Buzz: March 6, 2018: Close to Home advocates ... Nonprofit Excellence Awards ... Bronxworks gets $13M

Child welfare advocates went on a roadtrip to Albany yesterday to urge state lawmakers to prevent a $40 million cut to the Close to Home program, which places juvenile offenders near their communities. Organizations that sent representatives included SCO Family of Services, The Children’s Village, Sheltering Arms, Leake and Watts, Children’s Defense Fund and Good Shepherd Services. Paulette LoMonaco, executive director of Good Shepherd, said in a press release that the proposed cut – which would eliminate all state funding for the program – comes at a time when Close to Home is more important than ever to juvenile justice reform efforts. “Last April, with the passage of Raise the Age legislation, New York State made historical progress that will ensure that 16 and 17 year olds will no longer be sent to adult facilities. As a result, Close to Home placements are expected to triple -  and to be successful, we need the state’s support. We urge leaders in Albany to help our city’s youth by opposing the current $40 million cut in the Close to Home funding for New York City,” she said in the press release.

The Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York is accepting applications for the 2018 New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The awards offer recipients a through review of their management practices. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 20, 2018. A total of nine organizations will receive $50,000 in awards, and organizations are eligible for multiple grants of $5,000, according to a press release. More information is available here.

The New York City Department of Homeless Services is looking for proposals for organizations that work with homeless adults and families. There is no due date for the contracts which would fund neighborhood based cluster residences, drop-in centers, and overnight facilities, according to the City Record. Bronxworks meanwhile secured a $13.2 million contract for homebase homelessness prevention services in the Bronx.