NOAH Holds Successful 25th Gala!
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Robert Beal & Jerry Sargent
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NOAH held its 25th anniversary celebration in June, honoring long-term supporter Citizens Bank MA, with President Jerry Sargent accepting the award on behalf of the bank. We are very grateful to Jerry (pictured right) and to Robert Beal (at left in photo) for co-chairing this fun, friendly and successful event, as well as to Mike Lake, NOAH Board Fundraising Chair and event MC. With their assistance, we were able to raise $100,000. Over 150 attendees enjoyed keynote speaker 'Life is Good' co-founder John Jacobs' lively address. We heard moving, first-hand accounts from a few of NOAH's clients and youth program members about the diverse programs NOAH offers. Many thanks to the event sponsors, including: Citizens Bank, Bank of New York Mellon, the Related Beal Company, Dellbrook Construction, Deloitte, MHIC, Alexander Aronson Finning PC, Bartlett Hackett Feinberg PC, Boston Private Bank, Boston Community Capital, DiMella Shaffer Architects, MassHousing, Bank of America - Merrill Lynch, Columbia Pictures, Corcoran Management Company, East Boston Savings Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Narrow Gate Architects LTD & Smolak & Vaughan LLP.
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Important Victory in Ethanol Campaign
NOAH's CBE team and CCAG volunteers worked with allies in Chelsea and Revere to successfully challenge Global Oil's proposal to bring two trains per week, each carrying up to three million gallons of ethanol, to its facility on the Chelsea Creek. In July, the MA Joint Ways and Means Committee passed an amendment to the Mass. budget that could halt this very dangerous plan. As a result of collective Legislative pressure, the company was prompted to withdraw its proposal. However, the bill has yet to be signed into law, and so the campaign continues. Ethanol is a highly flammable liquid that burns at extremely high temperatures and requires specialized equipment and training to extinguish. Dozens of train derailments occur each year in the US; and an accident involving a train transporting oil killed 50 Canadians last month. We are grateful for the leadership of Senators Anthony Petruccelli and Sal DiDomenico who have been steadfast champions on the issue over the last two years, and to the other legislators providing critical support for the ethanol amendment, especially Representative Carlo Basile, Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senator Pat Jehlen, and Representatives Kathi-Anne Reinstein, Eugene O'Flaherty, Denise Provost, Tim Toomey, Marjorie Decker, and Jonathan Hecht. (Pictured at the State House with Governor Deval Patrick are staff from NOAH and the Chelsea Collaborative and CCAG members from Chelsea and East Boston, including NOAH's Kim Foltz, CBE Director, second to the left, and long-time East Boston CCAG volunteer, Leigh Hall, far right.)
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Bilingual Summer Schoolyard & Soccer Programs
Please consider making a generous donation to these much-needed programs! The seven-week O'Donnell Summer Schoolyard activities program has provided an important resource for East Boston families for over 16 years. Five days a week, up to 200 children between the ages of 6 to 11 are offered a wide range of opportunities, including sports, arts and crafts, board games, reading and gardening. The program celebrates varying cultures and languages, encourages healthy lifestyles, and provides balanced meals. The ten-week youth soccer program at the American Legion Field offers over 65 participants ages 6 through 18 skills development and physical activity while teaching good sportsmanship and promoting teamwork. The number of children able to participate at the end of the summer is directly dependent upon the amount of funding we are able to raise. If you are interested in helping disadvantaged, inner-city children, please click here to donate now or call Linda Miller-Foster, NOAH Director of Administration and Fundraising, at 617-418-8246, for more information. On behalf of the children, THANK YOU!
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 NOAH's Homebuyer Services
Our counselors have been working hard to make more Greater Boston homeowners aware of the full range of options under the federal Making Home Affordable Program (MHA), and to assist those who are eligible with the successful completion of the MHA application process, including the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Recently, NOAH staff participated in two major Hispanic East Boston community events - the Colombian Independence Day and Salvadoran/American festivals - distributing information to over 8,000 attendees. In addition, staff has been successfully helping all foreclosure prevention and mitigation clients and first-time home buyer clients. Between January and June this year, NOAH counseled 188 foreclosure prevention clients and educated 185 First Time Homebuyer course participants in how to purchase their first homes. They also initiated a new online homebuyer course with 51 new registrants. For more information, contact counselor Claudia Gongora at 617-418-8261 or click here. (Pictured: counselor Andrea Perez and Dept. Director Diana Franco.)
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Real Estate Update
Construction is well underway at Benfield Farms in Carlisle, a 26-unit project. Toby Kramer, NOAH's Director of Real Estate Development,
(pictured below) attends weekly meetings at the site. She works closely with this small but active suburban community on almost every kind of permit imaginable! Working with DiMella Shaffer's terrific design, Dellbrook Construction is moving along very quickly. We are looking at occupancy beginning this winter. Peabody Properties is accepting applications now; click here for additional project information. (Picture above from NOAH's groundbreaking event at Benfield Farms.)
Toby is also working feverishly to prepare a construction loan closing for NOAH's Sitkowski School project in Webster, just south of Worcester. This historic renovation of an old
 high school will make wayfor 66 senior units and a new community center. In addition, we are working to finance a mixed-income project here in East Boston, acquire another high school renovation in a nearby Gateway City, and acquire a five-acre parcel in another Gateway City north of Boston. Real estate development is a lengthy and expensive endeavor. We are grateful for the support of our partners, public/private funders and predevelopment supporters throughout these challenging pursuits as we seek to build quality affordable and mixed-market housing. |
 A World of Thanks to Our Generous Funders! All of us at NOAH want to say a big 'THANK YOU' to our recent funders, including: Alfred E. Chase Charity Foundation (Bank of America Trustee), Citizens Bank Foundation, the City of Boston, Clipper Ship Foundation, East Boston Foundation, Hyams Foundation, Mass. Division of Banks, NeighborWorks® America (via NFMC Round Seven funding and MHA funding), United Way of Mass. Bay and Merrimack Valley, and TD Bank Charitable Foundation. |
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 Upcoming Events
Chelsea Creek Action Group Meeting
The next CCAG meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 14, at
6 PM at NOAH. Newcomers are welcome! Please call Kim Foltz at 617-418-8241 for more information.
O'Donnell Schoolyard Celebration
Please join us on Thursday, August 22, from 5:30 - 8:00 PM at the schoolyard. The children will be participating in a Talent Show and we will be thanking program donors for helping us to sponsor another successful summer of fun and educational activities for the children.
Bike Friday
Everyone is welcome to participate in a 'Bike Friday' convoy, gathering on Friday, August 30, at 6:45 AM at Central Square in East Boston. We'll be cycling to a large gathering at City Hall Plaza. For more, please check out the BostonBikes.org site.
First-Time Homebuyer Classes
The next Spanish First-Time Homebuyer course will meet on Saturday, September 14, and Saturday, September 21, from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM, at NOAH. The next available English First-Time Homebuyer course will meet on Saturday, October 19, and Saturday, October 26, from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at NOAH. The upcoming English homebuyer course in August is full, and registration has been closed. To receive a City of Boston certificate, attendees must be present at all class sessions. Students learn from industry guest speakers, including home inspectors, as well as from NOAH staff, about how best to purchase a home and about appropriate loan products. The cost for the group course is $35 per individual or $45 per couple (registering together). Also, we now are offering individual online course sessions. For more information or to register, please call Christinne Flores at 617-418-8263.
Loan Modification/Foreclosure Prevention Clinics
Our next bilingual Loan Modification/Foreclosure Prevention clinics will occur on the following Monday evenings: August 12, 19 and 26 and September 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 5:30 to 8 PM at NOAH. These workshops are the initial counseling and education sessions for NOAH's foreclosure prevention and mitigation counseling. These sessions are held in Spanish and in English. All of NOAH's foreclosure prevention education and counseling sessions are free of charge. Workshops are held weekly, except for holiday weeks. For additional information, please contact Christinne Flores at 617-418-8263.
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Make a BIG impact with a SMALL Donation!
Please consider making a secure tax deductible donation to NOAH today. To donate online, click here.
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Thank you for your interest in NOAH!
You can find out further information about NOAH on our web site at www.noahcdc.org.
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