Businesses pay to play at Fenway, build team spirit On June 16th, a perfect summer day, physicians, client relations managers, and IT consultants became shortstops, left fielders, and catchers at the iconic annual ABCD fundraiser Field of Dreams. Thanks to the generosity of their companies and, of course, the Boston Red Sox, ABCD Field of Dreams raised an astounding $150,000…
ABCD leads initiative to aid and empower those hardest hit by pandemic When Governor Baker declared a state of emergency in March 2020 due to the surging COVID-19 pandemic, ABCD was on the frontlines ramping up programs and services. But we quickly saw that, despite the broad spectrum of programs and services we offer, we could reach more people in…
Multi-year grant to help fund student-centered wellness and enrichment activities ABCD’s William J. Ostiguy Recovery High School has received a $324,000 multi year grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services to expand comprehensive year-round, after-school and out-of-school, services and supports for youths with substance use disorder. Recovery high schools in Beverly and Springfield also…
In April, a group of donors saw the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic and immediately made gifts to ABCD in support of relief efforts. Throughout May seven more institutional funders and numerous individuals have given $435,000 collectively. Through contributions of all sizes, ABCD’s individual donors have raised more than $5,000 to support COVID-19 relief, emergency food needs, and housing supports….
With the closure of schools and early learning centers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ABCD is using distance learning to support the continued progress of youth and children in its programs. ABCD’s two high schools, William J. Ostiguy High School and University High School, transitioned nearly overnight to distance learning after the schools closed their buildings on March 17th. The…
Students at ABCD’s two alternative high schools, Ostiguy High and University High, come from an array of backgrounds, but they all share one trait in common: a desire to get their lives back on track and to enter adulthood with all of the tools they need to succeed. ABCD is proud to be there for these students as they work…
ABCD has recently been notified of a generous grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to expand the capacity of its English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. The new DESE grant supports a 33% increase in capacity through the addition of five classes, enabling 72 additional students to enroll in classes. ABCD currently offers…
Ten years ago, the man who led ABCD for 41 of his 45 years with the organization passed away. Robert M. Coard, renowned as a builder of social institutions, was a catalyst in the national community action movement launched with the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Robert Coard “had ideas that the city could be better, that…
On Friday, November 8th, ABCD held its annual Community Heroes Celebration (CHC) at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Over a thousand people from all sectors, including business, government and not for profit, and people from different communities gathered in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom for a night of celebration and comradery. Emceed by WCVB’s Karen Holmes Ward, the CHC highlighted the…
This summer’s Youth Engaged in Action (YEA!) graduation was part celebration and part conference as groups from each Boston, Malden, Medford and Everett neighborhood shared their “Photo Voice” projects. YEA! is all about direct experience, and these 13-year-olds conducted field research not only to identify critical issues affecting their communities but to recommend solutions. The 2019 YEA! class of 100…