Author: Jose Castillo
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‘Furnishing Hope’ helps families transition out of shelters
Providing homeless people with a place to live is a huge step on the road to helping them rebuild their lives, but once they’ve moved in they need to fill their new place with the necessities that make it livable and comfortable. Boston based organization Furnishing Hope is working to meet those needs by providing…
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Mayor Walsh speaks at national poverty conference
On Friday, Nov. 2, Mayor Marty Walsh spoke to a crowd at the Disrupting The Poverty Cycle Conference, hosted this year at the University of Massachusetts-Boston Campus Center. The conference, held biennially by Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath), attracts researchers, community organizers, policymakers, and lower-income families to connect and discuss over two days new and innovative…
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Boston receives federal grant to help homeless youth
On Tuesday, July 17, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that Boston will be one of 11 communities to receive a part of a $43 million dollar grant to help end youth homelessness. The announcement was made by HUD’s deputy assistant secretary for special needs Jemine Bryon. “Today, we further commit…
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Boston receives federal grant to help homeless youth
Mayor Walsh poses with members of the Bridge Over Troubled Waters community. Photo by author. On Tuesday, July 17, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that Boston will be one of 11 communities to receive a part of a $43 million dollar grant to help end youth homelessness. The announcement was made…
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Advocates rally for key immigrant protections in state budget
A group of about 60 protesters gathered outside the Massachusetts State House at noon on Tuesday, July 10, to demand the inclusion of key protections for immigrants in next year’s state budget. The rally was organized by the Unitarian Universalists Mass Action organization, along with the Essex County Community Organization, and was in part a…
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Baker signs ‘bargain bill’ to raise minimum wage
On the morning of June 28, Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill that will raise the state’s minimum wage from $11.00 to $15.00 over the next five years, and raised wages for employees who receive tips from $3.75 to $6.75 over the same time period. The bill also contained several other mandates regarding worker benefits…
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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…