This Week's Resources
If you have resources to share with our network, please contact Tobi Mojeed-Balogun our Associate Director of Programs Support.
NYS COVID Mandate Updates
A lot of the news around mandates and restrictions have been a little confusing so I will list some resources below that might help.
PIX11 COVID Updates - kind of NYC-centric but state information is included. Link here.
The relevant highlights are that the mask mandate for kids 5 and under was extended by Mayor Adams due to a rise in cases and a lack in vaccines for toddlers and that president Biden announced the launching of covid.gov which will be a federal COVID information resource
NYS Department of Health COVID website - It's a one stop shop with an info summary at the top. Link here.
If you have any other resources, please feel free to share them with me so I can share them with everyone!
2022 Bulk Buy Application!
We are thrilled to announce that we will begin accepting proposals for our 2022 Bulk Buy Program! Bulk Buy allows us to aggregate food purchasing across the Diocese and means free high-quality food for EC programs. You can find our brief application form HERE! Please contact SK with any questions or concerns.
Volunteer and Program Coordinator at All Angels' Church Community Ministries
Our friends over at All Angels' Church is hoping to bring on a Volunteer and Program Coordinator this summer and they would love any recommendations. If you have any questions please contact Rebecca Hampe at rhampe@allangelschurch.com.
"Food Inflation Will Hit Millions Hard" - Forbes
'Prices have jumped particularly quickly of late in the U.S., with food prices up 7.9% year over year in February 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 13.0 percent for the year ended February 2022, the largest yearly increase since July 1979. From February 2021 to February 2022, fruits and vegetables prices rose 7.6 percent, and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials prices rose 6.7 percent.”' As many of you all can see from your receipts after your trips to the grocery store, food prices are going up. This phenomenon is happening worldwide and we are not exempt. This illustrates the importance of the work we do, even those not focused on food access. Read the rest of the article here.
"Food Pantries Starved for Deliveries Following Sudden Supply Cuts in City Hall Program" - The City
"City social service agency imposes limits on orders of fruits and vegetables under federally funded P-FRED initiative. “We didn’t hear anything,” says one volunteer." A big concern that EC has going into the rest of year is the increase in demand for supplemental food as federal and state emergency funding starts to wind down. This article speaks to the beginnings of this as NYC's Pandemic Food Reserve Emergency Distribution Program (P-FRED) starts to wind down without the necessary budgetary support for the more long-term programs. Read more about it in the article by The City here.
Hudson Link Employer Toolkit
Our friends at Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison put together an employer toolkit for hiring formerly incarcerated people. Thank you to Sean Pica, Eldredge Blalock, Elisabeth Santiago, and the rest of the team at Hudson Link for this important resource. The toolkit can be found here.
Hudson Link will also be having their Spring Benefit on May 12, 2022. RSVP here if you're interested in attending!
Community Food Funders Newslink
Community Food Funders has opened up their newsletter to a wider audience (so not just food funders). "Each month, CFF compiles a newsletter with news, articles, reports, and events for those in our region interested in an equitable and sustainable food system." Highlights on this month's newsletter include:
Grant opportunities from CSPI - "Center for Science in the Public Interest’s (CSPI’s) first round of grantmaking for 2022 is now open. CSPI seeks to support communities as they explore local, state, and federal policy interventions to elicit systemic change and advance a just and equitable food environment."
Video: Remaking the Economy: Organizing for Black Food Sovereignty (Nonprofit Quarterly) - "Catch a replay of Nonprofit Quarterly's Remaking the Economy: Organizing for Black Food Sovereignty. In this webinar, leaders in the movement for Black food sovereignty discuss how that movement is being built, rooted in the gifts and talents from within the Black community, and anchored in a community vision."
plus loads more!
I will continue to include highlights from each month's newsletter on our weekly resource round-ups but if you would like to subscribe yourself, the link is here. The link to last month's newsletter is here and their archive is here.
Fundraising Series for DYCD Contracted Organizations
The Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) will be offering an educational series about creating "more effective, equitable, and sustainable" fundraising efforts. The last session, which will be held today (April 5), is a panel about fundraising during challenging times. They will be pulling from experiences learned during the pandemic. You can register for the last session here.
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That's all for this week -- thanks for all you do!