William Palacios honored for youth mentoring; says award reflects neighbors’ recognition

William Palacios, a youth mentor, program manager and founder of Basement Tribe, received the resident award for ages 21–64 at the All Chelsea Awards gala and used his remarks to thank supporters and to encourage young people.

“I'm just up here just to say thank you,” Palacios said. He described his background, named partner organizations including Boston College research collaborators and urged young people in the audience: “You are not alone.”

The gala program described Palacios’s work helping youth graduate, compete in tournaments, join the National Guard and secure trade apprenticeships, and said he had partnered with Boston College on research to identify youth mental‑health needs. Palacios told the audience he was raised in Chelsea, that he now works in area nonprofits and that the award felt like recognition from neighbors; he noted he does not currently live in Chelsea.

The event emphasized youth outcomes as the central measure of Palacios’s work; Palacios dedicated the award to the young people he mentors and asked that they remain hopeful and seek help when they need it.

Ending: The gala characterized Palacios’s work as sustained youth mentorship across multiple local organizations and as a factor in Chelsea’s All‑America City success.