The BASE purchases building on Shirley Street

Will allow non-profit to expand programs for community youth

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Roxbury-based non-profit organization The Base recently announced the purchase of 150 Shirley St., the building in which the organization has resided since 2019. The purchase marks a historic step in the organization’s mission to establish a permanent home in the heart of Roxbury.

Founded in 2013, The BASE has grown exponentially since its conception. Initially exclusively serving 100 Black and brown young men through its baseball and college readiness programs, The BASE now is home to three established sports programs, a slew of college and career readiness programs and a new health and wellness initiative. Now catering to both men and women, The BASE not only offers baseball, but also softball and basketball programming, serving 850 enrolled students.

Steph Lewis, president and CEO of The BASE, believes that the purchase of the Shirley Street facility they previously rented will allow The BASE to build on its existing programming and strengthen its capacity for impact on currently enrolled athletes and the athletes they cater to throughout the year in the Greater Boston area.

“It’s very important to be a part of the narrative,” Lewis said. “To be one of the few Black-led nonprofits that will own its own property is a big thing, particularly when we talk about having a stake in the neighborhood with things that are affecting us like gentrification, being a presence, right when we talk about just even the housing crisis, right where folks are moving out because of the affordability and the way the market is working, that we were able to step up right here in Roxbury and say, ‘No, we’re not going nowhere,’” Lewis said.

Funded primarily by partner the Yawkey Foundation, the building, now named the Yawkey Urban Sports Complex: Home of The BASE, will continue to be the organization’s home as it expands its programming and outreach. In addition to the support from the Yawkey Foundation, The BASE was awarded a seven-figure grant from Atrius Health Equity Foundation to bolster its health and wellness initiatives.

“They gave us a million-dollar grant, and what we were able to do with that is really launch a full-blown health and wellness initiative. We get to directly address a lot of the health disparities that are happening in our communities and in our neighborhoods because we understand that a lot of our young folks, they can no longer wait. The time is now,” Lewis said. “What we want to make sure is that we’re able to provide mental health workshops and just mental health resources for our young folks to be able to start to address what’s happening.”

Under Lewis’ leadership, The BASE has secured over $2.5 million in grants from partners like the Yawkey Foundation and the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, as well as independent contributors and anonymous donors. This funding has been instrumental in the organization’s growth and in the permanent acquisition of 150 Shirley St., as well as in expanding programming and solidifying the organization’s potential for long-term impact.

The purchase of the building also positively impacts the organization’s overall budget, with the money previously allocated to rent now being reallocated to programming and staff reinforcement.

“All of that money will go back to resources. All of that money will go back to programs,” Lewis said. “The kids can probably go to another tournament, right? I mean the possibilities are all endless of what they’re able to do and where the funds are able to go to. Our big thing right now is like, how do we just start to pump more money back into programming, be able to serve more young folks?”

Another essential element of The BASE’s expansion mission is its college and career readiness initiatives. The purchase of the Shirley Street property will allow for a portion of funding to be devoted to enhancing that side of the organization.

“We want to be the best organization when it comes to sports and access and resources for our young folks in the city. We want to make sure that every single young person in the city has access to some amazing resources, whether it’s college, career, whatever it is that they desire. We want to make sure that we are a total change agent in our Black and brown communities,” Lewis said.

A testament to the lasting impact The BASE has already had on the community is its alumni network. The BASE’s formal introduction to youth sports in Boston was in 1978, and since then, its alumni network has been, and continues to be, expansive and diverse.

“We’re seeing amazing young folks do great things … Construction management and real estate, and we have our first doctor. We have educators. You know, just across the board, we’ve had some just amazing young folks, now adults, alums that are doing great work. And so much, they always say, is attributed to their time at The BASE,” Lewis said. “And so we just want to make sure that we’re providing even greater talent in the workforce, in the career space for today’s economy and going forward as well.”