A coalition of immigrant, labor and environmental groups is demanding details on government plans to detain migrant families at military bases known to be contaminated from decades of use for munitions and hazardous waste disposal, nuclear weapons development and military firing ranges. On Wednesday, Aug. 22, as the Trump administration rushed to build tent cities at…
The Homeless Empowerment Project is looking for a new board member!
Treasurer (Volunteer) The Homeless Empowerment Project (HEP) is a not-for-profit corporation with an annual budget of $150,000 and five paid staff positions (all part-time). Every other week for the past 25 years, HEP has published Spare Change News, a street newspaper addressing issues of homelessness, poverty, and social justice in the Greater Boston area. HEP’s mission is to…
Etan Thomas on the power of activism
The 2018 NBA postseason has just wrapped up. This is the platform that has created historic basketball moments, such as Damian Lillard’s game-winning 3-pointer that advanced the Portland Trail Blazers past the Houston Rockets in the opening round of the 2014 playoffs. It can also be a different platform altogether: If you actually win the…
Thousands gather at Boston City Hall against separating immigrant families
All photos by author. An estimated 5,000 marchers gathered at City Hall Plaza just before noon last Saturday, June 30, to protest current immigration policies. The march was one of many hosted in several cities across the nation, in part sparked by photos coming from a processing detention center in McAllen, Texas, as well as…
Shelter Living: What’s it like Spending a Quarter of Your Life in a Shelter
Nobody wants to be in a homeless shelter. I remember the first day I walked through the shelter doors. It smelled like cleaning sprays, and when I stepped on the brown rug, a cloud of dust rose above my head. The supervisor of the shelter walked us to our apartment door. A million thoughts ran…
Report finds foreclosure rates decreased in Boston
A new report says foreclosures in Boston have decreased by 22 percent since 2016 due to the Boston Home Center’s efforts, bringing a positive light to Boston after ranking ninth in the rate of foreclosures in Massachusetts. The BHC helps residents purchase, improve and keep their homes, specifically providing counseling and resources to help residents…
Derek Zanetti: Homeless Gospel Choir Founder Talks Roots, Punk and Charities
Photo By Shannon O’Toole Derek Zanetti was never meant for a “normal” life. Growing up in a strictly conservative, born-again Christian household, Zanetti looked at mainstream music as forbidden fruit and as something so special and inviting, that the threat of eternal damnation as a result of listening to any sort of mainstream music- even his…
Multi-State Coalition to Fight Carbon Pollution
State lawmakers have launched a multi-state coalition to collaborate on legislation to combat carbon pollution. The Carbon Costs Coalition includes legislators from nine states, including Massachusetts. It will help those legislators design strategies to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean, renewable energy alternatives. Jeff Mauk is executive director of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators,…
Mayor Walsh and hundreds of volunteers take to streets for 2018 point-in-time count
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, left, and Emergency Shelter Commission director Jim Greene, right, speak to a recently housed young woman. On Wednesday night, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh led the annual homeless census, joining hundreds of volunteers who combed through the city to tally the homeless population. It was his fifth point-in-time count as the mayor,…
Being About Something: Vanna’s Shawn Marquis Talks Progress, Money in Politics and Life Off the Road
Photo: Lance Donati Shawn Marquis went from playing bass on stages around the world, a profession that seems fairly quixotic, to the more practical world of brand awareness. But what might sound like a lopsided trade-off to some is almost equally as fun an exchange for the mustachioed musician. After Boston-bred hardcore legends Vanna announced…