
First Literacy of Boston awards nearly $40k in grants to boost adult basic education across Massachusetts
On Cape Cod,
'We are excited to expand our impact into new communities and watch these innovative ideas come to life,' said Annie Sferrazza, First Literacy Program Director.
Founded in 1988, First Literacy aims to advance adult basic education statewide through a variety of programs. In addition to annual grants, it offers
The nonprofit funds its operations through foundation grants, individual donations, and special events, according to its website. In April, its biggest fund-raiser, an annual spelling bee, raised $250,000, the Globe
Rita Chandler can be reached at

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Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Boston Globe
‘A family, dysfunctional, but a family.' Fall River fire survivors process the tragedy, as their next steps remain uncertain.
Sitting on a motorized scooter a block away from the living facility where he's currently residing, the double amputee's bright blue eyes shone as he recalled fond memories of the lives lost. Advertisement 'It was a family, dysfunctional, but a family,' Pimentel said. Survivors who made it out of the assisted living facility the night of July 13 are now scattered across the Fall River area and eastern Massachusetts, living in at least 10 living facilities identified so far by the Globe. Most are in and around Fall River, though one resident is staying at a living facility around 60 miles away in South Yarmouth. They are waiting to learn when they will get to retrieve their belongings — and where they will live next. As of this week, all of the displaced residents had been contacted and are in a case management system, Kimberly Smith, the executive director of United Way of Greater Fall River, said before a press conference Tuesday. Advertisement More than 75 percent of Gabriel House residents are enrolled in Medicaid, and chose Gabriel House because it charged less than a typical facility for private-paying patients. However, residents and family members have long complained about living conditions at the House, citing broken elevators, mice, and a lack of fire evacuation plans. The night of the fire, Pimentel said that he didn't see any emergency lights go off. He said there was 'too much smoke in the hallway' for him to leave his room. Quickly, he ripped his second-floor bedroom window 'off the hinges.' A fireman helped carry Pimentel down a ladder. Pimentel remembers watching his prosthetic leg fall off halfway down. Pimentel said he will be at Fall River HealthCare, another assisted living facility, for at least 30 days, but after that, his living accommodations are uncertain. He wants to stay in Fall River because he knows the neighborhood like the back of his hand. When he lived at Gabriel House, he went to the nearby convenience store, and he could visit his wife and his father's graves at the cemeteries. This late in life, he isn't prepared to start over. Officials said when his stay at Fall River HealthCare runs out, one of his options is to transfer to a facility in New Bedford. But he has never lived in New Bedford and doesn't know anyone there, he said. 'I don't know anything about New Bedford,' he said. 'I don't know where the DMV is. I don't know where the bus station is.' He wants to go to the River Falls Senior Living, an assisted living facility that is a fifteen-minute walk from Gabriel House, because of its proximity to his closest friend, Russell Silvia, and all places Pimentel is familiar with. Advertisement He knows Landmark at Fall River is 'expensive' but 'doesn't care,' saying he'd figure out how to make ends meet. 'It's close to everything I need,' he said. Pimentel said he has been leaning on his friend, Silvia, for help. Silvia helped organize the retrieval of his motorized scooter from Gabriel House last week. 'If it wasn't for me putting these sneakers on his feet, he'd still have the ones from the fire on,' Silvia said. In the fire's aftermath, residents are missing items, ranging from sentimental knick-knacks to daily necessities like hearing aids. There has been no official date or time set for residents to pick up their belongings, according to Ann O'Neil-Souza, chief of staff for Mayor Paul Coogan. If people need certain belongings, they should reach out to the mayor's office, she said. Donna Murphy, a former resident of Gabriel House who spent a rare evening away from the facility the night of the fire, has been staying with different family members as her family weighs more permanent options, according to her sister Nancy Jones. Jones said Murphy's granddaughter took a leave from work to care for Murphy, who has dementia and can't be left alone. 'My niece may have to make a decision to either take care of her grandmother, or we're going to have to put her somewhere,' Jones said. The family was never happy with Gabriel House, but it was the only option they could afford. Advertisement Murphy also had to be hospitalized after a panic attack caused by intense survivor's guilt while processing the incident, which injured and killed several of her friends. 'When she finally sat and thought about everything, it just all caught up,' Jones said. 'She was getting herself all worked up, talking about and losing her friends.' Like Murphy, many survivors have been mourning the deaths of the 10 residents, whom they called their friends and loved ones. Since the fire, there have been at least two funerals for the victims. Margaret Duddy, 69, was remembered on Tuesday, and Rui Albernaz, 64, was laid to rest Wednesday. Pimentel's friend Silvia made sure to borrow a van from a friend and drive residents to Albernaz's funeral. That morning, a hushed silence filled the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption ,as the Albernaz family watched Albernaz's casket get blessed. One of the four pallbearers looked up to the ceiling to avoid tears spilling down his face, and Albernaz's sister sobbed silently over the casket. The large Portuguese family, with many of Albernaz's siblings, cousins, and nieces and nephews, sat in the first two rows of the church. About 75 community members sat behind them listening as the priest described Albernaz as a 'man full of joy,' who loved to dance and play scratch tickets and who went by 'Rui, Roy, or Buddy.' At the funeral was Debbie Bigelow, 68, who dated Albernaz for six years. The two met at Gabriel House, and Bigelow 'had my eye on him for a while' before he 'finally came my way.' They'd planned to get married. Time would fly when the two talked, she said. Advertisement 'From the first time I saw him, he was so joyful,' she said. 'He didn't get into fights with other guys.' They played 'action games' together at the facility, like bean bag toss, to improve their mobility, and did arts and crafts. Bigelow said she is doing OK after the fire. Like Pimentel, she is staying at Fall River HealthCare for at least another week, and then, she doesn't know where she will be placed. Bigelow has family members who have been supporting her through the transition. 'I don't know,' Bigelow said about where she is going next. 'I don't know.' Ava Berger can be reached at


Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
The T says an old steel cable caused last week's Blue Line snafu. Was the cable ever inspected?
At some point July 15, in the T's telling, a guy wire supporting fiber-optic cables collapsed. The guy wire and the cables it held ended up on the track. At around 2:30pm, according to the agency, a crowded eastbound train ran over them. The train stopped. What caused the cable to collapse? The MBTA's early assessments point to a familiar culprit responsible for The T said guy wires should last decades, acknowledging that cables installed in more extreme climates (like underwater tunnels) can degrade at a quicker pace. Advertisement When was the specific guy wire that failed last inspected? The T didn't provide a date. 'The guy wire is not typically an item that sees a regular inspection interval. The fiber-optic cables attached to the guy wire would be,' the MBTA wrote to the Globe. '(Inspecting the guy wire itself can be likened to doing a routine check on the electrical wiring inside house walls.)' Advertisement Asked if there were any prior reports of wear, age, or needed replacement for this specific guy wire, the agency shared a link to its Capital Needs Assessment and Inventory — a quadrennial check-up on the condition of the entire MBTA system. The latest report, The agency later added that its 'tunnels and track areas are walked and visually inspected multiple times a week.' 'During these inspections, our crews regularly make infield observations of these assets and report anomalies, such as damaged or degraded equipment like guy wires,' the agency wrote. Fiber-optic cables, they went on, 'are inspected as part of system checks, which happen every several days.' 'During that inspection,' the MBTA wrote, 'any anomalies or issues with fiber-optic cables, such as sagging, would be further investigated and addressed as necessary — this would include the guy wire supports, if necessary.' Will cables be inspected and replaced? While making 'interim repairs' to the downed cable, Eng said last week, MBTA crews found 'other areas of cable that we want to proactively address.' Maintenance workers continued to inspect wires across the Blue Line over 'We have a lot of antiquated cables in our system. We have some cables that are in there for previous uses, but no longer in use,' Eng said. 'But as we start to dig out of the hole in some of our major elements, these other things are top of mind.' The exact timeline and scope of the cable repairs wasn't clear. Advertisement 'This is not a flip of the switch, to be able to just say, 'Tomorrow, everything's running perfectly,'' Eng added. 'What we need to do is continue to invest in our workforce, continue to invest in our infrastructure.' Shouldn't the Blue Line be fixed by now? Delays and service suspensions have bedeviled Blue Line commutes for years. The MBTA On June 16, the day the MBTA expected to put trains back online, signal problems surfaced, The T plans to suspend service between The agency 'Riders deserve a system they can count on — this includes repairs, but also deep investment that makes transit safe, faster, fairer, and more reliable for everyone,' said Caitlin Allen-Connelly, the group's executive director. Jaime Moore-Carrillo can be reached at


Boston Globe
16-07-2025
- Boston Globe
Family, friends remember Gabriel House fire victims as strong elders with a knack for storytelling
Eleanor Willett and her great-great grandson, Jamison, hug at Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility, just hours before a deadly fire struck the facility on Sunday, July 13. Holly Mallowes Eleanor Willett At 86, the oldest victim was known by her doctors as an anomaly — seemingly becoming healthier with age and retaining a sharp memory, Willett's granddaughter told the Globe on Tuesday. 'She was a fighter, her long term memory was on point,' Holly Mallowes of Dartmouth said. Advertisement Willett raised five children, two of whom had already passed away, according to Mallowes. The former longtime Wareham resident also survived two husbands, her granddaughter said. 'Anything she went through, any tragedy, she came back even stronger,' Mallowes, 45, said. In her late 40s, Willett earned a college degree to advance her career at the local health department, Mallowes said. 'She had been too busy raising the kids when she was younger, and she went back to college just for herself,' she said. Just hours before the fire on Sunday, Willett had enjoyed a visit from her 5-year-old great-great grandson, Jamison. 'She had lived such a long time in life, she had a lot of experience,' Mallowes said. Eleanor Willett (far right) stands at a family member's home. Holly Mallowes Willett came from a large, loving family, according to her daughter-in-law, Deborah Dixon. Advertisement 'She was a lovely lady, and that's all. She loved everybody, she was easy going. She'd do anything for anybody,' Dixon said in a brief phone interview. Willett had lived with Dixon and her husband — Willett's son — for about 20 years before moving to Gabriel House a little over a year ago. 'She made friends, and she enjoyed it,' Dixon said, referring to Gabriel House. 'They were good to her.' Richard Rochon 'He was a tough cookie,' Stephanie Johnson said of her uncle, 78, who was a veteran of the Vietnam War. " but he always made you laugh and smile, Her mother, Judy, was Rochon's sister, Johnson said. 'I know my mom is taking it pretty hard,' Johnson said. She and her family appreciated the work of first responders. 'I want to thank all of the firefighters and the ambulances and everybody who did show up to help,' Johnson said. 'It is unfortunate that it happened the way it happened.' Rui Albernaz, 64, one of the victims of the Fall River fire. Alda Albernaz Robert King and Kim Mackin Fall River resident Russell Silvia said he loved chatting with King and Mackin beneath a canopy that was often set up on the Gabriel House property. Silvia, 42, who works at the A&M Driving School, said residents considered him a connection to the outside world, like a 'little light that came by and said hello.' King, a Vietnam War veteran, shared stories of the conflict with an intrigued Silvia. He would would often complain about Advertisement He also said the 78-year-old was good at reading people's emotions and had a knack for using conversation to brighten their moods. 'If you weren't in the right mood, you could have a conversation with the man and get in the right mood,' Silvia said. Mackin, much more quiet, would greet Silvia by saying, 'I was just thinking about you.' The 71-year-old liked to give him gifts, including sweaters and recently, a brand new Boston Bruins cap with a Superman patch she'd attached. 'She was a good-hearted woman, she'd just come and sit and listen to my stories,' Silvia said. Besides King, a few other Gabriel House residents were Vietnam War veterans, Silvia sai. Silvia said King always wanted to raise awareness about the 'If it took nine people for the rest of those people to get saved, God works in mysterious ways,' Silvia said. Rui Albernaz , He was 64, one of five brothers. Their only sister, Alda Albernaz, and brother Robert looked up at the third floor of Gabriel House around 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the corner room where Rui lived for three years. 'It's just depressing looking at his room.' Robert said as he shook his head at the third floor walk up. 'Everybody still can't process all this. It's a lot to take in.' Rui loved to travel, dance, and never missed the chance to get his scratch tickets, the two said. Alda described him as a happy person who loved music. She said he was 'very good with numbers' like Raymond Babbitt in the movie 'Rain Man.' Advertisement 'He loved being around people,' Alda said. 'He was a good person, a very very outgoing person.' Alda worked at the facility about five years ago and said she had 'no complaints.' 'It was just a shock,' she said of hearing about Rui's death. 'I feel like I'm in a nightmare. I feel like it's a nightmare that I haven't woken up from yet.' Claire Thornton can be reached at