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Negotiations continue to secure funding for Housing Families and Youth Harbor

Laura Rosi, director of housing and advocacy for Housing Families, Inc. (HFI) of Malden presented the increased need for funding to the legislators at the State House on June 2. Rosi was accompanied by Kelly Irving, case manager, Rhonda Dunn and Clarissa Thomas, recipients of assistance from HFI.  Joining were Sam Margolius, of Youth Harbor, and Cyril Fonrose, who was helped by Youth Harbor. Youth Harbor assists homeless, unaccompanied high school students with housing and individual life skills in order to become self-sufficient.  There has been a request for $2 million put into the budget.  Margolius thanked Senator Lewis for the support.  Youth Harbor has not had public funding before. For the record, there are an estimated 5,000 homeless, unaccompanied high school students in Massachusetts. Fonrose told his story of being left on his own as a teenager.  He was in Malden High School and was referred to Margolilus, the high school representative of Youth Harbor.  Margolius was able to help Fonrose get housing and assisted him with college admissions. The group first met with […]

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‘Elder Lobby Day’ advocates for home care for seniors

“Home Care First” was the chant heard in the halls of the Massachusetts State House as a coalition of advocacy groups stood in solidarity urging state lawmakers to restore funding to services that keep elderly citizens at home. Massachusetts faces an estimated $1.5 billion deficit in the 2016 fiscal year’s budget. Since the budget cannot be officially approved with this deficit, some painful cuts necessitate the balancing of the budget. Advocacy groups for older Americans such as Mass Senior Action Group, AARP Massachusetts, Mystic Valley Elder Services and Mass Home Care made it clear that significant cost savings had already been made by providing home-based care services to elder citizens as opposed to putting them in extremely expensive nursing facilities. Community care programs like home care have reduced nursing facility costs by $853 million in 2015 compared to costs in 2000 – all due to 34 percent reduction in the number of patient days in institutions. There are an estimated 10,000 empty nursing facility beds today because of community alternatives. The per capita use of nursing […]

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Martin Luther King, Jr. luncheon draws crowds year after year

The North Shore Black Women’s Association held its 22nd Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon Saturday, January 17 at Anthony’s in Malden. In the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy, eight community members were honored for accomplishments that embody his ideals, passion and commitment to service. This year’s honorees were: Silvia Banos of Malden Senior Community Center, Reverend Robert L. Gray of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Boston, Reverend Sharyn Halliday of African Methodist Episcopal Church, Karen Colón Hayes of the Office of Mayor Gary Christenson, Mei Hung of the Chinese Culture Connection, Habiba Idrissi of the American Association for Arab Women and Malden Teen Enrichment Center, Gloria Salazar of the Malden Latino Council, and Reverend Dr. Milton L. Thomas, Sr. of New Life Christian Ministries. Neal Anderson, Ward Seven Councilor of Malden, hosted as master of ceremonies leading the crowd in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing (The Black National Anthem)” and “We Shall Overcome.” Full of highlights like the liturgical dance performance by local community members Tara Mukasa and Markita Latimer, and music […]