Support reflects Josh’s commitment to Haitian community, particularly amidst federal threats of mass deportation

BOSTON, MA – At an event held in Mattapan today, Josh Kraft received the endorsement of many members of Boston’s Haitian community who enthusiastically support his candidacy to be the next Mayor of Boston.

“Our community stands with Josh Kraft because he knows us, he shows up in places many politicians don’t, and he truly understands our challenges and our concerns about the city right now,” said Gary Zizi.

“As Mayor, I know Josh will prioritize creating more housing that working people can afford, which has been a growing problem within the Haitian community,” said Junior Mengual.

“I was thrilled that Josh decided to run for Mayor of Boston. We all recognize his 35-year commitment to our community, and we need a leader who listens,” said Gertrude Delsion, whose daughter, Keitha Nazaire, recently joined the campaign team.

“I am enormously grateful to earn the support of so many Haitian leaders and community members, and appreciate that we share many of the same values around the importance of family, hard work and community,” said Josh. “These are challenging times, particularly given the unconscionable actions coming out of Washington D.C. on mass deportations, which I strongly oppose. As Mayor I will always have your backs, and while I appreciate that you stand with me, know that I stand with you.”

Josh has several prominent members of the Haitian community on his campaign team, including Sandy Zamor Calixte, Bernadette Adonis and Kethia Nazaire, as mentioned above, all of whom have long-standing relationships within the Haitian community.  

Greater Boston is one of the top three destinations for Haitian immigrants to the United States, and Haitians make up the third largest foreign-born group in the city. An estimated 25,000 Haitians live in the Boston area, concentrated mainly in Mattapan, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Somerville, Brockton, Everett, Randolph and Cambridge.

Gertrude Delsoin:

• Former Director of Title One (Part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA)
• Former board member of The Haitian Multi-Service Center under the umbrella of Catholic Charities
• Founder and board member of Haitian American United (H.A.U.), which was established 25 years ago with a mission to improve the quality of life for Haitians and non-Haitians throughout the diaspora

Gary Zizi:

• Host of the Gary Zizi show on Haitian Radio
• Former executive producer of Tele Diaspora
• Radio Tele Boston hosting Nouvelle Horizon Internationale
• Deacon of Second Baptist Church in Boston (Missionary Baptist Church)

Junior Mengual:

• Director of Forever Young, an adult day health centre which provides quality services for our aging community
• Host of “Souvenir des Beaux Jours,” a retro radio show on Radio Concorde
• Producer of Ekran Marabou TV
• President and founder of Organization Promotional Artists and Haitian Culture (OPAHC)

About Josh 

Josh Kraft has spent his 35 year career working in disadvantaged communities in and around Boston. He was most recently President of the New England Patriots Foundation, and for three decades he worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, including 12 years as its President and CEO.

Josh’s commitment to service began with his first job out of college as an outreach coordinator at a South Boston nonprofit. There he was responsible for making sure at-risk youth attended school in the morning, regularly visiting their families at home. It was in this role that Josh saw firsthand truancy, addiction and domestic violence, but also what is possible for communities when like minded individuals engaged in a common goal.

In 1993, he founded the Boys & Girls Club in Chelsea at a time when the city and its schools were in state receivership. Located in the basement of a public housing development, Josh went door-to-door raising money from local businesses to rehabilitate the facility and organize and fund a summer basketball league coached and refereed by local police officers he had personally recruited. Josh would serve as executive director of the Chelsea Boys & Girls Club for the next 15 years, building and managing an extremely loyal staff and deeply engaged local Board, leading major local fundraising campaigns and piloting innovative programming to create a safe haven for thousands of young people in one of Massachusetts’ most underserved communities.

Unanimously selected to serve as the Boys & Girls Club of Boston’s President and CEO in 2008, Josh fostered a community of more than 200 program partners throughout Boston and Chelsea, doubling the club’s budget to $26 million and leading a five-year campaign which raised nearly $132 million. During his tenure, Josh doubled the organization’s membership, deepened its impact and expanded its reach to Boston’s Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, and Mattapan neighborhoods.

For more on Josh and the campaign, visit www.joshforboston.com

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