At Issue & In Focus

White Ribbon Day 2011

On March 3, 2011, men around the world will participate in the fourth anniversary of White Ribbon Day, a day where men and boys can take part in the solution to ending violence against women.  White Ribbon Day is an opportunity to change societal attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate violence against women.  The event promotes safety and respect in all relationships and situations and helps to build a network of resounding voices that will support and advance the initiatives and efforts of Jane Doe Inc. and its member organizations.

The White Ribbon Day Massachusetts 2011 rally, hosted by the Men’s Initiative for Jane Doe Inc., will take place on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the State House, This year’s campaign is co-chaired by Congressman Bill Delahunt and Michael Weekes, President/CEO of the Providers’ Council. The centerpiece of the campaign will be local White Ribbon Day Proclamation events held throughout the Commonweath from March 4th to 11th.

The Attorney General’s Office is dedicated to protecting victims of violent crimes in the Commonwealth. The office provides referrals and services to domestic violence victims through their Victims Witness Advocacy and Compensation Divisions. In 2010, the Victim Compensation Division provided a total of $742,144.44 to 317 victims of domestic violence and their families. Please visit our website to learn more about the resources and tools we can provide victims.

Legal Food Frenzy 2011

Help Fight Hunger in Massachusetts!

Law firms, law schools and legal organizations are encouraged to sign up now to participate in Massachusetts’ second annual “Legal Food Frenzy” sponsored by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in partnership with the legal community.

The Legal Food Frenzy is a benevolent competition within the legal community to raise funds and collect food to benefit food banks and their member agencies, food pantries and shelters during the spring, a traditionally slow time for donations. In these tough financial times, the role of food banks and hunger relief agencies have become even more crucial as more and more Massachusetts residents are seeking help to put food on the table.

Last year’s first annual Legal Food Frenzy was piloted in the Greater Boston area and benefitted the Greater Boston Food Bank. Over 46 law firms, law schools and legal associations participated in the competition in 2010 and collectively raised the equivalent of, in food and funds, 350,000 pounds of food, providing an additional 180,000 meals for hungry families in eastern Massachusetts. 

In 2011, the Legal Food Frenzy will be expanded to benefit all four Massachusetts Food Banks and donations will serve the entire Commonwealth. The competition will be held from March 28, 2011 – April 8, 2011. Learn more.

Brownfields Covenants

Recently, the Attorney General’s Office entered into a Brownfields Covenant Not to Sue Agreement with the Town of Acton.  This agreement protects the Town of Acton from certain liability as it cleans up historic contamination found on a 10-acre farm, in order to preserve it for agricultural use and to develop publicly-available open space. 

Brownfields Covenants, which provide liability protection to those willing to clean up and redevelop contaminated property, are developed through close coordination between the Attorney General’s Office and MassDEP.  Thirty-six Brownfields Covenants have supported commercial and industrial development, housing, open space and other redevelopment projects at sites around the Commonwealth since the program went into effect in 2000.  For more information, visit the Brownfields Covenant Program section of the Attorney General’s website. 

Happy Holidays & A Safe New Year

At Issue and In Focus would like to take this opportunity to extend our wishes for a Happy and Safe Holiday Season and New Year to all of our readers. We will be taking a brief break from blogging and will return after the new year.

As always, please submit any questions, comments and/or suggestions you might have.

Resources for Victims of Violent Crime

A public hearing held by the Berkshire County Commission on the Status of Women this month indicated that Berkshire women face high rates of isolation, violence and teen pregnancy.  Eight women from different agencies presented reports regarding the challenges faced by women in Berkshire County.  Pam Malumphy, co-Chairwoman of the Committee, vowed to take the issues to the State Commission on the Status of Women.  The hearing focused mostly on the increase of domestic violence incidents in the region.  Other issues discussed were lack of women representatives in the Legislature, pre-natal support, immigration reform, and body image. 

The Attorney General’s Office has recently updated the regulations which oversee the amounts and types of compensation which may be offered to eligible victims of violent crimes, include domestic violence, to help them meet some of the expenses that have been incurred.  Visit the Victims of Violent Crime section of the Attorney General’s website for more information and resources.

Professional Solicitations

Today, the Attorney General’s Office released its report on Professional Solicitations for Charity in 2009.  Professional solicitors, who are paid by charitable organizations to solicit donations from the public, are required by statute to register with the Attorney General’s Office.  This report, released annually to assist consumers in making informed decisions regarding their charitable giving, found that professional solicitors raised nearly $329 million.  However, of this amount only $141 million went to the charity.  This means that on average, of every dollar that a professional solicitor raised for a charity in 2009, only 43 cents went to the charity.  

In addition to looking at the results of the report, potential donors should always do their homework if they are contacted by a professional solicitor, including asking how much of every dollar donated will go to the charity and requesting confirmation of the charity’s name and the services it offers to the public.  For more tips, review our Give, But Wisely Advisory online.  The Attorney General’s Office also maintains annual financial statements from charities and professional solicitors that operate in this state, which are available for public inspection online. Residents with concerns about solicitations they have received should contact the Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division at 617-727-2200 x2120.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance promoted by the United Nations (U.N.) since 1992 and held each year on December 3^rd. 

The Day aims to promote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities.

To learn more, check out the U.N.’s web page Enable or go to www.disability.gov.

World AIDS Day

Today, December 1st, marks the 22nd observation of World AIDS Day. Recent headlines focusing on the global financial meltdown may have decreased the news coverage, however the research on HIV/AIDS continues on. New discoveries may lead to vaccines and the drug trials are showing signs of effectiveness.

In Massachusetts, over 30,000 residents have been diagnosed with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS. Over half of the 30,000 are living with AIDS. HIV/AIDS is no longer the death sentence that it once was. The Attorney General’s Office has used funds from a series of multistate settlements with pharmaceutical companies to fund the Prescription Drug Assistance Grant, through which over $1 Million was distributed to 14 nonprofit community health centers throughout the Commonwealth. These organizations have assisted more than 500 individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The assistance goes beyond prescribing medication as it includes case management as well as providing counseling services.

While World AIDS Day is only one day in which the world is reminded of the deadly disease, new medicines being tested and scientific breakthroughs are occurring much more frequently. For more information about HIV/AIDS in Massachusetts, visit Health and Human Services’ Office of HIV/AIDS.

Help for Victims of Crime

The Attorney General’s Office has recently updated the regulations which oversee the amounts and types of compensation which may be offered to eligible victims of violent crimes (and their families) to help them meet some of the expenses that have been incurred. These expenses include funeral and burial expenses, medical, dental or mental health care, the repair or replacement of locks or other security devices, etc.

The Attorney General’s Victim Compensation & Assistance Division is funded largely by fines levied against perpetrators of crime. In addition to providing compensation, the Attorney General Coakley’s Office also provides advocacy services for victims and education to the public regarding victim compensation and assistance services.

More information can be found at www.mass.gov/ago/victimcompensation.

Suffrage Educational Materials Now Available Online

2010 is the 90th anniversary of National Women’s Suffrage in the United States, an important anniversary in the history of our country and in the history of women.  In recognition of this historic milestone, Attorney General Martha Coakley and the Women’s Suffrage Celebration Committee (WSCC) have sponsored a series of opportunities to raise awareness of the importance of the right to vote and the contributions made by women to our civic life.

The Education Subcommittee of the WSCC recently compiled various educational resources related to women’s suffrage which include links to materials related to equality, voter registration, get-out-the vote campaigns, and similar topics and they are now posted online. 

To access a selection of books, reading lists, documents, children’s resources, films, and websites regarding women’s history, visit the Women's Suffrage Educational Materials page of our website.

Education Materials Disclaimer: Books, lists, resources and websites were compiled from a variety of sources with the assistance of the Women's Suffrage Celebration Education Sub-Committee. The Attorney General's Office is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any resources listed.