Spring 2012 Newsletter

As summer quickly approaches, we ask you to consider making a donation to our O'Donnell Summer Schoolyard Program. This day camp has provided an important resource for East Boston families for over 15 years. Children from the ages of 6 to 12 are awarded a wide range of opportunities, including sports, creative arts, board games, reading, gardening and more. This bilingual program celebrates varying cultures and languages, encourages healthy lifestyles and mindsets, provides balanced meals and models stewardship for public spaces. The number of children able to participate in this program is directly dependent upon the amount of funding we are able to raise. If you are interested in helping children in need, please donate now; thank you!

Ribbon Cutting at Stevens Corner
in North Andover on May 23rd 

Please join us! NOAH is holding a Ribbon Cutting event on Wednesday, May 23rd from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Aaron Gornstein, Undersecretary of DHCD, and other dignitaries will be leading the celebration. Our renovation transformed an abandoned nursing home into vibrant new affordable housing for 42 families. The $10.1 million project would not have been possible without the generous financial support of $1.35 million of Town CPA funds and the dedication of the Town of North Andover local officials, community members and department staff. We are also grateful for the extraordinary funding we received from the Department of Housing and Community Development, Mass Housing Investment Corporation, Mass Housing Partnership, TD Bank, CEDAC, North Shore Home Consortium and Claremont Properties. A light lunch will be served. You can register for this event by clicking here.

A family who has been working with NOAH counselors since Spring 2009 has finally received a permanent modification to their mortgage! After a tremendous number of attempts made by our counselors, the family now saves over $1,700 a month for the first five years, and eventually will save them over $1,400 a month for the life of the loan. Congratulations to this household, and to our counselors for their unrelenting negotiation efforts to push this life-changing modification through. This is but one example of the successes NOAH sees in its foreclosure prevention programming. Since October 2007, we have educated and counseled over 1,700 households via this service line. If you know of anyone who could benefit from free foreclosure avoidance counseling or mortgage modification assistance, send them to one of our 5:30 PM Monday night workshops here at NOAH. 

NOAH held East Boston's first all-Latin 'Dance-a-thon' which raised $6000 to support our community building and environment work. The evening featured dance competitions and a performance by Samba Viva, and dozens of participants won a chance to dance with one of 13 community leaders including the Chelsea Collaborative's Gladys Vega, Zumix's Corey DePina and Madeleine Steczynski and Citizen Bank's Michael Zaldumbide. Thanks to all who participated and supported the event, especially the community leaders, our fabulous fundraisers, and our generous sponsors including La Hacienda, Café Gigu, Sorrentinos, Perlera Real Estate and D'Parma Restaurant.

NOAH Begins ESOL Tutoring

NOAH's Jacqueline Lara recently began tutoring ESOL students one-on-one, giving them opportunities to receive curricula that are specifically tailored to their individual learning needs and that will help them in achieving their workforce goals and raising their incomes. In exchange for the free one-on-one instruction, the students will help support NOAH's community building efforts through volunteering. When asked for her comments on the program, Jackie replied, "I am very excited about this new initiative and about working with my enthusiastic students. I love knowing that I am playing a part in empowering these dedicated people to reach their dreams."

NOAH's Board of Directors recently elected its new officers. Ernani DeAraujo, Esq. was reelected as Board President. Adrian Madaro and Peter Herbst were voted in as Co-Vice Presidents. Michael Zaldumbide and Greg Comeau were elected Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer, respectively. Kathy Burlinson was reelected Board Clerk; and Camilo Hernandez was voted in as Assistant Clerk. Congratulations and many thanks to all of the new officeholders!
 

NOAH Rated 'Exemplary' by NeighborWorks

NOAH had its official organizational rating raised to the highest level NeighborWorks America offers: 'Exemplary'. This was after an in-depth, on-site, review of our organization and its operations, systems and finances performed by the NWA Organizational Health Tracking System staff. We are very pleased to receive this rating; thank you, NeighborWorks!

Don't Miss the 9th Annual River Revel! 

On June 16, NOAH and the Chelsea Creek Action Group will host the 9th Annual River Revel on the Meridian Street Bridge. Join us as we celebrate the culturally rich East Boston and Chelsea communities, and enjoy many environmentally-friendly activities that are now possible due to the tireless work the Chelsea Creek Action Group has put into improving the waterway. Activities will include a 5K road race (along with a 1K children's 'fun run'), canoeing and kayaking, live music, boat tours, food from local vendors and a train-ride to move participants along the length of the bridge. Each year NOAH co-hosts this free celebration as its annual NeighborWorks Week event. Everyone is welcome! To register for the 5k race or the 'fun run', click here.

All of us at NOAH want to say a big 'THANK YOU' to our funders, including Boston Private Bank, Bushrod Campbell and Adah Hall Charity Fund, Church Home Society, City of Boston, Clipper Ship Foundation, Mass. Division of Banks, East Boston Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, Hyams Foundation, HUD, LISC, Memorial Church at Harvard University, NeighborWorks America, NFMC, One United Bank, Sailors Snug Harbor, Sovereign Bank, State Street Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. Many, many thanks to these and to all of our wonderful funders!

NOAH youth and adult leaders organized with activists from East Boston's Chelsea Creek Action Group and other partner organizations to challenge Global Oil's plans to transport nearly two million gallons of ethanol weekly by rail through Boston, Everett and Chelsea, terminating at a facility in Revere on the Chelsea Creek. Ethanol is a highly combustible fuel additive that burns with a nearly smokeless, invisible flame. Because of the high population densities of the surrounding communities, the already-compromised Chelsea Creek environment and a documented history of ethanol-related disasters, the residents argued that the Department of Environmental Protection must consider community and environmental safety in evaluating Global's proposal.

Please Take a Minute to
Like Us on Facebook!

We would very much appreciate it if you would go to our Facebook page through the link below, and hit the "Like" button - thanks!

Upcoming Events