. Ellie was a long time member of the Oak Square community and neighborhood volunteer and activist- with many organizations and causes that she gave her time and energy to- the Friends of the Oak Square Common, the Friends of Faneuil Library, the Brighton Garden Club, the Brighton Allston Historical Society, and the Dunboy Street Association, to name a few. Given her love of flowers, gardening, and Oak Square, it seemed natural to dedicate this beautiful little garden in her memory.

See more photos of the garden on Facebook

Tee Off for Oak Square is on for Saturday, September 14 at Sandy Burr in Wayland!

The Presentation School Foundation Community Center is preparing for our annual Tee Off for Oak Square, scheduled for Saturday, September 14, 2019 at 1 pm at the Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland. As always, Tee Off for Oak Square supports the wide array of critical services available in the PSF Community Center—including an affordable daycare and preschool; afterschool programs; school readiness activities; support services for the elderly, youth employment and job readiness; food pantry and fuel assistance programs; community rooms available for resident use; educational support services; and community events.

You can support the event by:

Sponsoring a hole for $125
Registering as a single golfer for $150
Registering as a foursome for $600
Making a donation in the amount of your choice

Please help us make this event a success! There are two ways to sign up or sponsor:

Please download, print, and complete this form and send it with your payment to:

PSF Community Center at 640 Washington St., Brighton, MA 02134

Or you can register and pay securely online.

We appreciate your support as we work together to build a better community. If you have questions, please contact Clodagh Drummey at (617) 782-8670 or [email protected].

Please welcome Clodagh Drummey, PSF’s new Executive Director!

Clodagh Drummey is an accomplished nonprofit manager with 15 years of experience in fundraising and in developing innovative programs to meet community need.

The former Associate Director of Programs and Development at Cambridge Community Television—the nonprofit community media center serving the diverse community of Cambridge, MA—Clodagh was responsible for developing, managing, and evaluating technology education programs including the Youth Media Program for teens, the Nonprofit Resource Exchange, and the Technology Resource Center for Older Adults. She also implemented the agency’s fundraising strategy, writing grants and coordinating an annual fundraiser, an individual giving campaign and business sponsorship program.

Clodagh has built and managed successful collaborations with a variety of community agencies, educational institutions, and local businesses. Clodagh has been a member of the City of Cambridge’s Reaching All Youth Committee and a Board Member of the Cambridge YMCA.

Clodagh holds a Master of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts in English from Boston University. In 2010, she received a certificate from Boston University’s Institute of Nonprofit Management and Leadership.

Clodagh’s first day will be July 8. She is excited to meet our community.

Coming Soon!!! PSF Community Center Property Improvements

Starting on June 14^th, PSF will begin the property improvements that were presented in February at a community meeting and at the BAIA. These improvements will improve safety and accessibility by:

• Adding a wheelchair (and baby stroller) ramp from Tremont St.
• Replace decaying and dangerous retaining walls
• Improve vehicle safety in the parking lot and onto Tremont St.
• Increase on-site parking to reduce local parking congestion
• Improve landscaping and add new fencing to make the property more attractive and safe for children

The Community Center will remain open during construction but the parking lot will be closed.

All Construction scheduled to be complete before September 1st.

Questions? Please contact PSF at 617-782-8670 or [email protected]

Click to see a preview of the plans here

Space available at PSF

Hello, Greater Boston nonprofit providers:

The PSF Community Center has space available immediately in our LEED-certified, accessible building at 640 Washington Street in Brighton’s Oak Square. This space offers a terrific opportunity for a service provider oriented to families, adolescents, community and others.

View, download, and print, the full MLS listing here, including price, specifications, and contact information

Starting your back-to-school shopping early? You can help PSF every time you shop on Amazon!

Just pick PSF as your charity of choice on AmazonSmile by clicking the link below:

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/14-1910759

PSF will receive 0.5% of the purchase price every time you shop on Amazon.com! (Treat yourself or treat someone you love, and you’ll also treat PSF and the Oak Square community!)

Your continued support sustains the good work that happens every day in the PSF Community Center. Thank you for helping us strengthen families and our neighborhood!

Hold your event at PSF

Need space for a family celebration, community meeting, class, or other event? Our New Balance Community Room and Little Sprouts Budding Scholars Community Room each hold up to 49 people! Each room is universally-accessible, while the New Balance Community Room includes a full kitchen and a new video display screen which can be connected to a computer.

Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and should be booked at least 2 weeks in advance for a meeting and at least 4 weeks in advance for an event.

Discounted rates for non-profits, Allston-Brighton residents, and OLP alumni.

Email us for rates, policies, and av