Mayor Michelle Wu, Boston’s Age Strong Commission, the Biogen Foundation, the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts or ULEM (Boston, MA), and Lyft announced the expansion of Healthy Rides, a free transportation initiative for Boston’s older residents. Supported by a collaborative investment of $150,000, the expanded program builds on the success of the pilot to tackle social isolation, expand medical access, and improve the quality of life for older adults. Following the pilot’s success, the Biogen Foundation joined as a funding partner, contributing $50,000 toward program expansion. The City of Boston and Lyft each matched Biogen’s contribution, bringing the total investment to $150,000.

The Shenango Valley Urban League or SVUL (Farrell, PA) has received a $25,000 grant to provide free swim lessons to underserved youth in Mercer County.

The grant funds come from the Buhl Regional Health Foundation and are intended to address historic and generational inequities.

SVUL CEO Dr. Erin Houston is quoted in a press release saying that the funding will cover at least 50 youth to participate in one of six six-week sessions held at the Buhl Club.

The swim lessons will be provided to students in grades K-12. While this initiative focuses on African American youth, children of any race in Mercer County will be accepted.

“Statistically, 64% of African American children cannot swim, according to national surveys, and this is one way to address that issue,” Houston said.

Registration is full for the summer sessions, but registration is open for one of two fall and spring sessions and one winter session.

For nearly a century, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (Seattle, WA) has stood as one of the region’s most enduring champions for Black families, evolving alongside the community it serves while expanding access to education, employment, housing and economic opportunity.

Now, as the organization celebrates its 95th anniversary, readers of The Seattle Medium have named the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle the winner of the Best Nonprofit Organization (Large and Mid-Sized) category in the inaugural Best of the Best Northwest Readers’ Choice Awards, recognizing an institution whose legacy continues to grow.

Written By:

Hashley Heariveaux | Affiliate Services Summer Advisor

For generations, civil rights advocates have fought to ensure that opportunity is not determined by race, income, or zip code. Today, that fight has entered a new arena. Access to reliable internet service and digital skills has become just as essential as access to quality education, stable employment, and affordable healthcare. Yet millions of Americans remain disconnected from the tools that increasingly determine who succeeds and who falls behind. The digital divide is not simply a technology issue. It is a poverty issue, a diversity issue, and a democracy issue.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
 

“The economic struggles of typical U.S. families deserve serious solutions, not political buzzwords. Unfortunately, the policies the Trump administration has undertaken are making Americans’ economic struggles harder, not easier.”   – Economic Policy Institute Chief Economist Josh Bivens

The current affordability crisis has not come about by accident. It is the predictable result of political choices that have made life easier for those at the top while leaving working families struggling to keep up with the rising costs of housing, healthcare, education, child care, groceries, and transportation.

The solution requires a different set of choices that put working people first.

#RECLAIMYOURVOTE with the National Urban League's Take Action app

Now’s the time to make a plan to #ReclaimYourVote.  Use your voice today to galvanize your tribe and community with the resources they need to navigate the voting process and ensure their voices are heard.

Download our NUL: TAKE ACTION app today and take steps towards reclaiming your vote!  

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