Dance the Aadvo- cats 2 Step for the Homeless on Black Friday
You remember Tommy Finneran? He was forever complaining about the “aadvo-cats two step” that started off by lobbying to create new public programs that helped our poor elderly and disabled “clients” get health care, affordable safe housing, job training and placement, nutritious food and warm clothing for their families, and then — and THEN — taking...
New Coalition: We Need Quality Schools in Every Boston Neighborhood
All parents can agree that they want their children to attend quality schools. But while there is strong sentiment by some for neighborhood schools, many neighborhoods do not have access to quality schools. Parents and community leaders have asked for Boston education officials to focus on improving quality. Will Boston finally respond to parents’ demands...
Speak Up to Protect Children Experiencing Homelessness: Participate in Public Hearings in Springfield and Boston!
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has adopted “emergency” regulations barring most homeless families with children from emergency shelter unless they first sleep in a place “not meant for human habitation.” Families are being left with no safe place to stay as a result of this restrictive policy. AcrossMassachusetts, families are sleeping in...
Organizing for Change – Reorganizing Your Internal Resources
I bet you can think of 10 MORE reasons why your organization might not want to spend the time and energy to reorganize you existing resources in order plan and implement a campaign to promote positive policy change in your town, in your county or in your state. I can hear the groans from here–...
The Remarkable Redistricting Coalition of Color Works Hard and Wins!!
Here they are, led at this event by the remarkable Cheryl Crawford of Mass Vote Back in June , they sent this memo ““Stop the Packing and Cracking in Boston” From: The Redistricting Coalition of Color: Chinese Progressive Association, MassVOTE, NAACP, Oiste? and Project Hip-‐Hop Chairmen and Members of the Redistricting Committee: There is no ...
Renee Loth on the Value of Public Sector Jobs
In an excerpt from her excellent op-ed in the Sept 1 Globe Renee Loth reported If public employment had held steady during the recovery period, according to some estimates, today’s unemployment rate would be 7.8 percent instead of the current 8.3. Why is a tennis pro at a private club any more useful to the...
Summer Leadership Program at Catholic Charities St Peter’s Teen Center
These great kids not only made it to an 8:30 am Leadership Program at Catholic Charities St Peter’s Teen Center in Dorchester every morning, but they stayed the whole 6 weeks and paid attention! They were representing other Counselors in Training and Peer Leaders from the St Peter’s Teen Center who had participated in two...
DeLeo said “They are tough, they are knowledgeable, and they are respectful. They’re great.”
Adrian Walker in the Globe: Saturday July 21 “Bob DeLeo has served in the Legislature for a long time, and he isn’t easily impressed by a group of lobbyists. But the House speaker grows rapturous when he talks about a group of teenagers from Lowell who have stalked him and his House members all summer,...
Vetoes — More News
State House News Tuesday the 17th of July The House on Tuesday plans to take a vote to fully restore a $20 million salary reserve for human service providers that Gov. Deval Patrick cut in half with a veto when he signed the fiscal 2013 budget. Human service providers pressing for an override say low-paid workers have...
Mass Leadership Academy & One Mass Go Up and Down at the Same Time!
Announcement — The Public Policy Institute and it’s two projects,ONE Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Policy and Leadership Academy have moved out of our incubator at 30 Winter St where we have happily shared space with Health Care for All and Community Catalyst for many years. Lew Finfer’s MCAN will stay right where it is. As of July 1 , PPI,...
New Videos from Freedom House + past Highlights
Parents on the March: Organizing for Quality Education in Boston Public Schools, June 2012 Gail Snowden, from Freedom House, hosted the recent session on organizing for quality education in Boston and introduces two of Boston’s greatest education advocates and organizers Rep. Byron Rushing and Sarah-Ann Shaw. Myriam Ortiz from...
The most fun message training ever.
What kind of story do you tell? So far, the most “fun” on-site coaching event is a very lively, interactive message development session which helps volunteer activists and professional advocates learn how to turn a Chicken Little story that people ignore, into a Little Train that Could story, that makes people want to get on the train and...
