Family Support Center at Vinfen

01/29/2026

Don't miss out! We would love to see you there! Open to anyone who may be interested, even if they are not already connected with Vinfen!

📅 REMINDER 📅
In just under two weeks, the Family Support Center at Vinfen along with Katherine Gyolai, founder and CEO of Find Love Safely, will facilitate a safe and inclusive relationship workshop.

Participants will learn to:
⭐Identify healthy and unhealthy relationships
⭐ Understand the importance of consent
⭐ Practice setting and communicating boundaries
⭐ Build confidence in saying ”no”

Parents and caregivers are invited to attend. To register, please email: FamilySupport@vinfen.org

01/27/2026

The Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) is collaborating with FCSN to provide funding for transition & social supports that you identify. Direct Support Youth Stipends can be used for services that aren’t covered by other sources of support. To qualify, the young person meet the following criteria:

-born between March 10, 1998 and September 30, 2001
-enrolled in special education until age 22
-a resident of Massachusetts

https://fcsn.org/funding-for-services/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPlwLxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFNUTZWTEIyYVZvZjZvVnNHc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnTHRJmtpdzaDVnjBDD3gqTHsSv_zyVMYiK9oSN85AkHNVyfBTZBg6D-kDjo_aem_GTW4-iTN9lr87tWBMLGflQ

Direct Support Youth StipendsCoordinated Pandemic-Related Transition Services (CPRTS)With Direct Support Youth Stipends from FCSN, you choose the best way to use CP-RTS funds to meet your young adult’s needs.The Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) is collaborating with FCSN to pr...

01/13/2026

Please join us!

Help us spread the word!

Join the Family Support Center at Vinfen along with Katherine Gyolai, founder and CEO of Find Love Safely, who will facilitate an engaging and interactive relationship workshop designed to empower participants with practical tools to build healthy relationships.

The session will include intentional moments of exploration and hands-on practice, all within a safe, supportive, and respectful environment.

👨🏽‍👩🏽‍👦🏽‍👦🏽 Parents and caregivers are warmly invited to attend.
💙 To register, please email: FamilySupport@vinfen.org

12/23/2025

Find Love Safely is the first matchmaking service designed specifically to protect adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities from online dangers while helping them build real relationships.

We’re growing quickly—schools, agencies, and families are asking for our support daily. And we need your help to reach them.

Please donate or connect us to sponsors, investors, or organizations aligned with this mission.

Donation link: https://www.findlovesafely.com/donate

12/23/2025

Katherine Gyolai, founder and CEO of Find Love Safely, will facilitate an interactive relationship workshop where participants will learn to identify healthy and unhealthy relationships, understand consent, practice setting boundaries, and feel confident saying "no" both verbally and through their body language. Through this workshop, participants will experience intentional moments of exploration and practice in a safe and supportive environment. Parents and caregivers are invited to attend. Please email FamilySupport@vinfen.org to register!

12/04/2025

We are so incredibly excited to be starting a journey with Find Love Safely !!! It is so much harder for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to meet people and expand their connections in a safe way. Stay tuned to see what's coming!!!

10/30/2025

Hello everyone,

During this time of food insecurities and worry surrounding SNAP benefits, we wanted to share some resources for food banks in the Greater Boston area.

If you find yourself in need and need assistance beyond this list, please contact your DDS coordinator who will connect you with resources. It is times like this where our community rallies to meet the challenge, please know that we are all rallying at your sides.

Allston-Brighton
• Allston-Brighton APAC Food Pantry (406 Cambridge St.)
• West End House Boys & Girls Club (105 Allston St.)
• Allston-Brighton Food Pantry (404 Washington St.)
• Tifereth Raphael kosher food pantry (77 Englewood Ave.)
Back Bay
• Church of the Covenant Food Pantry (67 Newbury St.)
• Rice Sticks and Tea Asian Food Pantry (351 Boylston St.)
• Friday Night Supper Program (351 Boylston St.)
• Women’s Lunch Place (67 Newbury St.)
• Victory Programs Boston Living Center Meals Program (29 Stanhope St.)
Brookline
• Brookline Food Pantry (226 High St., Community Room; 210 Harvard St. United Parish; 55A Egmont St. – for Boston Housing Authority residents)
Cambridge
• Cambridge Economic Opportunity Commission (11 Inman St.)
• East End House Pantry (105 Spring St.)
• Cambridge Community Center (5 Callender St.)
• Harvard Square Churches Meal Program (0 Garden St.)
• Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House Food Pantry (71 Cherry St.)
• Massachusetts Avenue Baptist Church Project Manna Food Pantry (146 Hampshire St.)
• Salvation Army Cambridge Corps Food Pantry (402 Massachusetts Ave.)
• St. Paul’s AME Church Pantry (85 Bishop Allen Dr.)
• St. James Episcopal/ Helping Hand Food Pantry (1991 Massachusetts Ave.)
Charlestown
• CWS/Charlestown Adult Education (76 Monument St.)
• DISH Food Pantry at Bunker Hill Community College (250 Rutherford Ave.)
• Harvest on Vine (49 Vine St.)
Chelsea
• Chelsea Jewish Foundation Food Pantry (165 Captains Row)
• La Colaborativa (63 Sixth St.); Revival International Center of Chelsea (278 Broadway)
• Salvation Army Chelsea Food Pantry (258 Chestnut St.)
• St. Luke’s-San Lucas Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen (201 Washington Ave.)
• Selah Day Resource Center (738 Broadway St. Unit B)
Dorchester
• Bethel Tabernacle Pentecostal Church (12 Bicknell St.)
• Berea Church Pantry (108 Seaver St.)
• Cape Verdean Association of Boston (242 Bowdoin St.)
• BCYF Perkins Community Center (155 Talbot Ave.)
• Catholic Charities Boston Yawkey Center (185 Columbia Rd.)
• Codman Square Health Center (450 Washington St.)
• Dorchester House (1353 Dorchester Ave.)
• Eglise Baptiste Haitienne (1 Dix St.)
• Faith Christian Church (301 Harvard St.)
• Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center (895 Blue Hill Ave.)
• Holy Tabernacle Church (70 Washington St.)
• Greater Anointing Church Pantry (20 Charlotte St.)
• Pilgrim Church Food Pantry and Community Lunch (540 Columbia Rd.)
• St. Mary’s Food Pantry (14 Cushing Ave.)
• UMASS Boston U-ACCESS Food Pantry (100 William T Morrissey Blvd, Campus Center Suite 2300)
• YMCA of Greater Boston Mobile Market (multiple locations)
Downtown Boston
• The Paulist Center Emergency Food Pantry (5 Park Street Place)
• The Franciscan Food Center (100 Arch St.)
• St. Francis House Meals (39 Boylston St.)
East Boston
• East Boston Community Soup Kitchen (28 Paris St.)
• BCYF Paris Street (112 Paris St.)
Everett
• The Family Church (1691 Revere Beach Pkwy)
• Everett Mobile Market (117 Edith St.)
• Grace Food Pantry (50 Church St.)
Jamaica Plain
• Boston Children’s Hospital Family Food Connections (30 Bickford St.)
• First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain Food Pantry (3702 Washington St.)
Malden
• Emmanuel Baptist Church (20 Hillside Ave.)
• Bread of Life Food Pantry (54 Eastern Ave.)
• Freedom Hill Community Church Pantry (77 Kennedy Dr.)
• Malden YMCA Food Market (99 Dartmouth St.)
Mattapan
• Glad Tidings Food Pantry (573 Norfolk St.)
• Shirley’s Food Pantry (213 River St.)
Mission Hill
• ABCD Parker Hill/Fenway Neighborhood Service Center (714 Parker St.)
North End
• ABCD North End/West End Neighborhood Services (1 Michelangelo St.)
Revere
• Revere City Hall (281 Broadway)
• First Congregational Church Pantry (230 Beach St.)
Roslindale
• Fair Foods at BCYF Roslindale (6 Cummins Highway)
Roxbury
• People’s Baptist Church Food Pantry (134 Camden St.)
• Grant A.M.E. Church (1906 Washington St.)
• ICNA Relief Halal Food Pantry (1234 Columbus Ave.)
• Islamic Multi Service Organization (722 Shawmut Ave.)
• Rosie’s Place (889 Harrison Ave.)
• United Emmanuel Holiness Church (65 Windsor St.)
• Whittier Street Health Center (1290 Tremont St.)
Salem
• The Salvation Army North Shore (93 North St.)
• The Market by Salem Pantry (47 Leavitt St.)
Somerville
• Elizabeth Peabody House Food Pantry (277 Broadway)
• Somerville YMCA Free Little Pantries (101 Highland Ave.)
• Mission Church Shepherd’s Kitchen (130 Highland Ave.)
• Somerville Hispanic Association for Community Development (59 Cross St.)
• Somerville Homeless Coalition/Project SOUP (165 Broadway)
South Boston
• Fourth Presbyterian Church of South Boston Food Pantry (340 Dorchester St.)
• St. Monica’s Parish Food Pantry (331 Old Colony Ave.)
• South Boston Community Health Center (409 West Broadway)
South End
• ABCD South End Neighborhood Action Program (554 Columbus Ave.)
• Boston Medical Center Food Pantry (850 Harrison Ave. Yawkey Building Basement)
• Haley House Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen (23 Dartmouth St.)
• Salvation Army South End (1500 Washington St.)
• Union United Methodist Church Food Pantry (485 Columbus Ave.)
West End
ABCD West End (151 Cambridge St.)

09/24/2025

Families - don't miss your chance to express interest!
The Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services is now accepting OPEN REQUEST forms for the 2025 Children's Autism Waiver Program. This program offers intensive in-home and community-based supports for eligible children with autism under the age of 10. Learn more and submit your interest form here. https://www.mass.gov/dds-childrens-autism-waiver-service... Applying does not guarantee eligibility or services.

08/12/2025

We’re excited to bring you our 18th Annual Family Celebration! Join Vinfen staff, supporters, individuals we serve, and their families to recognize the power of partnerships that make the work we do possible.

Don’t miss out on your chance to be part of this special and unforgettable evening! Find more details and register (for free!) to attend: https://vinfen.org/family-celebration/

07/01/2025

This month, we recommit ourselves to advancing inclusion, promoting self-determination, and challenging stigma wherever it exists. We embrace disabilities as natural parts of human diversity. We will always recognize and uplift the voices, rights, and experiences of people of all abilities. 🌈🫶

06/10/2025

Continuous education from our friends at The Arc of Massachusetts!

So now that we've explained what Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are, you might be wondering: how do HCBS work in Massachusetts?

Medicaid, known as MassHealth here, is the foundation of HCBS. Here's what that means.

Check back tomorrow at noon for more on HCBS in Massachusetts.

06/10/2025

Help educate your mind! Thank you to our friends at The Arc of Massachusetts for this important information!

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are programs that help people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities.

Over the next week, we're going to give you a deep dive into what HCBS are, what's at stake, and what you can do to help.

Check back tomorrow at noon for more.