This Week's Resources
States have ramped up efforts to enact stricter immigration laws, group finds (CBS News)
Food insecurity went up again – what’s going on here? (Food Fix)
Rural America is Struggling. Where's Philanthropy? (The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
NYS COVID and MonkeyPox Updates (Plus Info about the Flu, RSV, and Norovirus)
Documented's Mental Health Resources for Immigrants in New York
Documented's Immigrant Resources and Job/Housing Discrimination Guides
If you have resources to share with our network, please contact Tobi Mojeed-Balogun our Associate Director of Programs Support.
EC Grant Seekers' Meetings
In our ongoing efforts to demonstrate the ability to respond to acute needs, maintain flexibility to be responsive and better support our grantee partners, we have developed a new grants process that reflects our commitment to innovation and impact.
This new approach marks a departure from our previous grants we’ve come to know as BHN and YOG. It is designed to streamline the application requirements eliminating barriers that may have previously hindered submissions, ensuring that more programs can apply for funding.
We recognize that you are the heartbeat of our mission, and we want to ensure that you have the support you need to continue your valuable work. As such, to facilitate this transition, we will be offering a series of training workshops and information sessions. These will cover important aspects of the new process. The first Grant Seekers Information overview will be held Monday, September 16th at 2:00pm
Please keep an eye on your inbox for further details about the training sessions and how to register. Your participation will be immensely valuable, and we encourage all our grantees to take advantage of these opportunities.
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:
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.
States have ramped up efforts to enact stricter immigration laws, group finds (CBS News)
"Efforts by state lawmakers across the U.S. to pass stricter immigration laws have increased significantly over the past four years under the Biden administration, according to a report released by a national civil rights group on Thursday.
The League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest Latino civil rights organization in the U.S., found that state lawmakers have proposed 233 laws that the group considers to be "anti-immigrant" — up from 132 in 2023, 64 in 2022, 81 in 2021 and 51 in 2020.
Those proposals include measures to criminalize unauthorized entry into the U.S. at the state level, curb so-called "sanctuary" policies that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities and address concerns about noncitizen voting attempts, which studies show are rare. Other measures have sought to crack down on the hiring of undocumented workers.
The report, first shared with CBS News, underscores how Republican state officials across the country have increasingly sought to challenge the federal government's long-standing authority to set immigration and border policy." Read more here.
Food insecurity went up again – what’s going on here? (Food Fix)
"In 2023, the number of Americans experiencing food insecurity jumped for the second consecutive year, according to data released by the Agriculture Department this week. " Read more abut why here.
Newburgh opts into ‘good-cause’ eviction law (Times Union)
"NEWBURGH — The city has opted into the state’s “good-cause” eviction law, which prohibits evictions under certain circumstances and limits how much landlords can increase rent for eligible tenants.
The seven-member City Council voted unanimously to adopt the state law during Monday night’s meeting.
The law gives municipalities that opt-in some leeway to modify the measure. Like Albany, Kingston, Poughkeepsie and Beacon, Newburgh has tailored its version to target landlords of multiple properties by exempting those who only own one rental unit in the state. Tenant advocates say this exemption helps close the “LLC loophole” by not letting landlords hide their real estate portfolios behind anonymous shell companies." Read more here.
Rural America is Struggling. Where's Philanthropy? (The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
"...Economists at the Federal Reserve are working on the first comprehensive look at rural philanthropy in almost a decade. Their work is expected to show that national foundations continue a long-term trend of underinvesting in rural areas.
In early 2025, the research is expected to affirm statistics that have roughly persisted for at least a generation: Rural areas receive only about 7 percent of philanthropic spending, even though they account for 14 to 20 percent of the population. (The wide range is due to varying definitions of “rural.”) Put another way, rural areas receive only a third to half as much philanthropic support as one would expect based on population alone.
Few national foundations have made investing in rural America a signature issue. When asked to name a major national foundation with a strategic plan for rural grant making, most rural advocates can name just one — the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which hopes to improve health outcomes in some of the nation’s most diverse and poverty-stricken rural areas." Read more here.
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."
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.
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
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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