Last year, with a $32 million, multi-year road construction project for Cummins Highway set in place, area residents realized that they needed to get organized – and better acquainted.

Since then, they have checked both boxes with the launch of the Cummins Highway Neighborhood Association, with former city worker Ruth George at the helm. The association, which was her idea, now boasts some 50 members and a handful of street captains – all pulling the neighborhood together while keeping a close eye on the now under-construction project.

George, 39, was the spark for at least four or five new neighborhood associations in Mattapan and Dorchester when she was working as a mayoral liaison. After she and her husband purchased a home on Rockdale Street, she set a goal of starting another one for her neighborhood.

“It’s been great for getting people together and getting neighbors aware of what’s happening in the neighborhood and getting city departments to come out,” she said. “It’s been about seeing how we can talk about solutions. It’s not just a space to come and complain for an hour, but a place to think about solutions. As somebody who’s been on the other side of it working for the city, I respect the departments coming out after a full day.”

So far, street captains include Sheila Jones, Stella Barlow, Jo-Anne Rudder, Jean Marc Dumay, Edosa Osemwegie, and Robert Innis – George’s husband.

George noted that without the leadership of neighbors like Fatima Ali-Salaam in the Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council (GMNC) and Barbara Crichlow of the West Seldon Street & Vicinity Neighborhood Association, Mattapan would not be seeing the successes of the moment.

“The idea that associations like this are only for old people is just an excuse for not getting engaged,” she said. “It’s a cop-out. If they’re not effective, then why do so many people join them and why do people pay attention to them? It’s really a short-sighted perspective. And we’re not just focusing on homeowners. We’re pushing for renters to join as well. In my mind, it has to be the best way to empower neighborhoods. I saw that first-hand,” she added.

Dumay lived in Mattapan with his parents as a renter until 1999, and later returned after some time away. “I came back as a homeowner and found I had more buy-in as a homeowner than when I was a renter with my parents,” he said. “I want to learn about any work going on and I want to be a voice in development…After I’d been back a few years things started to really change fast. I felt it was important to be here and have a voice in that.”

Osemwegie, who works as a legislative aide for Councillor Henry Santana and attends community meetings all over the city, shares Dumay’s sentiments.

“I think this is very important to me because I grew up on Cummins Highway and I went to school from here,” he said. “Being a part of the community is very important because I’m a part of other communities through my job, but it wouldn’t make sense if I wasn’t a part of what we’re doing here on the very block I grew up on. I’ve come to learn a lot more about the community through this association.”

So far, the group has compiled a list of goals that include engaging elected officials, keeping close communication with the highway project, looking into resident parking, planting more trees, addressing Mattapan’s higher-than-average asthma rates, and starting to engage with local schools.

They also want to work closer with GMNC and draw more young people to the association with social events and a hefty online presence using Instagram and their own website.

“I’m hoping that in the next two years we’ll have more young adults in the association and have an established [non-profit status] to work with others in getting donations to support seniors so they can stay in their homes,” said George. “Also, we want individuals to be able to buy homes and so we want to get a full-time housing advocate just for our neighborhood.”

As for the neighborhood in general, George noted that in the language of the Native Americans who lived in the area, the word Mattapan described “a good place to sit.” She now would add that it’s also a “good place to live and stay.”

The association will meet next on Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. To learn more, email cumminshighwayna@gmail.com or follow them on Instagram at @Cumminshighwayna.