News Briefs

Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund Grows With New Political Director Juan Pablo Jaramillo

The Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund would like to announce the newest member of its team. Juan Pablo Jaramillo will join this week as the organization’s Political Director. He brings extensive experience in Massachusetts politics to the role as well as a deep understanding of the power elections have to impact the future of climate policy and environmental justice at the federal, state, and local levels.

Jaramillo previously served as Field Director for Joe Boncore’s State Senate campaign before joining Senator Boncore’s office as Legislative and Budget Director after the election; Political Coordinator for SEIU, Local 32BJ; and Chief of Staff for the City of Lawrence. He also made a strong run in his own political campaign to succeed former House Speaker Robert DeLeo in the 19th Suffolk District. Juan has also been serving as a Democratic State Committee Member from the 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District, which covers Boston, Cambridge, Revere, and Winthrop, since 2018.

“We’re so excited to have Juan join us,” said ELM Action Fund Executive Director Clare Kelly. “He brings such a wealth of experience and understanding about advocacy and community building. I can’t wait to see the innovative ways he will grow the organization’s influence and build political power for the environmental movement.”

“Working class families need bold policy changes that meet the scale and urgency of the environmental challenges their communities face. ELM has been at the forefront of ensuring those changes take place, that’s why I am humbled to join this extraordinary team and excited to work with ELM to build more power for the environmental movement and working families,” said Jaramillo.

A resident of Revere, Jaramillo has been an active and passionate member of his community, mentoring local youth through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, as a Revere Pop Warner Football Coach, and Program Director for Revere Youth in Action.

In his new role at the ELM Action Fund, Jaramillo will manage all aspects of the organization’s Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee to elect and support environmental champions at every level of government, add capacity to the organization’s legislative advocacy, and oversee the ELM Action Fund’s Green Voter Guide, a website aggregating endorsement data from the state’s leading environmental organizations, allowing voters to quickly and easily see who on their ballot shares their values.

The ELM Action Fund builds political power that meets the scale and urgency of our environmental challenges. Learn more at www.elmaction.org.

El Fondo De Acción De La Liga Ambiental De Massachusetts Crece Con El Nuevo Director Político Juan Jaramillo

El Fondo de Acción de la Liga Medioambiental de Massachusetts, ELM por sus siglas en ingles, anuncia el nuevo miembro de su equipo. Juan Pablo Jaramillo se incorporará esta semana como Director Político de la organización. Aporta una amplia experiencia en la política de Massachusetts, así como un profundo conocimiento del poder que tienen las elecciones para influir en el futuro de la política climática y la justicia ambiental a nivel federal, estatal y local.

Jaramillo trabajó anteriormente como Director de Campo para la campaña de Joe Boncore para el Senado Estatal antes de unirse a la oficina del Senador Boncore como Director Legislativo y de Presupuesto después de las elecciones, Coordinador Político de SEIU, Local 32BJ, Jefe de Personal de la Ciudad de Lawrence. También hizo una fuerte carrera en su propia campaña política para suceder al ex presidente de la Cámara Robert DeLeo en el 19º Distrito de Suffolk, donde quedó de segundo. Juan también ha estado sirviendo como miembro del Comité Estatal Demócrata del 1er Distrito de Suffolk y Middlesex, que cubre Boston, Cambridge, Revere y Winthrop, desde el 2018.

“Estamos muy emocionados de que Juan se una a nosotros”, dijo la directora ejecutiva del Fondo de Acción de ELM, Clare Kelly. “Él trae tal riqueza de experiencia y comprensión sobre la defensa y la construcción de la comunidad. No puedo esperar a ver las formas innovadoras en que hará crecer la influencia de la organización y construirá el poder político para el movimiento ambiental.”

 â€œLas familias de la clase trabajadora necesitan cambios políticos audaces que respondan a la escala y la urgencia de los retos medioambientales que enfrentan sus comunidades. ELM ha estado a la vanguardia para asegurar que esos cambios se produzcan, por eso me siento humilde de unirme a este extraordinario equipo y estoy emocionado de trabajar con ELM para construir más poder para el movimiento ambiental y las familias trabajadoras”, dijo Jaramillo.

Residente de la ciudad de Revere, Jaramillo ha sido un miembro activo y apasionado de su comunidad, siendo mentor de los jóvenes locales a través del programa Big Brothers Big Sisters, como entrenador de fútbol Revere Pop Warner y director del programa Revere Youth in Action.

En su nuevo cargo en el Fondo de Acción ELM, Jaramillo gestionará todos los aspectos del Comité de Acción Política de Gastos Independientes de la organización para elegir y apoyar a los defensores del medio ambiente en todos los niveles del gobierno, añadirá capacidad a la abogacia legislativa de la organización y supervisará la Guía del Votante Verde del Fondo de Acción ELM, un sitio web que agrega datos de respaldo de las principales organizaciones medioambientales del estado, permitiendo a los votantes ver rápida y fácilmente quiénes comparten sus valores en su papeleta electoral.

El Fondo de Acción del ELM construye un poder político que responde a la escala y la urgencia de nuestros retos medioambientales. Más información en www.elmaction.org.

DOJ Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe Neighborhoods

The Department of Justice has awarded $314,273 to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) to administer Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant funds in the District of Massachusetts. Since the program began in 2001, nearly $7 million in federal grant funds have been allocated to the District of Massachusetts’s violent crime reduction efforts.

PSN is a Department of Justice nationwide violent-crime reduction initiative coordinated by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices. PSN brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address those issues. While the initiative was first launched in 2001, the Department strengthened the program in May 2021 by implementing a new strategy focused on reducing violent crime in the places we call home, not solely increasing the number of arrests or prosecutions.

Each U.S. Attorney’s Office across the United States is responsible for creating a comprehensive strategy for reducing violent crime. The District of Massachusetts established an extensive network of law enforcement and community partners who have been fundamental to this strategy’s success in six target cities: Boston, Brockton, Lawrence, New Bedford, Springfield and Worcester.

The distribution of grant funds to target cities across the state has enabled communities and organizations to implement programming focused on after-school activities, education, employment, re-entry for returning citizens, law enforcement/community collaboration, and public service outreach projects, among others.

In Massachusetts, PSN projects include:

• Developing and sustaining community/law enforcement partnerships and strengthening their capabilities in targeted communities across the state by maximizing federal resources;

• Collaborating with state and local law enforcement on violent crime and illegal firearm prosecutions;

• Providing training for nearly 4,500 law enforcement personnel and community members on topics such as advancements in technology, empowering neighborhoods on addressing gang prevention; updates on new innovative community programs and partnerships; and officer safety training;

• Supporting community partners and outreach programs to address reentry barriers for returning citizens and empower youth to resist gang recruitment;

• Formulating tools to measure the performance of projects funded with PSN and other federal grants.

“Shootings and other violent crimes cause devastating injuries and death for victims, of course, but they also destabilize the communities in which they occur. That is why this Office continues to prioritize violent crime reduction efforts through the PSN initiative,” said Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “This funding, in addition to the continued collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, will enable us to develop tailored strategies that target the most violent criminals and make our communities safer.”

PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.

MVES to Offer Virtual Healthy Aging Workshop on Health Eating

Mystic Valley Elder Services will present a FREE Virtual Healthy Aging workshop series called My Life; My Health: Healthy Eating for Successful Living, offered on Mondays, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm from January 24 to March 7, 2022 (no class February 21).  Throughout the series, you’ll learn more about how nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle changes can promote better health. This virtual workshop series focuses on heart- and bone-healthy nutrition strategies to help maintain or improve wellness and prevent chronic disease development or progression in older adults. Healthy Eating uses the USDA’s MyPlate as a framework.

Mystic Valley Elder Services works with our neighbors in Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winthrop.

Learn how to connect virtually thru a Zoom platform and take the classes from the comfort of your home. Class size is limited so reserve your spot today. To register, or if you have any questions about the program, contact Donna Covelle at [email protected] or call 781-388-4867.