Page 2 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, July 3, 2026 Malden High School student honored by Clean Water Action & Clean Water Fund Special to The Advocate K idus Tsige, a sophomore at Malden High School, was honored with Clean Water Action & Clean Water Fund’s Youth Leadership Award for his work advocating for climate justice. A graduate of Clean Water Action & Clean Water Fund’s Youth Action Collaborative, Kidus has spent the past year expanding youth coalitions, rallying young leaders and lobbying legislators for climate action. On June 11, his activism was honored during Clean Water Action & Clean Water Fund’s annual event, Build the Future, at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge. “Kidus exemplifies the values of the Youth Action Collaborative. He is applying the organizing skills he learned at YAC and proudly representing his hometown while advocating for climate and environmental justice from his town hall to the State House,” said Clean Water Action & Clean Water Fund’s Youth Engagement Program Manager, Omesa Mokaya. Kidus was a featured speaker Julio Salado receives Community All-Star Award Mystic Valley Elder Services honors 11 residents making a difference M ystic Valley Elder Services was proud to announce that Julio Salado received the nonprofit agency’s Community All-Star Award. The awards program recognizes individuals whose efforts impact the lives of older adults and people with disabilities. Mystic Valley Elder Services (Mystic Valley) named 11 people as All-Stars, one for each of the communities the organization serves. Salado received From left to right: Clean Water Fund's Youth Engagement Program Manager, Omesa Mokaya; awardee Kidus Tsige; and Clean Water Fund’s Youth Program & Coalition Co-Manager, Eben Bein. (Photo credit Angela Rowlings) at the Massachusetts Youth Climate Lobby Day and supported fellow Malden High School students in meetings with legislators. In addition to his work in state coalitions, Kidus continues to mentor the next cohort of Youth Action Collaborative students. In his own words, “I contribute to setting youth-led climate agendas throughout Massachusetts. This involves organizing, strategy, and ensuring that youth actually have a voice, not just representation.” Since the founding of Clean Water Action during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, the organization has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 orInfo@advocatenews.net the award for Malden. “Our community has been integral to the growth of our agency over the past 50 years. It seemed fitting to celebrate our milestone by honoring people who enrich the lives of older adults and adults with disabilities,” said CEO Lisa Gurgone. Julio Salado is an award-winning fitness professional, author and founder of Fitness Foundry. Known as Coach Julio, he built Fitness Foundry to create a space where all individuals can achieve their fitness goals, regardless of age, ability or experience. One of his many community partnerships is with Mystic Valley Elder Services, supporting older adults on their fitness journey at the Heritage Building in Malden. Salado is also a licensed EMT-B who Julio Salado (at left) received Mystic Valley Elder Services’ Community All-Star Award. At right is the award presenter, Mystic Valley Elder Services’ Clinical Services Director, Lisa Felci Jimenez. (Courtesy photo) volunteers extensively, both locally and internationally, including recent humanitarian trips to Ukraine. Mystic Valley Elder Services presented the awards on June 4, 2026, at its Legacy50 Summit, an event that served as a fundraiser and a celebration of the agency’s 50th anniversary. The other recipients are Rosemary Ardagna (Medford), Susan Becker (Melrose), Anthony Carbone (Everett), Gene Ferullo (Stoneham), Mary Ellen Keough (Winthrop), Janis Mamayek (Wakefield), William Reedy (Revere), Roberta Sanchez (North Reading), Joanne Wooldridge (Reading) and Giovanny Zuniga (Chelsea). The public was invited to nominate Community All-Stars, with the goal of spotlighting individuals whose outstanding contributions help build age-friendly and disability-positive communities. Members of Mystic Valley Elder Services’ Development Committee had the difficult task of selecting the 11 winners. Visit www.mves.org/community-all-star-awards for more info about Salado and the other award winners. Established in 1975, Mystic Valley Elder Services provides a wide range of resources and care for older adults, adults with disabilities and their caregivers. For more information, please call 781-324-7705 or visit www. mves.org.
3 Publizr Home