Across America, many are applauding the Senate passage on Aug. 12 of a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package as a first step in advancing the largest safety net expansion since the 1960s. That legislation aims to expand health care, fund climate change programs and provide free preschool and community college among other “human infrastructure” initiatives that will increase quality of…
President Biden’s American Rescue Plan contains a tax credit expansion that policymakers say will cut child poverty in half. Just as Social Security and Medicare nearly erased elder poverty, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion has the potential to lift out of poverty more than half of the 13 million children living below the 2021 poverty level of $26,200 for…
As Greater Boston endures tropical weather patterns, from balmy days to torrential downpours, it’s easy to forget that the winter of 2020 – 2021 brought frigid temperatures at a time when many had lost jobs due to the pandemic. Heating bills spiked as families tried to stay healthy and warm. “The economic fallout of the pandemic has been severe for…
After more than a year of isolation and hardship brought on by the pandemic, underserved youth in Boston are developing the skills and confidence to succeed when they’re back in the classroom this fall. ABCD SummerWorks is partnering with more than 100 mission-driven employers to provide youngsters with career readiness workshops, mentoring, and earnings of up to $1,600 from jobs…
Signing bonuses, paid training & development, and a pathway to leadership attract current and future educators As Greater Boston continues to rebuild and reopen after the pandemic brought much of life to a standstill, ABCD is recruiting early education teachers and staff who are looking for a clear path to a fulfilling career. Along with generous signing bonuses for teachers,…
ABCD is all about access: the organization’s community-based network of centers throughout Boston and Mystic Valley ensures that individuals and families experiencing financial strain and in need of vital resources can find the help they need without traveling far. And despite signs of economic recovery in Massachusetts, tens of thousands of disadvantaged people in Greater Boston are behind on their…
At its June 23 meeting, the Board of Directors of Action for Boston Community Development elected Roxbury resident and Vertex Pharmaceuticals PAT Scientist Sean Daughtry to serve as chair for a one-year term. Daughtry joined the ABCD Board in 2013, representing the NAACP Boston Branch, and currently serves as a public sector member representing State Representative Elizabeth A. Malia. He…
At the Waterhouse Restaurant in southwestern New Hampshire, soft shell crabs were on the lunch menu and business was brisk. But General Manager Linda Quintanilha said she can’t fully re-open the restaurant in Peterborough because she can’t find enough staff. … John Drew, chief executive officer of Action for Boston Community Development, a nonprofit that provides services to low-income residents,…
Thank you to Hiawatha Bray for drawing attention to the end, on June 30, of the state’s moratorium on utility shutoffs (“Utility bills come due as moratorium expires,” Business, July 1). There is an array of help available for those in danger of being left in the dark, but many families and seniors will not be aware of these resources or…
ABCD staff and volunteers sprang into action during tax season 2021, providing individuals, families and seniors with low to moderate income with expert assistance filling out and filing their federal and state income tax returns. All eligible participants received the significant Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC). ABCD is part of the Internal Revenue…