This Week's Resources
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.
Washington Heights Choir School Benefit Concert [TOMORROW]
Our friends at Washington heights choir school at Holyrood will be having their benefit tomorrow:
"The Washington Heights Choir School (WHCS) is thrilled to invite you to join us on Wednesday, May 3rd for a joyful evening of music and fellowship celebrating over 12 years of providing our free after-school choir program to the neighborhood. The evening will feature performances by our WHCS choristers, a special collaboration with the Washington Heights Community Choir, and an exciting guest appearance by the Berta Moreno Latin-Jazz Quartet followed by a festive reception.
We hope you’ll consider supporting this program by purchasing tickets, becoming a WHCS sponsor, placing a journal ad, or perhaps making a donation of goods or services to our raffle. We are grateful for your support and hope to see you there!"
Learn more here.
Proposed Rent Hikes For 1M NYC Apartments Up For First Vote Tuesday (Patch NYC)
"Will rents hike up as high as 16 percent in New York City?
New Yorkers could find out Tuesday. The city's Rent Guidelines Board is scheduled for a 7 p.m. meeting, during which they're expected to make their first vote on potential hikes for one million rent-stabilized apartments and homes."
Read more here.
What made it into the 2024 New York budget? (City & State NY)
"After blowing past the April 1 original state budget deadline and weeks of closed-door budget negotiations, amended budget bills finally began to get introduced Sunday evening and Monday morning, marking the official beginning of the end of budget season. The new language comes following Gov. Kathy Hochul’s unveiling of a “conceptual agreement” on the fiscal year 2024 state budget during a surprise press conference last week. Among the policy issues settled are bail reform rollbacks, expansion of charter schools in New York City and an increase in the payroll mobility tax on big businesses in New York City to help the financially strained MTA.
Here’s a guide to help navigate the biggest sticking points in the state budget and whether or not they’ve been included."
Read more here.
Mayor Adams says more migrant buses headed to NY courtesy of Texas (Gothamist)
"Mayor Eric Adams took aim at Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday, alleging the Texas Republican was “once again” playing politics with “people’s lives” and resuming the busing of asylum seekers to New York and other major cities.
In a statement, Adams called the purported action as “morally bankrupt and devoid of any concern for the well-being of asylum seekers.” He offered no details on when the buses would resume or how many were expected.
Nonetheless, Adams said, with Texas “resuming the busing of asylum seekers to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C. … it is also impossible to ignore the fact that Abbott is now targeting five cities run by Black mayors. Put plainly, Abbott is using this crisis to hurt Black-run cities.”
There was no independent confirmation of Abbott’s resuming the bus caravans, which began last year, igniting a cross-country political feud with Democratic leaders, including Adams, and at once drawing attention to the increasing number of migrants crossing the Southern Border."
Read more here.
NYC Water Bill Help: Here's How To Tap Debt Program (Patch NYC)
"NEW YORK CITY — Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers can get help paying the water bill from the city this month.
An amnesty program that will forgive up to 100 percent interest for nearly 200,000 customers with late water bills is being extended until May 31, said Mayor Eric Adams." Read more here.
Dangerous summer heat puts people in NY prison at risk, report says. What are its findings? (Lohud.)
"People incarcerated at a Hudson Valley prison last year complained about dangerous summer temperatures with little respite inside cells, a state monitor said.
Between July 20 and 21, Coxsackie Correctional Facility, a men's prison located about 25 miles south of Albany, experienced temperatures above 90 degrees with high humidity. Nearby weather readings categorized the heat index at the time — or how hot it felt — as "extreme caution," based on National Weather Service thresholds."
Read more here.
NYC parent coordinators are essential school workers. Many feel undervalued and underpaid. (The Chalkbeat)
"New York City schools created the parent coordinator position 20 years ago as a way to connect families to their children’s schools after then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg assumed control of the nation’s largest school system, abolishing the local school boards that had given parents some direct decision-making power.
The role, which typically varies from school to school, has become more critical — and stressful —during the pandemic. Nearly a dozen parent coordinators described how they became their school’s tech support, public health workers, and family therapists. They doled out devices and got families logged onto school accounts. They communicated with families about COVID-related protocols and quarantines, and were often the ones standing outside of schools each morning taking students’ temperatures and collecting health screeners. They fielded calls from families with concerns about returning to buildings and were the ones reaching out to parents when kids went missing from classrooms for prolonged periods of time."
Read more here.
After Anti-Asian Hate: A Guide for Asians Recovering from Hate Crimes (Documented)
"Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a wave of anti-Asian hate crimes in several major cities and regions, including New York City. Despite reaching the end of the pandemic, the Asian community continues to bear the lasting impact and wounds of the hate crimes inflicted upon them."
Read more 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:
Elevating and Mobilizing Voices from across New York to Advocate for an Equitable 2023 Farm Bill - May 25, 1-2:30pm ET - Zoom webinar - To engage New Yorkers in shaping the 2023 Farm Bill, Equity Advocates, Black Farmers United NYS, and Food for the Spirit launched a collaborative statewide Farm Bill campaign beginning with developing a community-informed policy platform. They prioritized outreach to and participation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) farmers, producers, & practitioners in NY State, ultimately hearing from over 300 New Yorkers. The resulting policy platform represents a collective voice from NYS community food leaders, farmers, gardeners, land stewards, producers, and advocates. Join us to hear from these groups on the importance of the Farm Bill for NY food and farming efforts, and their collaborative campaign
Upcoming USDA Spring Grant Opportunities - Deadlines are approaching for various USDA Grants, including those listed below. Find the full list here:
Regional Food System Partnerships (Deadline 5/2). RFSP supports partnerships that connect public and private resources to plan and develop local or regional food systems. The RFSP focuses on building and strengthening local or regional food economy viability and resilience, and this includes pandemic response and recovery. Applicants will work with their partners to catalyze the development of local or regional food systems. Applicants will coordinate efforts within the partnership to set priorities, connect resources and services, and measure progress towards common goals.
Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program – USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (Deadline 5/4). The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is requesting applications for projects to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by providing fruit and vegetable incentives to consumers shopping with their USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps. The incentives increase consumer purchasing power through “double-up-bucks” programs when buying fruits and vegetables.
and more
2023 Champions Award Accepting Nominations - In 2017, the Community Food Funders steering committee created the Champions Award to recognize the organizations empowering food system change in our region. The award aims to promote the work of an outstanding organization that is working towards the transition of our food system to one that pursues a true triple bottom line: a system that honors and values people, the environment, and sustainable economic models. We are now accepting nominations for the 2023 award. Anyone may submit a nomination, and organizations may self-nominate. Deadline: May 12, 2023.
Field Hall Foundation Accepting LOI's - Field Hall Foundation is accepting Letters of Inquiry for its Fall 2023 grant cycle. The Foundation supports programs and projects that directly improve the lives of low-income older adults and their caregivers in Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester Counties. Priority is given to programs that address their most basic needs, including food insecurity. Eligibility requirements and a Letter of Inquiry Cover Sheet with instructions are on their website: Deadline: May 31.
2023 Farm Bill Listening Session - April 26, 2023 2pm-4pm EDT - Virtual - The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is pleased to announce a series of listening sessions on the 2023 Farm Bill. These sessions will complement a series of roundtable discussions held in 2022 by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets and permit OTDA to gain additional perspectives regarding the Farm Bill’s Nutrition Title.
Equity Advocates Workshop Series - Various Dates - Virtual - Equity Advocates hosts an annual series of policy workshops designed to build the advocacy capacity of community food leaders. Our virtual trainings are free & open to Food systems stakeholders in New York. The next training, on April 27, 2023 is: NYC Food Governance: Who Makes Food Policy Decisions at the City Level? Sign up for the virtual workshop here, and view the full list of workshops taking place through September on their website.
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!