Participatory Budgeting NYC

Photo Credit: Participatory Budgeting NYC

 

 

 

ParticipatoryBudgeting NYC: Eight members of the New York City Council are taking part in Participatory Budgeting, a process by which community members choose where money is spent in their neighborhood. NeighborhoodAssemblies, where community members can learn about the process and submit their idea for projects, will occur on October 7, 10, and 15. Click here for more info about participatory budgeting, and click here to sign up for an online information session. 

 

courtesy of Citizen Committee of New York

Democracy, Imagination & Peeps of Color: Brooklyn Community Dialogue

Clip art Credit: itlnewsmedia.com

 

A civic performance and dialogue with Bed-Stuy youth and community members, this event is the culmination of a 3-day intensive workshop inspired by Sekou Sundiata's provocative speech, Thinking Out Loud: Democracy, Imagination and Peeps of Color. The students are engaging with ideas about democracy, citizenship and art, developing their own performance pieces as a creative response and will present them alongside works by poets Kesed and Jeffrey Dessources. Workshop leaders include Kadeem Alston Roman, Keisha Turner, Michael Hill and Kesed. Please RSVP to ssiegel@baileyscafe.org or 718-670-7063.

 

courtesy of Weekly UpLink, September 24, 2013

Alarming Data on Substance Daily Use by Adolescents

On an average day, 881,684 teenagers aged 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report also says that on average day 646,707 adolescents smoked marijuana and 457,672 drank alcohol.

To provide some perspective, the number of adolescents using marijuana on an average day could almost fill the Indianapolis Speedway (seating capacity 250,000 seats) two and a half times.

"This data about adolescents sheds new light on how deeply substance use pervades the lives of many young people and their families," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “While other studies indicate that significant progress has been made in lowering the levels of some forms of substance use among adolescents in the past decade, this report shows that far too many young people are still at risk."

 

Click here to review data

Superstorm Sandy Social Services Block Grant

Image Credit: The Atrium Studio (UK)

Deadline:   8/30/2013

Funding Amount:   The State of New York will distribute $200,034,600 in federal Superstorm Sandy Social Services Block Grant (Sandy SSBG) funding to eligible health and human services providers.

Eligibility:   For Profit , For Profit (Other than Small Business), Local Government, Non Profit 501 (c)(3)(Not Higher Ed)

Agency:   New York State

Grant ID:  Sandy SSBG Request for Proposals

Summary:   New York will allocate Sandy SSBG funding to address four Focus Areas: A. Repair, renovation and rebuilding; B. Uncompensated operational costs, including provision of critical services during/after Superstorm Sandy; C. Ongoing support and social services for those impacted by Superstorm Sandy; and, D. Flexibility to ensure that additional eligible social service needs resulting from Superstorm Sandy can be addressed.

Sandy SSBG funding must be used for costs that are 1) directly related to Superstorm Sandy and populations that were impacted by it; and 2) not reimbursed and not currently eligible for reimbursement by the federal government (including FEMA), private insurance and any other public or private funding sources. Duplication of benefits is prohibited.

Eligible costs include the traditional SSBG-funded services: Adoption Services; Case Management Services; Congregate Meals; Counseling Services; Day Care-Adults; Day Care-Children; Education and Training Services; Employment Services; Family Planning Services; Foster Care Services-Adults; Foster Care Services-Children; Health-Related Services; Home-Based Services; Home-Delivered Meals; Housing Services; Independent/Transitional Living Services; Information and Referral Services; Legal Services; Pregnancy and Parenting Services; Prevention and Intervention Services; Protective Services-Adults; Protective Services-Children; Recreational Services; Residential Treatment Services; Special Services-Disabled; Special Services-Youth at Risk; Substance Abuse Services; Transportation Services; Other Services.

The Sandy SSBG supplemental appropriation also allows funding to be used for: Renovation, repair and rebuilding services; Health care and mental health services, including costs associated with service delivery as well as the operational cost of sustaining the ability to provide such services in order to subsequently reopen facilities entirely shut down as a result of Superstorm Sandy.

Click HERE for funding link  

Click HERE for more information

Preparing for Disaster: The New Normal

Photo Credit: FanPop

 

Join the Queens Forum on Wednesday July 17th for the “Preparing for Disaster: The New Normal” conference. The conference will convene local professionals, community and faith-based leaders, elected officials, representatives of government agencies, activists, advocates, educators, and case workers to learn about best practices, tools, and resources to address issues relating to emergency preparedness and resiliency in Queens and around New York City at large.

 

The conference will take place in the Little Theater at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College located at 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 from 9 AM – 3 PM. The registration fee is $25 which includes breakfast and lunch; scholarships are available. For more information or to register for the conference click here.

2013 CADCA GOT OUTCOMES APPLICATION DEADLINE

Logo Credit: CADCA

CADCA is accepting applications for the 2013 GOT OUTCOMES! Coalition of Excellence Awards and is seeking strong candidates to apply. We wanted to reach out to you, the National Coalition Academy Graduates; because we know that the training you received at the NCA can help you put together a strong GOT OUTCOMES! application. The application and information requested is built around our training model and many of the coalitions that win are former NCA graduates. 

Some of you receiving this message are past winners (congratulations!). Past winners in the Coalition in Focus or Milestones category can apply again for a Coalition of the Year award. Some of you may have applied before and it just might be time to dust off that application, get your new data together, and apply again! If you have considered applying in the past, or are not familiar with the awards, please visit our web page where you can learn all about how CADCA is recognizing coalitions for their contributions to substance use/abuse outcomes: www.cadca.org/gotoutcomes.

If you answer “YES” to these questions, you are a strong candidate for an award:

1.    Are you seeing reductions in substance use rates and/or positive changes in the root causes of your identified problems such as perception of harm and perception of availability?

2.    Does your coalition have strong data on the local conditions in your community that are contributing to the root causes of your identified problems (e.g. knowing not just that youth believe alcohol is easy to access, but specifically how they are accessing it in your community)?

3.    When you take a look at your outcomes and all of the strategies and interventions you have already completed, do you feel you can make the case for your coalition’s contribution to those outcomes you are seeing today?

Applications are due on June 26th and CADCA will review your draft application materials and provide feedback to help you strengthen your application prior to submission. These draft materials would need to be received by CADCA at gotoutcomes@cadca.org by Wednesday, June 12^th. All of the application instructions and materials are available on the GOT OUTCOMES! web page at www.cadca.org/gotoutcomes. On the web page, you can also listen to a recorded applicant webinar we conducted earlier this month and access numerous other resources.   

Coalitions interested in applying should contact CADCA staff to help answer any questions about the application. Please email gotoutcomes@cadca.org or call 1-800-54-CADCA, ext. 245 or ext. 262.

FUNDING ALERT --- March 2013 Edition

Photo Credit:Vizyons.wordpress.com

Sponsored By US Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children & Families, Region II in collaboration with Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University Wurzweiler Community Partnership Committee
Friday, April 5, 2013 at 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Location at Yeshiva University, 2495 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10033 (on the corner of West 183rd Street). 9th Floor (Belfer Hall) in room 921.

This interactive Grant Writing workshop will help non-profit organizations understand what to do and what to avoid when applying for federal grant funds. Learn how the funding process works, how to use on-line resources to find funding from the 26 federal agencies that award grants and how to develop a grant proposal that will score well in the competitive review.  The training is free! Registration is required. Deadline is March 28, 2013 but registration close earlier if maximum capacity is reached.
Register online at findingandapplyingforfederalfunding.eventbrite.com
For additional information, contact: Josabet Cuevas at Josabet.cuevas@acf.hhs.gov
or call (212) 264-2890, ext. 123

Challenge Grants
National Endowment for the Humanities challenge grants are capacity-building grants, intended to help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements in and support for their humanities programs and resources. Through these awards, many organizations and institutions have been able to increase their humanities capacity and secure the permanent support of an endowment. Grants may be used to establish or enhance endowments or spend-down funds that generate expendable earnings to support and enhance ongoing program activities.
Applications are due by May 1st
CLICK HERE FOR THE WEBSITE

Manhattan Borough President's Office (MBPO) Community Grants: Each year the Manhattan Borough President’s Office (MBPO) partners with City agencies to provide programmatic funding to organizations that sustain, foster, and enhance the quality of life for Manhattan’s residents, neighborhoods, and communities. Apply by May 3rd.
Applications are due by May 3rd
CLICK HERE FOR THE WEBSITE 

Farm to School Grant Program: The purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. On an annual basis, USDA awards up to $5 million in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs. 

Applications are due by April 24

CLICK HERE FOR THE WEBSITE

Here’s How a Simple Snapshot Could Change a Community

photo courtesy: Belgrade Library

 

 

Learn how the power of photographs can be used to change your community. The NYC Prevention Resource Center presents the Photovoice Interactive Seminar. During this seminar you will learn how images in your community can be transformed into powerful messages for community change.

 

This interactive seminar will provide you with the opportunity to learn about Photovoice and conduct your own Photovoice project. We will also allow time to plan your own approach and determine its use in your community.

To learn more, join us on February 28^th where you will learn how the Photovoice tool can be used to change your community.

Click on to view photos and narratives below. These two images represent positive and adverse aspect of a community. 



Postive Aspect of a Community



Issue | Concern of a Community

Organizing Your Community Workshops

Citizens Committee offers the following free workshops for resident-led groups and individuals interested in working on community improvement projects. Those who complete four workshops will receive a NeighborhoodLeadership Institute certificate.  The workshops are held in downtown Manhattan.  RSVP is required.

Group Structure
Saturday, February 23 | 11:00-2:00
Build and maintain an effective neighborhood association or community group.

Media Tools
Saturday, March 23 | 11:00-2:00
Increase public support for your group by framing your message and alerting local media.

Navigating City Government
Saturday, April 20 | 11:00-2:00
Learn how government functions and how to have your community issues addressed. 

Grassroots Fundraising
Saturday, May 18 | 11:00-2:00
Support your group's work with community fundraising efforts.

To register, please contact Wilfredo at wflorentino@citizensnyc.org / 212-822-9568.