►
From YouTube: AMP Up Press Release 12/16/2022
Description
Mayor Wu is joined by CEO of EMPath Kim Janey and members of the Boston Housing Authority at the Alice Heyward Taylor Apartments to promote the AMP Up Program for low income Boston residents.
A
A
B
Thank
you.
Thank
you.
So
much.
Thank
you.
Can
you
guys
hear
me?
Okay,
wonderful
good
afternoon,
everyone
good
afternoon.
My
name
is
Kim
Janey
I'm,
the
former
mayor
of
Boston
and
the
current
president
and
CEO
of
economic
Mobility,
Pathways
or
empath
for
short,
headquartered
right
here
in
Boston.
Empath
is
a
national
nonprofit
that
dramatically
improves
the
lives
of
people
living
in
poverty
for
nearly
200
years.
B
It's
a
research-backed
coaching
method
for
helping
people
climb
the
economic
ladder
in
our
model.
Families
are
paired
with
a
mentor
who
works
with
them,
one-on-one
to
set
up
and
work
toward
goals
related
to
finance,
family
well-being,
housing
and
more
we've
seen
participants
in
our
Flagship
program
make
remarkable
strides,
reducing
their
debt,
increasing
their
savings,
improving
their
credit
scores
and
doubling
even
tripling
their
incomes,
and
while
we
know
our
model
is
transformative,
we
also
know
the
importance
of
validation
from
those
outside
of
the
empath
Community.
B
To
confirm
what
we've
long
known
our
ampa
program
and
study
in
partnership
with
the
Boston
Housing
Authority
allows
us
to
do
just
that.
Lead
researchers
at
Harvard
University
are
evaluating
the
program.
While
we
provide
life-changing
support
to
BHA
residents
who
are
looking
to
not
only
meet
their
basic
needs,
but
also
achieve
their
biggest
goals
and
to
thrive
as
we've
continued
to
bring
families
into
our
study
over
the
past
year.
We
are
incredibly
encouraged
by
the
progress
that
program
participants,
including
the
people
who
live
right
here
in
Alice,
Taylor
are
making
and
achieving
their
goals.
B
So
far,
nearly
50
percent
of
current
program
participants
have
achieved
at
least
one
of
their
goals
that
they've
set
for
themselves
with
support
of
an
empath
mentor.
Some
program
participants
have
reached
Milestones
such
as
securing
a
good
paying
job
or
completing
an
educational
or
training
activity,
and
others
are
pursuing
home
ownership.
B
And
later
today
we
will
hear
from
an
incredible
participant
in
our
amp
up
study
program,
who
will
share
a
little
bit
about
her
own
story
and
that's
Andrea
white.
So
I'm
really
excited
to
hear
from
her
now.
One
of
the
reasons
that
our
model
is
so
effective
is
that
it
recognizes
that
people
are
the
experts
in
their
own
lives.
B
Our
program
participants
know
what
is
best
for
them
and
their
families,
but
life
is
tough
and
we
all
need
support
our
mentors
help
participants,
identify
and
set
goals,
strategize
on
how
to
achieve
those
goals
and
Tackle
any
roadblocks
that
will
come
up
and
they
surely
do
as
a
result
of
this
partnership.
We
see
participants
achieve
amazing
things.
B
Many
thanks
to
the
members
of
my
empath
team
for
leading
this
work
and
a
very
special
thank
you
to
Mayor
Wu,
for
not
just
being
here
with
us
today
to
recognize
this
program,
but
for
all
that
you
do
to
ensure
that
Boston
families
have
the
resources
that
they
need
to
thrive.
We
deeply
appreciate
your
support.
I
also
want
to
thank
Kate
Bennett
and
her
team
at
the
Boston
Housing
Authority.
They
have
been
an
incredible
partner.
We
couldn't
do
this
without
you.
B
Thank
you
so
much
xandria
Wright
white,
the
amp
up
participant
who
will
share
her
story.
Where
is
she
here?
She
is.
She
is
amazing
and
I
just
can't
wait
to
hear
her
story.
Thank
you
so
much
for
being
here
and
thank
you
to
your
beautiful
granddaughter
to
all
of
the
participants
from
ampa
those
who
are
here
with
us
today,
those
who
are
busy
working
on
their
goals.
Thank
you
for
all
of
the
hard
work
that
you
were
doing
to
achieve
your
goals
and
I
just
encourage
you
to
keep
striving.
B
And
last
but
not
least,
we
want
to
thank
the
Alice
Taylor
Community,
the
staff,
the
tenant
task
force,
Miss
Bennett,
everyone
who
helped
us
get
to
this
point
today
and
now,
just
a
little
bit
about
the
order
of
the
program
we
will
hear
from
mayor
Wu
next
she'll
be
followed
by
Kate
Bennett
and
then
we're
going
to
save
the
best
for
last
and
hear
from
zandria,
so
without
further
Ado
I
want
to
invite
my
successor,
my
sister
in
service,
my
friend,
my
mayor,
Madam,
mayor
Michelle
Wu.
Thank
you.
C
Thank
you
so
much
Madam
mayor.
It
is
always
such
a
treat
whenever
I
get
to
spend
some
time
basking
in
in
all
of
the
energy
and
passion
that
this
mayor
has
for
this
incredible
City
and
the
many
communities
that
we
have
both
had
a
chance
to
to
be
privileged
and
and
humbled
to
serve.
It's
always
a
good
day
when
I
get
to
see
Miss,
Matilda
and
Rod
and
the
Alice
Taylor
community,
and
to
get
to
have
all
of
it
at
the
same
time,
plus
Kate,
Bennett
and
Andrea.
C
I
am
reminded
every
day
about
the
Legacy
that
I
am
striving
to
build
on
sitting
in
a
seat
that
had
been
defined
first
and
foremost
by
our
first
ever
woman
of
color
black
mayor,
someone
whose
roots
go
deep
in
this
community
and
whose
Vision
extends
far
beyond
our
time
and
every
every
day
when
I
get
into
the
office.
I
see
the
print
that
mayor
Janie
left
for
me
first,
but
not
the
last
and
I
take
that
very
seriously
and
personally
myself
as
an
obligation
and
responsibility
that
we
all
share.
C
It
is
no
surprise
that
she
has
ended
up
in
charge
at
empath
where
that
mission
is
a
200
year
old
Legacy
of
how
we
continue
to
do
better
by
supporting
not
telling
not
pushing
but
listening
and
following
the
lead
of
our
residents
and
our
families,
and
so
I
couldn't
be
more
honored
to
partner
with
the
ampup
program.
Under
your
leadership,
we
know
that
everything
in
today's
market
and
the
challenges
that
our
families
are
facing,
everything
has
to
go
just
right
to
buy
a
home
to
get
on
that
pathway.
C
We
all
benefit
when
our
families
and
our
community
members
have
what
they
need.
We
all
benefit
when
our
young
people
get
to
step
into
positions
of
leadership
and
power,
because
they've
been
invested
in
to
what
they
deserve,
because
they're
going
to
turn
right
around
and
be
in
these
seats
very
shortly,
and
so
we
are.
We
are
talking
about
our
own
future
here
and
our
shared
Collective
Prosperity,
so
I'm
so
grateful
for
that
kind
of
approach
through
Partners,
like
empath.
C
We
are
trying
to
do
our
part
at
the
city
and
with
Kate's
leadership
at
the
Boston
Housing
Authority.
Just
last
month,
we
announced
our
own
program
to
make
the
path
to
home
ownership
a
little
shorter
and
hopefully,
a
little
smoother
for
for
many
families.
The
program
that
Kate
has
launched
first
home
enables
eligible
BHA
residents
to
receive
up
to
75
000
in
down
payment
assistance
when
buying
in
Boston.
C
That
is
the
goal
and-
and
we
look
forward
to
seeing
that
fully
fully
launched
with
the
inspiring
residents
here.
If
anyone
is
interested
in
learning
more
about
this
program,
I
figured
I
would
anytime
I
have
a
platform
and
try
to
spread
the
word.
You
can
find
more
information
at
bostonhousing.org,
first
home,
all
one
word:
no
spaces.
Boston
is
a
city
where
people
want
to
be,
and
our
programs
are
really
like,
amp
up,
first
home
and
everything
else
that
we
are
working
on
collectively.
C
These
are
key
parts
of
our
strategy,
so
that
Boston
will
also
be
a
place
where
people
can
be
can
afford
to
live
and
Thrive
here.
This
brings
us
closer
to
our
goals
of
closing
the
racial
wealth,
Gap
and
providing
the
tools
and
resources
for
all
of
us
to
build
prosperity
in
our
communities,
and
so
especially
I
want
to
thank
mayor
Janie
for
continuing
her
Legacy
of
service
to
this
city
and
continuing
to
push
the
envelope
for
what
we
could
be
envisioning
and
making
happen
in
Boston.
C
D
D
You
know,
public
housing
is
a
major
stabilizing
Force
for
families,
but
they
need
to
be
able
to
thrive
and
not
just
survive
and
I
feel
like
the
empath
program
is
really
bringing
those
supports
and
those
opportunities,
and
we
know
from
experience
that
this
model
works.
One
of
the
things
I
really
appreciate
about
the
empath
model.
Is
it
really
meets
our
families
where
they're
at
it's
very
holistic?
D
And
so
it
really
addresses
barriers
that
people
are
facing
that
get
in
the
way
of
them
reaching
their
goals,
whether
it's
a
past
trauma
or
the
need
for
more
education
or
more
job
training
or
mental
health
counseling.
You
know,
there's
just
the
the
complexities
that
people
are
dealing
with
in
their
life
really
need
to
be
dealt
with
in
order
for
people
to
to
to
get
on
that
path
of
economic
mobility
and
the
empath
program
really
meets
people.
You
know
where
they're
at
and
and
I
just
love
that
about
it.
D
We
really
want
to
re-center
public
housing
as
a
place
for
economic
Mobility
right.
That's,
that's
really
what
public
housing
was
was
intended
to
do
all
along
and
we
want
to.
You
know
we're
trying
to
sort
of
really
bring
that
back
and-
and
you
know,
we
believe
that,
with
the
right
social
supports
and
the
right
economic
opportunities,
this
can
really
be
a
long,
a
launching
pad
for
families
and
that's
why
we're
in
this
very
deep
partnership,
we've
had
great
success,
recruiting
BHA
families.
We
want
to
get
the
word
out.
D
D
You
know
who's
really
kind
of
advanced
this
whole
initiative
on
our
end,
and
you
know
again
thank
you
to
Mayor
Wu,
CEO
Cheney,
the
incredible
team
at
empath,
Ruthie
and
everybody,
and
also
our
partners
at
Harvard
and
Jay
pal.
That
are,
you
know,
making
this
program
happen.
So
thank
you
so
much
and
I
want
to
I'm
especially
excited
to
introduce
Andrea
white
who's,
a
participant
in
the
program
who's
going
to
talk
about
what
it's
been
like
for
her.
Thank
you.
E
E
Kim
Janey
appreciate
it
hello,
everyone,
my
name
is
Andrea
white
and
I
am
currently
a
participant
of
amp
up
Boston
I'm
here
to
share
with
you.
The
incredible
impact
empath
program
has
had
on
my
life.
First
of
all,
I'm
a
single
mother
of
four
grown
children
and
I
also
have
four
great
grandchildren.
I
was
born
and
raised
in
Boston.
My
kids
were
too
I.
Have
a
lot
of
history
right
here
in
this
community.
I
grew
up
here
as
a
child
before
it
transformed
into
Alice
Taylor
Apartments.
E
Could
you
believe,
50
years
ago,
I
was
a
five-year-old
running
around
these
grounds
in
Mission,
Health
I,
remember
many
fun
times
playing
in
the
gym.
Just
around
the
corner.
From
here
now
known
as
The
Talk
Thomas
Johnson
Community
Center,
could
you
believe
I
knew
Mr,
Johnson
I
knew
him
well,
he
used
to
yell
at
me
all
the.
C
E
E
E
E
I
am
currently
living
in
Section
8
housing
in
Dorchester
I
learned
about
the
amped
up
Boston
program
through
another
program
I'm
in
called
The
Compass
Family
self-sufficiency
program,
I
joined
one
of
the
information
sessions
and
there
I
knew
I
was
eligible,
so
I
applied
when
I
was
selected
for
the
ampath
program.
I
was
paired
up
with
the
mentor
Jonah,
who
I
will
be
meeting,
who
I
met
with
monthly
and
sometimes
more
I.
Remember
our
very
first
conversations
when
we
started
talking
about
what
goals
I
have
for
myself.
E
E
E
As
a
result,
I
came
to
trust
him
and
we
were
able
to
build
a
relationship
after
we
got
through
that
first
roadblock
I
was
able
to
open
up
and
begin
working
on
things
I
needed
to
work
on.
We
took
baby
steps
and
our
conversations
about
goals
talking
through
jobs
and
education
and
what
I
wanted
to
work
towards.
E
If
there
was
a
direction,
I
didn't
want
to
go
I,
let
him
know-
and
he
listened
he
reminded
me
zandria.
You
are
in
the
driver's
seat,
I'm
the
passenger
and
I'm
here
to
support
you.
He
trusted
I
knew
what
was
best
for
me
and
my
family
as
I
progressed
through
the
program.
My
confidence
began.
Building
my
mentor
helped
me
build
a
strong
Foundation
towards
achieving
my
goals.
First,
helping
me
set
up
my
own
budget
system.
This
has
helped
me
to
make
incredible
strides
towards
my
future,
my
goal
of
being
debt
free.
E
He
also
gave
me
the
tools
and
guidance
to
break
things
down
into
small
steps.
So
things
are
not
so
daunting.
He
helped
guide
me
in
job
search
and
building
my
resume
and
talking
through
my
work,
history
and
experience.
He
reminded
me
about
my
value
in
the
past.
When
I
wasn't
getting
hired,
it
was
easy
to
be
frustrated,
but
he
helped
me
to
stick
with
it.
I
eventually
got
back
into
teaching
a
career.
E
I
had
already
done
for
many
years,
but
left
it
because
I
haven't
found
the
right
job
for
me
and
because
of
my
persistence,
my
current
position.
I'm
with
today
is
an
organization,
a
great
organization
that
found
me
now:
I
have
a
better
paying
job
and
I
work
in
a
positive
environment
in
which
I
truly
love,
I'll
eventually
earn
a
pension.
E
E
What
has
also
been
valuable
is
that
my
mentor
encouraged
me
to
not
only
think
about
my
Financial
Health,
but
to
make
sure
I
don't
forget
about
my
mental
health,
my
spiritual
health
and
my
physical
health.
This
has
helped
contribute
to
My
overall
well-being.
The
whole
zandria
before
joining
amped
up
I,
often
thought
to
myself.
I
can
just
stay
put
right
where
I'm
at
it's
easy
here.
E
What
I
want,
isn't
doable
and
I'm,
not
even
worthy
of
that
it
took
me
a
long
time.
I
finally
reached
the
point
where
I
am
able
to
say
girl.
You
got
this
and
I'm
so
glad
I
did
I
would
not
have
been
able
to
make
the
progress.
I
did
without
amped
up
Boston
program
and
my
mentor
Jonah.
Thank
you.
Jonah.
E
And
he
couldn't
be
more
handsome
foreign
I
want
to
encourage
people
who
are
just
like
me
sitting
there
wanting
things,
but
having
a
hard
time
trusting,
even
though
I
had
the
tools
right
in
front
of
me,
ampath
has
helped
me
build
that
trust.
Help
me
figure
out
how
to
best
use
those
tools.
I
already
had
and
supported
me
as
I
move
forward.
Remember
you
are
not
your
past.
Thank
you.
B
D
B
B
You
know
we,
the
folks,
have
to
be
low
income
and
and
live
in
in
housing
like
BHA
housing.
They
have
to
be
able
and
willing
to
work
fall
between
18
and
is
it
60
59,
55
years
old,
and
if
you're
eligible,
we
encourage
folks
to
learn
more.
They
can
go
to
ampup
boston.org.
They
can
go
to
empathways.org
to
find
out
more
about
the
program.
It's
a
very,
very
powerful
program.
D
B
You
know,
I
think
what
is
important
for
everyone
here
to
really
realize
are
some
of
the
key
points
that
zandria
highlighted
in
her
remarks
and
that
she
is
in
the
driver's
seat.
We
are
not
here
to
tell
families
what
to
do
or
what
they
should
aspire
to,
and
so
it's
really
about
helping
to
guide
and
facilitate
that
process
and
really
Center
the
families
that
we
are
working
with
here
in
Boston.
So
it's
really
important
that
we
meet
people
where
they
are
that
we
build
those
relationships.
B
You
heard
about
the
amazing
trusting
relationship
that
zandrea
has
with
Jonah
her
Mentor.
That
is
the
key
to
our
work,
really
kind
of
centering
in
on
that
Mentor,
our
relationship
with
the
folks
in
our
program
and
making
sure
that
they
understand
that
they
are
the
drivers
and
we
want
to
support
their
goals,
and
so
that's
key
in
all
of
our
programs.
We
meet
people
where
they
are.
We
Center
the
folks
and
we
help
them
achieve
their
biggest
and
Wildest
Dreams,
because
that's
what
we
all
deserve.
B
You
heard
zandria
talk
about
feeling
not
even
worthy
to
Aspire
or
not
being
able
to
think
of
a
goal,
so
big
like
homeownership,
because
you
just
don't
see
it,
and
so
it's
really
important
that
we
help
folks
understand
that
they
can
achieve
whatever
it
is
that
they
want
to
achieve,
and
when
you
break
down
a
big
problem
into
smaller
steps,
it's
easier
to
get
there.
You
know
many
of
the
folks
that
we're
working
with
live
in
deep
poverty.