Boston Resiliency Fund gives $740,000 to 21 organizations

MAYOR WALSH AND STEERING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCE OVER $740,000 IN BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND GRANTS TO 21 ORGANIZATIONS Funding will increase access to food, support families, youth and older adults, and assist individuals experiencing homelessness

Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh. (By Chutze Chou) BOSTON - Friday, July 31, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee today announced over $740,000 in new Boston Resiliency Fund grants to 21 organizations and nonprofits. Since launching in March to help Boston residents most affected by COVID-19, the Boston Resiliency Fund has distributed over $24.4 million to 328 nonprofit and local organizations. Building on Mayor Walsh's commitment to equity, 71 percent of organizations awarded grants today are led by a person of color and 57 percent of organizations are led by a woman. At top: Yusufi Vali, Director of Immigrant Advancement and at bottom: Brenda  Cassellius, Superintendent of Boston  Public School. (By Chutze Chou) "The Boston Resiliency Fund was created at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic because we wanted to support vulnerable populations as we addressed the ongoing public health crisis," said Mayor Walsh. "Grantees' work with individuals hardest hit by the pandemic continues to prove the importance of partnerships with local organizations that are directly helping neighborhoods and communities in need. I want to thank every donor who has pitched in to this Fund and every organization who has assisted in providing vital supports to our residents." Since the beginning of the Boston Resiliency Fund, in total, 53 percent of grantee organizations are led by a person of color and 56 percent of grantee organizations are led by a woman. A map and a list of every organization that has received funding from the Boston Resiliency Fund can be found here.  "Rounding The Bases, Inc. is really excited to receive a Resiliency Fund grant in the amount of $5,000," said Carl Baty, Executive Director of Rounding the Bases. "This will allow us to increase the amount of fresh produce we deliver to seniors and families weekly from an average of 25 households, to 275 households, a 1,000% increase. Thank you for helping us find a new way to help those in need." "The youth and families of Friends of the Children-Boston are among the Bostonians hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. From weekly meals and grocery deliveries to daily educational and social emotional support we have been and continue to work on the front line filling critical gaps so those we serve don't have to face their struggles on their own," said Yi-Chin Chen, Executive Director of Friends of the Children-Boston. "The support from the Boston Resiliency Fund will ensure that we can continue to be proactive in our support and double down our efforts to show up in ways that are the most helpful to our youth and their families throughout the summer and beyond. We are proud to partner with our city leaders and partners in this collective effort to help Bostonians facing the hardest challenges." This round of funding will help organizations that are working to increase food access, support direct services for families, youth and older adults, assist individuals experiencing homelessness, and fund local organizations directly providing supports to the community. This round of funding will provide grants ranging in size to the following organizations: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc. / Bowdoin Street Health Center: Bowdoin Street Health Center will use the BRF grant to expand services to neighborhood residents. The BRF grant will expand the number of produce boxes, coupons to be used at local grocery stores, and increase SNAP application assistance. Breaktime Cafe, Inc.: Breaktime will use BRF funding to hire 10 young adults experiencing homelessness and five returning citizens full time to produce 5,000 meals per week for Bostonians in need, in support of Cape Verdean Association of Boston, St. Ambrose Family Shelter & Nazareth Family Shelter, Sojourner House, Project Hope, and more. A video highlighting Breaktime can be watched here.  Caribbean Youth Club, Centro Presente, & Brazilian Workers Center: Through the Summer Dreamers Fellowship Project, a pilot program for "Dreamers" (immigrants who came to the U.S. as children) in partnership with the City of Boston, the BRF grant will allow to offer youth a $300 weekly participation stipend, 135 hour of mentoring, 45 hours of leadership training, 90 hours of work readiness preparation. The program teaches youth leadership training on social justice issues, civic activity planning, team building, community outreach and partnership development. In addition, youth will learn workplace values and behaviors, discover new career paths, assess their  strengths, review short-term job choices and/or long-term career plans, and build skills such as writing resumes, interviewing, effective communication, task management. Common Cathedral: Common Cathedral will use BRF funds to continue expanded service hours at their emergency day shelter at the Emmanuel Church. Community Coming Together: Community Coming Together will use the BRF grant to continue to purchase PPE and other supplies (masks, gloves and hand sanitizer) for those with the highest need, free of charge.  Elevate Boston: Elevate Boston will use this BRF grant to sustain their efforts to provide hot meals, non-perishables, groceries, toiletries, sanitizer, soap and gift cards to students, elders and families in need. Foundation for Boston Centers for Youth & Families: This BRF grant will support BCYF in conducting their youth summer programming this summer. Funding will be used to purchase webcams so staff can conduct virtual youth summer programming, and it will allow BCYF to purchase 400 tablets for program participants. Friends of the Children-Boston: Friends of the Children-Boston will use the BRF grant to deliver weekly kits of groceries, meal kits, cleaning supplies, PPE, and family support kits, support technology and access issues to enable distance learning for children, and create learning opportunities. Gilbert Albert Community Center: Gilbert Albert Community Center will use this Boston Resiliency Fund grant to continue its partnership with a local restaurant to provide six healthy, culturally-appropriate meals a week to 60 clients for four weeks.  Haitian Americans United: Haitian Americans United will use this Boston Resiliency Fund grant to continue serving homebound, immigrant elders who cannot cook for themselves, in partnership with two local Haitian cuisine caterers. Health Care Without Walls: The BRF grant will be used to continue conducting health screenings at Rosie's Place and for other in-person meetings with HCWW clients. In addition, HCWW will use the BRF grant to provide gift cards to their most vulnerable homeless elderly and pregnant/postpartum clients in need of food, diapers, over-the-counter medicine, cleaning supplies, masks, and other essential items. Hope & Comfort, Inc.: Hope & Comfort will use the BRF grant to continue their work supporting the needs of youth and families experiencing hygiene insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic. Hope and Comfort is currently distributing at nearly three times their usual rate. Horizons for Homeless Children, Inc.: Through this funding request, Horizons for Homeless Children will use the BRF grant to give families an average of $350 in gift cards to purchase food. Madison Park Development Corporation: MPDC will utilize the Boston Resiliency Fund grant to expand its existing weekly food distribution efforts to 380 additional households within its affordable housing portfolio. MPDC will engage a local minority-owned catering business, Ethnica Catering, to provide hot prepared meals once a week to 200 older adults and adults with disabilities, while also engaging local meal kit company EatWell to provide 100 meal kits per week for family households with children. Finally, MPDC will provide supplementary food assistance to those who will be best served by financial assistance in the form of grocery store gift cards. Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress: The MA Down Syndrome Congress will use the BRF grant to provide $100 Market Basket gift cards and provide care packages customized for children and families that are in need.  Rounding The Bases, Inc.: The BRF grant will allow Rounding the Bases to expand their program delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to families and family child care providers in partnership with Fair Food. Tech Goes Home: Tech Goes Home will use the Boston Resiliency Fund grant to bring Boston families a computer, internet connection, and specially-designed digital skills training that covers ordering groceries and other essentials online, accessing school lunch pick-up locations, researching city support services, applying for SNAP benefits, and more.   The Family Van: The Family Van will utilize the BRF grants to support their work in providing grocery store gift cards and counseling on purchasing healthy foods to families in need. The People's Academy: The People's Academy will use the BRF grant to partner with three churches in providing fruit and vegetables and household items like tissues, lysol wipes and other cleaning supplies to 200-300 families. Transitional Remedies Solutions: TRS would use the BRF grant to support their "Hope Line," which they use to receive calls and make check-in calls to the community, in order to help them process their concerns, fears, and anxieties. The grant would also be used to provide support for people in the form of gift cards for food, miscellaneous items, school items for youth, and resources. Youth Vybz Inc.: Youth Vybz will use the BRF grant to provide gift cards to be used to purchase food and hygiene supplies for students and families in need. "We are grateful for this award from the Boston Resiliency Fund, which will allow MPDC to significantly bolster food access efforts. We know that the most effective solutions for addressing the socioeconomic needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis involve meaningful collaboration," said Leslie Reid, CEO of Madison Park Development Corporation. "MPDC is grateful for the opportunity to partner with both the Orchard Gardens Resident Association and the City of Boston on this important effort." "The Orchard Gardens Resident Association, in partnership with Madison Park Development Corporation, is very pleased to receive assistance from the City of Boston's Resiliency Fund," said Valerie Shelley, President, Orchard Gardens Resident Association. "This support will help our resident association continue to provide meals to our most vulnerable neighbors in need during this COVID-19 crisis."

波市府辦彈性、種族平等基金 立意雖佳 坊間有異聲

波市府網頁圖表。

(Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導)波士頓市府為因應新型冠狀病毒(COVID-19)大流行，及”黑人的命重要(Black Life Matters)，分別成立了兩個基金，立意雖好，並已有實績，但也引出批評聲音，質疑這做法偏離應走的方向，還有破壞，扭曲政治生態的危險。

這兩個基金，一個是3月17日成立，迄今已籌得3240萬元的”波士頓彈性基金(The Boston Resilency Fund)”，一個是6月25日才宣佈，目前網站上並無資金數據的”種族平等基金(Boston Racial Equity Fund)”。

波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Marty Walsh)每次提及”波士頓彈性基金”，都表示自己為波士頓人那麼團結感到非常驕傲。他強調成立這基金，主要是”把食物放到人們的桌上”，擴展醫療服務，幫助人們因應病毒大流行造成的經濟及健康困境，已有6000個企業或個人捐增款項。這基金是人們在為難時刻團結互助的最好例子。

面對外界出現的批評聲音，馬丁華殊曾強調”波士頓彈性基金”的運作會透明，公開。在波士頓市舉行的多次記者會中，市府相關人員也都引用網頁，稱所有的捐款，收受捐贈機構，都列在網上。

在波士頓市政府專屬網頁上列出的數據，包括波士頓彈性基金已發放出2370萬元給306個非牟利機構，幫助了225,700個家庭，其中經由大波士頓食物銀行，以及”Loving Spoonfuls”和20多個地方上少數族裔所擁有的餐廳合作，發放了140萬份餐食，聘用了55名失業人士。收受捐款的機構，有52%是由有色人種，56%由婦女領導。這筆錢還為波士頓公校學生買了8000個Chromebook，為第一線工作人員提供了960個托兒服務位置，在18個社區健康中心設立了COVID-19檢測站，幫助21個機構增設遠程醫療服務，為1000個以上家庭提共了一個月份量的尿片及奶粉。

收到捐贈的有不少是波士頓內著名的大組織，包括波士頓醫療中心，東波士頓鄰里健康中心，流浪漢醫療護理(Health Care for the Homeless)，大波士頓食物銀行(200萬元)等。

不過上網查看，目前只可看到一份試算表列出254個收受捐贈組織，其中多個組織接受過2次或以上捐款，因而有同一組織列名2，3次，結算下來，網頁上列出來的收受捐贈組織數目，大概會減少一半，和總結表所稱的共發給了306個組織，有不小差距。

各組織收到多少捐款，也並未詳細名列。在每週收受捐贈名單上，偶而會有某組織的收受金額，例如在7月16日這週，有大波士頓拉丁網路(GBLN)收到27萬5000元，東波士頓鄰里健康中心收到7萬元，Whittier街健康中心7萬5000元，5月16日有110萬元由市政府用於在15個社區設立病毒檢測站等等。黑人經濟正義院(The Black Economic Justice Institute)收到2萬元。

波士頓的華人社區組織，有華美福利會，亞裔反家庭暴力小組，亞裔青年會(YES)，華人前進會，中華耆英會等收到這基金撥給的款項。

網頁上也並無捐贈者名單。但波士頓環球報稱，該報從波士頓市政府那兒取得一份捐贈者名單，包括Vertex製藥公司的Vertex基金捐了100萬，波士頓馬拉松賽的贊助者約翰漢考克保險公司，在波士頓市聘有4,600名員工的自由互惠公司(Liberty Mutual)，也都各捐了100萬元。通用電氣(General Electric)，馬丁華殊自己的競選委員會，建築巨頭薩福克建築公司各捐了50萬元，紅襪隊及波士頓環球報的老闆John W. Henry的基金捐了25萬元等等。

批評聲音之一，來自坊間傳聞甚囂，可能是波士頓市長馬丁華殊競選連任時對手的波士頓市不分區市議員吳弭(Michelle Wu)。

吳弭認為，成立一個基金，然後說這個組織和市長一起向私營企業或私人募款，並決定資金流向，既扭曲了政治流程，也製造出一個非常有破壞性且危險的動態。她呼籲市政府做結構性改變。她說”利用市政府平台來指導外界以這樣的方式募款，在令人困擾的缺乏監管下產生了利益衝突。

麻州做民意調查的長期政治分析家Lou DiNatale說吳弭的意見是”合理的批評”，而她和馬丁華殊的分別，反映了民主黨內分裂的”舊世界/新世界”。

他說，馬丁華殊解決問題的方法，是一向以來的方法，由市內有政治勢力者找企業界有實力者。但這卻造成儘管那些局內人是在做好事，流程卻把受影響的人排除在外的情況，是以慈善形式出現，反而不是讓每一個人可以生活得下去的工資，得到醫療保險。

波士頓族裔平等基金(Boston Racial Equity Fund)則是為了推動族裔平等，希望能籌得數百萬，千萬元的經費，用於解決結構性種族歧視的基金。這基金的短期目標為籌款1000萬元，長期目標是5000萬元。愛默生學院非洲裔校長Lee Pelton等人出任執行委員會委員。波士頓市長馬丁華殊隨後還成立了"平等及包容內閣(Equity and Inclusion Cabinet)"，並指派麻省理工學院城市歷史、公共政策及計畫助理教授，也是非洲裔的 Karilyn Crockett 出掌這一內閣。

波士頓環球報，WBUR， WGBH等媒體在同一時段報導，包括東方銀行董事長Quincy Miller在內的19名黑人及拉丁裔企業首長，為改善黑人，拉丁裔人處境，也推出了籌資目標10億元的"族裔平等及社會正義基金(Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund)"，並且在6月28日時已經籌集2000萬元種子基金。

台灣國際創業家大賽8/31截止報名

https://globalhack2020.com.tw/

$50 Million will go to Schools and Colleges Across the Commonwealth

Baker-Polito Administration Allocates $50 Million from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund to Schools and Colleges Across the Commonwealth

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration announced today it will allocate more than $50 million in federal CARES Act funds to benefit education in elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. The funding from the federal Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund will improve early literacy, expand remote learning opportunities, and cover costs associated with reopening certain schools and colleges, as well as boost financial aid for college students in greater need of financial assistance.

As part of the federal CARES Act, governors in each state were granted a share of discretionary dollars to ensure continuity of educational services during the COVID-19 crisis. The Baker-Polito Administration previously allocated nearly $1 billion in federal funds to help municipalities, school districts, and colleges and universities in the Commonwealth address COVID-related expenses.

The funding announced today will support the following initiatives:

·       Up to $10 million for early literacy programs that provide extra help to students through Grade 3, aimed at remediating learning loss children may have experienced since schools closed in March, as well as accelerate reading skills of children in high-need communities; 

·       Up to $7.5 million to expand access to online courses, including advanced placement, early college or dual enrollment courses;

·       Up to $25 million to cover COVID-related expenses associated with reopening colleges and universities, as well as certain non-public elementary and secondary schools. Funds will be allocated based on the number and percentage of low-income students these schools enroll; 

·        Up to $2.5 million in financial aid for low-income college students attending public colleges to ensure they can cover emergency expenses to continue their education;

·        And up to $5 million set aside in an emergency reserve fund.

“Our administration is committed to supporting every student in our schools as districts and universities prepare for the start of the school year,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This $50 million investment represents flexible funding that can be used for a variety of critical resources for schools and colleges as they begin to reopen and bring kids back into the classroom, especially in our most vulnerable communities.”

“These additional resources will help us target funding to support schools and colleges recover from effects of the pandemic,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Our administration looks forward to our continued collaboration with school officials statewide on how to best support the safe return to classrooms this fall.”

“Besides supporting financial stability and continuity of service in both K-12 and higher education, this plan will give more students access to high-quality online learning opportunities,” said Education Secretary James Peyser.

“We know districts will need more funding this year than in a typical school year, and I am pleased to see this money added to the financial support that is already on its way to districts,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley.  

“At a time of great uncertainty for those of us in higher education, this investment in our public colleges and universities and most especially, in our underserved students, will help ease the financial burdens associated with COVID-19 and lay the groundwork for a productive fall semester,” said Carlos E. Santiago, Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education. 

Funding announced today builds on the nearly $1 billion previously allocated to schools, childcare programs, colleges, and universities.

·       In June, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the allocation of approximately $200 million from the Commonwealth’s federal Coronavirus Relief Fund for costs related to reopening public schools.

·       Other funding sources to support school reopening include:

$500 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund previously allocated to cities and towns.

$194 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund grants.

$45 million to support the reopening of childcare programs serving low-income children.

$19 million for special education residential schools.

$25 million in federal funds for a matching grant program to help school districts and charter schools close technology gaps that inhibit remote learning

麻州州長探訪輝瑞製藥Andover研發基地

A NEW STUDY OF BOSTON ARTS AUDIENCES LAYS OUT CHALLENGES ARTS GROUPS WILL FACE IN REOPENING

Conducted in June 2020, the Audience Outlook Monitor’s first phase finds respondents eager

to return to performances, but not until public health conditions improve.

Majority of arts goers surveyed won’t be ready to return until at least January 2021.

BOSTON – July 30, 2020 – A brand new survey chronicling how local arts audiences feel about getting back to

cultural activities in Boston shows an intense desire to return to theater, dance and music performances, as well as

museums, but also a significant hesitancy to do so until public health conditions improve.

Conducted by the international arts consulting firm WolfBrown, and sponsored locally by the non-profit arts

marketing and advocacy group ArtsBoston and the City of Boston Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, the Audience

Outlook Monitor (AOM) surveyed more than 3,000 Boston-area arts goers from 16 Boston cultural organizations

in June 2020. The Audience Outlook Monitor (AOM) is a longitudinal survey to keep tabs on arts attendees’

thoughts, concerns and intentions as the pandemic—and the state’s reopening guidelines—evolve. The survey is

helping arts organizations prioritize decision-making and resource investment as they plan for future programming,

fundraising, and audience engagement.

KEY FINDINGS

Overall, 91% of respondents said they were “very” or “somewhat eager” to return to local performances and events.

Despite that enthusiasm though, 89% indicated they would pursue cultural events again only when epidemiological

conditions improved, including availability of vaccinations, broad testing and treatments, and a reduction to near

zero in new infection rates. A majority (55%) didn’t expect to return to cultural events until at least January 2021.

Eighty-eight percent (88%) of respondents said the pandemic would have no substantial impact on their long-term

future attendance: three-quarters expect to attend the same number of events; 13% plan to attend more. But they

expressed caution about the types of activities they would do; in June, they identified museums, outdoor events and

community art spaces/studios as the activities they would be “somewhat comfortable” visiting. Respondents who

made firm future plans to resume cultural activities expressed confidence that conditions would improve in three

(28%) to seven months (65%).

FUTURE SPENDING & SUPPORT

There was other positive news for arts organizations. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of respondents indicated they

planned to spend as much money or more on subscriptions, tickets, memberships, and admissions, with the average

respondent saying their spending would remain at 99% of previous levels. Similarly, future philanthropic giving

appears bright: 96% of patrons indicated they will maintain similar or larger donations to organizations they

previously supported.

“We have a long way to go before Boston arts enthusiasts are ready to return to theaters and indoor performances,”

says ArtsBoston Executive Director Catherine Peterson. “But as this survey tells us, when they are ready, they’ll

come back with gusto, enthusiasm, and at levels of engagement and support at least as good—or better—than before

the pandemic.”

Peterson says audiences’ itch to see live music, theater, dance and opera again bodes well for cultural groups and

the related industries that benefit from arts goers’ spending. “Pre-COVID, the arts in Greater Boston made a $2

billion impact on the region, employed as many people as the pre-pandemic retail industry, and kept the city a

vibrant place to live, work and visit. In the past, arts goers outnumbered sports fans four times over. And arts visitors

spent more money in restaurants, retail stores and other places than any category of tourist. It’s in everyone’s

interest to protect Boston’s cultural assets until they can welcome audiences again.”

MAKING AUDIENCES FEEL SAFE

In order to return to cultural facilities and events, respondents want arts groups to employ best public health

practices. Among the measures deemed most important to their feeling safe: daily public space disinfection;

availability of hand sanitizer; socially distanced seating; and enforcement of physical distancing guidelines. A large

majority of respondents say they will wear masks and adhere to distancing guidelines in order to attend events.

WolfBrown principal Alan Brown said Audience Outlook Monitor respondents across the country, especially in

Boston, were knowledgeable about public health conditions and appropriate safety precautions. “We were

impressed how the open-ended questions posed as part of this survey revealed that respondents understand the

science and acknowledge the risks of returning too soon. They are clear that their own personal confidence about

the risk being minimal will be what persuades them to return,” he said.

Peterson and Brown said the survey would not have been possible without the support of participating organizations,

the thousands of local arts goers who participated in the first round, and future respondents who will make ongoing

survey deployments as robust as the first.

ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPANTS

The regional arts organizations participating in this survey include: Actors’ Shakespeare Project; American

Repertory Theater; ArtsBoston; ArtsEmerson; Boston Symphony Orchestra; Celebrity Series of Boston;

Central Square Theater; Company One; The Dance Complex; Emerson Colonial Theater; Global Arts Live;

Handel & Haydn Society; Huntington Theatre Company; Lyric Stage Company of Boston; the Museum of

Fine Arts, Boston; and the Museum of Science. Each organization receives its own audience’s responses, as well

as the ability to compare their results to other organizations and the group as a whole. ArtsBoston will make the

aggregate data available to its full membership of arts groups, to benefit the region’s cultural sector.

The Audience Outlook Monitor is a project of WolfBrown in partnership with ArtsBoston and in collaboration with

the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. Additional information about the project is available here.

BOSTON EMPLOYER FORUM SERIES TO EXPLORE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS

MAYOR'S OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LAUNCHES BOSTON EMPLOYER FORUM SERIES TO EXPLORE COVID-ERA EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOSTON RESIDENTS   Series of virtual panels will focus on the healthcare, hospitality, construction, retail, and IT/tech industries    BOSTON - Thursday, July 30, 2020 - To better help colleges and job training programs prepare their participants for the COVID-era workforce, the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development is launching a series of virtual panels to disseminate the latest research on labor market trends in Boston's major industry sectors. These panels, called the Boston Employer Forum Series, will also feature insights from hiring directors in these industries. The series will begin today, Thursday, July 30 with a panel focused on Boston's healthcare industry.    "Now more than ever it is critical that we provide residents with the information and resources they need to enter the workforce," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "The Boston Employer Forum Series pools on-the-ground knowledge from leading industry employers along with the best available academic data to provide a complete picture of employment opportunities for Boston's residents."    The Boston Employer Forum Series, which is free and open to the public, will cover the following industries: Healthcare, Hospitality, Construction, Retail and IT/Tech. Each of these panels will feature the latest sector-specific labor market data presented by Dr. Alicia Sasser Modestino, an Economist and Associate Professor at Northeastern University. Hiring managers from within that sector will also offer their perspectives on how colleges and job training organizations can tailor their programs to help Boston residents position themselves for these employment opportunities.   "In order for individuals to increase access to family sustaining careers, it is critical to ensure that education and training are well-aligned with the needs and expectations of employers," said MJ Ryan, Senior Director of Workforce Development and Economic Opportunity at Mass General Brigham, Inc. and a panelist on the healthcare-focused panel. "The Boston Employer Forum Series is a great way to start this information flow. Mass General Brigham has a constant need for high quality, diverse, culturally competent talent, and we appreciate the commitment of Mayor Walsh and his team to help connect us to that talent."   "With so much uncertainty in the economy and especially the hard-hit hospitality industry,  industry-specific panels with expertise such as these offer relevant real-time data for training providers to better serve those seeking jobs and or reemployment," said Luther Pinckney, Outreach and Community Engagement Specialist at BEST Hospitality Training and moderator of the hospitality focused panel.     The Boston Employer Forum Series builds on the Walsh Administration's ongoing efforts to address the pressing needs of Boston's workforce and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, Mayor Walsh and the Office of Workforce Development dedicated $2.4 million in Neighborhood Jobs Trust funding to support emergency workforce training programs.    Mayor Walsh and the Office of Economic Development have also launched the Small Business Relief Fund and the Boston Reopen Fund, two strategic initiatives to support small businesses and employees. Over $13 million in debt-free grants has been allocated to help small businesses across the City of Boston pay rent, fulfill payroll, or cover any operating expenses, as well as cover costs of personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, and temporary structures required for reopening and to keep employees and customers safe.   The currently scheduled Boston Employer Forum Series panels are listed below. For those unable to attend, the video will be made available after each panel on owd.boston.gov.    Boston Employer Forum Series: Healthcare Thursday, July 30 10-11:30 a.m. Register here   Boston Employer Forum Series: Hospitality Wednesday, August 5 10-11:30 a.m. Register here   Boston Employer Forum Series: Construction Tuesday, September 1 10-11:30 a.m. Register here   About the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development The Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (OWD) is an innovative agency within the Boston Planning & Development Agency that seeks to ensure the full participation of all Boston residents in the city's economic vitality and future. OWD funds and oversees programs that promote workforce development through education, jobs training, apprenticeships, financial coaching, career pathways, literacy initiatives, and the like. Please visit OWD.Boston.Gov to learn more about the OWD's work.

PPP還有1000多億元 8月8日截止申請

林志棪。(檔案照片，周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange周菊子報導)聯邦政府為幫助企業而推出的”薪資保護計畫(PPP)”，即將於8月8日第三度截止申請。”麻州平等獲取薪資保護計畫 (The Massachusetts Equitable PPP Access Initiative)”成員林志棪呼籲華裔，亞裔注意日期，有需要而還未申請者，宜把握時間。

               林志棪指出，”麻州平等獲取薪資保護計畫”是個聯盟機構，成立主旨為幫助人在聯邦小企業行政局(SBA)所提供的”薪資保護計畫”中，及時、平等的取得可不必償還的聯邦貸款。迄今他們已協助780個小企業，申辦了總值近400萬元的280筆貸款。

在華人前進會為幫助華埠企業，開辦”薪資保護計畫(PPP)”申辦講座時，林志棪當志工做講員，也親自協助了大約15家在大春田區的華人餐館，處理填表申請，解答疑難等事宜。林志棪後來加入的波士頓地方計畫支持公司(Local Initiatve Support Corp)，目前是”麻州平等獲取薪資保護計畫”數據庫和作業流程的實際管理者。

美國商業部，財政部，聯邦儲備，以及美國小企業行政局今(29)日下午3點，還舉辦了一場電話會議，介紹財政部新推出的”主街借貸計畫”，並就小企業行政局執行的”薪資保護計畫”做重要說明。

美國主街計畫(The Main Street USA program)為符合資格的中小企業提供信用支持，藉由既定貸方，提供聯邦儲備及財政部的5年期貸款，幅度在25萬到3億元之間。

SBA的薪資保護計畫，最早從3月27日啟動，4月3日開始發放，撥備有大約3490億元，卻不到二星期就發完了。4月27日聯邦政府補撥3100億元後，申請的速度卻緩慢了很多，截至7月20日，SBA已發放大約5180億元，還剩1000億元左右資金可供發放。原定6月30日截止的申請期，也已延至8月8日。

6月時，財政部和SBA已經更新了”薪資保護計畫”的相關規定，企業主有24個星期的時間來使用借來的錢，如果60%都用在薪資上，相關條件也符合，就不用償還這筆貸款。後來還容許一部份貸款不需償還的做法。

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu to Introduce Hearing Order at Council Meeting Today to Discuss Emergency Food Procurement and Distribution Efforts at BPS and Other Community Organizations

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu to Introduce Hearing Order at Council Meeting Today to Discuss Emergency Food Procurement and Distribution Efforts at BPS and Other Community Organizations

Boston, MA— In a continued effort to ensure an equitable COVID-19 recovery for all Boston residents, Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu has filed a hearing order to discuss emergency food procurement and distribution efforts at BPS and other community organizations, as well as those funded through the Boston Resiliency Funds. 

Disparities in nutritional access along racial and ethnic lines have worsened over the last two decades, driven by continued structural racism in our health, housing, educational, and economic systems and contributing to chronic diet-related diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which disproportionately affect Black, Latinx and Native Americans, and are linked to higher morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. 

Across eastern Massachusetts, rates of food insecurity are projected to increase by 59% in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows that poor diet quality also contributes to worse educational outcomes, including lower school attendance and academic performance and higher dropout rates.

Since schools closed in March, Boston Public Schools (BPS) has operated numerous food distribution sites for BPS families to pick up prepared meals, with additional sites opening in July to operate the summer meals program. However, BPS families and community members have expressed concerns that the quality, safety and sustainability of meals served could compromise the health and wellbeing of BPS students and depart from the procurement principles to which the City committed through the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP) ordinance. 

Councilor Wu is calling for a hearing to discuss access to City programs; and to prepare for challenges heading into the next school year and a potential second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. This hearing will be in anticipation of a public meeting to be held no later than January 2021 to present the findings from a baseline assessment of food procurement practices at BPS and other City agencies and departments, scheduled to be completed in October 2020. 

The hearing order will be introduced at today’s 12PM Boston City Council meeting and assigned to a committee to schedule the hearing in the coming weeks.  Read the full order here.