Senator DiDomenico and Representatives McGonagle and Ryan helped deliver funding in partnership with congressional offices, colleagues in the state house, municipalities, and non-profits    

SOMERVILLE – On October 12th, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne hosted Senator DiDomenico, Representatives McGonagle and Ryan, along with dozens of elected officials and agency staff to celebrate collective efforts to protect coastal cities along Greater Boston’s Mystic River from sea level rise and extreme coastal storms. Senator DiDomenico worked with Representatives McGonagle and Ryan, along with other state legislators from the Mystic Watershed communities to secure millions of dollars in bonding authority to support the development of these critical coastal resilience projects.

The press conference featured spokespeople from every level of government who were critical to the success of this regional effort:

• Congresswomen Clark and Pressley’s offices,

• Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Department of Conservation and Recreation,

• Senator DiDomenico along with other state legislators from Mystic Watershed communities,

• Mayors, city managers and senior staff from Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Somerville, Cambridge, Medford, and Malden, and

• Non-profit leaders from the Mystic River Watershed Association and GreenRoots.

“Climate change is creating severe and frequent natural disasters across our nation, and I am proud to have worked with my colleagues to secure funding to ensure that communities across our region are preparing for the effects of what that will look like for our area,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “This investment is critical for the well-being of our coastal communities, and it benefits the environment, workforce, our businesses, and residents. The importance of these resilience projects led by the Mystic River Watershed Association and the Resilient Mystic Collaborative is without question and I am heartened to see so many community partners and elected officials coming together to put a plan in place to address these impacts on our cities and towns.”

"I want to thank The Mystic River Watershed Association for bringing us all together to acknowledge the work being done on the Mystic and Island End Rivers, Amelia Earhart Dam, Chelsea Creek, and into Boston Harbor,” said Representative Dan Ryan. Collectively, we have put a stake in the ground on where our climate resiliency efforts in the Mystic River region should head. As we take a few minutes to celebrate the major first steps we have taken on this journey, we also reflect on the awesome amount of work that lies ahead. With our community stakeholders leading the charge, I am confident the Mystic River state delegation and our federal partners in Congress, are quite adept at seeing this necessary vision become a reality!" 

“Among the many victories these projects have achieved, I believe collaboration is chief among them,” said Representative Joseph McGonagle. “For all these offices, community groups and other entities to rally around this cause is truly incredible. I am grateful to my legislative colleagues but especially to Julie Wormser and Patrick Herren of MRWA and Rep. Dan Ryan and Senator DiDomenico who have worked tirelessly to garner funds for these projects. As we see the effects of global warming and extreme weather in other parts of the country, it is absolutely essential that we do what we can to prevent such tragedies and protect our communities. We still have a lot of work to be done but I look forward to moving towards that end goal with this group.”

To date, their collective efforts have raised over $23 million in grants and bonding authority to support three critical coastal resilience projects underway in Somerville, Everett, and Chelsea. The map below shows the extent of saltwater flooding from a projected 2070 “hundred-year” flood, five feet higher than the record flooding in January and March 2018. The teal area is the area that will be protected through a multiyear regional flood resilience effort led by cities and towns in the Resilient Mystic Collaborative.

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BOSTON – Senator DiDomenico recently toured the Wind Technology Testing Center to learn more about the development of wind turbines in Massachusetts. DiDomenico was joined by Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO, Jennifer Daloisio, Museum of Science President, Tim Ritchie, and State Representatives Dan Ryan and Jeff Roy. The tour provided detailed information of how this facility creates wind turbines to best harness clean wind energy and then deliver it to people throughout the state.

“It was fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes view of a blade testing facility that plays such a crucial role in the deployment of next-generation technologies for the wind industry in our state and across the country,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “I am proud to have supported clean energy legislation this year that will bolster cutting edge clean energy technologies, including offshore wind, and help bring down the cost of energy for people in my district and throughout Massachusetts.”

Senator DiDomenico has been a longtime champion of clean energy and reducing our state’s reliance on fossil fuels. During the 2021-2022 legislative session, DiDomenico played a crucial role in adding environmental justice priorities to An Act creating a next-generation roadmap for Massachusetts climate policy (S.9), which was signed into law in March of 2021. As the end of the legislative session neared, he helped lead the charge on passing another ambitious piece of clean energy legislation, An Act driving clean energy and offshore wind (S.2819), which was signed into law in August of this year. These laws will drive down greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the expansion of Massachusetts’ clean energy industry, all while adding jobs and growing the state’s economy.

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BOSTON (September 29th) – In a follow up to the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, Senator DiDomenico joined a panel discussion hosted by The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, with local leaders to discuss the National Strategy announced by President Biden at the conference. The event provided those working to end hunger with a forum to review the key takeaways from the conference and discuss how those recommendations can be implemented here in the Commonwealth to aid the 1 in 3 residents who report experiencing food insecurity in the past year.

DiDomenico was joined by Mass. Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, State Representative Andy Vargas, Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid, client advocate Donnette McManus, Roxbury Community College Interim President Dr. Jackie Jenkins-Scott, RCC’s Director of Project Access Lisa Carter, and GBFB President and CEO Catherine D’Amato.

“As a longtime advocate of expanding access to nutritious foods, I was honored to join The Greater Boston Food Bank’s event and be a part of this important discussion on food access and nutrition insecurity,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “We have made big strides addressing these issues in Massachusetts but there is still a long way to go until hunger is eliminated and nutritious foods are accessible to all. The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health and the federal government’s expanded support are great steps toward addressing food and nutrition insecurity in Massachusetts and across the United States.”

“This was the first White House Conference on hunger to be held since I joined The Greater Boston Food Bank 27 years ago, not to mention the first in 50 years,” said Catherine D’Amato. “After all this time, it was deeply rewarding to see the issue of hunger elevated to the national spotlight. We applaud the Biden Administration and the bipartisan coalition that made the conference possible. We look forward to continuing to engage with others in the hunger, nutrition, and health community around the resulting national hunger strategy in support of our mission, to end hunger here.”

The underpinning theme and goal of the conference was to elevate the voices of individuals with lived food insecurity experience. In valuing the importance of continued engagement with neighbors most directly impacted, Donnette McManus, a client advocate at GBFB’s partner agency Catholic Charities in Brockton, was invited to be one of the leading voices on the panel.

“Food is part of the cycle that fuels everything we do,” said Donnette McManus. “The Greater Boston Food Bank, its partners, and the front-line food pantry workers and volunteers give my family the fuel we need to not only consume nutritious foods, but also the desire to serve so that our legacy will be an example of breaking the chain of food insecurities in our community and beyond.”

The power of collaboration was also a theme during the conversation, and it was repeatedly stated that government cannot do it all – they will need bi-partisan and private partnerships to achieve their goals. 

Senator DiDomenico has been a longtime ally of The Greater Boston Food Bank, successfully working with the organization, along with other community organizations to secure anti-hunger funding. Some of his legislative achievements secured this year include universal free school meals throughout Massachusetts, increased funding for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program, creating a common application to increase access to SNAP benefits, and increased cash assistance for families living in poverty. DiDomenico will continue to work with all these partners to advance legislation until food and nutrition insecurity are eliminated in Massachusetts.

Those in need of food assistance are encouraged to visit GBFB.org/need food, where they can find a list of resources and search for a food program by zip code.

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