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  • Writer's pictureEpiscopal Charities
    • Aug 16
    • 12 min read

Weekly Resource Round-Up: August 16, 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.


Migrant Services Coordination Summit


Summit for Faith & Community Migrant Providers and Advocates on September 17th. This event will provide an opportunity for grassroots groups who serve asylum seekers to gather in one place to connect with experts, strategize around unmet needs and share resources in anticipation of the winter months. Plan to join us on September 17th from 5:30-8:00 PM.


To register or learn more, please visit this link.


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:


  1. The Map itself

  2. The map is now taking submissions, so that you can add your resources to the map. Submit via this form here

  3. The Map has a corresponding Google Drive with translated versions of many of the resources, linked here

  4. 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. 


NYPD dismantles migrant encampment on Randall's Island after sweep (ABC 7 NY)


"RANDALL'S ISLAND, New York (WABC) -- The New York City Police Department dismantled an encampment on Randall's Island after they conducted a sweep on Wednesday and confiscated unregistered cars, motorcycles and mopeds.

The sweep was described as standard, but it coincided with the Adams administration's stance against tolerating encampments outside the shelter -- just as it would not allow them on city streets." Read more here.


City Hall, Evicting More Migrants, Says ‘Encampments Will be Addressed’ (The City)


"New York City has denied shelter to 1,660 migrants since the May rollout of a new system of time limits designed to help the city reduce the number of people living in its migrant shelters, new figures obtained by THE CITY show. 

The updated numbers from the city’s Emergency Management Department come a week after THE CITY documented a burgeoning homeless encampment outside the city-sponsored Randall’s Island migrant shelter. 

When Mayor Eric Adams got a question about the encampment at his once-a-week open-press briefing, his chief of staff, Camille Varlack, responded, saying that people barred from city shelters are still eligible to receive a city-sponsored bus ticket out to another destination in the U.S. 

“That option remains open to them,” she said, adding: “The issue of the encampments will be addressed.” " Read more here.


Landlords Register Tens of Thousands More Rent-Regulated Apartments Under Threat of Fines (The City)


"Landlords are registering tens of thousands more rent-regulated apartments than they have in recent years, as New York takes its first steps to enforce a law Gov. Kathy Hochul signed last year that created heavy new penalties for failing to file with the state.

The law’s passage followed reporting by THE CITY that exposed sharp declines in the number of registered rent-stabilized apartments — and highlighted instances in which landlords removed apartments and leased them at market-rate rent without state approval.

The state Division of Housing and Community Renewal is warning landlords who missed a July 31 registration deadline that they face fines of $500 per month per apartment — up from a one-time $10 surcharge that was rarely enforced.

So far in the 2024 cycle about 919,500 apartments, most of them in New York City, have had registrations submitted to the state by their owners. That’s up from between 750,000 and 800,000 on-time registrations in recent years. " Read more here.


NYC families: Just weeks remain to apply for $120 per child in summer food benefits (Chalkbeat)


"Some New York children are already receiving summer food benefits as part of a new federal program rolling out this year, but hundreds of thousands of eligible families still have yet to apply, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday.

So far, the state has issued nearly $200 million in benefits to more than 1.5 million children through the new Summer EBT program, with eligible families receiving $120 per child. Some families have already received the funds, while others will see them arrive in the coming weeks, according to state officials." Read more here.


To Stem the Housing Crisis, Religious Congregations Are Building Homes (The Chronicle of Philanthropy)


"...Ultimately — after some contentious discussions — the church reached a decision to do its part to help low- and middle-income people acquire housing using the greatest asset it had: valuable real estate.

In 2016 the church sold its land and historic stone building with a green copper steeple to the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, a nonprofit developer, for $8.5 million. The church was razed, and in its place now stands Gilliam Place, a six-story complex with 173 apartments. The building, with ground-floor space that the church rents for worship services, offers homes to people who earn 60 percent or less of the area’s median income.

Hundreds of faith groups are following the same path as Arlington Presbyterian, turning their vacant or lightly used property into homes. For cash-poor congregations that face declining revenue and participation in religious services and rising maintenance costs, developing housing can offer a financial benefit while also expanding their social mission."



FY 2025 New York City Budget Analysis (FPWA)


"On June 30, 2024, New York City passed its budget for fiscal year 2025 (FY25). While the $112.4 B budget is the biggest adopted in New York City history, the human services sector had mixed success in averting proposed cuts to vital services.

In a familiar dance, the series of cuts as part of the “Program to Eliminate the Gap” (PEG) were made in the name of fiscal responsibility, however history has shown that they only create undue strain on an already overworked and undervalued human services sector.

We are pleased that some of the proposed cuts were restored thanks to the tireless work of those championing the human services sector, including proposed cuts to affordable housing, libraries, and cultural services. Despite this, cuts to the Department of Social Services, CUNY, and parks risk further stifling economic security and well-being for New Yorkers.



Fly With REAL ID: What Migrants Need To Know (Documented)


"Starting May 2025, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require that all individuals traveling domestically to have a REAL ID, a form of identification available to U.S. citizens and immigrants who have certain lawful statuses in the country. 

While its implementation will ensure security to detect and prevent individuals who pose national security threats, it will also limit the forms of identification that immigrants with irregular status currently use to board domestic flights. 

Members in our WhatsApp community have inquired if undocumented migrants will be able to travel domestically after REAL ID comes into effect. These are other forms of identification that immigrants can use to meet the federal requirements."



Parole in Place for Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens, When And How to Apply (Documented)


"Eligible undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens can apply for Biden’s parole in place (PIP) program starting August 19.

The program, announced in June, provides individuals who have been present in the United States for ten years since June 17, 2014, and have a valid marriage before June 17 of this year, the possibility to apply for lawful permanent residency without leaving the country."



Independent Sector Releases New Value of Volunteer Time of $33.49 Per Hour (Independent Sector)


"(WASHINGTON, April 23, 2024) – Independent Sector, with the Do Good Institute, announced today that the value of a volunteer hour is $33.49 — a 5.3 percent increase from the previous year. Estimated from data collected in 2023, the figure illustrates the valuable and significant contributions volunteers make every day to support our communities and nation.

Charitable organizations most frequently use the value of volunteer time to recognize the amount of community support an organization receives from its volunteers. Corporations also use the figure to calculate the value of staff volunteer efforts in communities around the country."



Mid-Hudson Valley Community Profiles Website (CGR)


"The Mid-Hudson Valley regional profile provides a wealth of information at your fingertips to help inform decision-making and planning in order to drive positive community change for the seven-county region as a whole.

This web tool includes 59 separate indicators that provide insight into the trends of our community over time. Together, the collection of community indicators tells the story about where we are as a community and the direction in which we are heading.

In recent years, this project has expanded to cover additional counties (Columbia, Greene, Putnam and Sullivan) and added indicators, including data on drug-related deaths that show the spike in opioid abuse, food insecurity and the share of our residents who are foreign-born."



Mid-Hudson Valley Community Profiles Regional Overview Report (CGR)


"The Mid–Hudson Valley Community Profiles project represents a commitment by four of the

region’s leading philanthropic organizations to provide the public with continuously updated

comparative information regarding Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan

and Ulster counties. The project is designed to provide government and nonprofits with an

important tool for assessing and understanding the populations they serve.

The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, Community Foundation of Orange and

Sullivan, Dyson Foundation, United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region jointly commissioned

the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) to collect and analyze the data and maintain the

website. With input from local health and human service providers, the four organizations

selected 60 indicators within the following fields to be included on the site: Children & Youth,

Community, Demographics, Economy, Education, Financial Stability, Health, Housing and

Racial Equity."



How to Apply for Financial Assistance as an Undocumented Student (Borderless)


"Access to higher education can be difficult, especially for noncitizens who are not eligible for financial aid from the federal government.

Politicians, local colleges and community groups have worked to expand financial assistance for undocumented students but challenges persist.

More than a decade ago, former President Barack Obama passed sweeping legislation known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The law shielded young people, often referred to as DREAMers who arrived before turning 16, from deportation and gave them temporary work permits." 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."



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.


  • NYC COVID cases up 250% in 2 months — and this variant's harder to duck (Gothamist) - 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.

  • 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.

  • 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"



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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