HRiA has lived in several places during its 65 years. Before we opened our headquarters in Boston’s Chinatown, HRiA was based out of 95 Berkeley Street in Boston’s Back Bay/South End. Long-term partners and clients may recall our office on Washington Street in Codman Square, Dorchester. Fewer still are familiar with a suburban property located northwest of Boston. Burlington, Massachusetts is the home of HRiA’s Clearinghouse.
Partners in health promotion
The Clearinghouse provides free health promotion materials for residents and health and social service providers. Established as a joint project between HRiA and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) in 1997, the Clearinghouse has expanded over nearly 30 years to include over 1,900 products in 21 languages, distributing millions of units of public safety and health materials annually on behalf of MDPH and several Massachusetts state agencies to a wide range of health and social service providers, including community health centers, hospitals, community-based organizations, and child care centers. It now also serves Illinois and Vermont and manages far more than printed and digital materials. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Clearinghouse staff became unlikely members of our frontline workforce, when demand for their services and products soared (such as the need for broad distribution of hygiene education and substance use services promotional materials). By their records, as of February 2026, the Clearinghouse has distributed over 4 million units of COVID-related materials (including flyers, wallet cards, vaccine record cards, and rapid test stickers) since March 2020.
The power of community connection
“It’s not just a warehouse. We connect to communities,” says Tamaki West, former director of the Clearinghouse. In addition to traditional health promotion materials, like posters about handwashing and brochures about tobacco cessation, the Clearinghouse distributes a variety of products, including:
- Basic hygiene items for children moving through the MA Department of Children and Families system,
- COVID-19 vaccination cards,
- HRiA Helpline-branded items, such as mini first aid kits and sunscreen, that provide value to individuals and families in need while raising awareness about available resources.
“This service typically lives in a corporate space, but here, it lives within a public health institute,” Tamaki explains. “We think about who we are serving and the challenges they have. That’s the added value.”
Partner in emergency response
Allie Hunter, who joined the Clearinghouse as its director in 2025, shares Tamaki’s perspective: “The Clearinghouse plays a significant role in getting public health information and resources out to the community.” A prime example that demonstrates the value in this role happened in the Fall of 2022, when the Clearinghouse received a request for support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health upon the arrival of Venezuelan migrants in Martha’s Vineyard.
“It was important, it was urgent,” recalls Julius Juuko, senior fulfillment manager at the Clearinghouse. “We were able to jump in and help.” The Clearinghouse team coordinated the distribution of the Show Me Booklet to an emergency shelter in Bourne, MA. This publication is a communication tool for emergency shelters to reduce communication barriers. It also assists individuals with access and functional needs during an emergency.1
What’s next?
As the Clearinghouse continues to grow, the team is pushing the boundaries on expectations. In recent years, they have amplified their efforts to support harm reduction of substance use through the distribution of fentanyl test strips to providers in Massachusetts. These small strips of paper, which can detect the presence of fentanyl in drug samples to reduce the risk of overdose, can be ordered by Massachusetts-based providers through the Clearinghouse site. Since its 2022 launch, the Clearinghouse has distributed more than 1.2 million units across the Commonwealth (through January 2026).
In addition to these test strips, health and social service providers from MA, IL, and VT can now order other harm reduction materials from the Clearinghouse. As part of the You Can initiative, providers in MA can order rescue breathing masks and educational materials that amplify the use of rescue breaths as an important part of overdose response. And in 2026, the Clearinghouse began supporting community-based naloxone distribution in Illinois and Vermont.
With its strong roots and growing staff capacity, the Clearinghouse envisions a future where they can deliver even greater value to their partners, the communities they serve, and beyond. Expanding product offerings, serving new communities, and deepening collaboration across HRiA and external partners are on the horizon.
For more information about the HRiA Clearinghouse, contact us.
This post was updated in February 2026.
- The Show Me Booklet has since been retired from the Clearinghouse. It is now available as a mobile application.