An anti-poverty agency is making a public plea for unwrapped toys for children 12 or under in order to meet a formidable goal: 6,000 toys or donations by Dec. 15. “An awful lot of people are hurting,” said John Drew, president and CEO of Action for Boston Community Development. “People should not have to go through the holidays without a…
NORTH ANDOVER — Resident Russell Norris received thunderous applause from an audience of more than 1,000 people for his unwavering support of Action for Boston Community Development during the organization’s Community Heroes Celebration in November. “It felt great to share with my friends and family the impact we were all making,” he said. “But to share the stories of the…
BPD in the Community: On Friday, November 8, 2019, Officers Nicole Grant and Jeffery Lopes, both assigned to the Boston Police Bureau of Community Engagement, were honored at this year’s ABCD Community Heroes Celebration at the Copley Marriott in the Back Bay. Both officers were humbled and grateful to receive a Community Hero Award for their ongoing efforts to build…
It is with the deepest sadness that I share that Irvienne Goldson passed away suddenly this week. Irvienne joined ABCD in 1992 as manager of education and training and rose to become Deputy Director of our Health Services department. Her rare leadership and unflagging commitment to the Boston community made her not only respected but beloved. With more than 30…
Doc Rivers is coming back to Boston. The current head coach of the Clippers, who signed 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard in the most impressive offseason in the NBA, will return to the city in which he won his lone NBA title as he prepares to win another. Rivers will make the journey back for the annual Hoop Dreams charity event he…
This holiday season is punctuated by unrelenting need – a need sparked by pandemic-induced job loss in neighborhoods already afflicted by poverty, health and economic disparities, and racial inequity. Children, families and seniors in Dorchester and other city neighborhoods can’t wait any longer for the federal government to pass virus relief funding that will keep food on their tables and…
ABCD calls on Congress and the White House to set aside their differences and get the next coronavirus relief bill passed. Since COVID-19 struck, Jamie, a 57-year-old mother from Everett, has worried constantly about keeping her family fed. Then the refrigerator died, and all their food was lost. “You don’t want to tell your child there is no food,” she said. A…
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…
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…
In collaboration with the Boston Public Schools (BPS) and the Gavin Foundation, ABCD has operated the William J. Ostiguy High School for youth ages 14-21 who are in recovery since 2006. According to the National Equity Project, “educational equity means that each [student] receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential.” ABCD concurs. Ostiguy is…