#FairFutures makes its push in New York City

Youth advocates standing on the steps of New York City Hall.

Youth advocates standing on the steps of New York City Hall. Contributed

By Zach Williams

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Foster care advocates rallied in front of New York City Hall on Monday under the hashtag #FairFutures. The campaign aims to convince the city to allocate $50 million in funding “for long-term coaching and robust academic, career development, and independent living supports for foster youth from middle school to age 26,” according to a March 25 press release. Foster care youth and child welfare providers also gave testimony at a budget hearing held by the council’s General Welfare Committee.

 

The Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York is getting into the music business. A new video plugs the song “Apply,” an ode to nonprofits and the upcoming 2019 Nonprofit Excellence Awards. Is the NPCC trying to upstage the Human Services Council’s success with “Everyone Deserves a Fair Slice”? You be the judge:

For the record, the Nonprofit Excellence Awards is an annual program where nonprofits receive management assessments from experts. Finalists can also win cash prizes and scholarships to Columbia Business School leadership programs, according to a press release. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, April 24.

 

More than 1,000 people rallied at the state Capitol for living wage funding for direct care workers in the state budget. At the rally on the second floor of the Capitol, Counsel to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Alphonso David, said that he would not accept a budget that did include funding to boost the minimum wage for state-contracted direct care workers to $15.50 per hour hour upstate and about $17.80 per hour in New York City, according to a March 25 press release. The budget Cuomo unveiled in January did not contain such funding, which would cost about $262 million per year, WHAM reported.

 

Broadway Housing Communities has won a $4.97 million contract from the New York City Department of Social Services. The money will fund supportive single-room occupancy for single adults, according to the City Record. West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing will provide similar services for the city agency, per a $1.14 million contract. Low income New Yorkers will receive $300,000 worth of legal services from Riseboro Community Partnership.

Testing for Measles and other communicable diseases is coming through a new contract with the Pittsburgh-based Biopool Us Inc Trinity Biotech Distribution, which landed a $100,000 contract with the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  

NEXT STORY: Here is how New York City is doing on child welfare reform