Heating assistance, tax assistance, SummerWorks, and GET VAXXED!

January 2022

News & Updates

AS WINTER COLD HITS, ABCD URGES RESIDENTS TO APPLY FOR HEATING ASSISTANCE

As bitter cold grips Massachusetts, ABCD reminds residents that households at or below the federal poverty level can receive as much as $1,650 in fuel assistance, while those with slightly higher incomes receive benefits on a sliding scale.

Due to the huge spike in energy costs and the ongoing economic crisis battering our most vulnerable households, benefits from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) have been increased. Last year the highest fuel assistance benefit was $1,210.

ABCD WINTER FUND IN FULL SWING

Grateful for donations; seeking more to help those in need

Winter can be a crisis for many underserved families. The escalating cost of living along with the bitter cold New England weather weighs heavy on households struggling to meet basic needs of food, shelter, heat, and warm clothing. The ABCD Winter Fund ensures that families can stay safe and warm as the bitter cold hits the region and the holiday season begins.

ABCD is grateful to donors such as RBC Wealth Management and the Boston Strikers for directing their clothing drives to the ABCD community, and we welcome any and all private donations to help those who need warm coats, hats, gloves and boots as well as those facing home heating emergencies.

Your generous gift can save a household from hypothermia, stop a family from turning to dangerous heating substitutes, prevent sickness, and dramatically improve the quality of life. If you’d like to donate to the ABCD Winter Fund, please call 617.348.6559, email give@bostonabcd.org or visit bostonabcd.org/donate.

Russell from the Boston Strikers soccer team delivers clothing to Joane Guzman at the ABCD Roxbury/North Dorchester NOC.

Friends from RBC Wealth Management presented Winter Fund clothing donations to ABCD President/CEO John J. Drew, EVP/COO Sharon Scott-Chandler, and staff.

ABCD OFFERS FREE TAX PREP TO ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS

EITC, Child Tax Credit, all tax relief measures addressed

ABCD urges all residents of Boston and the Mystic Valley region who earned $58,000 or less in 2021 to make an appointment now for no-cost tax preparation.

ABCD’s IRS-certified tax preparers will prepare and submit tax returns, working primarily online but also by drop-off, phone and email, with limited in-person appointments for those lacking needed technology. ABCD preparers make sure to file for all tax relief measures that benefit low and moderate income residents including EITC, Child Tax Credit, Senior Circuit Breaker and more. This ABCD program is part of the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

ABCD URGES YOUTH TO SIGN UP

FOR SUMMERWORKS, EARN $2,100

Seeks more employers to provide range of experiences

ABCD encourages Boston youth ages 14 to 21 to sign up for SummerWorks! You or a young person you know can earn up to $2,100 and gain invaluable career readiness skills, starting in July.

For decades, ABCD’s signature summer jobs program has welcomed young people from under-resourced communities into the world of work by teaching critical skills, providing mentoring, and the opportunity for paid work. Practical skills such as resume writing, workplace etiquette, personal budgeting, and leadership are also part of the SummerWorks experience.

Jobs are offered at nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and community groups so that participants learn to give back to the community. If your organization could benefit from summer employees, contact ABCD Youth Services at 617.348.6548 or summerworksinfo@bostonabcd.org.

To apply for a SummerWorks job, visit summerworks.net today!

YAWKEY FOUNDATION DONATES $40,000 TO YOUTH ACCESS PACK PROJECT

Recognizing that many young people in the community face severe social and economic barriers, the Yawkey Foundation has donated $40,000 to the ABCD Youth Access Pack project.

The grant will fund monthly access packs for 25 participants in ABCD’s Career Explorations and HOPES youth career development programs throughout 2022. While virtually all under-resourced youth confront steep challenges including vanishing pathways to the workforce, unsafe neighborhoods, and extreme poverty, the young people who will benefit from this project also face challenges including being pregnant or parenting, homelessness, exposure to violence, court involvement, and a high incidence of substance abuse and behavioral health issues.

ABCD VIDEO CHAMPIONS VACCINATION AGAINST COVID-19

Frinny Polanco Walters, MD, addresses community concerns, advises on the importance of immunization

ABCD continues to advocate for vaccination against COVID-19 in this new video featuring Frinny Polanco Walters, MD, Attending Physician/Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital. We also thank Cameron Addis, COVID Team Lead/Vaccination Administrator with Cataldo Ambulance Service, our friends at CIC Health, and Shanaé Burch for script consultation and narration. Please watch and share!

ABCD honored to take part in Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast

ABCD was honored to support Boston’s 52nd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast on January 17th. Executive Vice President/COO Sharon Scott-Chandler was among those who offered remarks on this year’s theme, “From Resistance to Representation: Black Women Proving the Dream.” WCVB’s Rhondella Richardson captured the event’s highlights. Watch now.