Weekly Resource Round-Up: February 14, 2023
This Week's Resources
NYS COVID and MonkeyPox Updates (Plus Info about the Flu and RSV)
NY state eases mask mandate for medical facilities and nursing homes (Gothamist)
What Can H1B Visa Holders Do After Being Laid Off? (Documented)
Real Talk: Discretionary awards and the pitfalls to watch out for (NYNMedia)
Kitchen Manager/Chef Needed at St. Michael's Saturday Kitchen Program
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 and RSV)
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.
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.
Walgreens COVID Index - there's concerns about the accuracy of some COVID trackers but Wallgreens released one based on their tests. Link here.
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
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
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
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.
NY state eases mask mandate for medical facilities and nursing homes (Gothamist)
"The state health department will allow the mask mandate for health care settings, including medical facilities and nursing homes, to lapse on Feb. 12.
'The pandemic is not over, yet we are moving to a transition,' said Dr. James McDonald, the state’s acting health commissioner, in a statement on Friday. 'As we do, and with safe and effective vaccines, treatments, and more, we are able to lift the state's masking requirement in health care settings as operators now develop and implement their own facility-specific plans, in accordance with federal CDC guidance and the level of transmission in their areas.'" Read more here.
Office-to-residential conversion growing steam in NYC; 3 Bronx community boards join the ‘movement’ (Bronx Times)
"A push to convert vacant or unused commercial office space into residential housing is gaining rapid support, including from three Bronx community boards, and proponents of the plan hope it can lead to momentum that changes decades-old laws that restrict these conversions.
The Five Borough Housing Movement, a non-profit hoping to address the city’s growing housing crisis – both availability and affordability – and to combat gentrification, often a side-effect of new, high-scale development.
Last week, Community Boards 5, 6 and 9 threw their support behind the plan, with Bola Omotosho, the CB5 chair, calling the plan a “worthwhile goal” to address the city’s housing crisis." Read more here.
What Can H1B Visa Holders Do After Being Laid Off? (Documented)
"Every year, thousands of immigrant employees holding H1B visas are laid off. They are put in a grace period of 60 days to find a new path to continue to reside in the United States. While the most common option is to find a new employer who can sponsor H1B visa holders, employment is not the only path to staying in the country.
Documented spoke with four immigration lawyers and experts who are responding to an increase in inquiries about H1B visas following a wave of layoffs at Amazon, Meta and Twitter that started in fall 2022. The experts advise individuals to seek legal representation and find other solutions like changing their status to other types of visas, starting their own business or becoming a student.
The information in this article is solely for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For legal assistance please see our list of pro-bono lawyers in New York." Read more here.
NYC Service Partnership Applications
All 501c3 organizations in NYC are welcome to apply to host NYC Civic Corps members! NYC Service recruits and places full-time NYC Civic Corps AmeriCorps members at select partnering community-based organizations for 10 months. NYC Service is accepting applications that demonstrate how members would advance the partner organization’s mission through building, developing, or managing volunteer programs. Organizations are notified of acceptance in the Spring and are expected to host members Sept. ‘23 - June ‘24.
Applications must be submitted by February 22, 2023. Visit nyc.gov/hostciviccorps for more information and to apply!
Real Talk: Discretionary awards and the pitfalls to watch out for (NYNMedia)
"A detailed analysis of New York City's discretionary awards made in Fiscal Year 2018 found roughly 1,000 were made to 550 nonprofits of which 70% got no other support from the city and almost half had budgets under $1 million. So although the awards are tiny – the median is $78,000 and more than one-third are less than $50,000 – they matter a lot to many of the groups that get them. Since the mayor, borough presidents, and two thirds of the city Council members are new, there will likely be very significant changes in which nonprofits get – and which do not get – discretionary awards this year. In fact, thousands of nonprofits are scrambling to meet the Feb. 22 application deadline hoping to keep, or get, an award. Here are some things they should keep in mind." Read more here.
Kitchen Manager/Chef Needed at St. Michael's Saturday Kitchen Program
Our friends at St. Michael's Church in the Upper West Side are looking for a new Kitchen Manager for their Saturday Kitchen food access program. If you want more information, know any good candidates, or have any suggestions please contact the Rev. Kate Flexer, Rector, at kflexer@saintmichaelschurch.org. The job description can be found here.
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:
Call for Applications: GROWING JUSTICE - Awards of $50,000 to $250,000 are available to support community-led efforts to advance the vision and values of GROWING JUSTICE. GROWING JUSTICE aims to invest in efforts to solidify the leadership, dignity and power of Tribal, Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian and immigrant people to identify and drive solutions that expand the market for good food from locally or regionally owned, and environmentally and economically sustainable farms, ranches, fisheries and food businesses. Take the Eligibility Quiz to receive an invitation to apply. Deadline March 16, 2023.
2023 Farm Fresh Food Grants - The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, through a grant from the NoVo Foundation, is pleased to offer the Hudson Valley Farm Fresh Food grant program for 2023-2025. This grant program is designed to distribute multi-year grant funds in amounts up to $20,000 a year for 3 years to nonprofit organizations in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Ulster counties. The focus of the program is to fund programs and organizations that work to increase access to local, farm fresh food for individuals who are considered food insecure. Applications must be submitted by March 1, 2023.
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!