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人生一定要有的八個朋友: 推手(Builder)、 支柱(Champion)、 同好(Collaborator)、 夥伴(Companion)、 中介(Connector)、 開心果(Energizer)、 開路者(Mind Opener)、 導師(Navigator)。 chutze@bostonorange.com ******************* All rights of articles and photos on this website are reserved.
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LOCAL ORGANIZATION RECEIVES $35,000 TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT ADVANCE DIGITAL EQUITY
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BOSTON - Thursday, February 8, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced The Castle Square Tenants Organization (CSTO) as the recipient of a $35,000 grant from the City of Boston Digital Equity Fund. The Digital Equity Fund, created in October, aims to provide support to community-based organizations that help Boston residents fully connect and participate in today's media and information landscape.
"A more connected Boston is a more equitable City, a more innovative City and a more prosperous City," said Mayor Walsh. "We're pleased to award this grant to a program that will help our residents grow their digital skills while increasing access to information for all."
The CSTO's mission is to promote the economic, educational and social empowerment of low income individuals by providing access to safe, quality affordable housing and supportive direct service programs. The organization offers paid internships through which low-income Boston high school students learn valuable digital skills. The organization also offers a computer repair program that helps make technology accessible to all.
The project will serve various Boston neighborhoods, including Chinatown, Dorchester, Downtown, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roxbury, South Boston, and the South End. Participants in the CSTO programs gain valuable technology related skills, and often use those skills to help their families and communities.
"Mayor Walsh and the City of Boston have been very supportive of CSTO over the years," said Deborah Backus, Executive Director of CSTO. "We are thrilled to partner with the Department of Innovation and Technology on this new project and play a part in bridging the digital divide for all Boston residents."
By providing seed funding to The Castle Square Tenants Organization, the City hopes to identify promising strategies that can attract outside funding and further create a City where everyone has the tools and skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.
The goal of the Digital Equity Fund is to explore ways to build individual and community capacity to:
The Digital Equity Fund is overseen by the City of Boston Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) and an external Fund Council consisting of five members. Advisory board members are appointed by Mayor Walsh and serve three year terms. To qualify for a grant, nonprofit organizations must be Boston-based and serve Boston residents. The grant received eight applications between October and November 2017.
About the Department of Innovation and Technology
The Department of Innovation and Technology makes sure the networks, computers and systems that support the City are secure and effective. They also manage the City's websites and technologies focused on service delivery.
Contact the Castle Square Tenants Organization
The CSTO has a waitlist of students for the spring 2018 semester. For more information about applying for summer or fall 2018 sessions, please contact Deborah Backus at dbackus@cstoboston.org. Individuals and nonprofits seeking refurbished computers or IT support, or who wish to donate used equipment, can contact Irene Chan at ichan@cstoboston.org.
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MAYOR WALSH, BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION (BPHC) RELEASE HEALTH OF BOSTON REPORT
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BOSTON - Thursday, February 8, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the release of the latest Health of Boston report that presents the overall health of Boston residents, providing a foundation for the City's further planning and implementation of health-related services and policies, and supports the Boston Public Health Commission's (BPHC) critical role in furthering health equity in Boston.
"This report serves as a roadmap to drive and prioritize our efforts by not only describing the health successes and challenges we face as a city, but also offering real world perspectives," said Mayor Walsh. "We celebrate the progress made in the last decade, and look forward to continuing to build a thriving City with health for all residents at its foundation." "I'm encouraged by the progress Boston has already made toward creating opportunities for all residents to live healthy, fulfilling lives," said Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez. "With this data, we are prepared to look toward the future, to work with partners, providers, and residents on tackling health issues collectively and with a broader lens. We will look beyond individual programs and services to build out a system of compassionate care that encompasses all of the needs of Boston's residents."
The 2016-2017 Health of Boston report presents data on environmental health, access to health care, maternal and child health, health-related behaviors, chronic disease, cancer, infectious disease, sexual health, injury and exposure to violence, mental health, substance use disorders, and causes of death. The report focuses on the various social, economic, and environmental factors that impact health, such as education, employment, income and poverty, and housing.
Data sources for the report include the U.S. census, birth and death registries, hospital emergency department and inpatient discharge databases, sexually transmitted and infectious disease surveillance data, surveys that describe individual behaviors or community demographics and assets, geographical data, and environmental monitoring data from local and state agencies. Data was collected and analyzed by BPHC, the City's health department.
"The data and points of view included within the report serve to guide our work, inform our strategic priorities, and increase our capacity to address these challenges through targeted partnerships and collaboration," said BPHC Executive Director Monica Valdes Lupi, JD, MPH. "This report gives us the foundation to tailor our services to the most urgent needs of Boston residents, specifically the most vulnerable."
"The Health of Boston report is a valuable tool in measuring the progress we are making to improve the overall health in Boston," stated Wanda McClain, vice president of Community Health and Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital. "We still have work to do to close the gaps that exist for racial and ethnic populations who have poorer birth outcomes and higher rates of chronic disease. We are committed to working collaboratively with community partners to ensure health equity for all Bostonians."
The data identifies advances in reducing in infant mortality and consistently low prevalence of elevated blood lead levels among children under age 6. It also shows declines in adolescent pregnancy, cigarette smoking and binge drinking among youth, chlamydia incidence, hepatitis C incidence, homicide and cancer mortality. Among the report's findings, some include:
"As a community health center on the frontline of care, we're thrilled to see outcomes improving for the people of Boston. The City's health initiatives are gaining meaningful traction, indicating that we're on the right path," said Manny Lopes, president and CEO of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC). "Seeing such positive data for East Boston, specifically, is deeply affirming the 1,200 EBNHC team members who work to meet our mission every day. We will build on our positive momentum, improving the health and well-being of the Boston community-and continually redefining what's possible."
The report also highlights new and continued challenges such as the local impact of the national opioid epidemic, which is claiming lives at a historically high rate, and chronic disease prevalence rates remaining high. Differences in health experience across racial and ethnic groups, men and women, residents of public housing and homeowners, low income and higher income residents, and several other groups who may be at increased risk for poor health are also addressed.
The Boston Public Health Commission, the country's oldest health department, is an independent public agency providing a wide range of health services and programs. It is governed by a seven-member board of health appointed by the Mayor of Boston.
The full report can be found online. About the Boston Public Health Commission
Public service and access to quality health care are the cornerstones of our mission -- to protect, preserve, and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly those who are most vulnerable. The Commission's more than 40 programs are grouped into six bureaus: Child, Adolescent & Family Health; Community Health Initiatives; Homeless Services; Infectious Disease; Recovery Services; and Emergency Medical Services.
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