If Gladys Vega comes knocking anytime soon, it just might be to give you a COVID-19 vaccine – like it or not.
Vega, director of La Colaborativa, joined Manny Lopes of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) and City Manager Tom Ambrosino last Thursday to announce a partnership to vaccinate residents of Chelsea at the Broadway headquarters of La Colaborativa.
With La Colaborativa Director Gladys Vega and City Manager Tom Ambrosino in the background, EBNHC Director Manny Lopes (above) announces the rollout of a vaccine
clinic inside La Colaborativa on Broadway. The clinic is a threepronged partnership between the organizations and will be able to ramp up to as many as 500 vaccines a day if demand is there.
A key concern in Chelsea and surrounding communities since last November has been the lifting of the eviction moratorium and how that might affect thousands of residents and their housing situations, but initial statistics through Jan. 1 from the state Housing Court show Chelsea seems to be in a good position so far with a lower number of filed evictions for non-payment of rent.
It’s a piece of good news in what has been a huge worry for elected officials and advocates over the past several months, with many worrying that joblessness as a result of the pandemic could lead to massive numbers of people without homes. So far, that hasn’t come true in the official stats, to the relief of everyone.
The City Council approved a $600,000 grant on Dec. 21 at its last regular meeting of the year that will help establish a regional North Suffolk Resilience and Sustainability Office at Chelsea City Hall. The program provides $600,000 to the City over three years, and would be in collaboration with Winthrop and Revere – overseeing environmental sustainability, climate resiliency and energy policy within the three communities.
The Council voted 8-0 to approve the grant, and to also commit to funding the office beyond the three-year grant. “I hope to hire the first two employees for the office in the spring,” said City Manager Tom Ambrosino. “That will be in conjunction with Revere and Winthrop, but the office will be in Chelsea City Hall.”
The City is busy pushing out $1 million in small business grants to restaurants and small businesses in Chelsea this week, just as the federal government has approved much-needed funding for the state’s $668 million small business assistance program as well.
The City began working on the Small Business Assistance Program last summer at the behest of Councillor Todd Taylor, and a Committee was immediately formed and led by Councillor Judith Garcia to identify funds and priorities for the program. City Manager Tom Ambrosino and the City Planning Department carried out the application process last month, and is now busy getting the money into the hands of COVID-19 affected businesses – both restaurants and general retail businesses.
Councillor Leo Robinson and Council President Roy Avellaneda said they would take the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, and they are encouraging others in Chelsea to do the same so the community is protected.
On Monday, City Manager Tom Ambrosino said he would also take the vaccine and encouraged residents to do so as well. At the Dec. 21 Council meeting, Robinson announced that he would be taking the vaccine and encouraged residents to educate themselves and, hopefully, take it as well. That came amidst some skepticism announced by Councillor Damali Vidot the two weeks ago where she said she needed much more information before she took it, and that she remains skeptical. “I am going to take the shot,” said Robinson.