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Civic organizing programs highlight City Hall on the Go, block grants and expanded civic summit
Summary
Office of Civic Organizing and Spark Boston gave the committee an overview of neighborhood programs including Love Your Block cleanups, block party grants, City Hall on the Go stops, and an expanded civic summit; Spark Boston also described outreach to 20–35 year-olds and mentorship programs.
Boston — Officials from the Office of Civic Organizing (OCO) and Spark Boston described community-engagement programs to councilors on May 27, citing higher participation in Civic Summit registration, expanded Love Your Block cleanups and block party grants.
Natalia Vintas Perez, who oversees the Office of Civic Organizing, said the office is a three-person unit that runs initiatives to "reduce barriers and expand opportunities for all Boston residents to be active citizens." She said Love Your Block held 50 neighborhood beautification and cleanup sites in April 2025 and that the office awarded 54 summer block-party activation grants and 40 fall grant awards.
Spark Boston Director Aidan McDonough told the committee the Spark council engages 20–35 year-olds through neighborhood socials, mentorship and issue-focused panels. "This year, we've selected 39 council members representing Boston's 22 neighborhoods," he said, and noted collaboration with departments on youth mentorship and resource promotion.
City Hall on the Go—an OCO mobile outreach program—will continue to operate; staff said a new vehicle should be ready in four to six months and that the intent is to bring services directly to neighborhoods.
Why it matters: These programs aim to increase civic participation and reduce barriers to engagement, particularly among younger residents and communities that may not access City Hall in person.
No budget votes were taken. OCO said the civic summit expanded capacity from 200 to 300 attendees and sold out quickly; Spark and OCO asked councilors to help promote neighborhood-level events and partnerships with nonprofits to increase reach.
