Excel Academy is proud to operate in the sanctuary cities of Boston and Chelsea in Massachusetts. We welcome all students and families regardless of immigration status.

Our doors are open and we will continue to serve all members of our community.

Supporting Our community

Excel Benefits Access Team

Excel Academy offers free and confidential assistance to our families in a variety of areas, including information related to immigration services and access to benefits like health insurance.

  • Call 617-466-9384 to speak with the Excel Academy Benefits Access Team
  • Hablamos EspaƱol
teacher and student meet

Health & Nutrition

SNAP

On November 1, 2025, new federal restrictions to SNAP benefits will become law. Changes will take effect gradually as clients complete their regular recertifications. Separately, due to a federal government shutdown that began on October 1, SNAP benefits may be paused or suspended in November until a funding deal is reached.

Refer to the Massachusetts Government website for correct, timely SNAP updates.

Local Organizations and Supports During the Suspension:

Food Assistance

The Mayorā€™s Health Line (MHL) ensures Boston residents have access to services and programs that promote health and wellness. It is a free, confidential, multilingual health information and referral service. They help all residents regardless of immigration status. If you or a loved one needs legal help, they also provide referrals to legal services.

Their staff helps residents with a variety of services including:

  • Answering questions about health insurance eligibility
  • Enrolling in health insurance
  • Finding primary care providers
  • Finding social services
  • Locating free clinics, and many more.

All MHL staff are state-certified Navigators. They can offer confidential and free help with healthcare enrollment.ā€‹ā€‹ We also provide individual case management and advocacy for our clients navigating the healthcare system. Call the Mayor’s Health Line for help with your health insurance application.

Contact:

  • Call: 617-534-5050
  • Email: mayorshealthline@bphc.org and provide the following: Name, Phone number, Preferred language, best day(s) to reach you, and best time(s) to reach you. 

Under the 1999 public charge guidance, it is safe for immigrants and their families to access health, nutrition, and housing programs for which they are eligible.

Apply to MassHealth

MassHealth Customer Service Center


Resources from NeighborHealth Patient Services Department

Housing & Utilities

  • If you are behind on your rent: The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program provides short-term emergency funding to help you with eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies.
  • If you receive an Eviction Notice or a Notice to Quit:
    • You should not leave your home or make plans to move until you have spoken with a housing advocate.
    • Immediately call:
      1. City Life/Vida Urbana
        1. English: 617-934-5006
        2. Spanish: 617-397-3773
      2. Greater Boston Legal Services: 617-603-1807 (call and leave a message)
      3. Harvard Legal Aid Bureau: 617-495-4408
      4. Greater Boston Legal Services: 617-371-1234

  • Mayorā€™s Office of Housing Stability
    Email: HOUSINGSTABILITY@BOSTON.GOV
    Phone: 617-635-4200
  • East Boston Family Engagement Network | East Boston Social Center
    Gloria Devine
    Email: devine@ebsoc.org
  • Office of Neighborhood Services | East Boston Liaison
    Roberto Gomez, 
    Phone: 617-635-3485
    Email: roberto.gomez@boston.gov

Report a Student  Experiencing Homelessness

The McKenney-Vento Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for children and youth experiencing homelessness. It provides rights and protections for homeless students, such as:

ā€¢ Immediate Enrollment: Homeless children must be immediately enrolled in school, even if they lack the required documentation (e.g., proof of residency, immunization records).
ā€¢ School of Origin: Homeless students have the right to remain in their “school of origin” (the school they attended before becoming homeless or the last school they attended) if it is in their best interest.
ā€¢ Transportation: Schools are required to provide transportation to the school of origin upon request.
ā€¢ Support Services: Schools must provide homeless students with access to the same programs and services available to other students, including special education, free school meals, and other support.

Who is covered by McKenney-Vento?

  • Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals.
  • Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
  • Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
  • Migratory children (as defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended) who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above

Rights provided under the McKinney-Vento Act:

  • Immediate Enrollment: Homeless children must be immediately enrolled in school, even if they lack the required documentation (e.g., proof of residency, immunization records).
  • School of Origin: Homeless students have the right to remain in their “school of origin” (the school they attended before becoming homeless or the last school they attended) if it is in their best interest.
  • Transportation: Schools are required to provide transportation to the school of origin upon request.
  • Support Services: Schools must provide homeless students with access to the same programs and services available to other students, including special education, free school meals, and other support.

Immigration & Legal Resources

The Mayorā€™s Office for Immigrant Advancement works to serve immigrants in Boston. This webpage addresses some common questions related to immigration and status. For help with a legal problem, enter your zip code and find resources specific to you at the Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder.

The Mayorā€™s Office for Immigrant Advancement offers free one-time immigration consultations on the first and third Wednesday of every month from 12:00 ā€“ 3:00 p.m.

Consultations are by telephone. Due to high demand, you must register for an appointment beforehand. The consultations are limited to advice and information and do not lead to legal representation. To register for an appointment with a volunteer lawyer, call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov.

Massachusetts Emergency Planning Guide for Families. Parents with uncertain immigration status may be concerned about the care and custody of their children in the event of sudden detention or deportation by federal immigration officials. 

Planning Steps:

  • Talk As A Family About Your Emergency Plan: Include your children. Decide who will take care of the children, where to keep important documents, who to call in an emergency.

  • Gather Important Documents: Collect important documents like birth certificates and passports. Keep them in a safe place where your family knows where to find them.

  • Know Your Rights: Everyone in the U.S. has constitutional rights, learn how they can protect you. Find out your rights and go to a training.

  • Get Immigration Help: If immigration is one of your main worries, try to get immigration advice.

  • Red Cards: Overview of your rights to be uses during interactions with immigration authorities or law enforcement. 
  • ICE Visit Precautions: What to do if ICE visits a home, employer, or public space, provided by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
  • Trainings: Resources on immigrant rights in various contexts – for immigrants, advocates, and allies, from the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition