波士頓市府發出88萬5000元給34個組織 鼓勵青少年服務、發展

 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF 2021 YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FUND GRANTS $1 million investment in youth and young adult violence prevention, doubling FY20 allocation for Fund   BOSTON - Tuesday, January 5, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Offices of Health and Human Services and Public Safety today announced the nonprofit organizations selected to receive grants from the 2021 Youth Development Fund. Totaling $885,000 in funding, 34 Boston-based organizations will receive funding to support and increase youth development and violence prevention programming. Organizations selected will implement programming for either priority area previously identified by the Office of Health and Human Services: Youth Violence Prevention or Continuum Support.   "A fundamental part of our residents' public health and public safety is expanding existing services and implementing additional strategies to increase the accessibility of youth programming and violence prevention," said Mayor Walsh. "It's no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed added burdens on the wellbeing of residents, beyond their health. That's why I'm proud to work with these organizations who will complement the City's ongoing efforts, and I want to thank all of these partner organizations for their collaboration in these vital efforts."   Tuesday, December 29, 2020 - Mayor Walsh joined Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez for the Youth Development Fund Recipient Orientation.   PRIORITY ONE: YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION  Grants targeting youth violence prevention have been funded to organizations using evidence-based strategies that work to shape individual behaviors, and address relationship, community, and societal factors that influence risk and protective factors for violence.  PRIORITY TWO: CONTINUUM SUPPORT  Funding support nonprofit organizations that address the City of Boston's identified needs in the youth and young adult violence prevention continuum, including services for youth and young adults up to age 30 that address unmet needs created by or directly related to COVID-19; case management or supportive services for school-age youth ages 13-18 who are Department of Youth Services-involved or high-risk for gang involvement due to history of neighborhood or family gang activity; and programs aimed at mitigating or preventing the use of social media to incite or promote violence, focused on ages 18 to 30. Of organizations receiving funding, 45 percent are led by a woman and 55 percent are led by a person of color. Of programs awarded, 33 percent are led by a woman and 88 percent are led by a person of color. Seventy-six percent of organizations will service Dorchester, 76 percent will service Roxbury and 55 percent will service Mattapan, in addition to other neighborhoods.   "YouthConnect is excited to deepen our partnership with the City of Boston and work with the other recipients of this grant," said Andrea Perry, Executive Director of YouthConnect. "This will ensure that, even during the most challenging times, our collective efforts can strengthen Boston's neighborhoods and ensure that young people have access to the services they need to thrive in the future." "This funding is a lifeline to help us continue our work as an organization dedicated to empowering Women of Color, said Erika Rodriguez, Executive Director of Chica Project. "We thank Mayor Walsh and his administration for creating this funding resource, which allows so many local non-profits to continue working towards social justice and equity." "Sportsmen's is thrilled to learn that we will have the opportunity to work even more closely with the City of Boston to provide crucial services to youth and families along the Blue Hill Corridor," Toni Wiley, Chief Executive Officer of Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center. "We know that this pandemic has had devastating and long-lasting effects on our youth and young adults, many of which will be evident for years to come and we are committed to working collaboratively to mitigate those negative effects." Mayor Walsh has doubled funding for the Youth Development Fund each year for the past three years. For Fiscal Year 2019, Mayor Walsh invested $250,000 into the Youth Development Fund, $500,000 was allotted for Fiscal Year 2020, and for Fiscal Year 2021, Mayor Walsh has committed $1,000,000.  Below are the grantees awarded funding from the 2021 Youth Development Fund. Additional funding will be available in the spring as part of the Fund. Continuum Support Grantees:  Boston Medical Center Corporation: Violence Intervention Advocacy Program (VIAP) will provide victims of gunshot and stab wounds between the ages of 16 and 24 with wraparound case management services, job and educational training needed to redirect their lives and avoid future violence.  Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, Inc.: BGCB's YouthConnect Social Workers provide gang and at-risk youth confidential, voluntary community-based mental health supports and resource coordination, including via tele-health sessions.   Codman Square Health Center: Programming to support young people aged 13-18, and their families, through targeted leadership development programs, mentoring, and healthy lifestyles education.  Fathers' Uplift, Inc.: Targeted support for the Youth Enrichment program and clinical therapy services for young men ages 18-30 who are fathers and/or at-risk, with the aim to end cycles of fatherlessness; key approaches used are coaching, mentoring and clinical therapy. RFK Children's Action Corps, Inc.: Alternative to detention programming for medium- to high-risk 14-17-year olds, in Suffolk County that allows youth to remain at their home, in the community and in school.  Violence in Boston: Violence in Boston will provide proven-risk young men, ages 15-28, wrap around services such as housing resources, food access, music therapy, education and legal assistance.  Violence Prevention Grantees: Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.: ABCD's SummerWorks and WorkSMART programs serve both in-school and out-of-school youth, providing them critical employment skills through weekly intensive work readiness workshops followed by job placements. Artists for Humanity: AFH provides teens from Boston opportunities to learn and earn income through paid employment in art and design Boston Asian Youth Essential Service: Boston Asian YES provides services and programs for at-risk and high-risk Asian youth, ages 13-22. It is the only Chinatown community agency that provides outreach, prevention and intervention services to this cohort and has a long history of partnering with BPD, alternative education programs and other social service providers.  Boston Showstoppers Girls Academic and Athletic Program: Serving ages 8-18, the program aims to help student-athletes achieve their academic, athletic, and professional dreams through a mix of coaching and mentoring. Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, Inc.: Partnering with BDP, the Club supports programming that forges positive community-police relations and teaches young people alternatives to violence; summer programming provides enrichment activities such as field trips. Chica, Inc.: Chica provides culturally responsive programming addressing a range of areas, including mentoring, community building/civic engagement, leadership development and college access programming. College Bound Dorchester: Boston Uncornered aims to engage Core Influencers, individuals who have the most influence on gang-involved and at-risk youth, with College Readiness Advisor to take them away from street corners towards a pathway to education. East Boston Ecumenical Community Council: EBECC assists at-risk Latino students struggling in school through integrated academic and psycho-social programming, which  promotes healthy lifestyles, problem solving skills and independent thinking.  Elevate Boston/ Teach 1 Youth Development Collaborative: Elevate provides supplemental mentoring, academic tutoring and athletic activities to BPS students; summer programming will also feature digital technology/fabrication training and social-emotional activities.   Foundation for Boston Centers for Youth & Families: BCYF programming teaches social-emotional skills, the competencies needed to excel in the 21st-century workplace and empowers young people to develop the project management, leadership, and financial literacy skills needed to be successful in college and career. Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI): IFSI addresses violence among Haitian young people by teaching protective skills and behaviors that enable them to express their needs and concerns in a safe space, providing them tools and creative methods for approaching and resolving conflicts. Inquilinos Boricuas en Acci ón (IBA): IBA prepares young people aged 13-18 for school and life success by offering an employment-based program, centered on arts education, that fosters meaningful relationships and experiences integrating community organizing, social and emotional supports. Justice Resource Institute, Inc. dba STRIVE Boston: Programming provides proven-risk youth with support, leadership and work experience opportunities that will help them to become productive, responsible and law-abiding.  MBK617: MBK617 is supporting a range of youth development activities for young people in Dorchester and Roxbury that allows them to create and maintain healthy relationships with other youth regardless of where they are from in Boston. Their efforts focus on supporting the psycho-social development of young people through peer mentoring, youth support and other enrichment activities.   More Than Words: MTW programming empowers young people to move their lives forward, supporting them access the education and employment services they need to build healthy, safe, and self-sufficient futures. Phoenix Multisport, dba The Phoenix: Phoenix Boston helps young adults in recovery find supportive, sober communities and provides them stability and consistency during high-risk transitional periods. Roca Boston: Roca's programming aims to help high-risk young men leave streets and gangs and go to work through population-specific programming that changes behavior. Soccer Without Borders: SWB advances uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change, engaging newcomer refugees and immigrant youth in East Boston and surrounding communities. Sociedad Latina, Inc.: Sociedad addresses four key focus areas towards youth success: Education, Workforce Development, Civic Engagement, and Arts & Culture, and aims to build deep relationships with families to move students through middle school, high school, and college. Somali Development Center: The SDC promotes social, educational and economic development programs at the Islamic Society of Boston to immigrant young people and engages caregivers who are bilingual and struggle with supporting their kids as a result of their language proficiency. Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center: STEC is a year-around, youth centered organization offering tennis, academic and enrichment programs for K-12 aged youth; programming supports closing the achievement gap. The Center for Teen Empowerment: TE's violence prevention and youth arts groups meet online (and/or in person, when possible) to implement initiatives that engage peers and adults in addressing community violence, educational equity, racial equity and mental wellness. The Clubhouse Network: The Clubhouse encourages young people to explore the creative uses of technology and develop professional and life skills such as problem-solving and teamwork; students learn computer-generated art, develop scientific simulations and design animations. Uphams Corner Community Center DBA Bird Street Community Center: Bird Street provides a space where young people, under structured adult supervision, can focus on positive, productive activities and identities. Funding will enhance the Center's capacity to effectively address young people and their families' exposure to community violence and support the development of emotional coping skills to address trauma.  West End House Boys and Girls Club: West End House is expanding past its foundational programs in academic success and the arts to develop and implement new, year round social justice activities. Teens - including those invited from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester - will receive a generous weekly stipend for participation in the program being administered jointly with City Mission.  Youth Guidance: BAM is a school-based counseling and mentoring program that improves the social-cognition and behavioral competencies of predominantly young men of color who have been exposed to stressors and face social, behavioral, and/or emotional challenges. YWCA Boston: YW Boston is combining two initiatives focused on girls - the Girls Health Program and a social justice education and leadership development program - in order to provide high quality courses that teach girls advocacy and public engagement skills.  YMCA of Greater Boston: The YMCA will support summer employment for teens: last year the Y hosted 934 young people; and continue with Academic Credit Recovery where students can "recover" academic credit and so they can graduate on time.

115名國會議員催拜登提名亞裔任部長 Martin Walsh和蘇維斯 誰會當勞工部長?

波士頓市長Martin J. Walsh。(檔案照片，周菊子攝)

                  (Boston Orange 編譯)美國總統內閣應該至少有一名亞裔部長。美國民主黨籍國會議員正為此向候任總統拜登(Joe Biden)施壓，麻州波士頓市市長馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)和加州勞工廳廳長蘇維斯(Julie Su)的支持者，因此競爭更加劇烈。

            波士頓市今年的市長選情，也因此肯定會被拜登的決定所影響。

政治分析家們估計，今(5)日喬治亞州參議員席位的第二輪選舉(runoff election)落幕，民主黨或共和黨誰將控制聯邦參議院的結果出爐後，勞工部部長職位花落誰家，以及其他部長職位人選，才會逐步揭曉。

加州勞工廳廳長蘇維斯(Julie Su)。
(圖片來自網路)

拜登內閣的15個部長級職位，目前還剩下勞工部長，商務部長和總檢察官這三個職位無提名人選。勞工部部長一職，早前有很多被點名，但來自華府消息稱，還留在考慮名單上的只剩2人，麻州波士頓市市長馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)和加州勞工廳廳長蘇維斯(Julie Su)。

即將就任的拜登政府，目前已有3名亞太裔內閣成員，包括母親為印度人的副總統哈莉絲(Kamala Harris)，美國貿易代表戴琦，以及預算及管理辦公室首長Neera Tanden，但部長層級還吳亞太裔。

亞裔太平洋島民團體稱，過去4屆美國政府，每屆都有至少任命了一名亞裔部長。115名美國國會議員上週也在發信恭喜拜登時，力促他實踐要打造一個”有史以來最多元內閣”的承諾。

聯邦眾議員趙美心(Judy Chu)，以及她做為主席的國會亞太裔核心小組聲稱，”人事就是政策”，當多元背景領袖就任有權勢職位時，就會帶來更包容的政策，也會更妥善的服務整個國家，因此他們強烈相信拜登政府應該有一名亞太裔內閣部長，就如過去20多年一樣。

在國會亞太裔核心小組之外，國會黑人核心小組，以及國會西班牙裔核心小組也都支持這聲明。

加州聯邦眾議員Mark Takano表示，亞太裔美人在美國政治中經常被忽略或排除，遠可追溯到1882年的排華法案，純以種族惟根據，限制入境，近有1920年代的配額限制，阻礙了數難以計的亞裔美人歸化成為公民。他還以峰田(Norman Y. Mineta)擔任交通部部長時，在911事件發生時，曾站出來為穆斯林族裔說話為例，來強調有名亞太裔部長對政府的平衡運作有多種要。

政治分析家說，馬丁華殊和蘇維斯的差異可說非常小，兩人都是來自深藍州的民主黨員，一人在東岸，一人在西岸。馬丁華殊有全美最大的勞工組織AFL-CIO，以及美國教師聯盟(American Federation of Teachers)的支持，有助於重建中產階級，蘇維斯曾為加州血汗工廠的泰國勞工請命，將更能夠幫助移民及有色人種勞工。

有分析家指亞裔選民的力量，長期以來被忽視，但這次的美國總統大選，拜登贏得了三分之二亞裔的票，在喬治亞州，更是因為亞裔的支持，拜登得以些微票數之差，贏過川普，拜登政府如果想要繼續得到亞裔選民的支持，恐怕得在挑選內閣部長時對亞裔展現一點愛心。

至於波士頓市長的選情，那當然是，一旦馬丁華殊入閣，除了已經宣佈參選市長的兩名波士頓市議員，吳弭(Michelle Wu)和Andrea Campbell之外，必然會有更多人跳入選戰。如果馬丁華殊不入閣，他既有600萬元競選經費在手，又有在位優勢，要撼動怕是不容易。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 27TH FUNDING ROUND OF BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND, TOTALLING OVER $780,000 IN GRANTS TO 39 ORGANIZATIONS

 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 27TH FUNDING ROUND OF BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND, TOTALLING OVER $780,000 IN GRANTS TO 39 ORGANIZATIONS     Since launching the Fund, over $30 million has been distributed to 366 organizations   BOSTON - Monday, January 4, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee last week announced the Boston Resiliency Fund's 27th funding round. These grants represent over $780,000 in funding to 39 organizations in Boston, serving communities by increasing food and health care access, supporting individuals facing homelessness and assisting seniors. Since its launch at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, $34 million has been raised, and $30.3 million has been distributed to 366 organizations.   "The Boston Resiliency Fund has been an essential provider to Boston nonprofits, building a network of support to help the most vulnerable Bostonians. The organizations granted have been vital to ensuring those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are supported," said Mayor Walsh. "Thank you to every organization who has partnered with the City of Boston in providing resources to our community."   Of organizations receiving funding this round, 51 percent are led by a person of color and 64 percent are led by a woman. In total, since the launch of the Fund, 56 percent of the organizations that received funding are led by a percent of color and 58 percent are led by a woman. Seventy-six percent of organizations serve Dorchester, 70 percent serve Roxbury, 65 percent serve Mattapan, and 56 percent serve Hyde Park, in addition to every other neighborhood in Boston. To learn more about all Boston Resiliency Fund grant recipients and their work, visit boston.gov/resiliency-grantees.    "Young Man with a Plan, a four year mentoring program for Black and Latino males, is so grateful to the City of Boston Resiliency Fund for our initial funding and really honored to receive a second grant. Delivering direct food relief fulfills a real need and also provides us the opportunity to check in on the wellbeing of our young men and their families," said Jaykyri Simpson, Director of Young Man with a Plan. "We see the compound traumas of COVID, financial loss, racial injustice, and neighborhood violence that our young men are experiencing. We engage in what we call 'intrusive coaching'-- persistently talking to our kids about their schoolwork, housing and food security, safety, and mental health."   "Common cathedral not only never closed; common cathedral was one of the very few places where we had a voice in response to what was happening to us all," said John, a common cathedral community member. "common cathedral and its programs, common art and Boston Warm, gave our community agency over our own lives within the pandemic. We saw these spaces become not just a refuge from the disease, but a place to feel that we were actively fighting back and retaining our identity. Boston Warm will now be expanding to Fridays because the community of people experiencing homelessness requested it, planned it and will be helping to run. We are able to do this meaningful work because of the funding from the Boston Resiliency Fund.  We are grateful to the City!"    "We are deeply honored by the recognition and faith the Boston Resiliency Fund has shown in our work at Rose's Bounty. This year has been a tough year for our neighbors already facing food insecurity, and for those who now find themselves in this situation for the first time. Serving twice as many families as we did in 2019, Rose's Bounty now serves over 950 Families per month; feeding 2700+ individuals every month," said Darra Slagle, Executive Director of Rose's Bounty. "With the help of this grant, we can meet many of the increased costs associated with the pandemic. Rose's Bounty has worked tirelessly to adapt to these changing times in order to make sure that families and seniors in West Roxbury, Roslindale, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain and Hyde Park have access to fresh and healthy foods."    This funding round represents support for organizations working to provide basic needs to youth, families and seniors, assist youth and young adults facing homelessness, expand food access, and increase accessibility to healthcare, including COVID-19 testing.    2Life Communities Inc.: 2Life Communities will use this BRF grant to deliver emergency frozen meals and provide emergency boxes containing produce, perishables, shelf-stable supplies, and personal care items. They will also use the grant to connect residents equitably to services, programming, and telehealth/telemedicine, and conduct intensive disinfection to protect the health and safety of residents and frontline essential workers.     Advocates: Advocates will use this BRF grant to support families that care for a loved one who has a developmental/intellectual disability. These families also have a reduced income and are also balancing remote learning, while sometimes struggling with a language barrier.  With support from the Boston Resiliency Fund, they will provide families with stipends to buy essential items like food and hygiene products.   BEST Corp. Hospitality Training: BEST Corp. will use this BRF grant to provide grocery gift cards to families struggling because of the pandemic. They will continue to use their Local 26 network to determine the people most in need.   Boston BullPen Project, Inc.: The Boston BullPen Project will use this BRF grant to continue to help people facing eviction, homelessness, food insecurity, technology deficits and medical crises.    Boston Girls Empowerment Network: Boston Girls Empowerment Network will use this BRF grant to support immigrant women ages 18-40, who are financially impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis. BGEN will expand its staff by hiring a women's service coordinator and work across ethnic communities to create support services, which includes food and personal/feminine hygiene products distribution for undocumented women who are unemployed, underemployed and are not be able to collect state or federal unemployment benefits.   Boston Missionary Baptist Community Center Inc.: Boston Missionary Baptist Community Center will use this BRF grant to distribute food from their pantry in Roxbury, deliver food door-to-door throughout the week to seniors and people with disabilities, and work in partnership with local partners who host distribution at locations around Boston and nearby communities. In addition, they will train and deploy volunteers to provide nutrition guidance and respond to signs of COVID-19 and advise them about social distancing.   Breaktime: Breaktime will use this BRF grant to support young adults experiencing homelessness with living-wage employment and deliver groceries to families in need through their non-profit partners.   Building Audacity: Building Audacity's will use this BRF grant to offset costs of their grocery delivery program.   Call for Action: Call for Action will use this BRF grant for outreach and educational workshops in Spanish about COVID-19 testing, prevention, and education. These materials will also include information about the vaccine once it is available to the general public. They will create digital content and do educational workshops, forums, and digital support groups.     Cape Verdean Association of Boston: The Cape Verdean Association of Boston  will use this BRF grant to partner with local restaurants and grocery stores to provide an ethnically-appropriate hot dinner to seniors. In addition, they will be working with low-income families, undocumented immigrants, and the older Bostonians to connect them to City and State resources and provide them with weekly grocery bags filled with fresh produce and food, gift cards, interpretation, and translation services about COVID-19 information.   Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Inc.: Catholic Charities will use BRF funding to support staff who are packing and distributing food bags to more than 1,500 households at their pantries in Dorchester and in the South End. The two pantries distribute approximately 80,000 pounds of food each week.   Catie's Closet, Inc: Catie's Closet will use the BRF to fund basic essentials, including toiletries, feminine products, socks, underwear and clothing. This will help close gaps in product availability for people of color by improving and meeting the need for culturally-appropriate products.   Children's Services of Roxbury: Children's Services of Roxbury will use this Boston Resiliency Fund grant to support the families in their homeless shelters, home-based childcare programs, and their behavioral health programs. In addition, this grant will support education and access to COVID-19 testing, deliver gift cards to families to purchase food and basic needs, and provide bags of groceries.   City Mission, Inc.:  City Mission will use this BRF grant to purchase online gift cards for groceries and essential items and distribute the cards to the families on their waiting list. In addition, City Mission will provide information about additional available community resources, and support families facing special circumstances or challenges.   Common Cathedral: Common Cathedral will use this BRF grant to expand their Boston Warm day center to include Fridays from January through April. The day center provides people experiencing homelessness access to bathrooms, food, essential supplies and a safe space to warm up.   Community Servings:  Community Servings will use this BRF grant to cover raw food costs, packaging, and home-delivery of 650 medically-tailored Blizzard Boxes, containing a week's worth of shelf-stable meals, a recipe booklet to support understanding of the box contents and easy meal preparation. Each box will also contain disposable masks. In addition, Community Servings will use this BRF grant to support safety and sanitation costs, including weekly electrostatic cleaning of their kitchens and delivery vans and masks for their kitchen staff, drivers, and volunteers.   Dignity Matters, Inc.: Dignity Matters will use this BRF grant to distribute menstrual care products to women in Boston through their COVID-19 partners. They will allocate the items purchased through this grant to the Greater Boston YMCA, Family Aid Boston and Catie's Closet/BPS Emergency Centers.    Elizabeth Stone House: Elizabeth Stone House will use the BRF grant to ensure the safety and emergency daily needs for clients including food, prescription medicine, personal hygiene products, and disinfection services. In addition, the grant will ensure the safety of clients and staff from COVID-19 exposure and to ensure the continuity of emergency staff payments for direct service on-site staff at their emergency shelter /transitional housing location.   FamilyAid Boston: FamilyAid Boston will use the BRF grant to continue to deliver high-quality fresh food to 870 homeless and unstably-housed children and parents, while keeping them safe from community spread of the coronavirus.    Families First Parenting Programs, Inc: Families First will use this BRF grant to provide grocery store gift cards for parents attending their programming to purchase food and basic needs items.    The First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain: The First Church in Jamaica Plain will use this BRF grant to purchase additional food, equipment and supplies for the pantry. Additionally, this grant will support the Food Pantry Program Coordinator, who works directly with food insecure households to assess needs and oversees volunteers and the delivery of groceries.    Hyde Square Task Force: Hyde Square Task Force will use this BRF grant to support their ongoing efforts to provide youth and low-income families of color with gift cards that enable them to purchase food and groceries.    Livable Streets Alliance: This BRF grant will provide continued support for the LivableStreets "ChatBot," an interactive tool that monitors Boston EMS staff for COVID-like illness symptoms. This tool is important for Boston EMS's infection control doctors and nurses to keep the front-line EMTs and paramedics safe. The "ChatBot" tool provides early notification of symptoms, a key to keeping the department safe, and to decrease the spread of the virus.   Love Your Menses, Inc.: Love Your Menses will continue providing menstrual care packages with essential menstrual hygiene items in a reusable bag for people in need. They will also install period product dispensers in community organizations, such as homeless shelters, youth organizations, and community health centers across the city so people can easily access products.   Presentation School Foundation Community Center: Presentation School Foundation Community Center will use this Boston Resiliency Fund grant to support the "Allston-Brighton Pandemic Relief Center" in response to a need for storage space for pandemic relief items. This grant will enable the PSF Community Center to make 750 square feet of space available to Allston-Brighton organizations seeking space to store and disseminate pandemic relief items including, but not limited to, food, diapers, toiletries, school supplies.   Rosie's Place: Rosie's Place will use this BRF grant to continue to serve hundreds of women experiencing homelessness each day by providing prepared and to-go meals from their dining room, and a week's worth of groceries from their food pantry.     Rose's Bounty COVID Surge Support: Rose's Bounty will use this BRF grant to procure food as well as to purchase COVID-19 safety items.   Rounding the Bases: Rounding the Bases will use this BRF grant to conduct virtual training classes to teach seniors basic computer skills.   Silver Lining Mentoring: Silver Lining Mentoring will use this BRF grant to provide financial help for basic utility bills and food for 50 families.    Sociedad Latina: Sociedad Latina will use this BRF grant to pay for their alumni Youth Leaders who outreach in Mission Hill/Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. The Youth Leaders will distribute Personal Protective Equipment and bilingual reading materials on the importance of mask wearing and social distancing. This campaign targets young Latinos and immigrants and their families to take measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and contribute to keeping their community healthy.    The South Boston Association of Non-Profits (SBANP): The South Boston Association of Non-Profits will bring together nine partner organizations and use the BRF grant to bring fresh food, perishable and non-perishable food items, grocery store gift cards, and prepared meals to vulnerable populations of children, families and seniors in South Boston. Those nine organizations will also help provide health, safety and hygiene items such as diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, and cleaning products to families and seniors who are struggling to access them during the pandemic.   South Boston en Accion, Inc.: South Boston en Accion will use this BRF grant to purchase needed supplies, create PPE kits, available at two central distribution points at Boston Housing Authority buildings in South Boston. Kits will contain disposable masks, hand sanitizer, hand soap, disinfectant wipes, and useful information.     St. Stephen's Youth Programs: St. Stephen's Youth Programs will use the BRF grant to support families through cash assistance and grocery store gift cards.    Tifereth Raphael Inc: Tifereth Raphael will use this BRF grant to support storage costs that will help optimize their kosher food pantry facility in Brighton.      We Are Better Together The Warren Daniel Hairston Project: We Are Better Together will use this BRF grant to identify, reach out, and engage the individuals and families at risk of domestic or other violence. They will provide information on community forums/workshops and existing community resources to address violence, trauma and community healing. We Are Better Together will also provide gift cards and essential supplies to people in need.     West End House Inc.: Due to the loss of USDA Farmers to Families boxes, West End House will use this BRF grant to support the purchase of similar produce boxes from Fresh Truck, as well as food purchases from Greater Boston Food Bank, and the costs associated with delivering and storing food. Groceries will be distributed every two weeks through volunteer led delivery to elderly or disabled individuals, or families without transportation.   Wilahmena's Place Inc.: Wilahmena's Place Inc. will use this BRF grant to sustain their efforts to provide non-perishables, fresh fruit and vegetables, toiletries, sanitizer, soap, cleaning supplies and gift cards to students, seniors and families in need, with a focus on the Grove Hall neighborhood.    Young Man with a Plan: Young Man with a Plan will use this BRF grant to deliver food gift cards and food to students and families.   Youth Vybz Inc.: Youth Vybz Inc. will use the BRF for fresh vegetable pre-packaged food care boxes, PPE and gift cards.    ###

第二屆波士頓台灣影展圓滿落幕 展望2021盼更多義工加入

波士頓台灣影展工作團隊月前聚會。(TFF of Boston提供)

           (Boston Orange) 在波士頓這學術，科技，金融名城談第八藝術?遠有波士頓亞美電影節，近有波士頓台灣影展，為中國古諺的「有志者，事竟成」，做了最佳註腳。

波士頓台灣影展工作團隊拜會波士頓經文處。左三起，藍凡耘，
經文處處長孫儉元，僑教中心主任潘昭文，許祐湉。

波士頓亞美電影節(BAAFF)原本是亞裔文化資源中心(AARW)麾下的一項活動，已有多年歷史，直到2008年起甄翠嬿(Susan Chinsen)鍥而不舍經營，才逐漸發展出規模，不但曾請到國際大導演李安做嘉賓，在四，五日間放映十幾部長、短片，還有將近40人的工作團隊。

波士頓台灣影展(TFF of Boston)則是一批來自台灣，對電影有興趣的年輕人，想要藉電影來發揮連接，對話作用，在北美建立起一個台灣影展圈，用電影的軟實力，讓更多人認識台灣的環境，歷史，文化，以及台灣的電影人。

哈佛大學台灣同學會的前任會長藍凡耘、許祐湉，波士頓僑務促進委員康麗雪，紐英崙中華專業人員協會會長康雅雰，波士頓台灣人生物科技協會前會長林致中，以及2020年加入團隊的蔡函庭，Andrew Lin等人從選片，聯絡導演，邀請嘉賓，找贊助，製作文宣，忙得不可開交。

波士頓台灣影展工作人員康麗雪(左排第三)等人開網會討論。

2019年第一屆，他們選定5月26，27日在麻省理工學院舉辦影展，放映”我們的青春在台灣”等5部片，還從台灣請來甚至蔡英文總統都上了他節目的博恩來演出一場脫口秀。

2020年第二屆，新冠病毒(COVID-19)使得所有現場活動都成為不可能，這批年輕人”變則通”的把影展改為網上舉行，而且索性一展半年，從8月到12月，以「失物招領(Lost and Found)」為主題，每月1片至3片的共選映了10部影片，從《前世情人的情人》、《三八新娘憨子婿》的家庭關係，《老大人》的長照議題，《出發》的追夢，《滿月酒》的婚姻平權及同志伴侶代理孕母議題，《好久不見德拉奇》和《強尼凱克》的追尋自我、尋根與文化認同，到感恩節間放映的3部短片《游移之身》，《三百萬分之一》，《翻越之後》，都呈現著台灣社會文化的不同面貌。

波士頓台灣影展參加活動的導演，工作人員，嘉賓。

影展團隊還很費心，每片放映後都辦座談，邀導演、專家分享拍片經驗與感想，與影片議題。

跨入2021，波士頓台灣影展團隊已更有默契，成果報告書上觀眾滿意度都高到近滿分，讓這年輕團隊對新的一年充滿期望，期待有更多義工加入他們的行列。

                          波士頓台灣影展的網址為https://www.taiwanfilmfest.org/。

                      (所有圖片:波士頓台灣影展提供)

MAYOR SIGNS ORDINANCE TO CREATE OFFICE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY

 

MAYOR SIGNS ORDINANCE TO CREATE OFFICE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY  Ordinance builds on the Walsh Administration's dedication to enacting swift reforms on policing, through recommendations by the Boston Police Reform Task Force.    BOSTON - Monday, January 4, 2020 - In maintaining his commitment to making Boston a national leader on police reform and creating long-lasting, systemic change, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined members of the Boston Police Reform Task Force, Chairman Wayne Budd, and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross to sign the ordinance creating the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) in a virtual ceremony. The office creates a single point of public access to a new standard in police accountability and community oversight, and will house and support the newly created Civilian Review Board, and the Internal Affairs Oversight Panel that builds on and strengthens the existing Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel (CO-OP) board. It also creates the overarching Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) Commission, which collectively holds subpoena power for the OPAT, Civilian Review Board, and Internal Affairs Oversight Panel.   "Now is the time to act with urgency to dismantle systemic racism across our city," said Mayor Walsh. "The Office of Police Accountability and Transparency will support lasting, generational  change by rooting out impropriety and ensuring the type of enhanced oversight that leads to greater community trust. This is an important milestone, but it's only the beginning. I thank the Task Force members for their dedication to engaging the community to create comprehensive recommendations that will deepen our progress towards equity in Boston."  In June, Mayor Walsh created the Boston Police Reform Task Force, which was charged with reviewing a set of current Boston Police Department policies and procedures, and presenting recommendations for reform. The four main areas of review were: Use of Force policies; Implicit Bias Training, the Body-worn Camera Program, and the Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel (CO-OP). The creation of the OPAT was a central recommendation from the Task Force, which issued their final recommendations in Mid-October. Mayor Walsh is currently in the process of reviewing and implementing all of the additional recommendations. To act swiftly and enact the recommendations, Mayor Walsh previously signed two executive orders 30 days after the Task Force released their recommendations to create Boston's first-ever Civilian Review Board, a 9-member board that will be made up of community members nominated by the City Council and the Mayor's Office, and to reconstitute the existing CO-OP as a stronger Internal Affairs Oversight Panel that will have the power to review all completed Internal Affairs cases. The Panel will also be able to review the policies and procedures of Internal Affairs, as well as engage with the community about their impact. The Civilian Review Board and the Internal Affairs Oversight Panel will be housed within the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, making up a two-pronged system with a single point of entry for residents. The OPAT will provide intake services, research, and administrative support to the Civilian Review Board and the Internal Affairs Oversight Panel, and the OPAT Commission will have subpoena power to investigate misconduct.  The City of Boston is in the process of searching for an Executive Director to lead the Office of Accountability and Transparency. The Executive Director will be tasked with leading the OPAT Office and Administrative Staff, and would serve on the 3-member OPAT Commission, alongside the appointed Chairs of the CRB and IAOP. The City has launched a search to find an Executive Director who is a member of the Massachusetts bar, with the robust experience needed to lead this critical new office, and manage its operations.  "The Boston Police Reform Task Force worked diligently to produce a set of recommendations that will create real reform within the Boston Police Department," said Boston Police Reform Task Force Chairman Wayne Budd. "I look forward to seeing how the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency enhances equity and allows the community to have greater confidence in the integrity of policing."  In addition to formally creating OPAT, the Civilian Review Board and Internal Affairs Oversight Panel, Mayor Walsh and the City of Boston have taken significant steps to enact all of the Task Force's additional recommendations. These include Mayor Walsh filing a Home Rule Petition at the Boston City Council that would give Boston high school graduates a preference in police hiring. The Mayor's Home Rule Petition was passed by the City Council on December 16, and will now go to the State House. Mayor Walsh also charged City leaders, such as Chief of Equity Karilyn Crockett, to work with the Boston Police Department on evaluating and updating their policies through a lens of equity and to create a Diversity and Inclusion Unit in the Department.  These key steps build on the City of Boston's dedication to enhancing equity within public safety offices. On June 12th, Mayor Walsh signed the "Mayor's Pledge" issued by the Obama Foundation's My Brother's Keeper Alliance as one of the strategies to address racism as an emergency and public health crisis. The Mayor committed the City of Boston to review police use of force policies; engage communities by including a diverse range of input experiences and stories; report review findings to the community and seek feedback; and reform police use of force policies. The Boston Police Reform Task Force was composed of members from the community, law enforcement, advocacy organizations, and the legal profession, to ensure that these commitments are translated to actions.  "Our success is rooted in the bonds we create with the community and the trust we build through those relationships," said Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. "The creation of the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency will ensure we are living up to the ideal standard of community policing."  On June 11, 2020, Boston Police Commissioner William Gross announced he completed a review of Boston Police's policies against the recommended use of force policies outlined in the "8 Can't Wait" effort, resulting in clarified rules and the implementation of several reforms. In addition, as part of Mayor Walsh's Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget, Mayor Walsh allocated 20% (or $12 million) of the Boston Police Department's overtime budget to make a significant investment in equity and inclusion across the City.  The signing of the ordinance for an Office of Police Accountability and Transparency is a significant step forward towards a more just police department and represents the tireless work of the Boston Police Reform Task Force and the community members who engaged in this process. Over the summer, the Task Force held five separate public listening sessions, and received over 100 pieces of testimony from the community, over the course of two written comment periods. The ordinance, final report and full recommendations are available online.