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星期日, 2月 28, 2021

波士頓考試學校修改入學辦法 華裔等家長提告

             (Boston Orange編譯)去年11月成立的追求學術優異波士頓家長聯盟(Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence)”上週五(26)提出聯邦訴訟,要求制止波士頓公校以學生居住地點郵遞區號,做為考試學校今秋錄取程序的一部分。

             該訴訟稱,波士頓公校這3所考試學校的新錄取政策,違反了學生們的憲法權利,而且會人為的對拉丁裔及非洲裔學生有利,對亞裔及白人學生有害。

                            這訟案預定週三開庭聆訊,被告包括波士頓公校總監,學校委員會委員等人。

             追求學術優異波士頓家長聯盟會長Bentao Cui表示,做為家長,他們希望子女得到進入考試學校的公平機會,並享有卓越的教育機會。他說,我們不是輕易做出提起訴訟這決定的,但是為了保護孩子的權利在政府手中不受種族和族裔歧視,我們感到別無選擇。

             該訴訟代表14名申請進入考試學校的6年級華裔,印度裔,以及白人學生,還有他們已加入追求學術優異波士頓家長聯盟的家長們提出的。

             這些家庭住在華埠,布萊頓(Brighton),畢肯丘(Beacon Hill),以及西洛士百利(West Roxbury)等地區,在訟案中,他們說,這幾個地區都會受到郵遞區號的負面影響。

            追求學術優異波士頓家長聯盟已藉GoFundMe網站,從46名捐款人那兒籌得6000多元。他們聘請的律師之一是佛蒙特州RichmondWilliam Hurd。這名律師曾代表一群中學生及他們的家庭控告Fairfax郡的學校人員,以阻止湯姆斯傑弗遜科技高中(Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology)這所菁英學校的入學許可政策的改變。

             民權律師協會(Lawyers for Civil Rights)27日表示,將挑戰這一訟案。該會訴訟主任Oren Sellstrom說,如果這受誤導的訴訟有進展,將代表黑人,拉丁裔,以及其他可能受害者干預這一訴訟。他認為該案從基本上誤會了波士頓公校政策及憲法。

             波士頓公校系統和波士頓市長辦公室都不願就此訴訟置評。

             波士頓學校委員會去年10月無異議通過,因為新冠病毒大流行,考試學校的入學考試暫停一年,改以學校成績,麻州標準測驗分數,以及郵遞區號做為是否有資格入學的依據。

             在學校委員會投票前,波士頓公校總監Brenda Cassellius指派的一個工作小組建議,暫停2021-2022學年的考試要求,改以20%學位完全以學校成績為依據,其餘80%根據學校分數集郵地區號來決定,將撥出最多學位給市內學齡兒童最多的鄰里。

             麻州亞裔教育者協會(Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association)在回答波士頓環球報的提問時表示,波士頓市公校因應疫情,修改考試學校下學年入學許可辦法的做法雖不完美,但可以接受。

             波士頓市的三所考試學校為波士頓拉丁學校(Boston Latin School),波士頓拉丁學院(Boston Latin Academy),以及約翰奧布萊恩數學及科學學校(John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science)

以下為BPCAE新聞稿

BOSTON: Today in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence (BPCAE) filed a lawsuit against the Boston School Committee and Boston Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius seeking immediate injunctive relief to protect the constitutional rights of Asian and Caucasian school children seeking admission to the district’s three exam schools: Boston Latin Academy, Boston Latin School, and the John D. O’Bryant School of Science and Math (the exam schools).

            The injunctive relief the BPCAE lawsuit seeks would prohibit the School Committee from implementing its new Zip Code Quota admission plan, which apportions a specific number of admission seats to the exam schools to each of Boston’s twenty-nine (29) zip codes.  The BPCAE lawsuit alleges that by apportioning seats in this manner, the Zip Code Quota plan will have the effect of limiting the number of children from certain predominantly Asian and Caucasian zip codes who are admitted to the exam schools for the 2021-2022 school year.

            The lawsuit further alleges that by seeking to apportion admission seats to the exam schools according to zip codes, the School Committee’s purpose and intent is to decrease the number of children from certain racial and ethnic backgrounds from gaining admission to the exam schools, while increasing the number of children who gain admission to the exam schools from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.  Accordingly, the lawsuit alleges that the Zip Code Quota admission plan is unconstitutional because it will violate the rights to equal protection under the law of those children in the disfavored zip codes, rights which are guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution and Massachusetts’ law.

            The Zip Code Quota admission plan is a stark departure from the admission process traditionally utilized by the exam schools which evaluated student seeking admission purely on scholastic merit and on a citywide basis (i.e., without any admission quotas being guaranteed to specific zip codes or neighborhoods).  The use of the Zip Code Quota admission plan for the fall 2021 admission cycle was recommended by Superintendent Cassellius, and it was approved by Boston’s appointed School Committee at a public meeting on October 21, 2020.

            At this meeting, then School Committee Chair Michael Loconto was recorded on a “hot mic” mocking the names and accents of several Asian parents who were attending the meeting to provide public comments on the Zip Code Quota admission plan. Chair Loconto resigned the next day because of his anti-Asian racist remarks, but not before the anti-Asian Zip Code Quota Admission plan was adopted.

            In the Complaint filed in federal court today, BPCAE lays out how and why the Zip Code Quota admission plan is purposefully used here as a proxy for race and ethnicity.  The Complaint states: “By depriving some school children of educational opportunity based on their race or ethnicity, Defendants do great harm, not only to the children they seek to exclude but also to the Boston Exam Schools, which they would use as the instruments of their discrimination, to the City of Boston, and to this country’s cherished principle of equal protection.”

             As a remedy, the BPCAE requests that the Court enjoin the School Committee from implementing the Zip Code Quota admission plan, and in its place order the School Committee to utilize a citywide, merit-based admission process, which has been in place for the exam schools for at least the past twenty years.

            BPCAE is a group of Boston parents organized as a 501(c)(4) corporation in November 2020 in response to the new Zip Code Quota admission plan.

            “As parents, we want our children to have a fair opportunity to earn admission to the exam schools and enjoy the unsurpassed educational opportunities those schools offer,” said BPCAE spokesperson Ben Cui. “We do not take lightly the decision to file this lawsuit, but we felt we had no other alternative to protect our children’s rights to be free from racial and ethnic discrimination at the hands of the government.  We made every effort to bring our concerns before the City of Boston and to engage with representatives in a dialogue about how our concerns about equity and fairness in this plan could be addressed.  However, our school committee members would not listen to us or engage in any discussion of our concerns, leaving us no option to be heard other than by filing this lawsuit.”

星期六, 2月 27, 2021

波士頓確定不辦特別選舉 麻州眾議員Jon Santiago參選波市長

麻州眾議員 Jon Santiago加入波士頓市長選戰。(圖片
取自競選網站)。
             (Boston Orange 編譯)麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)(26)日簽准了波士頓市的家規法請願(home-rule petition),波士頓市現在鐵定不辦特別選舉,市長選戰也增溫了,參選人增加1名,還是目前唯一的男性。

             依照波士頓市的市法規定,如果在位市長於35日之前離職,就必須辦理一場市長特別選舉。在波士頓現任市長馬丁華殊(Martin Walsh)預定下週會獲得聯邦參議院確認,前往華府,走馬上任美國勞工部部長一職中,波士頓市議會日前通過議案,向州政府提出家規法請願。麻州州長及麻州參眾兩會都早就表態支持,州長昨日的簽署只是落實,完成程序。

             一旦馬丁華殊離任後,波士頓市議會議長Kim Janey將成為代理市長。在特別選舉確定取消後,Kim Janey將擔任代理市長,直至波士頓市選出的新市長接任為止。這同時意味著,如果Kim Janey有意參選波士頓市長一職,她將比其他候選人享有更多的在位優勢。

             去年九月,波士頓市不分區市議員吳弭(Michelle Wu),第四區市議員Andrea Campbell,在相隔僅一星期的時間中,先後宣佈參選波士頓市長,接著今年128日另一名波士頓市不分區市議員Annissa Essaibi George,也跳入選戰,引得許多人興奮討論,稱這三人無論哪一人當選,都將為波士頓市締造出首名女性,少數族裔或黑人當選市長的歷史紀錄。

             在有意參選波士頓市長的一長串名單中,其實有不少男性,但直到223日,這由女性獨佔的波士頓市長選舉局面,才終於因為麻州眾議員Jon Santiago宣佈參選而打破。

             Jon Santiago是麻州薩福克郡第9區眾議員,轄區包括南端,現年38歲。他在波士頓前鋒報(Boston Herald)的訪問中談他自己在有補助的公屋中長大,曾加入和平部隊,遠赴多明尼加服務,曾以後備陸軍身分派往海外,最後回到波士頓市,進了波士頓醫療中心急診部工作。作為急診部門醫生,他現在也是麻州緊急準備管理委員會成員,麻州議會新冠病毒聯席會議的眾議會副主席。

             有意參選波士頓市市長的人,還有很多,大都還未正式表態。包括波士頓市經濟發展長John Barros,麻州參議員Nick Collins,波士頓市健康及人民服務長Marty Martinez,以及波士頓市議會議長Kim Janey等等。

             目前已正式參選者,除前述個人外,還有一名住在多徹斯特的前酒店經理Dana Depelteau也參選了。

             根據麻州競選經費網站資訊,截至1月底,各候選人手中尚存的競選經費為,吳弭$741,948Andrea Campbell$743,415Annissa Essaibi George$152,979Jon Santiago $159,134

             根據麻州競選經費網站資訊,John Barros從上一次參選波士頓市長後,競選經費帳戶從20164月起就已掛零,迄今未變。Kim Janey目前仍是市議員候選人身分,手中有現金$90,292

             根據波士頓市選舉法規定,所有候選人必須取得3000個有效簽名支持,並於413日以前索取參選文件。511日前遞交參選文件,622日前完成支持者簽名認證,91日初選,112日大選。

星期五, 2月 26, 2021

4國會議員支持立法讓無證件移民取得入籍公民途徑

                     (Boston Orange綜合報導) 4
加州聯邦眾議員劉雲平表示自己是移民之子,
深知移民處境。
名國會議員今
(26)日在網上舉辦這裡是我家公聽會,並攜手宣佈遞出必要員工入籍公民法(The Citizenship for Essential Workers Act)”

            麻州參議員伊莉莎白沃倫(Elizabeth Warren),加州聯邦眾議員劉雲平(Ted Lieu),加州聯邦參議員Alex Padilla,以及德州聯邦眾議員Joaquin Castro都認為,在新冠病毒大流行期間,許多無證件移民冒著生命危險繼續工作,其他人才得以得更為安全,日常生活未受太大干擾,應該從立刻調整成為合法永久居民開始,給他們入籍公民的途徑,這法案將是要公正且包容的從新冠病毒大流行中恢復的重要一步。

麻州聯邦參議員Elizabeth Warren表示,攜手努力
就能成功。
必要員工入籍公民法將容許大約500萬名無證件移民獲得申請入籍公民的機會。這些人有四分之三的工作類別在新冠病毒大流行期間,屬於必要行業。這些無證件移民每年繳交大約797億元稅款給美國聯邦政府,大約410億元稅款交給州及地方政府。

劉雲平表示,這些移民在新冠病毒大流行期間冒著生命危險,維持著美國的經濟運轉,他很榮幸能夠和其他起位國會議員一起提出這一法案。

伊莉莎白沃倫說,我們必須盡快糾正這不公平現象。

加州聯邦參議員Alex Padilla。
加州聯邦參議員Alex Padilla是加州有史以來的第一為西語裔聯邦參議員。他上任後提出的第一個法案,就是要為無證件移民發聲的這必要員工入籍公民法

Alex Padilla表示他提出這法案,既有私人理由,也是政策需要。他自己的父母就是來自墨西哥移民,一家四代從事服務業。他父親零工廚師(short-order cook),母親是房屋打掃工。

他認為,美國的移民法早該修改了,該法案將對加州影響最大。

這網上公聽會邀請了多名各族裔打工人士述說各自的故事,伊莉莎白沃倫表示,只要更多人攜手協力,就能夠通過這法案。

德州聯邦參議員Joaquin Castro。
Alex Padilla在會中特地感謝劉雲平的支持。劉雲平回應表示,她父母也是移民,小時候他就在父母開的餐廳中當廉價勞工,他很清楚移民為生存所經歷的艱辛,很願意幫助更多人改善生活。(所有圖片為視頻截圖)(更新版)

馮偉傑卸任克蘭斯頓市長 加入PLDO律師事務所

 

            (Boston Orange綜合報導)羅德島州克蘭斯頓市前市長馮偉傑(Allan W. Fung)卸任前,其妻Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung當選為羅德島州第15區眾議員,卸任後,加入PLDO律師事務所。

            簡稱PLDOPannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC事務所的執行合夥人Gary R. Pannone,特地在今(26)日元宵節,宣佈馮偉傑加盟該事務所的喜訊。

              PLDO律師事務所指出,馮偉傑在20092021年間擔任市長長達12年,還是前任的羅德島州是鎮長聯盟(RI League of Cities and Towns)會長,之前在大都會人壽保險公司擔任政府關係法律顧問,羅德島總檢察官辦公室的特別助理檢察官,以及Mandell, Schwartz & Boisclair訴訟律師。他畢業於羅德島學院政治系,再於1995年取得薩福克大學法律博士學位(J. D.)。他也是羅德島律師基金會學者。

              馮偉傑在公職之外,也曾擔任許多全國性,地方性的組織首長。他目前是羅德島華人協會的榮譽主席,也是國際領袖基金會新英格蘭分會董事。

大波士頓中華文協網上慶牛年 賴超強接任會長

大波士頓中華文化協會(GBCCA)由董事長楊哲修(右一)主禮,
賴超強(中)接任會長,楊曉華卸任(左一),潘慧如候任。(視頻截圖)
             (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)波士頓地區歷史最悠久的華人社團,大波士頓中華文化協會(GBCCA)220日晚以牛年雲端晚會,在網上慶祝辛丑農曆新春,舉行新舊會長交接儀式。

              文協董事長楊哲修博士在網路年會中頒發傑出社區服務獎給林建中,鄒宗記,黃江泰,表揚大樓委員會的湯耀武,陳瑞虹等人,把文協位於牛頓市的自置會址一樓,翻修得美輪美奐,讓文協有了更多,更舒適的可用空間,還請潘延頒發表揚狀,感謝12名志願者在過去這一年中,舉辦講座,豐富了會員們的生活。

文協董事長楊哲修、吳萍萍夫婦獻唱,為新年慶祝會拉開序幕。
             這場雲端年會,由文協國樂社演奏新春樂拉開序幕。頒獎儀式後,董事長楊哲修,吳萍萍夫婦粉墨登場,獻唱恭喜發財,接著會長交接,楊曉華卸任,賴超強接棒,還通過了潘慧如為候任的2022年會長。

              文協2021年度執委會成員的歐陽東美,劉鍵,陳綺文,黃秀儀,何學然,Sng Claxton也以預錄的視頻做了簡短自我介紹。

文協介紹2021年度幹部。
              卸任會長楊曉華感慨的說,2020屆的文協幹部們本來準備了很多活動,結果疫情打亂所有計畫。經協調後,改在網上舉辦了烹飪,插花等許多講座,還購買口罩捐給警察局及地方社團。

           Youtube上直播的這場晚會,基本上以預錄方式製作大部分環節,除了致詞,頒獎,交接,以及特邀嘉賓,有粉絲200萬人的雙語脫口秀明星艾傑西(Jesse Appell)表演之外,文協還安排了17項兼具介紹協會內各個社團功能的節目,有波士頓健身舞的三句半方言拜年,文協揚琴鼓樂團彈奏紫竹調,夢舞團跳半壺紗,波士頓京劇協會的李曉鈴表演貴妃醉酒,王麗文獨舞沂蒙小調,張越麒跳Zumba,楊信宜帶領演奏古箏風中奇緣,華心藝術學校表演扯鈴,文協國樂團表演打擊樂,知音舞團表演醉春風,還有傳統武術表演,書法作品展示,余嘯雲的以舞會友社,雲鶴社,還有嗩吶大師郭雅志以葫蘆絲演奏阿細跳月,吳雅琪表演現代舞蹈,最後是王麗文指揮文協合唱團大合唱金山古道 (僑務電子報版本:    https://www.ocacnews.net/overseascommunity/article/article_story.jsp?id=273656 )

余嘯雲舞蹈班。
脫口秀明星艾傑西表演。

王麗文(左上一)指揮文協合唱團壓軸演唱。

文協頒傑出社區服務獎表揚林建忠(左下),鄒宗記(右下),黃江泰等人。

波士頓縮減版第三階段第二步驟開放 室內表演部分延至3/22

波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin Walsh)認為小心為上。(檔案照片)
            (Boston Orange 綜合編譯)麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)(25)天才剛宣佈,31日起重新開放向前邁一步。波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)(26)日卻宣佈,波士頓市的室內空間及娛樂活動場所的開放腳步要慢點來,等到322日再說。

                   貝克州長說,餐廳的人數限制會取消,其他的企業場所使用限制也提升至50%,包括室內表演場所人數限制可放寬到500人;不過華殊市長認為小心為上,諸如音樂廳,戲院,室內溜冰場這些地方,慢一點再做更大幅度開放。

                      華殊說,從新冠病毒大流行的一開始,波士頓市就對重新開放採取謹慎做法,以居民的健康,安全為第一優先考量。只在安全之後,才採取行動。

              華殊說,只要公眾健康數據支持,波士頓市已經準備好在322日跨入第四階段第一步驟的開放。將准許例如芬衛球場,TD花園等大型場所以12%的容量來重新開放。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES THE CITY OF BOSTON WILL ENTER MODIFIED VERSION OF PHASE 3, STEP 2 OF THE COMMONWEALTH'S REOPENING PLAN ON MONDAY

Indoor performance venues, certain indoor recreational activities and live musical performances at restaurants will not resume until March 22

 

BOSTON - Friday, February 26, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez, and the City of Boston today announced, effective Monday, March 1, Boston will move with the Commonwealth into Phase 3, Step 2 of the state's reopening plan, with the following exceptions:

  • Indoor performance venues and indoor recreational activities with greater potential for contact will remain closed until March 22. In Boston, the City will not allow live musical performances in restaurants until March 22. 

"Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Boston has taken a cautious approach to reopening," said Mayor Walsh. "We've prioritized the health and safety of our residents, and we've made decisions based on the latest public health data and metrics. We've only moved forward when it's safe. Throughout the pandemic, the City of Boston has made decisions that protect our public health, while recognizing the economic impact of this public health emergency. I want to thank our residents and businesses for their continued cooperation throughout the reopening process."

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will move to Step 2 of Phase 3 of the state's reopening plan on Monday, March 1:

  • Indoor performance venues (such as concert halls, theaters, and other indoor performance spaces) can open at 50% capacity, with a 500-person max. (*Please note: This does not apply in Boston until March 22.)
  • Indoor recreational activities with greater potential for contact (laser tag, roller skating, trampolines, obstacle courses) will open at 50% capacity. (*Please note: This does not apply in Boston until March 22.)
  • A number of industries will increase to 50% capacity.
  • Restaurants will no longer be subject to a seated capacity limit. However, there must be six feet between tables. No more than 6 people per table will be allowed, and the 90-minute time limit on tables stays in place. (*Please note: In Boston, the City will not allow live musical performances in restaurants until March 22.)
  • Food courts remain closed.

The state also announced its plan to transition to Step 1 of Phase 4 on Monday, March 22, provided public health metrics continue to improve. The City of Boston will continue evaluating public health and data leading up to this date to determine next steps in Boston's reopening plan. If public health data supports continued reopening, the City of Boston is prepared to align with the Commonwealth's plan to move into Step 1 of Phase 4 on Monday, March 22. Additional information is available on the Commonwealth's website

Additional information about reopening in Boston is available on boston.gov

麻州州長疫情匯報 2/26 Video

 


星期四, 2月 25, 2021

波士頓彈性基金再撥385萬元資助62組織

MAYOR WALSH AND STEERING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCE $3.85 MILLION AWARDED TO 62 ORGANIZATIONS IN BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND GRANTS

 Since its creation, the Boston Resiliency Fund has granted $34.15M to 377

organizations; Grantmaking to pause in anticipation of mayoral transition

 

 

BOSTON - Thursday, February 25, 2021- Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee today announced the Boston Resiliency Fund's 28th funding round, totaling $3.85 million in funding to 62 nonprofits in Boston. The organizations in this round of funding work to ensure access to food and other basic needs for Boston residents and to promote public health in the city through community-based outreach and engagement. Since its launch in March of 2020, $34.5 million has been donated to the Boston Resiliency Fund (BRF), and 377 Boston-based organizations have received over $34.1 million in funding. 

"The Boston Resiliency Fund has been an invaluable resource in our efforts to support the critical services that Boston's nonprofits have continued to provide throughout the pandemic," said Mayor Walsh. "This latest round of grants is our biggest yet, and serves as our way to support these organizations for all the work that they do and for providing essential resources to our community year-round. I also want to thank the Steering Committee for their steadfast commitment to and oversight of the Fund." 

In November, the Boston Resiliency Fund paused the rapid response grantmaking it had been doing since late March of last year to evaluate how the Fund could best serve Boston residents with limited remaining funds. The Fund received feedback from its non-profit partners that there was still an overwhelming demand for food and other basic needs, like diapers, formula and hygiene products, and that there was a need for further education regarding public health guidance and the safety and importance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Prioritizing these two focus areas, the BRF Steering Committee re-opened its grant application to any interested non-profit serving Boston residents. There were 137 applications seeking over $19 million in aid for this funding round. 

Of the 62 organizations awarded funds, 47% identify as led by a person of color, 66% as woman-led, and 30% as immigrant-led. Additionally, 42% identify as Black- or African-American-led, 18% as Hispanic- or Latinx-led, 13% as Asian- or Pacific Islander-led, and 18% as LGBTQI-led. Overall, 55% of all BRF grantees to receive funding to date identify as being led by a person of color, and 60% of grantees identify as woman-led.  

After this round of grants, the Fund has a remaining balance of approximately $400,000. The Boston Resiliency Fund, while not actively fundraising since the spring of 2020, has continued to receive donations from generous residents and groups around Boston. This will be the final round of BRF grants under Mayor Walsh's leadership, and grantmaking will pause in anticipation of the mayoral transition. Grantmaking may resume in the future in order to equitably allocate any remaining balance. The BRF is hosted by the Boston Charitable Trust Fund, an existing 501(c)(3) designated trust fund managed by the City of Boston's Treasury Department. The Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee includes Jack Connors, Jr., Anne Klibanski, MD, President and CEO of Mass General Brigham, and Jeffrey Leiden, MD, Ph.D., Executive Chairman of Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

"Omega Men In Action, Inc. (OMIA) is a non-profit organization established to uplift and enhance opportunities for youth and families within the greater Boston communities. A key program is our emergency food pantry, which provides bi-monthly food distribution to families across Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, Hyde Park and Jamaica Plain," said Michael Munn, Board Member of Omega Men in Action. "The enormously appreciated assistance and funding that we received from the Boston Resiliency Fund is a Godsend. In addition to enabling the expansion of our food pantry, it will allow us to upgrade our refrigeration capacity, augment our delivery service to seniors, and distribute additional facemasks, hand sanitizer and other PPE."

"We are so grateful, once again, to the Boston Resiliency Fund for their generous support of our mission of providing access to healthy food to those impacted by COVID-19. This grant will allow us to cover our delivery fees so that we can expand home delivery of all of our products for at-risk customers, leveling the playing field for those who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic," said Doug Rauch, Founder and President of Daily Table. "With this funding, the BRF has continued to show its deep commitment to food justice during these difficult times." 

"Vaccine is love and is one way we can control this pandemic," said Heloisa Galvão, Director of Brazilian Women's Group. "This vaccination campaign is a collective effort to save lives and build the health of our community back. Vaccine NOW."

"Agencia ALPHA is thankful for the trust The Boston Resiliency Fund has deposited on our coalition. As grassroots organizations we are working hard to make sure our communities have access to the appropriate information about the COVID-19 vaccine as well to be vaccinated," said Damaris Velasquez, Director of Programs Agencia ALPHA. "This is a step forward to empowering our communities to be part of the solution against this crisis." 

"So grateful to Mayor Walsh, Yusufi Vali and the entire Resiliency Fund Team for their commitment in combating COVID-19 vaccine inequities among immigrant communities most disproportionately impacted," said Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, Director of Haitian-Americans United. "This grant will increase our capacity to run a robust and comprehensive COVID-19 educational campaign aimed at dispelling the myths and the misinformation on the vaccine."

Brazilian Worker's Group, Agencia ALPHA and Haitian-Americans United are part of the Immigrant COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign, coordinated by the Center to Support Immigrant Organizing

The community-based organizations addressing public health through COVID-19 prevention and vaccine education will receive $763,000. Another $2.82 million will be distributed to organizations expanding access to food and other basic needs and $258,000 will support organizations working to achieve both priority areas.

About Fresh: About Fresh will utilize the grant from the Boston Resiliency Fund to fund an online ordering and food pickup program pilot. The aims of this pilot are to improve the shopping experience of vulnerable shoppers seeking to limit their exposure to winter weather and further minimize their potential exposure to COVID-19.

Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition (BBCC) Community Support, led by Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition (BBCC): BBCC will continue to conduct contact and wellness checks, encourage residents to get tested and support access to vaccination sites for Black residents in Boston. BBCC will also create and share robust, culturally-competent messaging and ensure that residents are connected to existing resources. 

Boston Chinatown Vaccine Education and Basic Needs Relief, led by Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center Inc. (BCNC): BCNC, the Asian Community Development Corporation, the Chinese Progressive Association and the Greater Boston Legal Services Asian Outreach Campaign will collaborate to provide essential resources regarding vaccine education and financial relief to the Chinese-speaking Asian immigrant community in Boston. Coordinating between organizations will maximize resources and enable them to align messaging and communication regarding the vaccine. 

Boston Girls Empowerment Network: Boston Girls Empowerment Network's Culturally Responsive Support for Homeless Immigrant and Refugee Women will work across ethnic communities to coordinate and boost support services that include rental assistance and housing placement, immigration services, food and feminine hygiene products, mental health/wellness and case management support.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, Inc.: With the support of the Boston Resiliency Fund, Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester will increase Dorchester families' access to nutritious food through an expansion of their current program and through weekly Grab & Go meals. Funding will be used to support the production and delivery of weekly grocery boxes to families.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Bridge Over Troubled Waters will use BRF funding to provide homeless, runaway and at-risk youth, ages 14-24 with safety, food and basic needs, and hope for the future both through its Boston-based outreach, drop-in and housing programs.

Bunker Hill Community College Foundation: Funding from this BRF grant will pay the salary of a delivery driver contracted to BHCC from the New England-based culinary organization Snap Chef. The BRF grant will enable them to continue to leverage the existing online ordering system to increase the accessibility of food through the delivery system developed at the beginning of the pandemic. 

Cathedral Church of St. Paul: The Cathedral Church of St. Paul will continue providing weekly meals to the unhoused people they serve. Additionally, they will continue to provide water, access to bathrooms, PPE for staff and guests, phone charging outlets, and information about and assistance accessing other resources for the unhoused in the city. 

Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Inc.: Catholic Charities will use resources from the Boston Resiliency Fund to support its two Boston food pantries and to address the continued and expanded demand for food in low-income communities. The two pantries serve approximately 4,000 people each week. 

Immigrant COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign, led by Center to Support Immigrant Organizing: The Center to Support Immigrant Organizing will collaborate with other organizations to use this BRF grant to develop messaging, education and outreach strategy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Central Assembly of God Church, East Boston: The Central Assembly of God Church will use the Boston Resiliency Fund grant to continue to close the food insecurity gap experienced by Boston residents experiencing joblessness. 

Chica Project: BRF funds will help Chica Project continue to provide stipends to Peer Leaders, and training to mentors as they continue to offer a targeted micro-public health campaign/community forum that improves public education for Latinx girls and other young women of color about how to prevent COVID-19. 

Community Work Services: Community Work Services will address the rapidly increasing community need to provide nutritional support to food-insecure individuals during this public health crisis by delivering food to families among the most impacted by COVID-19 by partnering with local church networks across the City of Boston.

Daily Table: Daily Table will use BRF funding to subsidize the delivery fees for customers and others who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Daily Table plans to offer free delivery to these customers to ensure access to healthy, affordable food without additional risk to COVID-19 infection

East Boston Community Soup Kitchen: East Boston Community Soup Kitchen will use this BRF grant to address the additional needs of their guests during the COVID-19 pandemic by modifying the way they provide meals by incorporating a take-out format and increasingly, gift card distribution. They will use the funds to purchase items from food warehouses at a discounted rate to provide a good variety of food items to the soup kitchen's guests. 

East Boston Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and East Boston Social Center: The 'Stronger Together' team will provide nutritious food relief to East Boston households (including seniors and families). Their program will continue to purchase quality fresh produce and culturally appropriate dry goods from both The Greater Boston Food Bank and Costa Fruit and Produce in Charlestown. 

Eastie Farm: Eastie Farm will use BRF funding to continue their work providing prepared meals, dairy, and meat to Boston residents and expand their outreach efforts.

Elizabeth Stone House, Inc.: Elizabeth Stone House will use BRF funding to  support residents facing housing and food insecurity, ensure access to critical medical care and opportunities for COVID-19 vaccine administration, provide safe and hygienic emergency housing and keep front-line staff protected and able to provide critically important domestic violence counseling and safety planning services.

Ellie Fund: Ellie Fund will use this BRF grant to support their Breast Cancer Patient Services Program, which distinctly serves both curative and metastatic (lifelong) patients, who are immunosuppressed, physically weakened, and more susceptible to contagious illnesses. This program provides essential non-medical services for these patients undergoing costly breast cancer treatment amid the pandemic. Services include nutrition and food assistance, transportation, childcare, house cleaning, and integrative therapies, free of charge.

FamilyAid Boston: FamilyAid Boston (FAB) will use grant funding to build awareness, education and support for obtaining vaccines for Boston residents. FAB will provide vaccination roll-out support with clients. 

Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts: A third grant from the Boston Resiliency Fund will support the direct aid to families in Dorchester, Roslindale and Hyde Park in the form of gift cards for groceries and other basic needs. 

Fair Foods Inc: Fair Foods will use this grant to sustain their weekly efforts at food distribution sites across the city and continue to grow its $2 dollar bag sites all over Boston. In addition, Fair Foods has enlisted new and expanded distribution partners, such as Maverick Landing Community Services (MLCS) in East Boston and other partners in Dorchester and Mattapan. These partners pick up food boxes at the Fair Foods warehouse in South Boston and conduct deliveries across the city.

Fenway Civic Association: (Fiscal Sponsor: Fenway Community Center): Fenway Civic Association will use BRF funding to support their work with the Fenway Cares mutual aid collaborative, which serves all Fenway residents and visitors who attend or sign up for food distributions.  Fenway Civic Association will distribute food boxes and other items, including hand sanitizer and PPE,  in bi-weekly distribution events and associated deliveries.

Freedom House, Inc.: Freedom House will use the Boston Resiliency Fund grant to address food insecurity and provide PPE and COVID information to the community.

Friends of the Children-Boston: Friends-Boston will use this BRF grant to provide resources in the form of store credits, allowing direct access to food and household supplies for children, youth, and family members. They will partner with up to five bodegas and/or small and mid-size grocers that are walkable to where families live and that offer a variety of fresh food and household cleaning supplies. 

Fundo Arcu: Fundo Arcu will use this BRF grant to provide boxes of ethnically competent food boxes, diapers, cleaning products, laundry products and personal hygiene products for women and men in the Dominican/Latinx community.

Vaccination Without Barriers/Sin Barreras, led by Greater Boston Latino Network: With BRF support, GBLN will strategically realign their ongoing COVID-19 prevention campaign to focus on vaccination and emerging trends such as viral variants. The campaign will deepen and expand its focus on prevention and protection while providing direct resources including, but not limited to, free masks, food, gift cards, unemployment assistance, eviction prevention and medical referrals. 

Greater Love Community Cares: With the grant from the Boston Resiliency Fund, Greater Love Community Cares will provide periodic food distribution and food deliveries to certain seniors and residents who are home-bound. 

Grove Hall Neighborhood Development Corporation: Grove Hall Neighborhood Development Corporation requested BRF funds to support their work combating the spread of COVID-19. Grove Hall NDC will clean local church buildings and non-profit locations who are open for essential services and provide hand sanitizer for Boston residents.

Haley House: Haley House will use this BRF grant to continue supporting the increased level of emergency services they are currently offering. Specifically, funding will be used to purchase food beyond their donations from the Greater Boston Food Bank and Lovin' Spoonfuls, take-away materials, extra cleaning/sanitization supplies, and increased operating costs for increased services (e.g. trash, utilities for outdoor heaters).

Hawthorne Youth and Community Center, Inc.: The Boston Resiliency Fund grant will be used to support home delivery of fresh produce, shelf-stable foods and grocery store gift cards to high-risk residents. Additionally, it will allow for the home delivery of cleaning supplies, PPE, and hygiene items, as well as the distribution of current COVID-19 vaccine information to Highland Park residents. Boston youth will be engaged in food distribution and farming activities.

Hope & Comfort, Inc.: Hope and Comfort will use this BRF grant to distribute hygiene products in Boston. The primary items distributed will be bars of soap, in order to support personal hygiene to help contain COVID-19. Soap distributions will be accompanied by other hygiene products, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and more, to ensure youth and families have comprehensive hygiene access

Java with Jimmy: Java with Jimmy will use the BRF grant to continue to curate conversations that promote CDC, State, and Local guidance to stop the spread of COVID-19. They will expand their outreach to share information by creating public service announcements to promote the availability of COVID-19 related services. Java with Jimmy will also partner with local entities and organizations to host the "pop up" community giveaways, providing nonperishable foods and/or gift cards. 

John F. Kennedy Family Services: This BRF grant will allow JFK Family Service Center to add temporary staff and distribute critical supplies, as well as provide internet-based services to their clients. The JFK CARES project is a continuation of their multi-pronged efforts to provide assistance to meet the basic needs of those struggling during the pandemic. 

Lifeboat Boston: Lifeboat Boston will continue to provide nutritional support to families with infants through the distribution of infant formula, diapers, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products. 

Love You Menses, Inc.: Love Your Menses will continue using Boston Resiliency Fund grant funds to purchase menstrual hygiene and postpartum items to support girls, women, and new moms. They will also continue installing period product dispensers at local community organizations. 

Louis D. Brown Peace Institute: The Peace Institute will use this BRF grant to support The Live in Peace Fund. This fund ensures that Boston's families, children and seniors get the food security, clothing and other necessities that they deserve through gift cards and vouchers. 

Madison Park Development Corporation: MPDC will utilize an additional Boston Resiliency Fund grant to sustain its weekly food distribution efforts, currently serving approximately 380 households within its affordable housing portfolio/programs. 

Massachusetts Immigrant Collaborative (MIC) Emergency Relief Fund: MIC will provide access to emergency cash, food assistance and other basic needs, including diapers, formula, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products. Funding will be allocated equally across the eleven participating partner organizations, each of which will distribute assistance according to the unique cultural and logistical needs of the communities they serve. 

Mothers for Justice and Equality, Inc.: Mothers for Justice and Equality, Inc. will use this BRF grant to serve 50 families weekly with a range of $25-$50 per week in groceries or gift cards. On average, the agency delivers groceries to approximately ten elderly or disabled families each week. This service provides access to clients who may be extremely isolated to provide support and resources while we also address food insecurity for families in poverty.

Omega Men in Action: OMIA will use the Boston Resiliency Fund grant to expand the capacity of its Emergency Food Pantry. The grant will allow OMIA to immediately provide access to healthy dietary and hygiene options for the increased number of families who now find themselves in need due to the pandemic.

Park Street Church: Park Street Church will use this BRF grant to support their Park Street Church Fellowship Center. The warming center offers four inside shifts, with a thirty-minute sanitization and volunteer-switching break. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at the center. Hand warmers are also available for those who are waiting or just stopping by. This grant will also support the hiring of a Director and a Trauma Care Facilitator.

Pine Street Inn: BRF funding will be used to support emergency food distribution for the formerly homeless tenants living in Pine Street Inn's supportive housing. Emergency food deliveries will be prioritized for tenants with the most acute food insecurity and those who are either self-isolating or in quarantine because they have come into contact with someone with COVID-19 or have contracted COVID-19.

Prince Hall Grand Lodge: Prince Hall will continue to partner with community health centers to provide free COVID testing to community members each week and to distribute other critical supplies like face masks and hand sanitizer. They will execute a community outreach program that will implement measures and provide literature necessary to prevent, test, report, and contain COVID-19 within communities of color. 

Project Restore Us: Project Restore Us would use this BRF grant to purchase and distribute food from a collective of restaurants to a network of community-based organizations that serve the immigrant population. In building on existing relationships with vendors and food manufacturers, PRU can bring revenue to restaurants in need while feeding families at a fair and low price.  

Project Bread - The Walk for Hunger, Inc.: Project Bread will continue to respond effectively to the pandemic by scaling existing programs and initiatives to address food insecurity. Project Bread will use this grant to expand its outreach and awareness efforts and, with the help of UMass Boston's Center for Survey Research, conduct a survey of Boston residents on their knowledge of and perception about SNAP benefits. 

Rebel Cause Inc: This grant will provide direct support to their BIPOC community members for emergency aid with rent, medical bills, etc. as needed. Rebel Cause also provides PPE, hygiene and other basic needs supplies to its community members.

Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, Inc.: Rescuing Leftover Cuisine will use BRF funding to support their standard operations of excess food rescue as well as their COVID-19 specific initiatives. These initiatives reduce wasted food, assist restaurants, alleviate hunger, and lessen food insecurity. 

Shaloh School Oholei Torah: Shaloh House will use BRF funding to support their Open Food Site, which is the only open meal site in Massachusetts that provides kosher meals. Shaloh House will use funding to purchase kosher ingredients needed for the preparation of kosher meals and increase the number of families and children in need that are served at its Open Food Site.

South Boston en Accion, Inc.: South Boston en Accion (SBEA) will circulate and post printed and digital flyers in English, Spanish and Vietnamese throughout the Mary Ellen McCormick, the Old Colony, and the D Street/West Broadway public housing developments to announce the weekly hours when residents can pick up supplies. On Saturdays, SBEA distributes PPE kits and information, cleaning and sanitizing supplies, grocery store gift cards, and basic personal hygiene items. 

Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center: With the Boston Resiliency Fund grant, Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center will provide COVID education and vaccine education targeted for the community. They plan to have additional vaccine education forums and continue to provide timely COVID-19 information to keep our families safe during this challenging period. 

St. Mary's Center for Women and Children: St. Mary's Center for Women and Children requested funds to provide three meals per day to all of those who are in their residential programs across Boston and provide to those visiting their food pantry in East Boston. Additionally, funds will be used to purchase cleaning supplies to continue sanitizing their campus and to support the acquisition of items needed for the babies and children in their care as well as their mothers (for example, diapers, feminine hygiene products, formula and toiletries). 

The Community Builders: This Boston Resiliency Fund grant will support a two-part approach to meet the needs of Boston senior residents. This includes the hiring of a Community Life COVID Coordinator (CLCC) and inclusive campaigns on COVID-19 prevention strategies and TCB's vaccine-related efforts.

The Family Van - A Program of Harvard Medical School: With support from the Boston Resiliency Fund, The Family Van will train Community Health Workers and volunteers to provide education about the COVID-19 vaccine and other prevention measures and help clients navigate health and social service systems so they can follow best practices for preventing the spread of COVID, get tested as appropriate, and get vaccinated.

The Greater Boston Food Bank: The Greater Boston Food Bank will use this BRF grant to support the purchase of food to be distributed to 139 Boston-area food pantries and meals programs. This grant will facilitate the purchase of 825,000 pounds of food, which would provide 750,000 meals to Boston residents in need. 

The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts: The grant will allow the Domestic and Sexual Violence Project staff to purchase weekly bags of food needed by clients in their program. 

Transgender Emergency Fund Of MA INC: With a Boston Resiliency Fund grant, the Transgender Emergency Fund of MA will provide COVID-19 and vaccine education targeted for their community. The organization will expand its series of free monthly educational forums. They plan to have additional vaccine education forums and will continue to provide timely COVID-19 information to keep families safe during this challenging period.

United South End Settlements: With a grant from the Boston Resiliency Fund, USES will be able to extend the duration and expand the reach of their neighbor2neighbor food delivery program. With available funds, USES will also be able to purchase diapers and make them available to interested families.

Urban Guild,Inc. (The Guild): This grant from BRF will enable The Guild to carry on its pandemic relief work through the pantry, delivery services, virtual wellness sessions, and health-related travel vouchers. Funds will support the purchasing and transport of supplies, the staff and volunteer coordination of the activities.

Fields Corner Crossroads Collective COVID-19 Response, led by VietAID: On behalf of the Fields Corner Crossroads Collaborative, which includes Dot House Health, Boys/Girls Club of Dorchester, Asian American Resource Workshop, VietAID, New England United for Justice, Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, Dorchester Youth Collaborative, MassCOSH, and All Dorchester Sports and Leadership, this group will meet the needs of residents by continuing to coordinate service referral, increase capacity for food distribution, and coordinated outreach on vaccine and testing. Funds will be used to purchase bulk food and supplies for distribution, bring on staff to increase the availability of food at new sites, and create/distribute materials on vaccination and testing. 

Voice of Tabernacle Multi-Service Center, Inc. (VTMC): VTMC will use BRF funding to provide emergency food to Haitian immigrants and refugees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Mattapan and Dorchester.  The VTMC emergency food program serves low-income, Haitian families, and homebound seniors, who are dealing with multiple issues that are tied to their resettlement process, such as: homelessness, low English proficiency, poor nutrition, poverty, unemployment, under employment and unaddressed health care needs.  

Wilahmena's Place Inc.: Wilahmena's Place Inc. supports seniors and other home-bound families who may lack access to farm-fresh fruit and vegetables with grocery delivery. Through this grant, they can continue to offer food, personal protective equipment, toiletries, sanitizer, soap, cleaning supplies, and some gift cards to seniors, students and families in need.

For more information, please visit: boston.gov/resiliency-fund. For general inquiries, please email brf@boston.gov.

For a map of locations of all Boston Resiliency Fund grantees, please visit here