City of Boston Funding Update

 

The Funding Update

Click Here to Subscribe FEDERAL GRANTS Supporting Communities to Reduce Lead Poisoning, 7/31/2023 Lead exposure reduction efforts supported. Award Ceiling:$200,000. National Endowment for the Arts-Our Town, 8/3/2023 The program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term.Grants range from $25,000 to $150,000, with a minimum non-federal cost share/match equal to the grant amount. Climate Smart Humanities Organizations, 9/15/2023 Funds help humanities organizations address climate issues. Maximum award amount $300,000. SYSTEM FOR AWARDS MANAGEMENT UPDATE: The federal government has transitioned from DUNS to the Unique Entity ID. A UEI is required to apply for and receive federal awards. The process is extensive; plan ahead. For more information, go to the FAQ page at SAM.gov. Federal funding opportunities are continuously updated on grants.gov STATE GRANTS   Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Program, 7/31/2023 The Office of Grants and Research (OGR) is making $3,800,000 in state funding available to assist municipal police departments implement new or expand existing body-worn camera (BWC) programs.   Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources LFPA Plus, 8/8/2023                                   The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program Plus (LFPA Plus) awards funds to groups who will buy food from socially disadvantaged  farmers and producers to provide to underserved communities. Max. Funding: $1,000,000. Scroll down to "Important Links" on CommBUYS to see Newly Posted Bids. CITY OF BOSTON GRANTS Mayor’s Housing Innovation Lab, 8/4/2023 The City of Boston Housing Innovation Lab has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a new model of affordable homeownership that allows aspiring homeowners to start building equity through renting an affordable unit that they may eventually purchase. Bids are updated continuously on the City of Boston Supplier Portal. FOUNDATION GRANTS PEN America, 7/21/2023 Grants of $5,000 will be awarded in support of literary works by immigrant and refugee writers.                                                                                                 Hello Alice,7/21/2023                                                                                                                                               The Small Business Growth Fund will award grants of between $5,000 and $25,000 to help small businesses accelerate growth and achieve their goals in 2023. Eligible, applicants must be a for-profit business with less than $1 million in 2022 gross annual revenue.                                                                                     The Justice40 Accelerator, 7/31/2023 Opportunity builds capacity for environmental organizations to access funding. Grants up to $25,000. Teagle Foundation, 8/1/2023 (Concept Paper) Teagle Foundation invites applications for the Education for American Civic Life initiative. Grants of varying amounts, ranging from $100,000-$300,000 over a 24-36 month period. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, 8/2/2023 The Supporting Health Coverage Enrollment Efforts grant program is focused on expanding Certified Application Counselor (CAC) capacity in the Commonwealth to support MassHealth members. Up to $60,000 a year for each of two years. NCMM Community Mobility Design Challenge 2023, 8/4/2023 The Community Mobility Design Challenge offers up to $25,000 in funding and intensive technical assistance throughout the grant to enable multi-sector community teams to develop mobility solutions. Yawkey Foundation, 9/1/2023 Strategic Investment Grants support nonprofit organizations catalyzing plans around strategic growth, which may entail a reimagining, rescoping, or re-energizing of mission delivery for long-term optimized impact. Grant amounts range from $250,000 to $1 million, most often payable over multiple years. Bank of America Global Impact Grant, Rolling The foundation's priorities are in community development, health, jobs and small business resiliency. Must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and not classified as a private foundation. The Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company Foundation, Grants Reviewed Quarterly The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States that support the preservation, promotion, and advancement of American Indian self-sufficiency and culture. Check the Funding Update Archives for back issues with open deadlines.    THE RESOURCE TABLE AND CITY EVENTS Free Summer meals for KIDS and TEENS Boston Public Schools is offering free summer meals to all young people who are 18 years old and younger at more than 100 locations across the City of Boston. Applications open for the Mayor's Youth Council Are you interested in working with your peers and City officials to create positive change in your community? Apply to be a part of the Mayor's Youth Council (MYC)! The MYC connects, engages, and empowers Boston’s diverse youth ages 14-19 through government and civic participation. Learn more at boston.gov/myc. The deadline to apply is Friday, August 11, 2023. ParkARTS Neighborhood Concerts Return The Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s 2023 ParkARTS Citywide Neighborhood Concert Series offers top-notch musical entertainment in local parks from July 10 through August 9.  Concerts in the Courtyard Series at the BostonPublic Library Research Statistics  All City of Boston Newsletters Daily Updates from the City of Boston News, Resources, Applications, Permits, Jobs, Events and more!

波士頓今夏在110個地點為18歲以下青少年免費提供健康食物

             (Boston Orange 摘譯) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)和食物正義辦公室 (OFJ)於7月10日宣佈，”波士頓夏日吃 (Boston Summer Eats)”今夏從7月1日起至9月1日，在圖書館、健康中心、社區中心、農夫市場等110個地點，為18歲以下青少年提供免費食物。

            ” 波士頓夏日吃 (Boston Summer Eats)” 始辦於2017年，旨在為波士頓市內青少年提供免費、健康的食物，以期市內青少年都可以健康成長。

            波士頓市長吳弭今夏動用40萬元美國援救法 (ARPA)款項，用於在10底前，資助全市各地的農夫市場券項目，在食物不足比率高的地區，幫助家庭獲取新鮮食物。

            食物正義辦公室 (OFJ)和耆英局 (Age Strong Commission)，以及24個社區健康中心，以及座落於社區內的組織合作，分發食物券給面對食物不足問題的低收入家庭。這些食物券可以用於在波士頓市內22個農夫市場購買新鮮食物，補充州政府及聯邦政府的SNAP、HIP、WIC，以及耆英農夫市場券等項目的不足之處，特別是要確保那些由於證件狀況，不符合其它福利項目者，也可獲得維生食物。

            查詢提供食物地點，可上網boston.gov/summer-eats，或是撥打麵包計畫的”食物來源 (FoodSource)”熱線 1-800-645-8333。每個地點的營運時間不同，大部分的食物站都有早餐及午餐，有些地點還提供點心小吃，

            享用食物，不須登記，也不需出示證件，但今年將沒有”拿了就走”的選項。市府強烈鼓勵青少年在領取地點用餐。

            波士頓市府表示，農夫市場已從6月份起開始營運，將辦理至10月。波士頓市府食物正義辦公室鼓勵持有SNAP， P-EBT，WIC福利者，從健康激勵項目 (HIP)，農夫市場購買食物，每花一元SNAP錢，可得價值2元的食物。

            在新冠病毒疫情期間的SNAP緊急補助最近結束後，波士頓居民獲得的SNAP福利，估計每個月減少了1300萬元，也使符合資格家庭可以得到的幫助減少了。麻州政府將為家有兒童的波士頓居民提供夏季流行病-EBT福利。7月25日會發給一次性的120元。查詢相關詳情，可上網map-ebt.org。

詳細的食品資源信息請參閱 visit here。

美國6月份就業人數增29萬餘 麻州民主黨稱經濟走強

Massachusetts Democratic Party Statement on June Jobs Report

 

BOSTON – Massachusetts State Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan released the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Labor announced that nonfarm payrolls increased by 209,000 jobs in June, bringing the total jobs created under President Biden’s leadership to over 13.2 million:  “These job numbers underscore the strength of our economy and President Joe Biden’s work to deliver for the American people,” said Chair Kerrigan. “It is important to recognize these 209,000 jobs are on top of the millions that have been created since President Biden took office. What a refreshing change this is from the vision offered by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are building our economy from the bottom up and the middle out and it is felt here in Massachusetts and across the country.”  Here’s a look at how Bidenomics is delivering across the country: · The US economy added 209,000 jobs in June, bringing the total job created since President Biden took office to a record 13.2 million jobs – including nearly 800,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs. · The share of prime working age Americans in the workforce is at its highest level in over 20 years. · The unemployment rate has been under 4 percent for 17 months in a row – the longest stretch of low unemployment since the 1960s. · Wages are growing at one of the fastest rates in years, up 4.4 percent over the past year. · Annual inflation has fallen for 11 months in a row and is down by more than half since last summer.

波士頓市府斥資3120萬元翻修 Curley社區中心7日啟用頭2個月免費

         (Boston Orange 綜合整理) 波士頓青年及家庭中心 (BCYF)的Curley社區中心經過3120萬元的翻修後，今 (7) 日在政要雲集中剪綵啟用。

              這個中心原本是一個有四分之一英里長的洗澡堂，1931年由時任市長的James Michael Curley作為”健康標誌 (Monument to health)”開張。1989年翻修過一次。

              這次斥資3120萬元翻修，建了貫穿整棟大樓的長廊，有舉重訓練及有氧運動機的健身房，瑜珈/舞蹈是ˊ，兒童空間，婦女及男士蒸氣及桑拿室，耆英和青少年空間，多元空間及辦公室。

              在中心後面有新的甲板區，以及到海灘的坡道，方便輪椅人士出入。

              翻修工程還包括對抗氣候變遷，以及未來”王潮”的諸如容許水及砂流進、流出的開放地下室，室內防水設施，阻擋海畔水流的可移動的鋼板等。

              翻修工程是由波士頓市府的公共設施局管理，designAB建築師樓和波士頓大樓，以及橋樑公司總承包商施工。

              波士頓市府表示，在新樓啟用的頭2個月內，不收會員費，參加活動也不收費，但訪客必須先在Boston.gov/BCYF-Registration登記成為會員，再上網到Boston.gov/BCYF-Curley報名不同班別。

              由於笛鴴鳥 (Piping Plover birds)的築巢會受影響，在野生動物專員決定人們到海灘不會對那些鳥構成威脅時，海灘才會開放。

              在1986年時，麻州只有140對笛鴴鳥，但在仔細的保育努力下，2022年這些鳥的數量已增加的1000對。波士頓青年及家庭中心和波士頓保護局，以及州政府將合作，以期在近期未來，讓人們得以踏上海灘。

MAYOR MICHELLE WU CELEBRATES THE REOPENING OF THE BCYF CURLEY COMMUNITY CENTER

BOSTON - Friday, July 7, 2023 - Mayor Michelle Wu today joined Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF), the Human Services Cabinet, the Public Facilities Department, elected officials, and South Boston residents to officially reopen the BCYF Curley Community Center which underwent a $31.2 million renovation. The newly renovated space includes state of the art fitness and activity spaces for community members of all ages, and was built with climate resiliency features to better protect the beachfront facility from flooding and coastal storms.  

“The renovations to the Curley Community Center transform the space into the family-friendly, accessible facility our residents deserve and have been waiting for,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “The design complements the natural beauty of South Boston’s shoreline, while also providing modern indoor spaces to gather for health and community. I’m grateful to our City departments and partners at every level of government for their support in reopening this beloved community amenity.” 

Originally opened in 1931 as a bathhouse and dedicated by Mayor James Michael Curley as a “monument to health,” the building was last renovated in 1989 and is a quarter mile long. Interior features of the renovation include open and accessible hallways throughout the entire building, fitness rooms (including weight training and cardio machines), yoga/dance studio, childrens’ space, womens’ and mens’ steam and sauna, senior space, teen space, multi-purpose spaces, and offices.  

The renovation includes a new deck area behind the center with ramps to the beach for people with mobility needs. The renovations also included a focus on resiliency, including measures to combat the impacts of climate change and future “king tides,'' such as an open basement so water and sand can flow in and out, interior waterproofing, and removable metal plates to help hold back water on the ocean side. The City of Boston’s Public Facilities Department managed the construction project working with designLAB architects and Boston Building and Bridge Corp general contractors. 

“We are thrilled to be able to re-open the Curley Community Center and welcome residents into this beautiful new space,” said Chief of Operations Dion Irish. “We’re very proud to renovate this historical building to meet the needs of our communities today, including innovative flood resilience and accessibility measures to ensure everyone in our community can enjoy the facility.” 

“The newly reopened Curley Community Center sets the bar for what our neighborhood facilities should look like and offer throughout our City,” said Chief of Human Services José Massó. “I’m thrilled to see this space reopen to welcome back familiar faces and support a new generation of our residents.”

“We are so proud to open this center and launch the next chapter of this community asset that has been an important resource to generations of Bostonians,” said Marta E. Rivera, Commissioner of Boston Centers for Youth & Families. “This investment ensures that BCYF Curley will meet the current and future needs of the community.” 

The center is designed to serve all ages, including a large senior population. Beginning this summer, the Ethos Senior Cafe will serve free lunch to seniors daily. Seniors will also be able to participate in morning stretches, community social walks, card and board games, senior fitness, book clubs, and more. The center also has youth-only spaces and will be hosting weekly family friendly activities as well as ReadBoston Storymobile visits. 

For the first two months of operation, there will be no charge for membership or programming but visitors need to create a membership at Boston.gov/BCYF-Registration. Registration for classes and programs can be found on the center’s webpage, Boston.gov/BCYF-Curley. 

Due to nesting of the threatened Piping Plover birds, there will be no beach access from the center until wildlife officials determine that beach access does not pose a risk to the birds. In 1986, there were only 140 breeding pairs of piping plovers in Massachusetts. Through careful conservation efforts, the population has increased to over 1,000 breeding pairs in 2022. BCYF is working with the Boston Conservation Commission and the State to secure beach access for the near future. Members are welcome to use the nearby beaches surrounding the center for this summer.

波士頓市議會邁入多事之秋 年底議員選舉至少3席空缺

               (Boston Orange周菊子綜合報導) 波士頓市議會似隨季節，正邁入” 多事之秋” ，從選區重劃，預算案刪減來回推拒，到市議員出車禍爆無照駕駛，無保險，市議員違反道德規範繳罰款，市議長發聲明呼籲高標準，資深市議員退選連任，一波波讓人目不暇給。

              波士頓市今年的市議員選舉，也在Kenzie Bok, Frank Baker, Michael Flaherty等3名白人市議員相繼跨出連任選戰後，呈現更詭譎局面。

              這一屆的波士頓市議會是波士頓市歷年來議員背景最多元化的一屆，13名市議員中有7名白人，2.5名黑人，2.5名西班牙裔人，1名回教徒黑人，彼此之間，理念差距頗大，過去這1年多來，爭議頻傳。

              讓人陡然驚覺波士頓市議會或將大變，還是因為同時具有黑人和西班牙裔人血統的Kendra Lara出車禍。

              6月30日，週五，下午4點半左右，波士頓市議員Kendra Lara在牙買加平原 (Jamaica Plain) 出車禍，衝過藩籬，撞進一戶民宅，爆出她駕照已吊銷還無照駕駛，開的車沒註冊，檢查(Inspection)已過期，還沒買保險，車上戴了7歲兒子，沒按照規定坐在加高座椅(Boster Seat)上等一連串違規細節。

              在警察的車禍事故報告中，Lara市議員得到西洛士百利的波士頓地方法院出庭，面對前述違規事項的審訊。

              波士頓市議會議長愛德華費連 (Ed Flynn) 說許多市民關切此事，紛紛找他，所以在7月5日發出一篇約250字的聲明，先表示萬幸，市議員Lara傷勢不重，鄰近居民，行人都安全，繼而指出，市民們為Lara的前述違規行為感到不安，而就在同一週內，另一名市議員Richard Arroyo向麻州道德委員會承認，違反道德規範，繳罰款3000元，這些事故，加上以前發生的其他事，都把市議會原本應該放在人民事務上的注意力分散了。             

愛德華費連強調，波士頓人該有持高標準、有道德的領導者來為他們服務。選民也希望民選官員像個成人的表現成熟，負責任，有能力遵循基本規則。

英文報章的波士頓環球報，WBZ電視新聞則指出，儘管Lara身為市議員，卻爆發出這一連串令人不可思議的違規行為，但包括愛德華費連在內，市議會或民間，都無人出面要求Lara市議員辭職。

倒是也在7月5日這天，原本已遞表參選連任，資深的波士頓市不分區市議員Michael Flaherty，在推特上發出貼文，宣佈退選了。他沒說明退選原因，也沒提將來何去何從，只說到今年年底，他已當了20年的波士頓市議員，是翻開新篇章的時刻了。

由於在選區重劃訴諸法律訴訟事件之後，波士頓市議員Frank Baker宣佈不再競選連任，另一名市議員Kenzie Bok於5月時走馬上任波士頓房屋局局長，今年11月的波士頓市議員選舉，將一下子少了3名在位的白人市議員參選，

              在討論重劃選區時，激進派的市議員們強過關山，引發市議員Frank Baker私下出資一萬元，支持民間團體打官司，制止市府採用該選區地圖，在法院要求下，市議會重新討論，波士頓市長也提出市長版本，供市議會參考。市議員們的討論，也在互相指責種族不公正聲中，分歧更加明顯，最後通過了選區重劃委員會主席Ruthzee Louijeune提出的版本。

              波士頓市2024會計年度預算，也是另一個在市議員間引發對立爭議的議題。激進派議員想大刪波士頓警察局預算，要從4億元預算提案中，刪減約3100萬元，用於資助其他項目。在市長否決，市議會重議後，才趕在2024會計年度於2023年7月1日開始前，通過了42.8億元，比2023會季年度增加了6.8%的預算案，其中警察局的預算，仍然按照波士頓市長的意願，增加了900萬元。

              波士頓市議會在全世界正陸續從新冠病毒疫情的重創中慢慢走出來之際的去年10月，通過議案，給市議員們加薪20%，從10萬3500元，增加到12萬5000元，把市長的薪水從20萬7000元增加到25萬元，也是波士頓市議會令市民疑惑的舉動之一。波士頓市長吳弭否決了這一議案，仍維持她先前所提的市議員加薪至11萬5000元，市長加薪至23萬元的額度。以市議會從2018年起都未加薪來計算，平均每年加薪2%。

              波士頓商業期刊指出，在今年就業市場疲軟，經濟不穩定之際，由於通貨膨脹，人才流失等情況，大部分的雇主在做2024年薪資預算時，仍然打算為員工平均加薪4%。

波士頓市議員Lara、Arroyo惹民憂 議長Ed Flynn發聲明籲高道德標準

           (Boston Orange 編譯)  波士頓市議會議長愛德華費連 (Ed Flynn) 7月5日發表聲明，引述波士頓市議員Kendra Lara、Ricardo Arroyo近況，強調波士頓市人民應得到最高標準，強有力，有道德的領導。民選議員應成熟的負責任，和他們所服務的人民一樣遵守基本規則。

                          波士頓市議員Kendra Lara 是在6月30日發生車禍，撞進民宅，爆出無照駕駛，開的車也沒登記，無保險，車上小孩沒坐加高座椅等一連串違規行為。

波士頓市議員Ricardo Arroyo則是因為在自己當選為波士頓市議員後，仍然出任自己哥哥在波士頓市政府擔任健康及人民服務長時，涉及性騷擾案件的律師，未做利益衝突迴避，違反麻州道德法規定。他承認了違反規定，繳交了罰款3000元。

愛德華費連議長在許多市民找他，表示不安、困擾後，決定發表聲明。

以下為愛德華費連的聲明譯文，以及原文:

“許多波士頓居民就最近在牙買加平原發生的車禍向我表達了他們的擔憂。首先，很幸運的是，拉拉議員和她的孩子——以及附近的屋主、駕駛者、行人或旁觀者——沒有受到嚴重傷害，我們祝願他們早日康復。我們感謝我們敬業的一線救援人員，他們以專業的態度確保每個人都安全並得到適當的治療。

                         然而，波士頓市的居民對這起事件報告中令人不安的細節感到擔憂，據稱包括一輛未註冊的車輛、一張被吊銷的駕駛執照、沒有汽車保險、過期的檢驗貼紙，以及孩子缺乏增高座椅。這發生在阿羅約議員承認違反道德規範並被馬薩諸塞州道德委員會罰款 3,000 美元的同一週。

                       這些事件，以及過去的其他事件，繼續給波士頓市議會這一機構帶來負面關注，並分散了我們市民對人民事務的關注。

                        波士頓市民值得享有最高標準的強大和道德領導。此外，他們希望當選官員表現出成熟、承擔責任，並在把我們置於公共信任的位置時，能夠遵守與他們服務的人民相同的基本規則和規範。 

"Many Boston residents have contacted me regarding their concerns on the recent car crash in Jamaica Plain. First, it is fortunate that Councilor Lara and her child - as well as nearby homeowners, motorists, pedestrians or bystanders -were not seriously injured, and we wish them a speedy recovery. We thank our dedicated first responders for their professionalism in ensuring that everyone was safe and was treated appropriately for their injuries. 

However, residents across the City of Boston are concerned about troubling details in the reports of this incident, allegedly including an unregistered vehicle, a revoked driver’s license, no auto insurance, an expired inspection sticker, and the lack of a booster seat for the child. This occurred in the same week that Councilor Arroyo admitted to ethics violations and was fined $3,000 by the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission.

These events, and others in the past, continue to draw negative attention to the institution of the Boston City Council, and distract our city from focusing on the people’s business.

The people of Boston deserve the highest standards of strong and ethical leadership. Moreover, they want elected officials who show maturity, take responsibility as adults, and demonstrate the ability to follow the same basic rules and norms as the people they serve when placing us in positions of public trust.

The residents of Boston deserve leaders who respect their constituents and take their responsibilities seriously, especially during these challenging times."

波士頓今夏為市民提供免費游泳課 巴黎街BCYF游泳池重新開放

圖片來自推特

              (Boston Orange 編譯) 波士頓市7月6日宣佈和地方組織合作，舉辦「游泳安全 (Swim Safe)」計畫，在波士頓市內由男女童子軍俱樂部和大波士頓青年會(YMCA)所經營的特定游泳池，提供免費游泳課程。

              波士頓市長吳弭在6日這天，到歷經斥資1020萬元，耗時三年完成翻修，位於東波士頓巴黎街的波士頓青少年家庭中心游泳池，出席重新開放儀式。

              吳弭市長說，為了生命安全、健康及有趣，每一個在波士頓市內成長的小孩，都應該學習如何游泳。她很感激有那麼多的夥伴組織加入了波士頓市的行動行列，為家庭擴大享受游泳樂趣的機會。

                            吳弭市長還為推廣安全游泳拍了一段視頻 (https://twitter.com/i/status/1676969451743477760)，指出紅十字會數據顯示，學會游泳，溺斃機率可降低90%。這些活動既可為人們提供水上安全知識，也可擴大救生員人力數量。

              作為「安全游泳」計畫的一部分，波士頓市一整個夏天會在波士頓男女童子軍俱樂部，以及大波士頓青年會所經營的特定游泳池，提供免費課程。這些課程會再洛士百利和多徹斯特的男女童軍俱樂部，以及波士頓所有的青年會（

吳弭市長穿泳裝，親自上陣宣傳游泳課。

YMCA）地點。查詢完整名單，可上網：https://ymcaboston.org/swim-lessons-for-all/。

              波士頓市在今年的市府預算中，指定撥款50萬元，經由BCYF資助游泳安全項目，今夏為多至500名兒童提供免費游泳課。在波士頓兒童醫院慷慨捐助下，波士頓市將為家有幼童到訪市府海灘的家長們，免費提供1000個個人浮遊設備。

              根據全國疾病控制預防中心(CDC)的統計數據，淹溺致命是1至4歲兒童的死亡首因，以及5到14歲兒童受傷而亡的次因，而且黑人及拉丁裔兒童更可能不會游泳，因此面對更高的溺斃危險。

              波士頓市長吳弭因此宣佈「安全游泳」計畫，以確保所有波士頓兒童學會游泳，並可以安全地享受波士頓市海岸線和游泳池。

                        波士頓市議會主席Ed Flynn和市議員Gabriela Coletta也強調，波士頓是個環水城市，水上安全意識和游泳技能對於年輕人、特別是有色人種和低收入家庭狠重要。他們感激市府的投資翻修巴黎街游泳池，以及為孩童提供免費游泳課。(更新版)