Weekly Resource Round-Up: August 15, 2023
Updated: Aug 22
This Week's Resources
NYS COVID and MonkeyPox Updates (Plus Info about the Flu, RSV, and Norovirus)
1,400 Migrants at NYC Shelters Told To Leave Within 60 Days (Documented)
NYC schools change up arrival, dismissal times for students (Gothamist)
NYC’s literacy mandate: Why one reading program is gaining the most traction (Chalkbeat)
Florida company gets $18 million contract for NYC migrant shower trailers (Gothamist)
Which counties are closing their doors to asylum-seekers? (City & State)
31 upstate counties want disaster declared after extensive crop loss during May freeze (Times Union)
MTA says fare evasion crackdown coming to all NYC buses (Gothamist)
Documented's Immigrant Resources and Job/Housing Discrimination Guides
Free ride: MTA to nix fares on 5 NYC bus routes by late September (Gothamist)
If you have resources to share with our network, please contact Tobi Mojeed-Balogun our Associate Director of Programs Support.
NYS COVID and MonkeyPox Updates (Plus Info about the Flu, RSV, and Norovirus)
A lot of the news around mandates, vaccines and restrictions have been a little confusing so I will list some resources below that might help.
Interview with NYC Health Commissioner on COVID bump. Link here.
NYS Department of Health COVID website - It's a one stop shop with an info summary at the top. Link here.
Walgreens COVID Index - there's concerns about the accuracy of some COVID trackers but Wallgreens released one based on their tests. Link here.
NYC Department of Health Monkeypox Webpage - lots of information and resources about the virus with pictures of the rash included. Find the link here.
With Mpox at Risk of Flaring, Health Officials Advise, ‘Get Vaccinated’ - New York Times - Read here
COVID vs Flu vs RSV info - I found a good article from the Washington post that gives information about three viruses that have been spiking this winter. Read the article here.
The Time Magazine article on the new variant (XBB.1.5) - Link Here
1,400 Migrants at NYC Shelters Told To Leave Within 60 Days (Documented)
"It’s been more than three weeks since Mayor Eric Adams first announced that single migrants would have to leave city’s care after 60 days in the shelter system.
Now, approximately 1,400 single asylum seekers have received notice that they would need to move out of their current shelter within 60 days, according to Zach Iscol, the Commissioner of the NYC Emergency Management." Read the rest here.
NYC schools change up arrival, dismissal times for students (Gothamist)
"Some students in New York City will see their days start earlier — or in some cases later — this year as schools across the five boroughs change up their arrival and dismissal times, according to city officials and school parents.
The timing tweaks are intended to allow for professional development and planning, which were provisions outlined in the city’s new contract with the United Federation of Teachers that was ratified earlier this summer." Read more here.
NYC’s literacy mandate: Why one reading program is gaining the most traction (Chalkbeat)
"Under NYC’s aggressive literacy push announced earlier this month, officials are mandating all elementary schools use one of three reading curriculums.
One is proving to be far more popular than the others.
Thirteen of 15 local superintendents charged with selecting their districts’ reading curriculum in this first phase of the rollout picked Into Reading, a program published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
The education department vetted all three of the mandated reading programs, including Wit & Wisdom and EL Education, officials said. And all three received high marks from the independent curriculum reviewer EdReports." Read more here.
Rent in New York City just keeps going up (Gothamist)
"Rents in Manhattan and other parts of the city are at all-time high — again. That’s according to a new report from Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel.
In Manhattan, the median monthly rent in July was $4,400, a 6% increase compared to one year ago, according to the report. That’s a record high for the fourth time in five months since the monthly tracking started in 2008. The average rent in the borough is $5,588, a 9.3% increase over last year. In Manhattan, the average studio rent is $3,278, and the average 1-bedroom is $4,443.
Rents in the city have soared to new highs as the city continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic." Read more here.
Florida company gets $18 million contract for NYC migrant shower trailers (Gothamist)
"A Florida-based company has been awarded an $18 million no-bid contract to provide emergency shower trailers for New York’s asylum seekers, a development that follows weeks of complaints from immigrant rights activists and elected officials about the absence of showers at shelters housing migrants.
The one-year contract for Imperial Restrooms, a company headquartered in Hudson, Florida, is for shower trailers at “up to 10 sites” across the five boroughs, according to city records. The company did not immediately respond to questions about the contract." Read more here.
Which counties are closing their doors to asylum-seekers? (City & State)
"n early January, when New York City had already seen the arrival of more than 30,000 asylum-seekers, Mayor Eric Adams declared that there was “no more room at the inn,” before asking for other places in the state to help shelter new arrivals from the southern border.
More than 107,000 asylum-seekers have arrived in the city since last spring, while the city has opened more than 192 emergency shelters. As of late July, more than 56,000 asylum-seekers were still in the city’s care, and Adams is looking to other jurisdictions to help. In May, the Adams administration announced that it would start sending some migrants to stay in hotels and motels in upstate and suburban counties, following the expiration of Title 42, a federal order that has allowed immigration authorities to turn more people away at the border. Though New York City would still foot the bill for asylum-seekers’ lodging, the other localities quickly moved to block the Adams administration’s plan to transport people to their own counties." Read more here.
31 upstate counties want disaster declared after extensive crop loss during May freeze (Times Union)
"ALBANY — Thirty-one counties in upstate New York are asking the federal government for disaster relief after crop damage from last May’s deep freeze recently came into full focus.
Crops from the Hudson Valley to the Finger Lakes suffered extensive damage after temperatures plunged below 32 degrees on the early morning of May 18. Initial reports from farmers suggested grapes and apples were hit the worst, with the president of a regional grape association saying it was the most damaging freeze in at least 60 years.
But the full extent of the damage has only become clear as farmers have attempted to harvest their crops. In the worst-hit areas, 95 percent of certain crops were totally destroyed from the freeze, according to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, who spoke with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack last week about the disaster and getting farmers federal relief." Read more here.
5 Nonprofits To Get Behind In The Mid-Hudson Valley (Patch)
Our very own, Ulster Immigrant Defense network is highlighted in this article:
"MID-HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Nonprofit groups are keystone community organizations in the mid-Hudson Valley area. Fortunately, there is no shortage of organizations to volunteer or get behind financially, and that need your help.
Here are five outstanding nonprofit groups you should know about in the mid-Hudson Valley area:...
Ulster Immigrant Defense Network: The not-for-profit organization’s mission is to provide a network of safety and support to immigrants, regardless of status. Among its activities are helping with household needs, providing assistance with rent and utilities, responding to ICE actions and arranging for transportation for health care and school-related appointments, court appearances, ICE check-ins and other official meetings. Donations and other support are accepted"
See the other organizations listed here.
T-Mobile Hometown Grants Program
Here is a capital grant we found. If you're thinking abut applying and need help, let me know.
T-Mobile Hometown Grants Program
Application deadline: Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis; the upcoming deadline is September 30, 2023. Grant amount: Up to $50,000 Description: The T-Mobile Hometown Grants Program is providing up to $25 million over five years, through 2026, to fund community projects in small towns across the United States. Each quarter, 25 grants of up to $50,000 are provided for shovel-ready projects to build, rebuild, or refresh community spaces that help foster local connections in small towns. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to, adaptive uses of older and historic buildings into community gathering spaces, improvements to outdoor parks or trails, and technology projects for public libraries. Applications are accepted from elected officials, town managers or employees, tribal leaders, or nonprofit community leaders from small towns with populations of less than 50,000.
Funder Profile Available to Members of GrantStation
MTA says fare evasion crackdown coming to all NYC buses (Gothamist)
"MTA officials said on Thursday that a strict fare evasion crackdown is coming to the city’s buses — and warned riders across the five boroughs they’d be hit with tickets if they don’t pay.
Starting next month, officials will deploy unarmed MTA guards known as EAGLE teams onto local buses. They’ll issue tickets between $50 to $100 to those who can’t prove they swiped a MetroCard or tapped to pay on the agency’s OMNY readers.
The agency will also be sending NYPD officers to 20 bus hubs around the city to help support enforcement by the EAGLE teams, officials said." Read more here.
Documented's Immigrant Resources and Job/Housing Discrimination Guides
"Documented has gathered all of the resources we can find to help immigrant New Yorkers. New links will be added and the following pages will be constantly updated. If you would like us to add information to this list or have questions, please reach out to us at info@documentedny.com."
"The New York City Human Rights Law is one of the most comprehensive anti-discrimination laws in the country, prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on race, color, religion/creed, age, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, gender (including sexual harassment), gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, military service, marital status and partnership status. As a newsroom that serves immigrant communities, Documented has written a comprehensive guide for immigrants."
Free ride: MTA to nix fares on 5 NYC bus routes by late September (Gothamist)
"Free rides are coming to five city bus routes by Sept. 24, the MTA said on Monday.
MTA officials said during a committee meeting that fares won’t be collected on one route in each of the five boroughs for at least six months as part of a program mandated by the state.
The B60, which runs in Brooklyn between Williams and Flatlands Avenue, in Canarsie, and Williamsburg Bridge Plaza.
The M116, which operates across Manhattan, primarily along 116th Street, Manhattan Avenue and W 106 Street.
The Q4 LCL/LTD, which runs in southeast Queens between Cambria Heights and Jamaica Center.
The S46/96, which runs in Staten Island between the St. George Ferry Terminal and West Shore Plaza.
The BX18 A/B, which runs in a loop in the western Bronx between Undercliff Avenue or Sedgwick Avenue and Grand Concourse"
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. If you have any questions about hiring formerly incarcerated people, please contact Elisabeth Santiago from Hudson Link's Alumni Services at esantiago@hudsonlink.org.
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:
New Exploratory Grants Program - In 2023, the Tauck Family Foundation (TFF) plans to distribute several exploratory grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000. The intention is to use learnings from a variety of grantee partners to help inform and further refine their areas of focus and the specific impact they seek to achieve through their giving. The Foundation seeks to support communities and groups most affected by climate and other environmental challenges by distributing grants to organizations for new or existing efforts that contribute to healthy land use and regenerative ecosystems. A link to their Exploratory Grant Eligibility Checklist, Guidelines, and Application as well as other resources is available here. You can also read about the Foundation's recently announced shift to the environment sector with new vision, mission, and long-term outcomes. Application deadline: August 1, 2023
Study: Food insecurity among households with children during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic - Understanding impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among households with children is necessary to design appropriate public health responses that protect food and nutrition security. The objective of this research was to understand predictors of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic among households with at least one child. Consistent with other data collected and analyzed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study contributes findings that emphasize the need for enhanced public health responses and emergency preparedness measures that protect food and nutrition security.
Food Forward NYC: 2-Year Progress Report - Food Forward NYC is the City’s first ever 10-year food policy plan, laying out an comprehensive policy framework to reach a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy food system by 2031. Food Forward NYC emphasizes the importance of equity and choice - enabling a food system where everyone should be able to access the food they want wherever they may want it. To enable this choice, we need to support both our food workers and our food businesses. To strengthen the sustainability and resiliency of our food system, we need to rethink our food infrastructure and deepen our connections with the region.
NY Healthy Food, Healthy Lives Match Program - This ioby match opportunity may be of interest to BIPOC-led organizations using grassroots fundraising approaches to support food justice work in New York State. For approved participants, donors are matched up to $1,000 and projects may access up to $5,000 in matching, until the program ends. Learn about eligibility requirements and share your idea.
Dyson Foundation Mini-Grant Program - The Dyson Foundation’s mini-grant program funds capacity-building projects that improve a nonprofit’s administrative, governance, or programmatic functions. Mini-grants enable nonprofit board, staff, and volunteer leaders to develop new skills through specific consultant-led capacity-building activities, or through conferences, seminars, and other relevant training opportunities. Mini-grants are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and libraries in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Grants are available on a rolling basis.
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.
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That's all for this week -- thanks for all you do!