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  • Writer's pictureEpiscopal Charities
    • Oct 31
    • 7 min read

Weekly Resource Round-Up: October 31, 2023

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.

  • 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


Addressing Food Insecurity in New York (PBS)


"Food insecurity is a growing crisis in New York, and Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas is leading the charge with a proposed SNAP Bill to provide additional monthly benefit funds to households in need. Also featuring insights from Natasha Pernicka, executive director of The Food Pantries for the Capital District and The Alliance for a Hunger-Free NY." Watch the segment here.


High levels of food insecurity persist in New York (The Capitol Pressroom)


"October 19, 2023 – While many aspects of life have returned to normal since 2020, the problem of food insecurity has continued relatively unabated, according to Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, who talks about the Nourish New York initiative and serving asylum seekers" Listen to the podcast here.


More than 90,000 NYC students haven’t spent recent pandemic food benefits, data shows (Chalkbeat)


"Families of more than 90,000 eligible children in New York City have not redeemed recent allotments of pandemic food benefits, according to data obtained by Chalkbeat.

That means at least $35 million dollars in potential benefits remain unused and could expire early next year, with New Yorkers losing out on the federal funds." Read more here.


NYC schools with enrollment shortfalls face cuts; more budget losses loom (Chalkbeat)


"New York City schools with lower than projected enrollments will see their budgets slashed midyear for the first time in four years.

School and Education Department staffers said the move comes as little surprise given the city’s bleak fiscal situation and dwindling federal COVID relief funds. City officials had used federal funding the past three school years to avert the midyear cuts and hold schools “harmless” if their student rosters fell short of the Education Department’s estimates.

“As NYCPS navigates the current fiscal landscape, we’ve made the necessary decision to revert to our pre-COVID-19 budgeting process,” said Education Department spokesperson Nathaniel Styer." Read more here.


As NYC teens rethink college and career options, counselors are trying to adapt (Chalkbeat)


"When students come into Danielle Insel’s college and career advising office with their sights set on higher education, she has a checklist of next steps ready. For years, around nine out of 10 kids fell into that camp, she estimates.

But recently, a growing number of seniors — upwards of 30%, she guesses — have told her they have no intention of going to college. And more kids than ever are considering ways to make money without a college degree, Insel said – driven in part by people and jobs they’ve encountered on social media. For those students, there’s no equivalent checklist." Read more here.


NYC Shelter Evictions Leave Migrants in Disarray (Documented)


"In July, the Adams administration announced shelter stays for single adult migrants would be limited to 60 days. Then in October, the city announced it would extend it to families with children.

This weekend, city staffers told many migrants to leave city shelters known as temporary respite sites as their 60-day limits elapsed. Some of those migrants who had to leave did not know where to go next. This includes migrants at the shelter on Stockton Street and Lewis Avenue in Brooklyn, where dire conditions were reported earlier this year." Read more 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/


Sous Chef in Need of Work


A parishioner at St. Micheal's Church in the Upper West Side has been volunteering at St. Michael's kitchen program for some time now, but is in need of a paying job as she goes through a life transition. She served in a large soup kitchen in Singapore before moving here, is an excellent sous chef and even has a certificate from Le Cordon Bleu. St. Michael's can't afford to offer another paying position, but if anyone knows of or is any programs looking for some paid help please let Rev. Kate Flexer know at kflexer@saintmichaelschurch.org.


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"


Access the guide here.


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."


Find the guide here.


"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."


Find this guides 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:


  • Study: Food insecurity among households with children during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic - Understanding impacts of the COVID-19 pan­demic among households with children is neces­sary to design appropriate public health responses that protect food and nutrition security. The objec­tive of this research was to understand predictors of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic among households with at least one child. Con­sistent with other data collected and analyzed dur­ing the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study contributes findings that emphasize the need for enhanced public health responses and emer­gency preparedness measures that protect food and nutrition security.

  • Food Forward NYC: 2-Year Progress Report - Food Forward NYC is the City’s first ever 10-year food policy plan, laying out an comprehensive policy framework to reach a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy food system by 2031. Food Forward NYC emphasizes the importance of equity and choice - enabling a food system where everyone should be able to access the food they want wherever they may want it. To enable this choice, we need to support both our food workers and our food businesses. To strengthen the sustainability and resiliency of our food system, we need to rethink our food infrastructure and deepen our connections with the region.

  • NY Healthy Food, Healthy Lives Match Program - This ioby match opportunity may be of interest to BIPOC-led organizations using grassroots fundraising approaches to support food justice work in New York State. For approved participants, donors are matched up to $1,000 and projects may access up to $5,000 in matching, until the program ends. Learn about eligibility requirements and share your idea.

  • 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!


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