Neighborhood of Affordable Housing
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 20th Anniversary Event with Donna Brazile
NOAH will hold its 20th Anniversary Event on Tuesday evening, November 18, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the Taj Boston at 15 Arlington Street. Donna Brazile, CNN's weekly contributor and political commentator on The Situation Room, American Morning and CNN's Election Coverage, will be the featured speaker. Rev. Liz Walker of WBZ-TV 4 is moderating the event. Other distinguished panelists include: Mass. Attorney General Martha Coakley; Paul Grogan, CEO of the Boston Foundation; Rosabeth Moss Kanter of the Harvard Business School; and Peter Meade of Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications. There will also be an awards ceremony honoring Trinity Church in Copley Square, and Bruce Marks, CEO of the Neighborhood Assistance Corp. of America (NACA).
Ms. Brazile will lead a discussion on where the new President should lead the nation, with a special emphasis on the economy, as well as housing and environmental matters. There will be a silent auction, as well. From 5:30 - 6:30 PM there will be a V.I.P. reception, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM there will be a gourmet 'dine-around' reception featuring cuisine by Chef Frank Steigerwald, and at 8:00 PM there will be a Town Hall style discussion to encourage participation, dialogue and action. This event is a fundraiser to support NOAH's various programming. Please contact A.J. Williams at aj@creativeeventsinc.com or (617) 267-2244 for sponsorship or ticket information. Donna Brazile is one of the best known, most influential women in modern American political life. She is Chair of the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute. She is the author of "Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics" and co-author of "What Do We Do Now". She made history as the first African American woman to lead a major presidential campaign (for Al Gore); and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Washington Magazine's 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington D.C.
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| Brenda Cotto-Escalera is New Director of CBE
East Boston
Brenda Cotto-Escalera has come on board as NOAH's new Director of the Community Building and Environment Department. She holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, and received her B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico. She most recently served as the Interim Executive Director for Programs at United for a Fair Economy. Brenda has also worked as the Director of Education at The Theater Offensive; and has taught at Lesley University and at M.I.T. She has directed many plays in the Boston area, including "Immaculate Infection", "Motherlands", and "Hamartia Blues". She uses the arts as an organizing tool in multiple social justice arenas. Brenda lives with her daughter in Cambridge.
Brenda has been spending her first two months at NOAH meeting many wonderful people and groups, both in East Boston and in the regional environmental world. For example, there is a growing organizing movement around the Mystic River Watershed, of which the Chelsea Creek is a tributary. Please introduce yourself to Brenda if you see her on the trail!
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 Vote "NO" on Question 1
Massachusetts
Question 1 on the November 4 ballot asks if taxpayers wish to totally repeal the 5.3% state income tax currently on wages, interest, dividends, and capital gains. If this were voted into law, some 40% of the state budget would be lost. This would have a devastating impact on Mass. non-profit organizations. It would also drive up property taxes and other taxes and fees. It will cut funding across the board for public safety personnel, including police officers, fire fighters, and paramedics; and also cut funding for state infrastructure safety improvements, including repairs to roads and bridges. It will decrease health care and other critical services to lower-income seniors and children, persons with disabilities, and working families. It would severely impact school budgets, resulting in too few teachers, over-populated classrooms, and cuts in sports and other after-school programs. Don't be fooled. Please vote "No" on Question 1!
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 NOAH Cohosting Foreclosure Prevention Workshop
Revere
NOAH is partnering with MassHousing, the FDIC, the State and the City of Revere in order to help regional homeowners potentially facing foreclosure. There is a Homeowner Foreclosure Prevention Workshop on Saturday, October 18, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Revere High School at 101 School Street. The workshop will give homeowners an opportunity to meet face to face with participating servicers including: American Home Mortgage Servicing Company, Bank of America, Countrywide Financial, GMAC Mortgage, Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo and more. There will also be housing and credit counselors to speak with (in both English and Spanish); and educational seminars about how to keep your home. If you or someone you know might have an upcoming increase in a mortgage payment, or might be experiencing a hardship situation, please attend this workshop or contact Carolina Trujillo at ctrujillo@noahcdc.org so that she can give you more information.
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Youth Soccer Program
Boston
NOAH's youth soccer participants celebrated the conclusion of their season at the American Legion Playground with festivities that included a raffle for soccer balls and the presentation of awards. However, for some of the young players, training did not end for the year. A team created from the program will be competing in the Mayor's Cup on October 18 & 19 at Millennium Park in West Roxbury. NOAH's adult soccer program completed its season at the end of September. NOAH wishes to thank all of the youth and adult soccer program participants for great season - and we look forward to seeing you next year!
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 Upcoming October & November Events
East Boston
Bilingual Foreclosure Clinic: Monday evenings, October 20 and 27 and November 3, 10, 17, and 24 at 6:00 PM at NOAH. This is the initial counseling session for foreclosure prevention and mitigation counseling. Attendees should bring all recent mortgage related correspondence and paperwork. For more information, please contact Carlos Cespedes at (617) 418-8260.
First-Time Homebuyer Classes: In English - Two consecutive Saturdays from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM, November 1 and 11. Learn key knowledge and important strategies as to how best to go about purchasing your first home. For more information or to register, please contact Carolina Trujillo at (617) 418-8267.
Halloween Extravaganza at Urban Wild: Friday, October 31, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Halloween costume contest and parade, face painting, 'creepy touch' game, and scavenger hunt. Collaborating with the YMCA, the East Boston Social Center, and Let's Get Movin'. For more information, please contact Diana Baldelomar at (617) 418-8243. Free.
CCAG Meeting: The next Chelsea Creak Action Group meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 12, at NOAH. Please contact Brenda Cotto-Escalera at (617) 418-8241 with any questions about the upcoming meeting.
20th Anniversary Event: Tuesday evening, November 18, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the Taj Boston. Panel discussion with Donna Brazile and moderated by Rev. Liz Walker. For sponsorship or ticket information, please contact A.J. Williams at (617) 267-2244 or aj@creativeeventsinc.com.
Watch for more on the East Boston Social Justice Day on Saturday, December 6, hosted by NOAH and the East Boston Youth Workers Task Force; this event will include a 'Know What's Up' Concert. Free.
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Thank you for your interest in NOAH! You can find out further information about NOAH events at our web site calendar at www.noahcdc.org.
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