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Volunteer Opportunities September 2024

We have 3 events in 3 different neighborhoods this month!

What do volunteers do?

  • ask people at the event if they’d like a free sample treatment
  • talk about their experience getting acupuncture at BAP
  • offer a consent form for people to sign
  • direct people to available recliners
  • if possible, help Ren set up and break down the 10×10 pop-up tent

Who can volunteer?

Anyone who is a current or former patient of BAP (or Ren’s) is welcome to volunteer!

If you have an hour or two of time during one of these events, please consider volunteering.

Why would I do this?

  • meet your neighbors, make connections
  • help spread the word about BAP’s services
  • help more people feel better because they’ll be getting acupuncture
  • the more people know about BAP, the more the clinic will thrive
  • chatting with people about acupuncture is fun!

When? Where?

  • Saturday, September 21, 2-4 PM at UFI, 487 Norfolk St, Mattapan
  • Thursday, Sept. 26, 4-7 PM at Loring Greenough House, 12 South St, Jamaica Plain
  • Friday, Sept. 27, 2-6 PM at Ashmont Friday Market, Ashmont Station, Dorchester

How do I sign up?

Email, call, or talk to Ren!

two smiling volunteers at Roundhead Brewing Company

Educators Special | September 2024

Text saying April Special Acupuncture for Educators with words that look like they are written on a chalkboard surrounded by cute chalk drawings of stars, sun, rainbow, clouds, book and apple.

This month, we thank our educators by offering 10% OFF unlimited community acupuncture treatments.

First Visits for $36 (regularly $40-$70)
Return Visits for $27 (regularly $30-$60)

Book Now

How to use the special: just let us know you’re an educator* when you fill out your intake form, or come in for your visit, and get unlimited discounted community acupuncture treatments** in September 2024 at Boston Acupuncture Project.

Pay in the clinic before or after your visit – these prices are not available with online payment. We accept credit/debit cards (including most HSA/FSA cards), Apple pay, CashApp, and of course regular cash.

*Educators = anyone who works at any school or childcare center or any other job providing education/support in a school/childcare setting.

**treatments are regular community acupuncture treatments; this special does not apply to Bubble Blocks and cannot be combined with any other special offers. Thanks for understanding!

Volunteer Opportunities in August 2024

Sunday, August 11: Hyde Park Open Streets

If you’re a current or former participant in community acupuncture at BAP, we could use your help! Boston Acupuncture Project offers free sample sessions at Hyde Park Open Streets on Sunday, August 11. 

BAP could use help for an hour or two with any of the following.

  • Set up tent, bring materials out of the clinic: 8:30-9:30 AM
  • Watch all the stuff while Ren takes a break: 9:30-10:00 AM
  • Signing people up for free treatments, chat about acupuncture: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
  • Breakdown, put things back inside: 4:30-6:00 PM

Please let us know if you can help by emailing Ren.

NOTE: River Street will be CLOSED on August 11 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM along the event route, 1219 River Street to 1266 River Street.

Saturday, August 17: HELP Founders Day

Boston Acupuncture Project will be tabling at HELP by AMG Founders Day in in Roxbury from 4-7 PM on Saturday, August 17.

Details TBD. Please get in touch if you’d like to help with set up and/or tabling.

Volunteers needed for May 5!

Hi everyone, Ren here. I’m looking for volunteers for our big May Day Celebration coming up on Sunday, May 5. Can you help out with any of these things?

Set up tent, chairs, tables, etc. (9:30-10:30 AM)

Model for clinic photoshoot (10-11 AM)

Sign people up for free treatments and/or give clinic tours (anytime from 11 AM – 2 PM)

Clean up from event (anytime from 2-4 PM)

Since we’re offering everyone free acupuncture treatments on May 5 – if you’re helping out that day, you can get a free treatment at another time! Please reach out to me at 617-506-3868 (or in person) if you’re interested in helping or want more information.

Thanks so much!

Sliding Scale Guidelines for our $30-$50 Community Acupuncture Treatments

Boston Acupuncture Project builds community by providing widely accessible and affordable acupuncture. Boston Acupuncture Project is here for you – and thanks to you. But what does the “sliding scale” really mean?

We need to average $40 per visit.

We want to keep our sliding scale at $30-$60 for as long as possible. In order to continue to stay open and provide treatments, our clinic needs to average $40 per visit. (This assumes we’re averaging 50 visits per week.) This is a literal average – every dollar counts! But to keep it simple, let’s break it into 3 tiers:

When you pay . . . . $50 or more: it helps us keep the low end at $30, save, grow. $40: sustainer rate - keeps BAP going! $30: makes it possible for more people (YOU) to get acupuncture!

Paying $50 or more helps us keep the low end of the sliding scale at $30, save for emergencies, and potentially even grow to have more open hours, more programs, and more staff.

Paying $40 helps sustain Boston Acupuncture Project financially. Thank you! This is the average payment we need to keep things running, assuming enough people are coming in.

If you are only able to pay $30, thank you so much – please keep paying $30 per visit.

If you need to pay $30, we want you to pay $30.

No matter how much you pay, we want you to be able to get as much acupuncture as you need to see a real difference in your health concerns. Not only does your life improve, but then you can tell other people about how acupuncture helped you! And that helps us reach more new patients, and fulfill our mission.

So, if paying more than $30 would prevent you from getting as much acupuncture as you need, we do not want you to pay more than $30. We want you to get enough acupuncture. There are also plenty of ways you can help BAP keep our doors open that are not paying more on the sliding scale, if you’re interested!

If $30 puts acupuncture out of reach for you

If you are not able to pay $30 per visit, please talk to your acupuncturist! Generous community members who love getting acupuncture at BAP donate Pay It Forward treatments for neighbors unable to pay $30. (If you would like to donate a Pay It Forward treatment, please click here to visit our donation page.)

We want you to know that every dollar counts.

If you are able, paying above $30 makes a real difference for us.

We are counting on you to ask yourself the question. We can’t stay open if we can’t meet our financial obligations.

How do I know how much I can pay?

This is very personal. Below is one framework for thinking about where you might fall on our sliding scale. Thanks for being thoughtful!

3 bottles under a heading The Green Bottle - where you fall on the sliding scale. Vertical axis is labeled financial privilege - how full the bottles are. Horizontal axis is labeled Personal Financial Experience - what you experience inside each bottle. Bottle on left is full. It says: I am comfortably able to meet all of my basic needs; I may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs; I own my home OR I rent a higher end property; I own or lease a car; I am employed OR do not need to work to meet my needs; I have regular access to health care and financial savings; I have expendable income; I can always buy new items; I can afford time off or a vacation. Middle bottle is half full. It says: I may stress about meeting my basic needs but still regularly achieve them; I may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs; I own or lease a car; I am employed; I have access to health care; I might have access to financial savings; I have some expendable income; I am able to buy some new items and thrift others; I can take a vacation annually or every few years without financial burden. Bottle on the right has very little and says: I frequently stress about meeting my basic needs and don't always achieve them; I have debt and sometimes it prohibits me from meeting my basic needs; I rent lower-end properties or have unstable housing; I do not have a car and/or have limited access to a car but am not always able to afford gas; I am unemployed or underemployed; I qualify for government assistance including food stamps and health care; I have no or very limited expendable income; I rarely buy new items because I am unable to afford them; I cannot afford a vacation or have the ability to take time off without financial burden. Bottom says that Basic Needs include food, housing, and transportation. Expendable income means you are able to buy a coffee, go to the movies or a concert, buy a new book or clothing or similar items every month, etc. Designed by Alexis J. Cunningfolk at WortsAndCunning.com

Special Offer for New Sustainers

At BAP, we’re on a mission to keep our community healthy and thriving. Our sustainers help make our work possible with their monthly donations. Here’s why our sustainers are so important to us! To give right now, just click here. Don’t forget to select the monthly donation option!

Why Sustainers?

Planned monthly donations are vital to the well-being of BAP, for so many reasons! They allow us to plan our budget, ride out bumps in the road, and show potential funders how much our community values our work.

Help Us Root

Monthly gifts let our neighbors who value BAP commit to us, and in turn let us commit to our neighborhood. As the forces of displacement continue to hit Boston hard, monthly donations let us budget and plan to pay our rent and our staff, even when so much about our city is in flux. They let us plan to keep being here to keep you healthy.

Help Us Live

Monthly donations allow us to ride out the inevitable bumps in the road–a month full of blizzards, or the illness of a staff member. This means that rather than scrambling to stay afloat when a problem hits, we can keep focusing on giving the care that you, and the rest of our community, count on.

Help Us Grow

When we have monthly donors, it helps us get grants to build new programs, try new things, and make a more comfortable space for your community acupuncture. Foundations and granters see our support from the community, and are more likely to give us additional money to continue the work that our donors clearly value. This could mean that we can provide new forms of care for you, or that we can reach more of our neighbors with additional programming.

Feeling the Love

And of course, the less practical reason–if you donate monthly, that means that every month we get to see your name come through with your donation, and feel your love of BAP–which keeps us going and gives us joy!

Sustainers Circle

By donating $7 or more per month, you can join our Sustainers Circle. This gives you first dibs on all new products and classes at BAP, a quarterly newsletter about our community outreach, and an annual Q&A with BAP’s lead acupuncturist. You’ll also get a free Ear Seeds DIY Kit if you become a monthly sustainer at ANY amount by 12/21/2023!

DIY ear seed kit - free when you become a monthly sustainer at any amount by 12/21/2023.

Click below to give now. Don’t forget to select the “monthly” donation option. Thanks for all the ways you are a part of our Boston Acupuncture Project community!

Andrew Cheever, L.Ac. covers on Saturday, Sept. 16

We are excited to welcome Andrew Cheever, L.Ac. back to Boston Acupuncture Project! Book with Andrew directly by clicking this link.

Andrew earned his Master of Science in Acupuncture from Tri-State Acupuncture College in 2011. He has been practicing for many years at community acupuncture clinics Acupuncture Together in Medford, MA and Open Space Community Acupuncture in Somerville, MA.

Before moving to Somerville in 2015, Andrew practiced acupuncture at the New York Presbyterian Hospital’s pediatric oncology ward. He has experience working with individuals with physical, cognitive and social disabilities.

Andrew Cheever smiles at camera. He is a white man with a beard.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, Andrew covers at BAP. Please give him a warm Hyde Park welcome! Our regular sliding scale of $25-$55 (plus the added $10 fee for first visits only) applies.

Book with Andrew

Nicole Brown, L.Ac. covers on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023

Boston Acupuncture Project is thrilled to welcome Nicole Brown, licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, to cover a shift!

Nicole Brown is in private practice at nearby Inner Sage Boston Acupuncture & Wellness, LLC. She earned her Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) in 2008. Nicole also has extensive training in nutrition and functional medicine. She specializes in women’s health issues, fertility, hormones, and stress-related conditions.

With her multicultural upbringing and background in psychology, Nicole has a unique perspective on health and healing focused on mind/body root cause and solutions. Nicole combines conventional and holistic approaches, educating and empowering patients to achieve lasting health and wellness.

Nicole Brown portrait by Malka Ahmed Photography. Smiling woman leans against brick wall with hand on hip.

BAP’s executive director, Oren “Ren” Pilinger, met Nicole when they both worked on Small Steps Project pop-up clinics with We Got Us, offering free holistic healing to the community.

Don’t miss your chance to get an affordable acupuncture treatment from an excellent practitioner! Our regular sliding scale of $25-$55 applies (add $10 for a first visit). Save your spot now for Saturday, August 12, 2023 by clicking here or on the button below:

Book Now
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