A Legacy of Leadership: Donna Coard Donna Coard knows more about community action work than just about anyone. After moving from New Jersey to Boston in 1964, she signed on to work at the new nonprofit organization, ABCD, whose employees at the time totaled fewer than ten. Operating without the institutional knowledge or resources we have today, Coard and her…
Marian Young, an older homeowner living in Dorchester, first started having trouble with her utilities back in 2010. After accumulating several unpaid heating bills totaling roughly $5,000, Marian’s gas service was shut off. Then, in 2020, the oil furnace providing heat to all three units in her triple-decker failed. Without the money to replace it, she turned to space heaters…
It’s not every day you get to meet Boston Celtics players at their practice facility in Brighton. Or get a special tour of an award-winning artist’s new exhibit at a gallery in Seaport. Last month, students from Ostiguy High School, which ABCD operates in partnership with the Boston Public Schools, did both as part of Ostiguy’s Community Learning program. The…
Seth Fichtelberg first heard about the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program back in 2013 while studying accounting and information systems at Boston College. When one of his professors mentioned that they served as the liaison between BC’s Carroll School of Management and VITA, Fichtelberg decided to lend his skills to helping Massachusetts residents file their taxes. Now, almost…
You might think that with significant advances in clean energy happening every year, these technologies would be easily accessible regardless of class or background. Unfortunately, like so many other things, such access has historically been concentrated in Boston’s more affluent neighborhoods. Now, ABCD’s Climate Equity and Impact (CE&I) department is working to reverse this decades-long trend and bring innovative energy…
“It was the best job I ever had,” raved ABCD WorkSMART student Kalil Nevils during remarks at the program’s year-end celebration. Members of the 2023/2024 WorkSMART cohort celebrated their accomplishments and shared their talents at the ABCD Thelma Burns Building. The event kicked off with a barbecue, a bracelet making activity and fellowship with community members, family and ABCD Youth…
ABCD is committed to equity and inclusion in all its forms and celebrates the legacy of the LGBTQIA+ community in Boston. This year, the month of June, known to many as Pride Month, kicked off less than two weeks after the 20th anniversary of same sex marriage in Massachusetts—a first in the nation. As we marked that important milestone, RAND…
ABCD co-sponsored a Black Father’s Brunch with the Boston Commission on Black Men and Boys and the Mayor’s Office of Black Male Advancement at our Thelma Burns Building. Congratulations to the men who were selected to receive the 2024 Black Father Figure Community Award: Chimel Idiokitas; Noah Jones; Al Holland, Royce Veal; Frederick Johnson; Azell Martin; Stanley O’Brien; and Michael…
Keynote exhortation to graduates – use life’s challenges as a springboard to success Students from ABCD’s University High School (UHS) crossed the graduation stage with diplomas in hand and plans for the future. UHS, in partnership with the Boston Public Schools, is ABCD’s alternative high school for Boston students ages 16 to 22 whose needs aren’t met in traditional settings….
The passing of Joseph S. Slavet this month brought an exemplary life of 104 years to a close, and it is fitting to reflect on his contributions to social and racial justice and economic mobility, especially as we mark the 60th anniversary of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 – President Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” Joe led Action for Boston…