MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBERS TO BUILD CAPACITY IN CLOSING FOOD ACCESS GAPS IN BOSTON

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBERS TO BUILD CAPACITY IN CLOSING FOOD ACCESS GAPS IN BOSTON

BOSTON - Thursday, May 17, 2018 - Today, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the Mayor’s Office of Food Access (OFA) and Project Bread have been selected to receive two AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) service members to close food access gaps in the City of Boston and surrounding communities. Applications to become the OFA VISTA service member are due June 1.

"No one should have to live with food insecurity," said Mayor Walsh. "With the help of the VISTA service members, the Mayor's Office of Food Access and Project Bread will build on existing programs and policies to create greater opportunities for children and families to access healthy and nutritious food year round."

Beginning this summer, the AmeriCorps VISTA service members will work with OFA and Project Bread to serve low-income communities and communities of color in Boston, Malden, Everett, and Medford that are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, with a special emphasis on serving children and families. With the support of the AmeriCorps VISTA service members, OFA and Project Bread are expected to reach at least 1,200 individuals through their services.

"Many individuals and families today experience food insecurity on a daily basis," said Mayor's Office of Health and Human Services Chief, Marty Martinez. “Through OFA, the VISTA service members, and Project Bread, we will take new bold approaches to close food gaps further, so every individual and family can have an opportunity to be healthy and thrive."

The two VISTAs will work with OFA and Project Bread to identify areas where new summer and afterschool meal sites will fill a food access gap. The OFA AmeriCorps VISTA service members will work with Boston Public Schools (BPS), Boston Public Library (BPL), and Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) to coordinate summer and afterschool meal programs, new and existing summer meals sites at BPL branches; and manage afterschool meals at all BCYF community centers.

The OFA AmeriCorps VISTA, leveraging the expertise of Project Bread, will also pilot “SNAP application clinics.” The VISTA work in SNAP clinics will help to develop a system where residents can be reached and supported throughout the SNAP application process.

“Identifying gaps and finding opportunities to fill them is an important role that our office plays in addressing food insecurity and food access issues in Boston. We look forward to bringing these VISTA members on board to help us do just that. Our community partners know and work intimately with the communities they serve and are well suited to provide more summer and afterschool meals to children and to help close the SNAP gap in their communities. The VISTA members will help to leverage the strengths that all of these partners bring to the table to yield a meaningful impact on the food security of families across Boston,” said Catalina López-Ospina, Director of the Mayor's Office of Food Access.

“At Project Bread, we promote the success of anti-hunger programs such as SNAP, school breakfast, and summer meals as scalable solutions to food insecurity. These programs have an immediate impact on the children and families who don't have enough to eat. Hunger is a solvable problem, yet its solutions are complex and require an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Erin McAleer, President of Project Bread. “The City of Boston has demonstrated great commitment to preventing and ending hunger, and we look forward to collaborating with them to advance our shared goal of making sure everyone in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth have equal access to this basic right - food. By partnering with OFA and the VISTA program, we look forward to expanding our capacity and using our many years of experience to enhance these vital programs for the residents of Greater Boston and beyond.”

“This program will help us ensure that students are learning healthy eating habits that will last them a lifetime,” said Laura Benavidez, BPS Executive Director of Food and Nutrition Services. “We look forward to this collaboration with Project Bread and the AmeriCorps VISTA program, as we continue working to close the food access gaps for BPS students and their families.”

Project Bread’s AmeriCorps VISTA service members will work with school wellness committees and other relevant partners to advocate for improved access to and quality of child nutrition programs hosted or sponsored by schools, including summer and afterschool meal programs and breakfast and lunch programs.

In addition to these activities, both AmeriCorps VISTAs will develop a meal program toolkit highlighting best practices for creation and management of sites. These toolkits will help organizations build solid operational systems to restart the programs seamlessly each season and will synthesize best practices around outreach and advocacy with school wellness committees to ensure that future sites effectively reach and meet the needs of the community.

“Boston Public Library is proud to collaborate with like-minded service organizations and expand summer meal sites in the city’s neighborhoods to the Codman Square, East Boston, and Grove Hall library branches this year, and additionally share library resources with children and families,” said Boston Public Library President David Leonard. “Basic needs have to be met to ensure users can take full advantage of all our library spaces, collections, and programming.”

"Boston Centers for Youth & Families is looking forward to partnering with OFA to provide much-needed nutrition resources for the young people and families who attend our centers,” said William Morales, Commissioner of BCYF. “This new partnership will provide families with free, nutritious meals allowing us to further our goal of improving our families overall health and happiness."

ABOUT THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF FOOD ACCESS:

Created by Mayor Walsh, the Mayor’s Office of Food Access works to improve equitable access to nutritious food to foster a more food secure city with vibrant, inclusive food cultures, reflective of the diverse residents in the City of Boston.

Last summer OFA in partnership with The Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics, Boston Public Schools, Project Bread, and Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition piloted Lunch on the Lawn at City Hall Plaza and Books and Bites at the Mattapan Branch of the Boston Public Library. These two new locations combined serve more than 3,000 meals to young people 18 or under during the summer, filling the school meals gap. This year OFA is strengthening partnerships and expanding to more BPL branches, farmers markets, and public facilities.

ABOUT PROJECT BREAD:

Project Bread is committed to preventing and ending hunger in Massachusetts. We approach hunger as a complex problem with multiple solutions; we provide immediate access to affordable, healthy food to those who are hungry today, while also eradicating the systemic causes of hunger. Through its Child Nutrition Outreach Program operated in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary education, Project Bread assists communities across Massachusetts to provide high-quality free summer meals to children and teens at over 1,000 sites across the state, including nearly 200 in the city of Boston.

Along with other sources, the funds raised through The Walk for Hunger™, celebrating its 50th anniversary in May 2018, enable Project Bread to pioneer innovative initiatives and support effective programs to end hunger in Boston and throughout Massachusetts. For more information on Project Bread visit www.projectbread.org and to learn more about the Walk for Hunger™ visit www.projectbread.org/walk.

ABOUT THE AmeriCorps VISTA PROGRAM:

VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America, was conceived by President John F. Kennedy as a domestic counterpart to the Peace Corps and was started by President Lyndon Johnson as part of the War on Poverty. It is the national service program that works to eliminate poverty. The first VISTAs began serving in 1965, in migrant farm worker camps in California, the hollows of eastern Kentucky, and the urban neighborhoods of Hartford, CT. In 1994, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs. Today, AmeriCorps VISTA is a full-time national service program for individuals interested in developing lasting solutions to the problems of poverty in the United States.  AmeriCorps VISTA members create and expand services and programs that help bring low-income individuals out of poverty.

BCNC包氏文藝中心慶祝成立一週年

On Saturday, May 12^th, 2019, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)’s Pao Arts Center celebrated its first birthday with a day of art, music, and fun. The celebration consisted of arts and crafts for the whole family, a performance by artist-in-residence Shaw Pong Liu, the opening reception of the newest gallery exhibit, and, of course, birthday cake.

In partnership with Bunker Hill Community College, BCNC opened the Pao Arts Center in 2017 to be Chinatown’s first community-based arts center and Boston’s newly dedicated Asian American and Asian immigrant cultural space. The Pao Arts Center sits on a historically significant piece of land, Parcel 24, where hundreds of Chinatown residents were displaced in the 1960s to build a highway on-ramp. The reclamation of this land as a place to celebrate and explore Asian culture represents a powerful shift towards community-oriented development in the face of rapid change.

Since its opening in May 2017, the Pao Arts Center has had:

·        4,500 visitors who have experience creativity in Chinatown at the Pao Arts Center

·        23 Bunker Hill Community College classes

·        21 events hosted by community organizations

·        18 art and community partners

·        17 workshops to explore and create

·        12 tours for community groups and schools

·        9 performances through the Chinatown Presents series

·        7 sessions of classes to learn develop new skills

·        6 visual arts exhibits featuring local Asian/Asian American artists

“The BCNC Pao Arts Center in Chinatown is becoming a vibrant Boston community hub for Asian cultural arts. We had a great time celebrating the Arts Center’s 1st birthday with families, students, artists, educators, volunteers, and community members,” said Terri Mock, BCNC Board Member.

For more information about the Pao Arts Center and upcoming events, go to www.bcnc.net/pao.

WGBH to Celebration of Asian Pacific American Culture on 5/22

Celebration of Asian Pacific American Culture 

Tues., 5/22, 7pm–9pm at WGBH Studios.

Join us for WGBH’s 10th annual celebration of Asian Pacific American culture with specially selected films and programs airing this month on WGBH 2, WGBX 44 and World, our national documentary and information channel. This year, the event will spotlight Asian American entrepreneurs who have risen to the top of their respective industries and remain civically engaged in their communities. Leaders from a variety of sectors will share their personal experiences and journeys to professional success with the event attendees. Liz Cheng, general manager of WGBH Television and the World Channel, will moderate the discussion with panelists Yvonne Hao, COO and CFO of Pill Pack, Mohamad Ali, President and CEO of Carbonite and Ian So, CEO, co-owner and co-founder of Chicken and Rice Guys. Panelists will offer real-world advice to event attendees.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register now:

https://www.wgbh.org/event/celebration-of-asian-pacific-american-culture 

Directions and Parking Information

WGBH offers free parking for visitors and events. 

B.A.A. Announces 2019 Boston Marathon Registration Dates

B.A.A. Announces 2019 Boston Marathon Registration Dates

Registration Opens Monday, September 10 at 10:00 a.m. ET

BOSTON - Registration for the 2019 Boston Marathon will open on Monday, September 10, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. ET. The Boston Athletic Association will use the same process to register qualified open runners as it has used in recent years, allowing the fastest qualifiers in their gender and age group to register first.

The 123rd Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 15, 2019, Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For the 34th consecutive year the Boston Marathon will be sponsored by John Hancock. Registration for the 2019 Boston Marathon will be held entirely online at www.baa.org. The qualification window for the 2019 Boston Marathon began on Saturday, September 16, 2017.

To qualify for the Boston Marathon, athletes must meet time standards which correspond to their age and gender. The qualifying times for the 2019 Boston Marathon remain unchanged from recent years and are listed on the B.A.A.’s website.

Registration will occur on a “rolling admission” schedule, beginning with the fastest qualifiers. On Monday, September 10, eligible runners who have met the qualifying standard for their age and gender by 20 minutes or more may register. On Wednesday, September 12 at 10:00 a.m. ET, registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standard by 10 minutes or more. Registration will open on Friday, September 14 at 10:00 a.m. ET for those who have met their qualifying standard by five minutes or more. Registration will close for week one on Saturday, September 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

If space remains after the first week of registration (September 10-15), then registration will re-open for all qualifiers from Monday, September 17 at 10:00 a.m. ET through Wednesday, September 19 at 5:00 p.m. ET. As during the first week of registration, entry during this period (September 17-19) will not be first-come, first-served and the fastest qualifiers in their gender and age group among these submissions will be given entry as space allows. If space remains after this initial period, then on Monday, September 24 at 10:00 a.m. ET, registration will re-open to anyone who meets the qualifying standards. Registration will remain open for valid qualifiers on a first-come, first-served basis until the maximum field size is reached, or until Sunday, October 28 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Registration for Athletes with Disabilities (AWD) programs and divisions will open on Monday, September 10 at 10:00 a.m. ET and will follow the same registration timeline detailed above. If space remains beyond Monday, September 24, then registration for AWD programs/divisions will be first-come, first-served for qualified applicants until each respective division/program is filled, or until Sunday, October 28 at 5:00 p.m. ET when AWD registration closes. AWD divisions/programs include the push rim wheelchair division, visually impaired division, mobility impaired program, handcycle program, and duo team program. AWD eligibility criteria and qualifying standards can be found on the B.A.A. website. Further details will be communicated leading up to registration on www.baa.org.

“Each year, the devotion, determination, and commitment by those aiming to participate in the Boston Marathon is truly inspiring,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Chief Executive Officer. “As the oldest consecutively run marathon in the world, we are grateful that so many athletes aim to achieve their athletic goals on the roads from Hopkinton to Boston. Each year we add a page to the Boston Marathon’s storied history thanks to the many participants from around the world.”

The Boston Marathon registration process ensures that the fastest qualifiers will be accepted first. However, achieving one’s qualifying standard does not guarantee acceptance into the Boston Marathon due to field size limitations. Those who are fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender group will be accepted.

Working in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route, the B.A.A. will set and announce the field size for the 2019 Boston Marathon this summer. The 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Boston Marathons had field sizes of 30,000 official entrants.

BOSTON MARATHON REGISTRATION DATES

• Monday, September 10, 10:00 a.m. ET – Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or more.
• Wednesday, September 12, 10:00 a.m. ET – Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 10 minutes, 00 seconds or more (if space remains).
• Friday, September 14, 10:00 a.m. – Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 5 minutes, 00 seconds or more (if space remains).
• Saturday, September 15, 10:00 p.m. ET – Week One registration closes.
• Monday, September 17. 10:00 a.m. ET – All qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard (if space remains) may submit an entry.
• Wednesday, September 19, 5:00 p.m. ET – Week Two registration closes.
  • Registration from September 10-19 will not be first-come, first-served.
  • The fastest qualifiers in gender and age groups will be given entry as space allows.
• Monday, September 24, 10:00 a.m. ET: If space remains after the first two weeks of registration, then registration will re-open to anyone who meets the qualifying standards on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Registration will remain open until the maximum field size is reached.
• Registration for all qualified applicants will close when the maximum field size is reached, or until Sunday, October 28 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

A FEW IMPORTANT NOTES

• The 2019 Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 15, 2019, Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• The qualifying standards for the 2019 Boston Marathon (shown below) remain unchanged from recent years.
• Though the B.A.A. will e-mail registrants upon the completion of their registration form, runners are not officially entered into the race until their qualifying time is verified. The amount of time it takes for qualifying times to get verified varies for each individual athlete and can take up to several days (depending on the qualifying marathon).
• The qualification window for the 2019 Boston Marathon began on Saturday, September 16, 2017, and will remain open until the conclusion of registration for the 2019 Boston Marathon.
• The qualification window for the 2020 Boston Marathon will be announced following registration for the 2019 Boston Marathon.
• Registration dates and qualifying standards for the 2020 Boston Marathon have not yet been announced.
• The 2020 Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 20, 2020.

2019 BOSTON MARATHON QUALIFYING STANDARDS (Effective Saturday, September 16, 2017)

All standards below are based on official submitted net time.

Age Group	Men	Women
18-34	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 10min 00sec	3hrs 40min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 55min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 30min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 40min 00sec	4hrs 10min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 55min 00sec	4hrs 25min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 10min 00sec	4hrs 40min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 25min 00sec	4hrs 55min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 40min 00sec	5hrs 10min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 55min 00sec	5hrs 25min 00sec

勒星頓中文學校慶母親節 經文處長徐佑典到賀

徐佑典(左)參觀攤位。

(Boston Orange) 勒星頓中文學校在5月13日舉行「學校開放日」，兼慶母親節，校園內歌聲、笑聲飛揚。新到任駐波士頓經文處處長徐佑典夫婦與僑教中心主任歐宏偉應邀出席，增添了活動隆重感。

5月13日是母親節，勒星頓中文學校特地在學生餐廳舉辦活動，安排幼稚園部小朋友歌唱、跳舞、獻花，向母親表達心意。在場的母親們看完表演，從子女手中接過康乃馨時，無不臉上帶笑，心花燦放。

駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典伉儷(右)由校長黃冠群和
副校長陳盈杰引領，參觀註冊攤位。

勒星頓中文學校這天同時舉辦「學校開放日」，在走廊上佈置看板，展示學生們的手工藝作品，鼓勵僑胞鄉親和主流社會人士為學齡子女註冊入學，以期下一代可以學會正體中文、注音符號，進一步了解中華文化。

波士頓經文處長徐佑典致詞，祝母親們節日快樂。

駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典伉儷、僑教中心主任歐宏偉這天應邀出席，參觀學校，也和教職員及家長們話家常。勒星頓中文學校校長黃冠群，副校長陳盈杰邊帶他們參觀文化手工藝攤位，邊介紹了該校的招生、註冊、教材和教學情形。                                                       徐佑典為母親節慶祝活動致詞時表示，當初他派駐華府時，也有接送子女上中文學校的經驗，深知家長為讓子女上中文學校，得付出多少心力，十分不容易。他和歐宏偉祝福現場所有媽媽們佳節快樂，也表示日後將儘量參加校方舉辦的各項活動。(圖與文:波士頓僑教中心提供)

小朋友向母親獻花。

小朋友表演。

高官雲集點睛 麻州首屆舞龍舞獅大賽25日起連3日舉行

嘉賓與18頭瑞獅合影。(周菊子攝

18頭瑞獅在州政府大樓小幅度舞動。(周菊子攝)

主辦人華林派師傅余翠梅(後排左二)與支持麻州首屆全美舞龍舞獅大賽
的政要們合影。前排左起，駐波士頓經文處副處長陳銘俊，處長徐佑典
，昆士市長柯奇(Tom Koch)，曾任費奇堡市長的黃素芬(Lisa Wong)，
昆士市議員梁秀婷，後排左起，摩頓市市長葛帝生(Gary Christenson)，
余翠梅，諾福克郡地方檢察官莫里塞(Michael W. Morrissey)，
以及余翠梅的姐姐。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)麻州州政府大樓大廳今(14)日高官雲集，為祥龍與18頭瑞獅點睛，預告首屆全美舞龍舞獅比賽將於5月25日至27日，在麻州昆士高中體育館等地一連舉行三日。

余翠梅致詞。右起，黃子安，陳德基，Ed Flynn, 梁秀婷，Mike
 Morrissey，Tom Koch，Gary Christenson (左一)。(周菊子攝)

這場盛大的點睛儀式，由華林派太極功夫學校創辦人余翠梅策畫，在麻州企業發展署助理署長范文南(Nam Pham)辦公室贊助，麻州講座主任李超榮擔任司儀的隆重中，包括范文南，麻州參議員約翰基南(Jon Keenan)，麻州眾議會多數黨領袖 Ronald Mariano，兩名麻州眾議員黃子安，陳德基，昆士市長柯奇(Tom Koch)，摩頓市長葛帝生(Gary Christenson)，諾福克郡地方檢察官莫里塞(Michael W. Morrissey)，波士頓市消防局副局長黃瑞瑜，波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)，昆士市議員梁秀婷(Nina Liang)，駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典在內，共有超過20名高官、政要，機構或組織首長出席。曾任費期保是市長的黃素芬(Lisa Wong)，波士頓環球報華裔專欄作者梁詩莉也應邀加入點睛行列。

范文南，本身也是武術師傅的麻州眾議員的黃子安，以及做為比賽場地地主的昆士市長柯奇等人在點睛儀式中應邀致詞，紛紛讚許余翠梅的熱心與動員能力，都說這是一場非常難得的文化活動，

李超榮為點睛儀式做司儀。(周菊子攝)

余翠梅為點睛嘉賓們解釋瑞獅點睛，是賦與生命的象徵，既是中國的傳統習俗之一，也是文化活動，包含了孔子，道家，風水，佛教等的宗教與哲學精神，也蘊含文學，藝術，科學，語言意義。

不但是瑞獅的獅頭獅身裝飾很有講究，例如獅頭上的鏡子，稱為天靈蓋，據說能夠顯示出邪靈所在，鬍鬚的風格與顏色，可以顯現一頭獅子在社區中的派別，地位。採青用生菜，是因為菜的發音像”財”，舞獅時擺放桔，意味吉祥等。

中國武術功夫在美國已深入民間，不但學習者眾，每年也有全美性的武術功夫競賽。舞龍舞獅雖然因為是慶祝農曆新年等傳統，也早已是許多美國人都知道的亞裔文化活動，但卻還沒有機構舉辦全美性的舞龍舞獅比賽。

右起，李超榮，余翠梅，黃雅亭。(周菊子攝)

在摩頓市開張華林太極功夫學校近10年後，去年擴張，進昆士市開了第二家華林太極功夫學校後，兼具華人醫務中心董事身份的余翠梅，決心為亞裔社區再多做一些事，籌辦首屆全美舞龍舞獅競賽，於是再順理成章不過。

李超榮請本身也是武術師傅的麻州眾議員黃子安致詞。(周菊子攝)

經過多方奔走，以及紐英崙中華公所主席陳家驊以個人身分給予的贊助，波士頓的洪家虎鶴拳超武館，牛頓市的陳耀祥武術館，屋斯特市的皇家獅舞團(Imperial Lion Dance)，波士頓的朱正舜太極聯盟，巾幗醒獅團，安良工商會醒獅團，南派武館，華林功夫體育會，Vovinam Quang Trung武館，以及昆士市的華林太極功夫學校等10個舞獅團體，5月14日分頭舞動一條祥龍，18頭瑞獅，參加了麻州州政府大樓有史以來，首次在大樓大廳舉行的祥龍瑞獅點睛儀式。

活動中出場的瑞獅數量之多，數目之吉祥，在可見未來內，恐怕也將是絕響。

余翠梅籌辦的第一屆全美舞龍舞獅冠軍賽(usdldf.org)，由於內容之特別，以及余翠梅的製作之謹慎，用心，麻州體育行銷辦公室(Mass Sports Marketing Office)已把這活動列為2018年度的18大重點體育活動之一。

昆士市長柯奇(左，Tom  Koch)和摩頓市長葛帝生(Gary Christenson)因為
都是亞裔人口眾多城市的市長，更為友好。(周菊子攝)

這比賽目前安排的活動內容包括25日晚上6點，邀請"葉問"系列電影導演兼製片冼國林(Checkley Sin)，以”經由拍電影來保存，宣揚中國文化及藝術”為題目，發表講談，做現場示範，並放映電影片段。會場在哈佛大學科學中心B廳。

26日將從早上9點半至晚上8點，在昆士高中舉行傳統舞獅比賽，會場佈置有梅花樁。9點半舉行開幕式。

27日有4場不同活動，早上9點半至下午1點在昆士高中體育館有自由式的鐘鼓競賽，下午3點半到5點，在波士頓的帝苑大酒樓，舉行舞龍比賽，晚上5點半到6點，從華埠牌樓到帝苑大酒樓的獅隊遊行，晚上6點至9點，在帝苑大酒樓舉行頒獎晚宴，以及特別表演。

余翠梅(左起)致詞，感謝麻州眾議員陳德基，黃子安的支持。(周菊子攝)

點睛儀式先從祥龍開始。(周菊子攝)

祥龍繞場，(周菊子攝)

梁詩莉(左)請黃素芬(中)幫她拍張難得這麼壯觀的照片。(周菊子攝)

右起，駐波士頓經文處處長徐佑典和麻州企業發展署助理署長范文南
(Nam Pham)品評新獅。旁邊昆士市議員梁秀亭等著為瑞獅點睛。
(周菊子攝)

MAYOR WALSH INVITES BOSTON YOUTH TO SPEND $1 MILLION OF CITY'S CAPITAL BUDGET

MAYOR WALSH INVITES BOSTON YOUTH TO SPEND $1 MILLION OF CITY'S CAPITAL BUDGET

Voting Ongoing Until June 2 on Select Projects to be Funded

BOSTON - Monday, May 14, 2018 - For the fifth year in a row, youth ages 12-25 in Boston have a chance to vote on how the City of Boston will spend $1 million of Mayor Walsh's Imagine Boston 2030 Capital Plan through the "Youth Lead the Change" participatory budgeting process. Voting stations are currently set up across the City, and votes will be collected through Saturday, June 2. An online ballot is also available. "By involving young people in this process, we are cultivating a generation of Boston youth who are passionate about their City and have the opportunity to shape its future," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "Young people are working together, polling their peers, and addressing the issues that matter most to them." Youth Lead the Change (YLC) is managed by Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) Division of Youth Engagement & Employment in close collaboration with a steering committee comprised of community and youth serving organizations. The Mayor's Youth Council partnered with youth organizations to write the rules and oversee the implementation of the process. Voting polls will be located at local MBTA stations, schools and youth serving agencies for the citywide vote. The list of voting locations and the online ballot can be found at boston.gov/youth-lead-change. Current projects youth will vote on are: Project A: Fans In Schools Install fans in schools that lack central air conditioning to provide a more comfortable learning environment in the summer. Project B: Add Solar Panels To BuildingsPlace solar panels on city-owned property. It helps save money in the long term as we combat climate change and lose oil and fossil fuel reserves. Project C: Invest In Community GardensRenovate community gardens and farms to increase the production of produce, which will create more fresh food options for Boston's Youth. This renovation will improve the health of Boston's youth by providing access to healthy alternatives in their local neighborhoods. Project D: Youth WiFi LoungeCreate an accessible youth WiFi lounge in Boston City Hall for students to be able to connect with other students, collaborate on youth initiatives and projects, gain access to city agencies, and apply for youth jobs. This space will have access to Wicked Free WiFi, laptops, desktops, and meeting space. Project E: Blue Box Emergency LightsInstall blue emergency lights connected to 9-1-1 in pilot neighborhoods to help make pedestrians feel safer walking late at night or walking alone.  "Youth Lead The Change's Participatory Budgeting process empowers youth by giving them the opportunity to engage in deciding how the City spends its capital budget, illustrating the power of voting," said Vikiana Petit-Homme, age 16, Youth Director of Youth Lead the Change. "Participating in YLC reminds me that as a youth, I have a voice in government and the opportunity to connect with my community and lead capital projects that can help make Boston a better and safer city." Last year nearly 5,000 eligible votes came in from Boston's youngest populations. A special emphasis is placed on engaging LGBTQ youth, homeless youth, undocumented residents and court or gang involved youth. Past projects selected for funding have included expanding Wicked Free WiFi, installing water bottle refilling stations at parks and placing newer trash cans and recycling bins in select neighborhoods.