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
*******************
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3月31日(週三)傍晚，麻省理工學院國際研究中心的Starr論壇也將舉辦一場「反亞裔暴力的原因及回應(On
Cause of and response to Anti-Asian Violence)」討論會，腰有麻州大學波士頓分校亞美研究院院長保羅渡邊(Paul Watanabe)，麻州眾議會亞裔核心小組眾議員Tram T. Nguyen等人出席。報名bit.ly/AntiAsianViolence。
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC Commends Governors
for Issuing Joint Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Hate
March 26,
2021—Washington, D.C.— Today,
governors from 26 states and territories issued a joint statement addressing
and condemning the rise in anti-Asian hate. In that statement, the governors
make clear that: ‘What is happening to Asian Americans is simply un-American.
We condemn racism, violence, and hatred against our AAPI communities, and we
must do more to protect, lift up, and support the Asian American
community."
The governors who signed on
are: Governor Gavin Newsom, State of California; Governor Jared Polis, State of
Colorado; Governor Ned Lamont, State of Connecticut; Governor John Carney,
State of Delaware; Governor Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Territory of Guam; Governor
Gretchen Whitmer, State of Michigan; Governor Timothy Walz, State of Minnesota;
Governor Steve Sisolak, State of Nevada; Governor Phil Murphy, State of New
Jersey; Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, State of New Mexico; Governor David
Ige, State of Hawaii; Governor Andrew Cuomo, State of New York; Governor J.B.
Pritzker, State of Illinois; Governor Laura Kelly, State of Kansas; Governor
Andy Beshear, Commonwealth of Kentucky; Governor John Bel Edwards, State of
Louisiana; Governor Roy Cooper, State of North Carolina; Governor Kate Brown,
State of Oregon; Governor Tom Wolf, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Governor
Daniel McKee, State of Rhode Island; Governor Janet Mills, State of Maine;
Governor Ralph Northam, Commonwealth of Virginia; Governor Larry Hogan, State
of Maryland; Governor Charlie Baker, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Governor
Jay Inslee, State of Washington; and Governor Tony Evers, State of Wisconsin.
President and Executive
Director John C. Yang issued the following statement:
“We thank the governors from
several states for standing firmly against anti-Asian hate and grateful to
Governor Wolf of Pennsylvania for coordinating amongst the governors.
Words and actions from our leaders matter and have a far-reaching impact. The
sharp increase in hate against Asian Americans in the past year has been
painful and heartbreaking in all its forms, from verbal harassment to physical
violence against the most vulnerable people in our community. Asian Americans
Advancing Justice | AAJC commits to continued work with elected officials,
partner organizations, and other communities of color to combat hate in all its
forms and to ensure that the needs of Asian Americans are seen and heard in the
public and in all levels of government.”
MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES VACCINE EQUITY GRANT
INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO INCREASE VACCINE ACCESS AND
AWARENESS
$1.5 million available for organizations helping
communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
BOSTON - Friday, March
26, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey, the Boston Public Health Commission and the Office
of Health and Human Services today announced the Vaccine Equity Grant
Initiative, a program to provide funding to non-profit organizations working to
increase vaccine access and awareness for communities disproportionately
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant applications will open Wednesday,
March 31, 2021 and the deadline to apply is April 9, 2021. With a total of $1.5
million in available funding, grant awards will range from $100,000 to $250,000
to be used by organizations over four months.
“Since the beginning of
the pandemic, we’ve known that certain neighborhoods and communities have been
disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” said Mayor Janey. “Creating this
grant initiative will fund organizations closest to the individuals most
affected, helping the City respond on a local, community-based level. I look
forward to working with the grantees to further our efforts in vaccinating our
more vulnerable communities.”
“In Boston, we are
committed to continuing to prioritize local access and equitable planning when
developing strategies to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to all of our residents,”
said Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez. “The grant program will
build on our community partnerships and help ensure every Bostonian who is
eligible has the necessary supports needed to get vaccinated.”
Applicants will develop
strategies to target equitable vaccine access in specific ethnic communities,
Boston neighborhoods, and other groups experiencing higher rates of COVID-19
positivity. Applications should also target outreach for communities facing
barriers in obtaining the vaccine. These include Black/African American,
Latinx, Asian, Indigenous, and immigrant communities; persons with
disabilities; individuals over the age of 65; and the neighborhoods of East
Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Roslindale and Chinatown,
where positivity rates have consistently been higher and vaccination rates have
been lower than the citywide average.
As of March 16, 2021,
88,026 individuals who are 16 years of age or older have been fully vaccinated
in the City of Boston. 45 percent of fully vaccinated Bostonians are people of
color. 8,908 Asian/Pacific Islander residents are fully vaccinated; 15,604
Black residents are fully vaccinated; and 7,878 Latinx residents are fully
vaccinated. In comparison, 42,997 White residents are fully vaccinated. For
more information on vaccination rates, visit here.
Funds will be
prioritized to applicants using partnership models that include a
clinical/vaccine partner and a community-based organization to allow for
specific efforts to reach populations with both clinical services and
wrap-around services. Funds will also be prioritized for new partnership models
or organizations that have not yet been fully engaged in this work. Access and awareness
strategies include:
·Direct, in-person outreach: This will target populations and scheduling
individuals for vaccine appointments.
·Public awareness efforts: This will target specific populations or
neighborhoods to build confidence in vaccines and their effectiveness.
·Wrap around supports: This will help to create equitable access to
vaccines appointments through methods including transportation support,
interpretation services, companion programs, dedicated staff to get residents
into vaccine appointments.
·Direct clinic support: This will include expanded staffing, outreach
or on-site services to support access to vaccines people, including access
during non-traditional hours or located at non-traditional locations.
Since the beginning of
the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Boston has prioritized access to COVID-19
testing and vaccination for communities most impacted. The current community
positivity rate is 3.9 percent for the week of March 12-18, 2021, with the
neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, and East Boston experiencing
the highest rates. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 24 percent of known
cases have been among Black/African American residents, 30 percent of known
cases have been among Hispanic/Latinx residents, and 6 percent of known cases
have been among Asian/Pacific Islander residents. For more information on
COVID-19 positivity, visit here.
Under the State’s
leadership, the City is taking a four-pronged approach to vaccination:
·Mass Vaccination Clinics, where the goal is to vaccinate the highest
number of individuals;
·Priority Group Clinics to vaccinate a targeted number of individuals
within a specific priority group;
·Community-based Public Clinics to vaccinate any individual eligible to
receive a vaccine at easily accessible locations throughout Boston’s
neighborhoods; and
·Mobile vaccination sites with the goal to vaccinate the hardest to
reach Boston residents by bringing small-scale mobile clinics to them.
The City of Boston has
set aside vaccination appointments at the mass vaccination sites in Boston for
our hardest hit communities. The Offices of Health and Human Services, Age
Strong Commission, Immigrant Advancement, Commission for Persons with
Disabilities and other departments are doing extensive outreach to community
organizations, coalitions and neighborhood groups to raise visibility and to
create access to the vaccine for those populations most impacted. Along with
equitable distribution efforts, the City is focused on building widespread
public awareness of the benefits and importance of getting the vaccine.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccination
in Boston, visit here
The Commonwealth and FEMA Team Up to Increase
Vaccination Administration in Boston
BOSTON – The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and FEMA announce
today a partnership to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine by bringing 6,000
federal doses daily to the Hynes Convention Center vaccination site, for a
total of 7,000 doses per day when combined with the state’s current allocation.
This Community Vaccination
Center (CVC) program will be open to the public, with additional services
available for the most disproportionately impacted communities in Suffolk
County, starting March 31.
People interested in booking
an appointment at the Hynes Convention Center vaccination site should continue
to pre-register at vaccinesignup.mass.gov.
There will be no disruption to the appointment process with this federal
expansion. The state will also coordinate additional community outreach to
assist vulnerable residents with signups. Additionally, a portion of the
federal doses will be designated for mobile units for areas of Suffolk County
(Chelsea, Revere & Boston). The Baker-Polito Administration will provide
more details on these efforts soon.
The Hynes Community
Vaccination site will have interpreters available daily for individuals
speaking Spanish, Mandarin, and Haitian/Creole, as well as capability to
utilize telephonic translation with access to 240 different languages. The
Hynes is centrally located and accessible via public transportation on the MBTA
Green Line (‘Hynes Convention Center Station,’) (‘Prudential Center Station’),
the MBTA Orange Line (‘Back Bay Station’ via passageways), the Commuter Rail,
and major bus routes to ensure individuals with transportation challenges can
access the site. Free parking is available for those with private
transportation.
Additionally, MassHealth is
offering new flexibilities for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation for members
with access/functional needs to ensure equitable transportation access to and
from the sites.
The Commonwealth, federal,
and state contracted staff will be used to support the operations at this
facility for the duration of 8 weeks. Along with staffing, FEMA and its federal
partners will provide support through operations, logistics and vaccine
allocations. The addition of the FEMA site and the resources that come with it
will enable Massachusetts to further operationalize its commitment to equity, a
core pillar of the state’s vaccination plan, which includes $27.4 million in
CDC funding focused on the 20 communities hardest hit by COVID-19, including
Boston. The state Department of Public Health is working in these cities and
towns on customized plans to reduce barriers to vaccination and increase
awareness and confidence in vaccine safety, joining with neighborhood health
centers, local health departments, and community and faith based groups to
increase vaccination.
How the Site was Selected
The Hynes site, like other
federally supported sites across the country, was selected based on data
analysis including the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, population needs and
challenges, and available public transit options to the center. Input from
state and local partners was crucial in determining the location. The Hynes
site will have a vaccination output of several thousand doses per day at
maximum operating capacity. One thousand doses from the Commonwealth will be
increased by an additional 6,000 doses from a separate federal allocation.
“Massachusetts is a national
leader for vaccines and this additional support from the federal government
will help to increase access and availability to some of our most
disproportionately impacted communities,” said Governor Charlie Baker.
“We are grateful for the support from the Biden-Harris Administration for
selecting Massachusetts to host one of these sites and for the support of our
congressional delegation in applying for this program.”
The Hynes Convention Center
is a well-known destination within the Greater Boston community, having been in
operation since 1968. It possesses all the critical infrastructure requirements
and facilities such as running water, restrooms and parking to host thousands
of individuals at a time, safely and comfortably.
“The goal of establishing
these joint federal pilot centers is to continue to expand the rate of
vaccinations in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit
focus on making sure communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and
infection are not left behind,” said Acting Region 1 Administrator and
Federal Coordinating Officer Paul Ford, who oversees FEMA’s operations in New
England. “FEMA remains committed to helping everyone in America during this
time and we will continue to work with our partners to stop the spread of this
disease.”
AG HEALEY ISSUES
STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO COURT DECISION DENYING UBER AND LYFT’S MOTION TO
DISMISS
AG’s Office Filed Lawsuit to Ensure Drivers Have Access to Minimum
Wage, Overtime, Earned Sick Time and other Benefits
BOSTON – Massachusetts
Attorney General Maura Healey today issued a statement in response to a
decision from Suffolk Superior Court Judge Kenneth W. Salinger denying Uber and
Lyft’s motion to dismiss the AG’s lawsuit
seeking a court ruling that Uber and Lyft drivers are employees under Massachusetts Wage and Hour
Laws.
“Today’s court decision is a major victory
in our ongoing fight to support and protect Uber and Lyft drivers from unfair
and exploitative practices,” said AG Healey. “The court plainly rejected
Uber and Lyft’s latest attempt to deprive their drivers of basic protections
that help them earn a living wage, including minimum wage, overtime, and earned
sick time. Under our laws, drivers in Massachusetts can have both flexibility
and the rights and benefits of employment status. Our case continues as we seek
a court order to force Uber and Lyft to comply with laws that are already on
the books.”
In
the complaint for
declaratory judgment, filed in Suffolk Superior Court against Uber Technologies
Inc. and Lyft Inc. in July 2020, AG
Healey seeks an order from the court that Uber and Lyft drivers are employees,
not independent contractors as the companies have misclassified them. If Uber
and Lyft drivers are designated as employees, it
will allow drivers access to critical labor rights and benefits, such as
minimum wage, overtime, and earned sick time.
Renames
First-of-its-Kind Unit; Expands Work Around Education, Juvenile Justice, Child
Welfare, Immigration, and Substance Use Prevention
BOSTON – To reflect the
breadth of work being done to promote more equitable and positive outcomes for
vulnerable children and young people in Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura
Healey today announced her office’s newly-renamed Children’s Justice Unit
(CJU). The unit replaces the Child and Youth Protection Unit, the first-of-its
kind unit that AG Healey created in 2015.
As the unit has
developed over the years, it has taken on a broad range of litigation and
policy work, including in education, juvenile justice, child welfare,
immigration, and substance use prevention. Embedded in and working closely with
the AG’s Civil Rights Division, CJU has focused on initiatives that ensure
justice and equity for Massachusetts’s young people.
“We created this
unit to utilize our office’s unique position and expertise to advocate for and
protect our state’s youngest residents, and we have seen that work grow over
the past five years to meet the needs of children and families,” AG Healey
said. “As we take on more initiatives to ensure justice and equity, we want the
focus of our newly-named Children’s Justice Unit to reflect our increased work
to support vulnerable children and young people in Massachusetts.”
Some examples of
CJU’s past and present work include:
Addressing hate,
bullying, and harassment in schools: CJU engages in
work to stop harassment and bullying in schools. Recent work includes
creating guidance for
schools to help prevent and address hate and bias incidents,
suing former Education Secretary Betsy
DeVos over Title IX
regulations that weaken protections for sexual assault
and harassment survivors, and most recently filing a Supreme Court
amicus briefsupporting schools’ ability to address certain off-campus
bullying.
Education equity: CJU’s focus on education
equity includes advocacy on K-12 school funding reform. This work is all
the more important given the education inequities exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Early education and care: CJU leads work to support the state’s youngest
residents, including creating a grant program
for early education and care providers seeking training on trauma-informed care for at-risk
children and leading the office’s response to the
closure of childcare
programs as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
School
resource officers: CJU’s work
related to school resource officers includes the release of a statewide
model Memorandum of Understanding for School Resource Officers to help create a safe and supportive
learning environment and serving as AG Healey’s
designee on the Model School Resource Officer Memorandum of Understanding
Review Commission established in recent legislation.
Children in DCF care or other
out-of-home situations:Working with partners in government
and advocacy organizations, CJU works to promote the best interests of
children who are involved with DCF and/or in caregiving situations outside
of their home. For example, CJU represents AG Healey on the Commission on
the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and advocated for
legislation signed into law this year that provides a right to counsel for
indigent long-term guardians in custody cases. CJU has also engaged in advocacy for
the rights of LGBTQ caregivers, including through amicus briefsin support of the right of same-sex
couples to be foster parents, to help ensure that children in foster care
have loving, caring homes available to them.
Human trafficking of children: In a
new partnership with AG Healey’s Human Trafficking Division, CJU is
increasing its work to help prevent and address
human trafficking of children, specifically commercial sexual
exploitation, using advocacy, public education, and/or civil enforcement
tools.
Federal immigration
lawsuits: CJU has fought
back against Trump Administration immigration actions targeting young
people and their families, including multistate cases to stop family
separation, prevent
prolonged and indefinite family detention, and protect
international students in Massachusetts. CJU will continue to pursue outreach
and other work with state and federal partners to bolster trust and
protections and undo harms against immigrant communities in Massachusetts.
Youth vaping: In partnership
with AG Healey’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD), CJU has helped to
file litigation against e-cigarette companies, including JUUL Labs
Inc.,
for creating a youth vaping epidemic by intentionally marketing and
selling its e-cigarettes to young people. With CPD and AG Healey’s Policy
& Government Division, CJU advocated for successful legislation banning flavored e-cigarettes
and other tobacco products.
The
Children’s Justice Unit leverages its expertise by working closely with other
divisions and bureaus in the AG’s Office on child-related work and also advises
child-serving state agencies. The unit is led by Director Angela Brooks and
Assistant Attorney General Abby Eshghi.
Baker-Polito Administration Awards More Than $14
Million in Grants to 295 Additional Businesses for COVID Relief
BOSTON – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced
approximately $14.6 million in awards for 295 additional businesses in the
eleventh round of COVID relief grants administered by the Massachusetts Growth
Capital Corporation (MGCC). As in prior rounds, each grant recipient meets
sector or demographic priorities set for the grant programs
administered by MGCC.
With the addition of this
round of grants, the Administration has awarded almost $648 million in direct
financial support to 14,351 businesses across the Commonwealth. Grants for
this round were awarded to 107 minority-owned, and 107 woman-owned, businesses;
64 grantees are in the restaurant sector, 91 recipients are located in Gateway
Cities, and 104 businesses have not received any prior aid.
Acknowledging the importance
of restaurants and independent retailers to communities across Massachusetts,
business owners of multiple locations that met demographic and sector
priorities are receiving awards to support additional locations.
Additionally, MGCC this week
announced the availability of funding to support non-profits that offer technical
assistance designed to help existing small businesses recover and thrive
post COVID-19, as well as community
development financial institutions that will back the recovery, resiliency and
growth of small businesses in underserved communities through matching
capital.
