Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) will celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month by encouraging wellness and the development of multicultural communities around Boston this month. To provide residents and families chances to foster community, MOIA awards grants to neighbourhood organisations for free event programming and mental health programming.

“As the daughter of immigrants, I know the vital role that our immigrant families and communities play in making our cities more welcoming, more resilient and more joyful,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This month is a time to celebrate Boston’s immigrant communities and for residents and families to be in community with each other. As we work to build a Boston for everyone, we are focused on promoting wellness, building community and creating space for joy across Boston’s neighbourhoods," she added.

The MOIA is collaborating with 14 different organisations to organise events for locals and families throughout Immigrant Heritage Month. Cultural festivals, cuisine and film festivals, performances, sporting events, block parties, storytelling gatherings, mental health fairs, and town hall meetings form part of the events.

Each organisation will receive a grant from MOIA ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 to help support these activities, which are free and accessible to the public.  In addition, over the next six months, MOIA will award grants totalling between $5,000 and $10,000 to 18 community organisations to support wellness programmes in immigrant communities. Through non-clinical and culturally appropriate methods, this grant will improve the well-being and mental health of immigrants in Boston. The schedule includes healing circles, self-discovery art classes, and wellness programmes.

This is the second year MOIA funded mental health programming. In 2022, MOIA gave $70,000 to seven organizations. This year, it expanded to $129,650 through funds from "We Are Boston".