波士頓市政府廣場十月十日飄揚中華民國國旗

左起，潘昭榮主任，孫儉元處長，謝中之，陳台榮在旗幟升到
旗桿頂後合影。(周菊子攝)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓市府廣場今日，十月十日，升起青天白日滿地紅的中華民國國旗，慶祝中華民國109年生日。

               今年這2020年，庚子年，全世界都壟罩在新型冠狀病毒疫情當中，麻州、波士頓迄今仍持續勸諭民眾不要群聚，波士頓市的雙十慶祝，遊行，晚宴都取消了。升旗典禮成為最重要的慶祝象徵。

               駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮今日一大早八點多就趕到波士頓市政府廣場前，準備在青天白日滿地紅國旗冉冉升起時行注目禮。

               讓他們意外的是，旗幟不但已經升起，而且和麻州州旗一起，都沒升到旗桿頂。

               孫儉元處長和潘昭榮主任以及僑教中心的陳小慧，連忙和波士頓市政府的亞裔社區聯絡員許麗莎(譯音，Lisa Hy)連繫，找市府服務人員協助糾正旗幟高度。打了許多電話，等了將近二個小時，波士頓市政府終於派出人員，重新升旗，把中華民國的旗幟升到了旗桿頂，但麻州州旗卻還是卡在離旗桿頂端約幾公分的地方。

左起，潘昭榮主任，謝中之，張韻蘭，陳家驊，孫儉元處長，鄭增壽夫婦，鄭永豐夫婦，
余麗媖，雷國輝等人在旗幟調整位置前留影。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

           孫儉元表示，他很感謝波士頓市政府派人出來，矯正了問題。今日風和日麗，天氣大好，看到青天白日滿地紅國旗在市政府廣場上，襯托在藍天白雲中飄揚，還是很讓人感動。

               波士頓經文處為加強慶祝味道，今天還特地安排人到現場拍了一段2分半鐘的視頻，今天中午就上傳臉書，讓僑胞們欣賞以中華民國國歌做背景音樂的升旗現場。

               籌備國慶的主辦單位，紐英崙中華總會的余麗媖，雷國輝，波士頓國民黨的張韻蘭，陳家驊，波士頓榮光慧的鄭永豐夫婦，鄭增壽夫婦，池元山，以及港澳之友社的謝中之，都趕到現場表達心意。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR THE 2021 SPARK BOSTON COUNCIL

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR THE 2021 SPARK BOSTON COUNCIL SPARK Boston Council is made up of leaders to empower and support Boston's young adults

 

BOSTON - Saturday, October 10, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced applications for the 2021 SPARK Boston Council are now open and available online. Mayor Walsh's SPARK Boston Council is a leadership and civic engagement council made up of 20-35 year old individuals, charged with spearheading the City's efforts to engage Boston's young adult population. Applications are due Friday, October 30. "The SPARK Boston Council offers the diverse community of young people in Boston the opportunity to be civically engaged and connect with local government," said Mayor Walsh. "The City of Boston is dedicated to creating a community for its young adults where they are supported and empowered. I encourage our young residents to apply for this opportunity and help us advance equity and opportunity in Boston."  Under the direction of the SPARK Boston Director, the 2021 Council will lead programming and advise Boston's leaders to help with the mission of helping the city grow as an inviting, connected, culturally rich and sustainable place for young adults. Throughout the SPARK Boston Council term, members hear from key members of the Mayor's staff, leaders within City Hall, and community organizations ranging from regional research to civic innovation. "SPARK Boston has been a constant in my life through all the difficult stages of 2020, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to make a difference in our community right now," said Audrey Seraphin, the new Director of SPARK Boston who was appointed last month. "Whether convening conversations with civic leaders, educating and empowering young professionals working in the city, or celebrating the achievements of Millennial and Gen Z Boston residents, our Council seizes upon every opportunity to advocate for our peers and their interests." The current 2019-2020 SPARK Boston Council is composed of 40 Boston residents who represent 19 different neighborhoods across the city. This group includes entrepreneurs, legislative aides, graduate students, community organizers, artists, lawyers, urban planners, and representatives from other industries across the public and private sectors.  Those looking to join the SPARK Boston Council can learn more about the program and application processby attending one of two Virtual Open Houses on either Tuesday, October 20 or Friday, October 23 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Those interested in attending can RSVP here. Applicants can also reach out with questions to sparkboston@boston.gov.  Projects for the 2019-2020 Council cohort included partnering on a Census Block Party on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, hosting Boston's Creative Economy Mingle for the Chamber of Commerce's FUNinBOS Festival, salary negotiation and personal wellness workshops, curated panel discussions, and  the continuation of the Chief Chat series. Since moving all operations to virtual forums in March, SPARK Council members have been involved in social media campaigns to promote the 2020 Census, mask-wearing and social distance measures, voter registration, and poll worker recruitment. Most recently, 2019-2020 Council Members hosted a virtual town hall as a part of the 2020 Fierce Urgency of Now (F.U.N.) Festival, and launched #CiviCoffees, a Facebook Live monthly interview show with millennial civic leaders. During the last recruitment period in the summer of 2019, the SPARK Boston program received 184 applications for the Council, showing a robust interest for involvement and engagement from the millennial and Gen Z communities. SPARK Boston and its previous iteration ONEin3 have now been serving young adults and the City of Boston for over 15 years.  "I joined SPARK because I wanted to expand pathways to civic engagement in Boston," said continuing SPARK Council member and #CiviCoffees founder Helen Mayer. "I encourage all 20-35 year old Bostonians who are passionate about civic engagement to apply because SPARK provides Council members with the community and connections to create impactful and innovative civic programming, even now." About SPARK Boston Boston is home to a large and diverse 20-35 year population. SPARK Boston (formerly ONEin3) is a City of Boston initiative that aims to empower Generation Z and millennial generation to play a greater role in planning for the future of our city. For more information, visit the Spark Boston website.

紐英崙全僑慶祝中華民國109年國慶

 

紐英崙全僑慶祝雙十國慶

 

50個5000元補助款 經營餐館婦女可申請

             (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導)新冠病毒疫情讓許多人陷入經濟困境，現有針對經營餐館業的婦女，開辦小企業者的5000元，2500元補助方案。

             麻州婦女會議( Massachusetts Conference for Women)和麻州餐館協會( Massachusetts Restaurant Association)，以及大廚張柔安(Joanne Chang)攜手設立了一個25萬元的基金，將發出50個5000元的贈款，要幫助麻州內婦女經營的餐館。

             申請截止日期為10月22日。這一項目由東南經濟發展公司這一金融機構承辦，查詢可洽(508) 822-1020，或上網 www.seedcorp.com。

             南岸銀行(South Shore Bank)則是設立了一個50萬元社區基金，以該行客戶中的小企業經營者為對象，每月最高撥給2500元。同一企業最多可連續申請3個月。

             南岸銀行表示，聯邦政府小企業行政局(SBA)的薪資保護計畫(PPP)實施以來，該行協助了1000家以上企業辦理申請，保住了大約13,000個工作機會。該行眼見坊間有那麼多企業處境艱困，決定撥出本季辦理薪資保護計畫的收益，設立50萬元的南岸銀行社區基金，以協助受新冠病毒疫情影響的企業支付每月的房租或償還貸款。

             南岸銀行指出，該行這基金以昆士市市長柯奇的”可負擔住宅信託基金”為範例，也將敦請昆士市商會負責承辦。凡是年滿18歲，今年8月1日以前已是該行客戶，流動資產少於15,000元，能夠提出繳租，貸款證明，今年3月1日以前仍然在業，年收入低於10萬元者，可以申請。

             查詢詳情可洽mburke@thequincychamber.com ，或電洽昆士市商會617-471-1700。

昆士市伸援手 餐飲業更新酒牌今年免繳費

昆士市市長柯奇(Tom Koch)。

  (Boston Orange編譯)昆士市市政府為協助在新冠病毒疫情期間備受打擊的餐飲業，最近宣佈餐廳及酒吧每年須繳的2000元酒牌更新費，今年免繳。

昆士市市長柯奇(Tom Koch)在本週稍早前，發信給昆士市牌照局主席Nicole Crispo，要求免除這一費用。昆市牌照局在10月6日的會議中通過了這一要求。

昆市府在今年已撥款250萬元，幫助小企業繳房租，發薪水，付其他費用。昆市府也另撥100萬元協助餐飲娛樂業員工繳房租。

昆士市市長的幕僚長Chris Walker表示，酒牌更新費通常每年可為市府帶進20萬元收入，但是如果餐館開始陸續關門了，市府的損失會更大。

柯奇也說，大家都知道，餐館業是地方經濟的重要部分，為數以百計的人提供了工作機會，也是許多鄰居的主要收入來源。市府有責任盡可能提供工具，幫助他們度過難關。

CITY AWARDED GRANT FOR HEAT RESILIENCE PLANNING STUDY TO PROTECT AGAINST EXTREME HEAT DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

CITY AWARDED GRANT FOR HEAT RESILIENCE PLANNING STUDY TO PROTECT AGAINST EXTREME HEAT DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE 

The grant will fund the City's first heat resilience study, with a focus on our most vulnerable neighborhoods, for the projected increases in extreme heat due to climate change

 BOSTON - Friday, October 9, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced a critical investment in strengthening Boston's neighborhoods in the face of extreme heat due to climate change. The City of Boston has been awarded a $280,070 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant that will fund a strategic heat resilience planning study, an essential next step in preparing for the projected increases in extreme heat events over the coming decades. 

"Combatting for the very real threat of climate change is crucial as we continue to invest in strategies that prioritize our vulnerable communities to ensure an equitable, healthy future for all Bostonians," said Mayor Walsh "I'm proud the City has received this award, and thank the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for their partnership in this vital work."

The Heat Resilience Planning Study is a critical component of Climate Ready Boston, an initiative to develop resilient solutions that will prepare our city for the effects of climate change: flooding due to sea-level rise and increased storms and extreme heat. The plan will build on heat preparedness work to date and explore a suite of potential heat mitigation strategies to identify infrastructure solutions and opportunities, as well as strengthen policies and programs needed to reduce urban heat and heat risk.

"Our priority is to protect all residents from ecological hazards and climate change, but we know that not everyone is equally impacted," said Chris Cook, Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space. "This heat resilience planning study will intentionally center on environmental justice communities to guide us to protect our especially vulnerable neighborhoods from the effects of climate change with actionable, innovative, and community-driven solutions."

The study will focus on "hot spots" throughout the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Chinatown, and East Boston. Climate Ready Boston will develop heat mitigation scenarios in partnership with communities facing disproportionate effects of urban heat risk and compounding social inequity. The solutions will be community-driven and will result in equity and public health focused strategies and metrics to protect the health and safety of Boston neighborhoods for years to come.

"As climate change continues, extreme heat is of particular concern in densely populated, inland neighborhoods like the one we serve in Dorchester. This study will support the development of heat resilience planning through integrated nature-based solutions, promote sustainable development, and improve public health to reduce extreme heat risk. This effort by Mayor Walsh and the City of Boston is particularly welcome, and we look forward to collaborating in this planning process," said David T. Queely, Director of Eco Innovation, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation.

The City of Boston's MVP grant is among the 41 communities that received funding from the Executive Office of Energy and Environment Affairs through its Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program. The MVP Program awarded a total of $11 million in grants to municipalities to plan and implement climate change resilience projects.

"Boston is one of four communities that are leading studies on extreme heat in this new MVP grant cycle," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. "This summer reminded us of the dangers of the urban heat island effect, particularly for our most vulnerable residents, and this work on heat resilience planning has the potential to serve as an important model for other regions across the Commonwealth."

This work builds on Mayor Walsh's vision for a prepared, healthy, and resilient Boston. Since the initial release of the first Climate Ready Boston report in 2016, the City of Boston has completed a series of neighborhood-level coastal resilience projects in East Boston, Charlestown, and South Boston, and will soon announce reports and implementation roadmaps for the North End, Downtown, and Dorchester

薪資保護計畫申貸額5萬元以下者可開始申請免償還

 

SBA and Treasury Announce Simpler PPP Forgiveness for Loans of $50,000 or Less

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, today released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses while also ensuring sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

“The PPP has provided 5.2 million loans worth $525 billion to American small businesses, providing critical economic relief and supporting more than 51 million jobs,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin.  “Today’s action streamlines the forgiveness process for PPP borrowers with loans of $50,000 or less and thousands of PPP lenders who worked around the clock to process loans quickly,” he continued.  “We are committed to making the PPP forgiveness process as simple as possible while also protecting against fraud and misuse of funds.  We continue to favor additional legislation to further simplify the forgiveness process.”

“Nothing will stop the Trump Administration from supporting great American businesses and our great American workers. The Paycheck Protection Program has been an overwhelming success and served as a historic lifeline to America’s hurting small businesses and tens of millions of workers. The new form introduced today demonstrates our relentless commitment to using every tool in our toolbelt to help small businesses and the banks that have participated in this program,” said Administrator Jovita Carranza. “We are continuing to ensure that small businesses are supported as they recover.”

SBA and Treasury have also eased the burden on PPP lenders, allowing lenders to process forgiveness applications more swiftly.  

SBA began approving PPP forgiveness applications and remitting forgiveness payments to PPP lenders for PPP borrowers on October 2, 2020.  SBA will continue to process all PPP forgiveness applications in an expeditious manner.

Click here to view the simpler loan forgiveness application.

Click here to view the instructions for completing the simpler loan forgiveness application.

Click here to view the Interim Final Rule on the simpler forgiveness process for loans of $50,000 or less.

City of Boston - The Funding Update

The Funding Update

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FUNDING UPDATE City of Boston, 11/16/2020 Boston Cultural Council grants are available to medium-sized organizations with budgets under $2 million. Grants support arts programming including music, film and video, folk and traditional art, visual art, theater, dance, humanities, literary arts, performance or time-based arts, social and civic practices, and multi-disciplinary arts. Max award: $5,000. New this week: Craft Futures Fund, 10/31/2020 One-time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 will support craft-based education projects that seed resilience, foster community, and amplify impact.  The Creative Capital blog lists a variety of resources and opportunities.     City of Boston, Open The Boston Resiliency Fund helps coordinate philanthropic efforts to provide essential services to Boston residents whose health and well-being are most immediately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Funding priorities: providing food to Boston's children, families, and seniors; providing technology to Boston Public Schools students for remote learning; and providing support to first responders, front-line workers, and healthcare workers so they can effectively do their jobs and promote public health. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 10/14/2020 COVID-19 Community Grants will engage community- and faith-based organizations in the development and delivery of effective messages and further support hard-hit communities with education, training, and funding to effectively meet their communities’ specific needs and build upon existing local and state efforts.  City of Boston, 10/16/2020 Now seeking eligibility forms to be reviewed for Community Preservation Act applications. The scope of work must address affordable housing, open space, or the preservation of historic sites. City of Boston, 10/28/2020 The Parks and Recreation Department requests proposals from an Urban Forest planning consultant to develop an equitable vision for the protection and expansion of the City's tree canopy goals. New this week: Dining for Women, 10/24/2020 This giving circle invites Letters of Intent for projects that support women and girls living in extreme poverty in developing countries. Priorities: Education/Training; Health/Clean Water/Sanitation; Economic Empowerment; Healtjhy Environment; Food security/Regenerative Agriculture/Nutrition; Human Trafficking; Leadership Training/Advocacy. Grants will range from $25,000 to $35,000. ********************************************************* BOSTON COUNTS 2020 Take 5 minutes and fill out the Census -- today! You can do it online or over the phone in 13 different languages. Your response determines how Boston receives funding for housing, transportation, education, child care, food supplies, and healthcare. Be Counted. Be Protected. Be Represented. Time is Running Out! Complete the 2020 Census NOW! ******************************** Confirm your City of Boston residency here, as part of the annual city census. This also protects your voting rights. ************************************* Learn More About Voter Registration and the 2020 Election Process Here. ******************************************* REGISTER BY 10/24/2020 to VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER 3 FINAL ELECTION.   City of Boston, Open The Reopen Boston Fund was established to help small businesses minimize risk and manage economic recovery. Eligible costs include Personal Protective Equipment, safety partitions for customers and employees, and managing outdoor space that’s approved for business use. The grants are for brick-and-mortar businesses, with fewer than 15 employees, where people work close to each other or to customers. Boston Local Development Corporation, Open The Standard BLDC Loan Fund is available for existing businesses, new ventures, and businesses relocating to Boston. Loans range from $25,000 to $150,000. The Backstreets Boston Back-up Loan Program provides financing of up to $250,000 for Boston companies in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. Also, BLDC recently received a $693,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the Economic Development Administration at the US Department of Commerce to capitalize and administer a Revolving Loan Fund to provide loans to coronavirus-impacted small businesses in Boston. For more information, contact Bill Nickerson or Gisella Soriano. The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development holds Virtual Office Hours on Wednesdays from 11AM to 1PM. Learn about becoming a City of Boston-certified Minority/Woman-Owned Business     New this week: US Department of Education, 11/4/2020 Center for Excellence grants encourage institutions of higher education to develop model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veteran students. Max award $450,000. New this week: American Association of University Women, 11/1/2020 - 12/1/2020 American Fellowships support women scholars who are pursuing full-time study to complete dissertations, conducting postdoctoral research full time, or preparing research for publication for eight consecutive weeks. Career Development grants provide funding to women who hold a bachelor’s degree and are preparing to advance or change careers or re-enter the workforce in education, health and medical sciences, or social sciences. Community Action Grants support innovative programs that promote education and equity through projects focused on encouraging girls to select, before entering college, the physical sciences or engineering as a career. New this week: BOKS, 11/30/2020 The Defenders of Physical Activity award ($10,000) will recognize one exemplary, existing BOKS program that not only changes the health and wellness of kids in their community but sets an example for other schools to do the same. New this week: Samsung, 12/13/2020 The Solve for Tomorrow contest is designed to boost interest and proficiency in STEM, and challenges public school teachers and students in grades 6-12 to show how STEM can be applied to help improve their communities. Awards include Samsung technology packages. The competition opens with first-round ideas. New this week: JAMS Foundation/Association for Conflict Resolution, 1/11/2021 The Initiative for Students and Youth provides grants for conflict prevention and dispute resolution programs for K-12 students and for adults working with youth populations in ways that directly transfer conflict resolution education skills from adults to youth. Grants will range from $15,000 to $40,000 in Year One.   New this week: Fit For Life Foundation, 11/23/2020 Every year, the Foundation awards grants of $100,000 each to 3 non-profit organizations or social enterprises that are pioneering projects to promote life-long fitness and health around the world. New this week: Health Resources & Services Administration, 1/21/2021 Funding goal: to increase the supply of behavioral health professionals while also improving distribution of a quality behavioral health workforce and thereby increasing access to behavioral health services. A special focus is placed on the knowledge and understanding of children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youth at risk for behavioral health disorders. Max award: $480,000. School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network, Open Grants support under-resourced public and charter schools to implement and expand access to quality behavioral health and general pediatric services on school campuses. Community Grants (up to $100,000) require a 40% match. Principal Grants provide up to $5,000 per academic year to principals of K-12 schools in selected states, as well as a mental health professional to support student behavioral health services on campus.    GrantStation offers a searchable database of COVID-19 funding. This just in: Rockland Trust, 10/15/2020 Funding focus: Affordable Housing, Community Development, Education, Financial Literacy, Health and Human Services, Youth Programs. Awards range from $1,000 to $5,000. New this week: Lawrence Foundation, 10/31/2020 Funding priorities: environment, human services, Covid-19 and other causes. Awards range from $5,000-$10,000. New this week: Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, 11/10/2020 Grants support museums, cultural, and performing arts programs; schools, hospitals, educational and skills training programs, programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and their programs. Awards range from $1,000 to $20,000​ New this week: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 11/24/2020 The Foundation has issued a new call for proposals: Policies for Action: Public Policy Research to Advance Racial Equity and Racial Justice that will translate findings into actionable evidence about how, and how well, policies work to improve racial equity and racial justice. A total of $2M is available. New this week: National Science Foundation, 1/29/2021 The Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace program welcomes proposals that address cybersecurity and privacy, and draw on expertise in one or more of these areas: computing, communication and information sciences; engineering; education; mathematics; statistics; and social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Awards will range from $50,000 to $3M. New this week: America Walks, 11/9/2020 The Community Change Grant supports the growing network of advocates, organizations, and agencies using innovative, engaging, and inclusive programs and projects to create change at the community level. Max award: $1,500. THE RESOURCE TABLE CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FUNDING UPDATE Connecting Communities to Opportunity Courtesy of Winn Companies Use CONNECT to search for free and reduced cost services like food, healthcare, job opportunities, benefits enrollment, rent assistance and more. Family Resources Emergency Childcare Good Neighbors Coping Skills for Youth Microsoft Digital Skills Center for Nonprofits - a collaboration with TechSoup Courses Mel King Institute Expand your knowledge on community development topics through virtual training courses. XPRIZE Challenge Ideation Workshop “CRAZY IDEAS WANTED” In this session, the XPRIZE team will share the signature elements of competition design thinking. Pandemic Alliance Partners will break out into small groups to discuss COVID-19 solution gaps in key areas. The goal is to identify problems that could be solved through collaboration between Pandemic Alliance partners or through XPRIZE competitions. Click here to contribute ideas that the world needs to focus on now. Best Times to Post on Social Media Courtesy of Nonprofit Tech for Good 5 Powerful Strategies for Your 2021 Annual Fundraising Plan Courtesy of Mobile Cause and Constant Contact 10/27/2020 at 1PM Eastern Visit the Intergovernmental Relations Resource Page for a wide variety of  fundraising tips, along with back issues of The Funding Update.