This Week's Resources
NYS COVID and MonkeyPox Updates (Plus Info about the Flu, RSV, and Norovirus)
Pandemic food assistance that held back hunger comes to an end (NPR)
How to Donate and Help Migrants Seeking Asylum in NYC (Documented)
As 3-K expansion pauses, NYC hires consultant to study where to move seats (ChalkBeat)
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, 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.
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.
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
Gothamist article on norovirus, a stomach bug that is hitting the Northeast - Read more here.
Pandemic food assistance that held back hunger comes to an end (NPR)
"Millions of Americans will have less to spend on groceries as emergency food assistance that Congress enacted early in the pandemic has ended.
On average, individuals will get about $90 less this month in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. Some households will see a cut of $250 a month or more, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research institute." Read more here.
How to Donate and Help Migrants Seeking Asylum in NYC (Documented)
Documented has talked to some of the groups on the front-line of help migrants seeking asylum in the city and has complied some stories and a list of organizations. Learn more here.
As 3-K expansion pauses, NYC hires consultant to study where to move seats (ChalkBeat)
"As Mayor Eric Adams has backpedaled a plan to expand free preschool for New York City’s 3-year-olds, officials have hired a consulting firm to figure out how many seats should exist in each of the city’s neighborhoods next year.
The city will pay consulting firm Accenture just over $760,000 to “map out needs and seats” because of thousands of vacancies in the program, Jacques Jiha, the city’s budget director, said during Monday’s City Council hearing on the mayor’s preliminary budget.
While Jiha said the city has about 19,000 empty seats this year, education department officials have pinned the number in recent months closer to 16,000. (Spokespeople for City Hall and the education department did not immediately clarify which number is correct.)"
West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) Winter Town Hall [TOMORROW]
Join our friends at WSCAH "for a virtual discussion about the current economic state creating enhanced challenges, such as inflation impacting the cost of food for our customers and community.
West Side Campaign Against Hunger's (WSCAH) CEO, Greg Silverman, will moderate an expert panel including representation from the Northern Manhattan community, partner organizations, and Deloitte."
It will be on March 8th at 12:30 PM. The link to register for the webinar can be found here.
Campaign For Healthy Minds, Healthy Kids: Take Action and Let Elected Leaders Know to Prioritize Children’s Behavioral Health!
Here is an advocacy opportunity that you might be interested in:
"The challenges facing New York’s youth and families are driven by decades of chronic disinvestment in the children’s behavioral health system. This year, Governor Hochul has proposed $1 billion in the State Budget to open behavioral health beds across the state. As significant as this funding is, it will only change the lives of children and families if our state invests adequate funding directly in services for children and families, including by addressing the shortage of behavioral health providers and the crisis of waitlists. If we invest in the policies and programs children and families need now, we can change the trajectory of children’s lives.
Please take a few moments to send the letter [in the link] to your state leaders urging them to take actions to ensure all children in New York can access the behavioral health supports they need."
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.
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:
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.
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.
+++
That's all for this week -- thanks for all you do!