Weekly Resource Round-Up: August 16, 2022
This Week's Resources
Hudson Link Employer Toolkit
Survey finds that New Yorkers skip meals due to unaffordable food prices - AMNY
Egg Prices in US Jump 47% as Food Inflation Hits 1979 Highs - Bloomberg
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 sometimes included. Link here.
NYS Department of Health COVID website - It's a one stop shop with an info summary at the top. Link here.
Federal COVID website - covid.gov - it's pretty bare bones but you can search your county and get COVID level
NYS Vaccine Website - Immunocompromised and high-risk folks are eligible for more boosters. Check here to see the requirements.
Antiviral treatments are accessible to eligible people who are COVID-positive. Visit this link to learn more about eligibility and how to get access to antivirals like Paxlovid
If you have any other resources, please feel free to share them with me so I can share them with everyone!
Monkeypox Virus Information
As monkeypox continues to grab headlines, I have included some resources I found that might be helpful.
NYC Department of Health Monkeypox Webpage - lots of information and resources about the virus with pictures of the rash included. Find the link here.
NYC Monkeypox vaccine Scheduling Website - Link Here
Article on Monkeypox by Documented - "As monkeypox cases in New York City continue to rise, New Yorkers have inquired about this type of orthopoxvirus and how to get the vaccine. Here is what you need to know." (article will be updated as new info comes) - Read more here.
Inflation Reduction Act Info
Frida, the House passed the Inflation Reduction Act and sent it to President Biden who is expected to sign it today. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bills affect on inflation will be negligible in the short-term. NPR and The Hill have written up articles about the bill. Read more here and here.
Food Access Program Check-In
Here's a quick 12 minute video with Patrick giving important information for our food access programs
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 me (Tobi) with any questions or concerns.
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.
NYS Cooling Center Finder
Hopefully the extreme heat is over for the rest of the season but during last week's heat wave, I found a statewide cooling center directory that y'all can save your records for when necessary. To be honest, it is not super extensive, especially above Region II, but it does have resources and if you know a cooling center that is unlisted, contact your local health department so it can be. The NYS cooling center finder is linked here.
Survey finds that New Yorkers skip meals due to unaffordable food prices - AMNY
"According to studies done by The Washington Post and CNN, inflation has peaked at its highest point in 40 years. There is a reported 12% jump in the price of grocery store food items, compared to May of 2021. From May 2021 to May 2022 there has been a 32.2% increase in the price of eggs, a 14.2% increase in meat, poultry and fish and an 11.8% increase in dairy products. This escalating inflation is not being matched by worker’s salaries. As necessary living conditions like food and shelter become more expensive, wages stay the same, leaving people with no option but to skip out on meals." Read more here.
Egg Prices in US Jump 47% as Food Inflation Hits 1979 Highs - Bloomberg
"Inflation is wreaking havoc on breakfast, with egg prices at grocery stores soaring a whopping 47% in July over last year, according to retail analytics firm Information Resources Inc. Although the Consumer Price Index came in lower than expected at 8.5% in July, inflation is continuing to hit grocery shopping. The food-at-home category soared to 13.1 % over the last year, the largest increase since the period ending March 1979, according to the US Labor Department on Wednesday." Read more here.
NYHealth Survey of Food and Health
"Across New York State, food insecurity—the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life—is prevalent, persistent, and costly.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 10 New Yorkers—nearly 2 million people—were food insecure. Food insecurity jeopardizes health. Evidence proves that individuals with uncertain access to food have lower diet quality, higher rates of diet-related disease, and higher health care costs.
This NYHealth survey dives deep into the lived experiences of New Yorkers who are food insecure and contrasts them with the food-secure population. The report details the results of a 1,507-person statewide survey. The results are clear: food insecurity is strongly associated with worse health." Read more here.
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That's all for this week -- thanks for all you do!