Spare Change News

Author: Jordan Frias

  • Mobile Homeless Outreach Team Gets Last Minute Reprieve From Funding Loss

    Mobile Homeless Outreach Team Gets Last Minute Reprieve From Funding Loss

    Update: On Wednesday, Action Boston for Community Development (ABCD) announced their outreach van program has been extended to the end of April thanks to additional funding from the City of Malden. However, ABCD is still concerned the program will shut down after April 30th if they can’t secure ongoing funding. Original story On an unusually […]

  • Trump Policies Front and Center at Immigration Roundtable Hosted by MIRA

    As the federal government looks to admit fewer refugees than ever in the country’s history, the Massachusetts Immigrant & Action Coalition (MIRA) hosted a roundtable discussion on the topic on Monday, Feb. 5. The discussion was part of a national movement known as We Are All America, which works to build more inclusive communities while […]

  • Social Media Surveillance by Police Targeted Black Lives Matter and Muslims

    The Boston Police Department (BPD) primarily gathered and monitored social media posts and online activity from those in the Muslim community and those participating in protests, according to a newly released report from the ACLU of Massachusetts. The BPD used the surveillance software for years without the approval of the Boston City Council. The report […]

  • Trump’s Record on LGBT Rights: Abhorrent, Unprecedented

    After his first year in office, President Donald Trump’s record on LGBT rights and protections fairs far worse than his predecessors, a new report finds. The report from The Fenway Institute, an education, research, training and policy center in Boston focused on access to health for traditionally underserved communities, states that the Trump administration “has […]

  • HUD Delays Obama-era Policy on Fair Housing

    Fair Housing Act (FHA) requirements for funding have now been put on hold by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) until 2020, leaving housing advocates across the country worried about unaddressed inequities. Under President Barack Obama HUD began requiring communities to provide data on how they address segregation issues and other concerns under […]

  • Sen. Warren Visits Roxbury Health Center, Vows to Fight for Health Insurance for Low-Income People and Kids

    Sen. Warren Visits Roxbury Health Center, Vows to Fight for Health Insurance for Low-Income People and Kids

    File photo Board members, health providers and staff members at The Dimock Center in Roxbury shared their concerns with Senator Elizabeth Warren during a roundtable discussion centered on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Community Health Center Fund in early January. Warren, nationally known for her progressive views, was greeted by a round […]

  • Grant allows BPS to join alliance to serve better food to students

    Grant allows BPS to join alliance to serve better food to students

    School lunches in Boston may change for the better after Boston Public Schools (BPS) joined several of the largest school districts in the country last month as a member of the Urban School Food Alliance. The alliance, formed in 2012, aims to increase the quality of food at schools while keeping costs down, according to […]

  • World’s Only Curious George Store Negotiates Deal to Stay in Harvard Square

    World’s Only Curious George Store Negotiates Deal to Stay in Harvard Square

    The World’s Only Curious George Store’s desire to stay in Harvard Square has been granted after negotiations with the new landlord of the building were completed. Store owner Adam Hirsch was unsure if the shop could stay in the area once Equity One Inc. bought the building and announced it would be raising rents. Early […]

  • Undocumented Immigrant Francisco Rodriguez Released from ICE for the holidays

    Undocumented Immigrant Francisco Rodriguez Released from ICE for the holidays

    Christmas came early for beloved MIT custodial worker and undocumented immigrant Francisco Rodriguez, whose story for months has been at the forefront of the immigration debate in Massachusetts. Rodriguez, who spent months behind bars at the Suffolk County House of Corrections, was released from ICE custody on the Thursday before Christmas to his surprise and […]

  • Bookstore Expansion Will Mean More Jobs For Locals

    Bookstore Expansion Will Mean More Jobs For Locals

    More space for the More Than Words bookstore and warehouse, located on East Berkeley Street in the South End of Boston, means more youth employment and more lives transformed. The nonprofit social enterprise organization celebrated a “breaking ground” for its expansion, which will transform the first floor of the building into a vibrant storefront that […]