Year: 2023

2023 EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN: Bianny Suncar

Every year on Women’s History Month, the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement (MOWA) opens nominations to honor the positive impact and leadership of women who make Boston a world-class city. NONPROFIT CHANGE MAKERS Bianny Suncar, Director of the ABCD Mattapan Family Service Center, has been selected by the City of Boston’s Office of Women’s Advancement as one of 50 EXTRAordinary Women in…

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ABCD on the Radio: State-Funded Extra SNAP Payments Come at a Critical Time

The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance recently announced $130 million in temporary state aid will start going out to people who use federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits. As costs across the board continue to rise due to inflation, these three months of extra state payments will be critical for Massachusetts residents struggling to keep up, ABCD President…

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Flat funding for Title X causes scramble for clinics

Some service providers seek outside support amid inflation, growing population Title X, the government-supported family planning service that has helped low-income Americans access reproductive health services since 1970, served 193.5 million people during its first 50 years. But funding for the program has been flat at $286.5 million for nine straight years, including in fiscal 2023, despite a growing population,…

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With Gratitude to Mel King

Mel King spoke truth to power as very few could do.  And he had the vision and the determination to inspire action that made Boston, Massachusetts, and the country better. Deeply connected to the work of ABCD from the early days of his activism in collaboration with our South End Neighborhood Action Council (SNAP), through his years serving as state…

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‘I have to take my time.’ Growing old in Boston without much money is an everyday stress test.

Urban struggles, cost pressures form the backdrop of senior life It’s hard to grow old in the city without much money. The urban landscape, with its cracked sidewalks, patchy transit, and the lurking possibility of violence, is a daily challenge. So is the lingering threat of COVID that hovers in congested buses and crowded waiting rooms. … Cranking up the…

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This Program Connects Boston Teens With Their Community — And Earns Them a Paycheck

ABCD’s WorkSMART program is expanding thanks to a grant from the NBA Foundation Young people in Boston are earning a pay check, all while making a difference in their own community. ABCD’s WorkSMART program is helping to connect under-resourced teens in Boston and Medford to meaningful internship opportunities in the city with local employers and organizations. Now, thanks to a grant…

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Advocating on Beacon Hill

ABCD was gratified by the enthusiastic turnout at our annual Legislative Breakfast at Carrie Nation on March 8 for the first time in three years. Special thanks to our co-hosts, Rep. Paul J. Donato, Second Division Chair, and Rep. David Biele, Boston Delegation Chair. This important event provided an opportunity for dialogue between our elected state representatives and senators and ABCD’s community leaders, board members…

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ARL Joins ABCD for Mobile Food Pop-Up Program

Agency provides groceries and pet food for qualifying families and individuals at no cost (Boston, MA) — The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is expanding its partnership with Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), by participating in two monthly ABCD FOOD POP-UPS to help distribute groceries and pet food for individuals and families in underserved and under-resourced communities in Greater Boston….

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Bridging the Racial Wealth Gap in Boston

ABCD Black History Month celebration features spirited panel discussion  In celebration of Black History Month, ABCD President and CEO Sharon Scott-Chandler was joined by City of Boston Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu, Accordia Partners Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Jill Lacey Griffin and ABCD Director of Workforce Development and Alternative Education Ron Marlow for a…

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An interview with ABCD President Sharon Scott-Chandler

Q. You are leading one of the country’s largest anti-poverty agencies, and you grew up in Mattapan, a neighborhood heavily influenced by the issues of poverty. How has your life there as a young woman informed your work at ABCD? A. Growing up in Mattapan established the foundation for who I am and the work I do. My family struggled to make…

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