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  • Writer's pictureEpiscopal Charities
    • Feb 6
    • 10 min read

Weekly Resource Round-Up: February 6, 2024

This Week's Resources



If you have resources to share with our network, please contact Tobi Mojeed-Balogun our Associate Director of Programs Support.



EC Procession at Installation of 17th Bishop of New York


EC program partners have been specially invited to process as guests of Episcopal Charities at the installation of the 17th Bishop of New York on Saturday, February 10th, 2024, at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

 

“The installation service on Saturday, February 10 will celebrate how we’ve faced outward and joined with interfaith, ecumenical, and civic partners to participate in God’s healing of the world.”

 

The incoming Bishop, Matt Heyd, has reserved spots for a representative from each EC program (leaders, staff or volunteers) to be part of the procession and to be seated with EC staff for the service. If you would like to be part of the procession, you must be present inside the Cathedral by 10am. EC will provide a light breakfast prior to the procession for EC program guests. 

 

Please also indicate if you will plan to stay for the installation service following the procession so that we may include you in our reserved seating plan. If you are Episcopal clergy affiliated with EC, you should plan to process with Diocesan clergy.

 


If you need transportation, Diocesan buses will be departing from:

  • Rockland County

  • New Rochelle

  • Middletown

  • Poughkeepsie

  • Staten Island

  

If you have any questions, please make sure to let me know.


Detention and that border ‘shutdown’: What’s really in Biden’s bipartisan immigration deal (Politico)


"The bipartisan border security deal that’s headed for a pivotal first vote this week would pair $20 billion in emergency spending with policy changes that would amount to the most stringent immigration bill endorsed by a Democratic president in recent memory.

President Joe Biden is calling the bill the “toughest and fairest” in decades — and progressives are calling it a return to the Trump era.

The 370-page bill is already in jeopardy, with House Republican leaders vowing that they’ll never vote on the long-negotiated package. They are joined by conservative senators who argue that the $118 billion-plus legislation, which also sends tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, has too many loopholes to effectively stop spiking migration at the southern border." Read more here.


We are facing a migrant mental health crisis. More school social workers could help. (Chalkbeat)


"A new student recently arrived in my third grade classroom in tears. She missed her mom, who was back in Colombia, she told me. She cried from 8 a.m. until lunch. The other students stared. Some cried, too. Some offered hugs. We all felt the heaviness of the moment.

I tried every trauma-informed technique I knew to comfort her: We took deep breaths, she visited our peace corner, I lent her a teddy bear, we looked at some calming books, and she wrote a letter to her mom. Despite my efforts, this child was inconsolable, and I could not just continue teaching. Our school’s lone social worker was dealing with cases that had already escalated into crises. I felt woefully unprepared." Read more here.


This NYC job training program is helping young adults pivot to high-earning careers (Gothamist)


"A group of adults eager to switch careers or leave their low-wage gigs graduated from a unique job training program last month, ready to work in a growing industry: managing modern-day buildings.

The 14-week workforce development program, run by the nonprofit Stacks+Joules, works to train New Yorkers from largely disadvantaged backgrounds to operate buildings that now rely on technology and apps to run more efficiently. The program propels them into jobs where pay starts at nearly $60,000 a year and prepares them for an industry desperate to hire and expected to grow as New York City aims to go carbon neutral by 2050.

“I see a lot of other workforce programs that are like ancillary skills, but they're not directed at the job. This is one educational tenant that is really definitive of Stacks+Joules, is not teaching the overview, but teaching an incredibly specific task,” said Jonathan Spooner, co-founder of Stacks+Joules. “The outcome has to be employment. It has to be a job.”" Read more here.


WIC Shortfall Could Leave 2 Million Women And Children Hungry (Civil Eats)


" Since 1997, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has received consistent federal funding from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Even during periods of gridlock, members of Congress have always been able to put aside their differences when it comes to funding nutritional benefits for low-income women and children. As a result, millions of women and children struggling with food insecurity have received healthy food, referrals to other social programs, and breastfeeding support at pivotal times in their lives.

Yet Congress recently broke with this precedent in a move—or rather a delay in action—that could jeopardize those nutritional benefits for the most vulnerable families, following a year of record-high food prices and deepening hunger across the U.S.

“Our country has always had a promise when it comes to WIC that it will be there to serve all eligible participants,” Georgia Machell, the interim president of the National WIC Association, told Civil Eats. “If you’re eligible for the program, you should be able to access it. If that promise is broken, it really puts families at risk.”" Read more here.


Kingston affordable housing development gets $15M state grant (Times Union)


"KINGSTON — The proposed Golden Hill affordable housing development on the disused site of a former jail in Kingston received a major boost in the form of a $15 million Homeless Housing Assistance Program grant from the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, officials announced Thursday.

The grant is the largest possible award given by the program, and county officials said in a release that it affirms that the development will meet a dire need in Ulster County for both affordable and supportive housing. The project is a partnership of Ulster County, affordable housing developer and manager Pennrose and the nonprofit Family of Woodstock, which will provide supportive services and hold 51 percent ownership of the project." Read more here.


Open access to services returns in Sullivan County (Mid Hudson News)


"LIBERTY – Sullivan County’s Department of Community Services has announced the resumption of walk-in service for those seeking mental health, substance use and/or other therapeutic assistance, starting in mid-February.

  “We were forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to go to appointments only, but since that crisis has passed and our staffing levels have risen sufficiently, we are very glad to welcome people back who can’t or don’t want to wait for an appointment,” said Deputy Health & Human Services Commissioner Melissa Stickle. “Starting February 13, Community Services will remain open three more hours every Tuesday evening, till 8 p.m., no appointments needed. And starting February 15, our Mental Health Clinic will accept walk-ins every Thursday between 9 a.m. and noon.”" Read more here.


Government officials huddle over Head Start closure (Mid Hudson News)


"WOODBOURNE – Sullivan County officials met behind closed doors on Monday attempting to determine why the county’s Head Start program shut down abruptly.

County Legislature Chairwoman Nadia Rajsz was among those meeting.

“There are continuing discussions with various agencies to see what we can do to support the Head Start agency and to get it reactivated. It has been a long day, a long process, but we are doing everything we can to provide this much needed service to our residents and to our children in the area,” she said." Read more here.


Yonkers, Peekskill, North Rockland among districts getting state funds for mental health (lohud.)


"Fifty school districts, including seven in the Lower Hudson Valley, will get a chunk of $100 million in state grant money to put toward addressing student learning loss and mental health.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the districts receiving the money Wednesday.

Port Chester and Yonkers were among 15 districts receiving grant money to address pandemic learning loss.

Yonkers, Carmel, North Rockland, Hendrick Hudson and Peekskill, along with Southern Westchester BOCES, were among 40 districts statewide receiving mental health grants." Read more here.


New York Common Pantry Personal Care and Hygiene Wishlist


Here's a message from our friends at NY Common Pantry:


"Dear Friends of NY Common Pantry,


As you may have read, a building in the Bronx collapsed [December 11th]. NYCP was asked by the Bronx Borough President's office to provide hygiene kits for the residents that were displaced by this event.  While we could answer the need, it meant that all our supplies have been depleted and we need these kits for our participants who come daily. While we should manage through the holiday - we will need these in the new year.The kits consist of a mix of  toothpaste, shampoo, shaving kits, toothbrush, soap and chapstick etc. They can be made into kits or items can be collected and donated to NYCP where kits can be made.  It might be a perfect January event after the holidays if your schools could help us out with a much needed collection. If your students will travel or parents travel for work, those hotel size toiletries are perfectly fine.This is the link on Amazon to make it even easier to see what is needed and how easy it is to create the kits at home or at work - https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DM1TOXUVSRL7?ref_=wl_share."



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.

  • 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

  • US News and World Report article on newest variant (BA.2.86) - Link Here

  • COVID is back in NY. What to know about schools, nursing homes and more (lohud.) - link here

  • How to Keep Tabs on COVID Through Wastewater Testing in NYC (The City) - link here


Scams pretending to be immigration agencies: How to protect yourself (Documented)


"Fraudulent emails and messages have circulated social media, masquerading as communications from federal immigration agencies, that falsely promise migrants legal representation for obtaining a Green Card in exchange for a small fee. Scammers specifically target Spanish-speaking, migrant New Yorkers who are in the process of adjusting their immigration status.

Rosa Santana, the Bond Director at Envision Fund, contacted Documented regarding scam messages circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp. The emails also falsely claim that failure to respond to the correspondence could result in a “negative report in the migration system,” making individuals “prone to deportation.”

Scam messages that target migrants are nothing new, as Documented reported in the past during the Excluded Workers Fund. However, these new scams exploit the necessity of migrants as they seek asylum in the United States. Here are some of the common scams targeting migrants with immigration cases and how to avoid them." Read the rest of the guide here.


Safe Church Training


Safe Church is handled by the Diocesan Human Resources Department which can be reached at safechurchinfo@dioceseny.org. You can also call 917 414 0156.



Documented's Mental Health Resources for Immigrants in New York


"A list of organizations that provide free or low-cost mental health care services to immigrants in New York

It can be overwhelming to find mental health care services, so Documented compiled a list of organizations and groups that offer low cost options, accept Medicaid, or render free services to individuals who are seeking counseling.

Most of these locations provide services in English and Spanish. We recommend reaching out to the location for more information, as some of the prices for services given are based on the level of income. For emergencies always call 911.


You can also contact NYC Well for free, confidential crisis counseling, mental health, and substance misuse support, information, and referral. You can reach the toll-free helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, text and online chat. Mental health professionals there can link you to the services you need. Phone: 888-692-9355 | (Espanol): 888-692-9355"



NYC migrant crisis: Where to volunteer and what to donate (Gothamist)


"Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly urged New Yorkers to volunteer or donate to help ease the asylum-seeker crisis, but figuring out where to go to help or what items to give can be difficult.

For information on how New Yorkers can help, Gothamist spoke with the mayor's office as well as several organizers involved in daily efforts to aid migrants who have recently arrived in the city." 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."




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.




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That's all for this week -- thanks for all you do!


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