State Delegation Gets Funding Back:Grants for Chamber of Commerce and CAPIC Restored

Bob Upton, executive director of the Revere Chamber of Commerce, said the business organization is grateful for the $25,000 state grant it has received in the state budget for the new fiscal year.

Governor Charlie Baker had vetoed the funding for the grant in the original budget but through the efforts of Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo, the funding of the grant was restored.

“It’s exciting for the Chamber to get that support from Speaker DeLeo and the state,” said Upton. “It’s good for our members because we can now offer more educational and training programs in support of the membership. We also hope to improve our Web site.”

Upton praised State Rep. RoseLee Vincent for her support of the Revere Chamber of Commerce.

The House of Representatives and State Senate also voted to restore $250,000 in the CAPIC budget.

State Sen. Sal DiDomenico, Sen. Joseph Boncore, Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo, and State Rep. RoseLee Vincent worked together in the House and Senate to reinstate the funding.

“This was definitely a group effort to restore the funding,” said DiDomenico.

Robert Reppucci, executive director of CAPIC, said the money will go toward the funding of the emergency services program for Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop.

“The money will also be used for an initiative to evaluate access to health care for low-income residents in the Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop area,” said Reppucci. “It’s going to help people to remain in the their housing, to help people that are homeless to access housing, food, clothing, toys for Christmas, and holiday meals. The money also contributes to the funding that we receive from the Walk for Hunger.”

Reppucci said the CAPIC program is working in conjunction with the city’s of Chelsea and the North Suffolk Mental Health Association’s Chelsea Navigator Program that identifies person who are suffering from opioid and alcohol addiction.

“We’re identifying those people and putting them through detoxification and recovery programs. CAPIC’s role in that is to provide them with wrap-around services, which means sober housing and all the essentials that people need while living there for up to three months.

“The goal is to take people who are participating in recovery and instead of putting them in to the environment in which they came, which is jeopardizing their recovery – we’re putting them in to independent living (sober living) which is supervised.”

Repucci thanked the five area legislators for their work in restoring the funding. “I want to express my deep appreciation to our senators and representatives because it’s through this program that we’re able to respond to their constituents’ needs.”

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