This Week's Resources
Hundreds of upstate migrants expected to be relocated back to NYC (New York State of Politics)
How to Buy Groceries Right Now Without Breaking the Bank (Time)
Food Companies Hope You Won’t Notice Shortages Are Raising Prices (Bloomberg)
The Real Reason Food Costs Have Skyrocketed (The Bittman Project)
When plant foods are ultra-processed, the health benefits disappear (The Washington Post)
Money Migration: Incomes, Migration, and Gentrification in the Hudson Valley during the Covid-19 Pandemic (Hudson Valley Pattern For Progress)
If you have resources to share with our network, please contact Tobi Mojeed-Balogun our Associate Director of Programs Support.
2024 Bulk Buy Application
We are thrilled to announce that we are accepting proposals for our 2024 Bulk Buy Program! Bulk Buy allows us to aggregate food purchasing across the Diocese and means free high-quality food for EC programs. This is a rolling application and this round of granting will end on July 8th. You can find our brief application form HERE! Please contact me (Tobi) with any questions or concerns.
East Village Neighbors Who Care Resource Map
East Village Neighbors Who Care is a community organization based in the city that has been serving migrants/newcomers and has completed a resource map:
The map is now taking submissions, so that you can add your resources to the map. Submit via this form here
The Map has a corresponding Google Drive with translated versions of many of the resources, linked here
This map serves dual purpose: 1) for asylum seekers to use to find the resources they need and 2) for those serving asylum seekers to direct people to appropriate services. If that sort of outreach model works for your site, add your information.
Giving Continues Its Decline, Down 2.1% in 2023. Can Fundraisers Turn the Tide in 2024? (The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
"Giving has gotten off to a strong start in 2024, and fundraisers are cautiously optimistic about the second half of the year.
Many nonprofits are coming off two years when inflation wiped out gains in giving. Overall charitable giving dropped 2.1 percent in 2023 after inflation, according to the most recent “Giving USA” report, the key findings of which were released Tuesday." Read more here.
Math instruction overhaul: NYC unveils new curriculum mandate for middle and high schools (Chalkbeat)
"Math instruction is the latest problem New York City officials are trying to solve.
Middle and high schools are adopting standardized math curriculums in hopes of addressing stark racial disparities in state test scores, Mayor Eric Adams said Monday.
Known as “NYC Solves,” the new initiative takes a page from the city’s literacy curriculum overhaul, the signature education policy of Adams and schools Chancellor David Banks, which requires elementary schools to choose from among three pre-approved reading curriculums.
“Schools all over the city, even on math, were just kind of doing their own thing,” Banks said at a press conference at Samara Community School in the Bronx. “That’s no way to run a system.”
The vast majority of high schools are in the process of adopting a single Algebra 1 curriculum. By this fall, 420 high schools will use Illustrative Mathematics for that subject, a program that emphasizes building students’ conceptual understanding of math rather than focusing on more step-by-step procedures. (Six high schools were granted waivers from using the curriculum; officials did not immediately say which ones.)" Read more here.
NY is poised to phase out Regents exam requirements. For English learners, especially, it’s past time. (Chalkbeat)
"I cheered when the news broke Monday morning that the New York State Education Department plans to make Regents exams optional — meaning that passing these tests, which have been administered for more than 150 years, will no longer be required to earn a standard high school diploma.
The Board of Regents still has to vote in November, and students will have to take these exams for at least another year. But the planned change can’t come soon enough, especially for our growing cohort of English Language Learners, or ELLs." Read more here.
Hundreds of upstate migrants expected to be relocated back to NYC (New York State of Politics)
"Hundreds of migrants in the state who were moved outside New York City will be relocated back to the five boroughs in the coming weeks, New York State Association of County leaders said Monday.
More than 200,600 migrants have arrived in the state since spring 2022, and more than 65,600 people remain in the city's care, according to city data. Up to 1,500 migrants live in temporary emergency shelter outside the city.
New York Mayor Eric Adams' office and counties are working together on a plan to relocate displaced asylum seekers back to the city after school adjourns for the summer this week, New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen Acquario said.
"The city placing migrants in upstate was always meant on a temporary basis," Acquario said Monday, adding Adams initially bused the newcomers outside the city after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent thousands of additional people to New York." Read more here.
‘Apply as soon as possible.' Lawyer explains what the Biden administration's new immigration plan consists of (NBC News LA)
"President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday a new executive order that would shield over half a million people from deportation by creating a plan to grant legal status to migrants married to U.S. citizens.
Thousands of undocumented immigrants could benefit from Biden’s expanded immigration plan, which aims to also ease the Visa process for recipients of the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program. NBC4 spoke to immigration lawyer Alma Rosa Nieto, who shared insight on the new plan with the limited information revealed." Read more and watch the feature here.
How to Buy Groceries Right Now Without Breaking the Bank (Time)
"Prices in grocery stores across the country are now up 25% from pre-pandemic levels, data from the Bureau of Labour Statistics shows. Staring down rising prices at the supermarket checkout line, many Americans are feeling the impact. Within the last few years, 80% of Americans say they’ve felt a notable increase in the cost of groceries—and more than a quarter have said they’ve occasionally skipped meals as a result of rising costs, according to a study conducted by Qualtrics on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma.
“As prices continue to rise, people may be afraid to go shopping, which leads to them eating out more or not [making] the best decisions when it comes to cooking,” says Will Coleman, a chef and content creator who shares tips for saving money on groceries on his Instagram. Most recent USDA data from 2022 shows that Americans were spending an average of 11% of their discretionary income on eating both at home and in restaurants—the highest percentage since 1991. “With prices going up, there must be more resources and knowledge being shared about shopping and cooking [more accessible],” Coleman notes.
TIME spoke with experts about why groceries are so expensive and ways to keep costs down while you shop." Read more here.
The Real Reason Food Costs Have Skyrocketed (The Bittman Project)
"Americans are worried about the increasing cost of groceries – one recent survey found that a whopping 90 percent of adults expressed concern about that, and food costs topped consumers’ list of economic worries.
There is good reason for this: In March 2024, consumers spent 95 percent more for a carton of eggs, 33 percent more for a pound of ground beef, and 22 percent more for a gallon of milk than they did before the pandemic. According to an analysis by Food and Water Watch, a corporate watchdog group, food costs for an average family of four living on a “thrifty” budget increased 50 percent from January 2020 to January 2024, from $654 to $976 a month.
The results of these cost rises are dire. Since pandemic-era expansions to the social safety net expired at the end of 2021, hunger has been on the rise. The number of households facing food insecurity grew by 3.5 million between 2020 and 2022. Households with children are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, growing by 24 percent between 2021 and 2022 alone. The Department of Agriculture estimates some 28 million adults in America lack constant access to enough food to lead an active and healthy life, forcing them to lead unbalanced diets, cut portion sizes, and skip meals." Read more here.
When plant foods are ultra-processed, the health benefits disappear (The Washington Post)
"Eating a plant-based diet is good for your health, but not if those plant foods are ultra-processed, a new study has found.
The findings show that all plant-based diets aren’t the same, and that plant foods can have very different effects on your health depending on what manufacturers do to them before they reach your plate.
The new research, published on Monday in the journal Lancet Regional Health — Europe, found eating plant-derived foods that are ultra-processed — such as meat substitutes, fruit juices and pastries — increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But when plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts are only minimally processed, meaning they are cleaned, cut and packaged but served largely as they are found in nature, they have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease." Read more here.
Map the Meal Gap 2024 Report (Feeding America)
"May 15, 2024
The extra amount of money that people facing hunger said they need to have enough food reached its highest point in the last 20 years, according to Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study. People facing hunger said they need an additional $24.73 per week in 2022, a 9.5% increase after adjusting for increased prices. Nationally, the amount needed among all 44 million people facing hunger in 2022 hit a record high of $33.1 billion, up nearly 43%. This increase suggests that rising prices, especially food prices, likely contributed in part to the increase in need.
Map the Meal Gap is the only study that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district in the U.S. The study builds upon the USDA’s latest report of national and state data, which showed a sharp increase in food insecurity in 2022 amidst historically high food prices and the expiration of many pandemic-era programs. Map the Meal Gap emphasizes the urgent call for all of us to take action." Read more here.
Money Migration: Incomes, Migration, and Gentrification in the Hudson Valley during the Covid-19 Pandemic (Hudson Valley Pattern For Progress)
"The movement of households throughout the State of New York during the Covid-19 pandemic also shifted the geographic distribution of incomes in the Hudson Valley.
Relatively high-earning households from the New York City metropolitan area brought more than $1 billion in gross incomes as they moved into communities north of Interstate 84, accelerating gentrification in rural towns and small cities. At the same time, counties in the lower Hudson Valley lost more gross income to migration than they gained, as people sought less expensive places to live.
Some of these trends were well established for years, but the frenzy of movement during the pandemic changed the pace and scale of migration and its effects on the Hudson Valley. For several of our counties – Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster – the annual amount of income that moved into their communities increased by as much as tenfold compared to the pre-pandemic baseline."
Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program
Thank you to Susan Fowler for this tip:
"More than 9 million children in the United States are food insecure, according to the USDA. Stop & Shop works directly with schools to establish and support food pantries to ensure that kids don't have to go to school hungry—and to help them perform their best. Stop & Shop Food Pantries nourish students ranging from pre-K through college.
How it works
Stop & Shop identifies schools in need within its communities and works to support a schools' existing food pantry program—or to help them establish one.
Submit an application for school pantry needs here
If you need assistance, please contact SSSchoolFoodPantry@StopandShop.com"
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.
For more information on Safe Church, visit https://dioceseny.org/administration/congregations/recruiting-and-employment/sexual-misconduct-awareness-2/safe-church/
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"
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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