The annual count of New York City street homeless is coming up
A homeless person sleeps on a bench. Shutterstock
Five social justice nonprofits have received $100,000 grants from the Brooklyn Community Foundation. The annual Spark Prize will fund general operations for the organizations – which are the first group to be entirely woman-led, according to a Jan. 10 press release. A total of 120 organizations with annual budgets exceeding $350,000 applied for the grants.
To be eligible, organizations had to have annual operating budgets over $350,000 and be operating for at least five years. Applications were reviewed by the Spark Prize Committee, which narrowed submissions to 20 finalists, and then chose the five winners following in-person interviews. The winners will receive their awards at a Feb. 28 breakfast in Brooklyn. Here is who won:
- The Campaign Against Hunger
- Cypress Hills Child Care Corporation
- Girls for Gender Equity
- Red Hook Community Justice Center
- VOCAL-NY
“As Brooklyn’s community foundation, we are honored to spotlight these five incredible organizations that have done so much to build equity and strength in our communities and take on our borough’s most pressing challenges – from poverty and hunger to criminal justice reform, the opioid epidemic, young women’s leadership, and opportunities for youth and children,” Brooklyn Community Foundation President Cecilia Clarke said in the press release. “Brooklyn is a hub for groundbreaking, high-impact nonprofits, and we hope that this prize not only rewards these organizations’ excellence, but also springboards their future work across our borough and beyond.”
The Children’s Aid Society has received a $100,000 contract from the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The money will fund a mental health program for court-involved youth, according to the City Record. Nonprofits that work with high-risk, justice-involved young people should contact the The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, which is looking for some programming help. The New York City Department of Social Service is looking for case coordination services for 477 formerly homeless families. Proposals are due by Feb. 22.
New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot has something to say about a federal court ruling on the 2020 Census. A federal judge in New York has ordered the Trump administration to remove a citizenship question from the upcoming decennial population count, which will determine congressional representation and federal funding for a variety of programs. Critics of the question’s inclusion asserted that it would lead to undercounting undocumented people.
“I join advocates, state and local officials today in celebrating a federal judge’s critical decision to block the Trump administration’s attempt to include a citizenship question on the census,” Barbot said in a Jan. 15 press release. “The right to be counted is fundamental to our work at the New York City Health Department. We use census data to serve the public health needs of diverse communities citywide – this includes everything from where to open health clinics, to programs to prevent chronic diseases, to emergency preparedness. The ruling also sends a message of solidarity from New York, a proud city of immigrants, to all immigrants nationwide in the face of relentless attacks by the Trump administration.”
The New York City Department of Homeless Services wants some help for its annual count of homeless people on city streets. Volunteers and outreach workers will check streets, parks, subways, and other public spaces from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. on Jan. 28, according to a Jan. 16 press release. The count is mandated by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Prospective volunteers can register at nyc.gov/hope.