April 2026

Dear Friends,

I’m excited to celebrate our accomplished runners. On April 12th, 2,800 runners braved the early morning chill to run for a cause in the NYCRUNS Prospect Park 5K benefiting CAMBA. The cold was offset by the warm feeling of camaraderie, sunshine and community! I was thrilled to be there hearing from so many of you personally, either before the start line, or at the finish line. I learned so many stories of people who run with their families each year, started a team to support CAMBA, were racing for personal goals, and met so many who run for CAMBA annually. Thanks to all of you, and our partners at NYC RUNS whose staff and volunteers ensure a smooth path to the finish line!

Huge thanks to our sponsors whose support helps CAMBA offer people opportunities to improve their lives through our wide range of programs in six interconnected areas: housing stability, education & youth development, family & community support, health, economic development, and legal services.

We’ll be in touch with next year’s Prospect Park Race date and I hope to meet even more of you at the start or finish line!

April is nationally recognized as Maternal and Child Health month. Please scroll down to learn more about CAMBA’s maternal and child health programs. Keep reading to learn more about Boerum Hill High School National Honor Society, which helped recently at the Van Dyke Community Center.

With Gratitude,

The United States continues to have one of the higher maternal mortality rates in the world, and the death rate for Black women is nearly twice the national average. Addressing the 80% of maternal deaths that are preventable strengthens families, which in turn strengthens neighborhoods, our city, and the regional economy. CAMBA has been offering programs that invest in maternal and infant health and education since 1995. We have piloted two additional programs since 2020 and share an overview of all four programs in honor of Maternal and Child Health Month.

• The MOMS (Mental Health Outreach for Mothers) Program: MOMS was piloted in 2024 in partnership with Yale University Elevate Research Lab in two of CAMBA’s family shelters. The program bridges the gap in access to care for underserved, high-risk women. Services include case management, along with access to community health workers and birth and postpartum doulas. in 2025 MOMS provided 62 participants with a much-needed network of social-emotional support. 87% of survey respondents reported receiving referrals and connections to services. Of those, 71% reported engaging in or starting those services and resources. We are in the process of launching the MOMS program to two additional family shelters.
• Moving Mothers Health Forward (MMHF): MMHF was launched in late 2020. The program teaches and encourages actions and behaviors that promote healthy pregnancies and healthy babies and children through community outreach, education, needs screening, case management, and home visiting services. In the past year, MMHF provided services to 171 women and 140 children aged 0-2. 99%, of mothers received prenatal care and 90% received postpartum supportive care. 26 full-term babies were born, 22 of whom were full-term.
• iCare/Perinatal and Infant Community Collaborative: iCare promotes women and infant health through the use of evidence-based education curriculums and short-term case management. In 2025, the program served 191 families and individuals and made nearly 400 home visits. CAMBA Community Health Workers conducted 1,026 screenings that examined risk factors for pre-and postpartum depression, intimate partner violence, development delays, and socio-economic needs. Our teams also made more than 500 referrals to managed care, WIC, housing stability, medical providers, and family planning programs.
• Healthy Families New York: CAMBA has been running the program since 1995. It is an evidence-based home visiting program that supports families during pregnancy and early childhood by pairing parents with knowledgeable and caring home visiting staff. In the current reporting period, the Healthy Families team received 352 referrals. Nearly half of these families, 48%, were offered services and nearly half of those were enrolled in at least one program.

We'd like to share a 'thank you' from a MMHF client who moved into a CAMBA Family Shelter during her second trimester of pregnancy and had received no prior prenatal care. With MMHF program support she had a healthy baby boy.

“You all were the ones that motivated me - to let me know that everything is going to be alright and don’t worry - and it worked. It is all right, it is good, because he is here. Having the support is everything...the team was a blessing."

The team at the Van Dyke Community Center was incredibly grateful to welcome students from the Boerum Hill High School National Honor Society. The students collected toiletries and donated to the Broadway House Women's Shelter. They also visited the Van Dyke Cornerstone to help with a clean-up project. After the volunteers had finished cleaning up and were waiting for the lunch to arrive, the senior class pickleball group showed them how to play pickleball!

The students’ positive energy, hard work, and willingness to help, made a meaningful impact on the space. It was a pleasure to work alongside this dedicated group, and the team at Van Dyke looks forward to potential opportunities to work together again.

Federal Budget Cuts Will Increase NYC Poverty

Robin Hood and Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy recently released a new report on poverty in New York City. This report shows the city’s poverty rate climbed to 26%, which is twice the national average. Nearly 5 million New Yorkers, or 3 in 5, live below 200% of the poverty line, putting them just one setback away from falling into poverty.

CAMBA is working to oppose these cuts — and we are grateful to federal lawmakers from both parties who have stood firm, refusing to eliminate key health, housing, and education programs. You can lend your voice to these efforts! Sign the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s letter opposing federal housing cuts or click here to tell Congress to preserve important programs that serve our refugee communities.

As you know, the holistic support services CAMBA offers in the community create generational change - from economic and housing stability, to youth programs supporting college and career success. Please share our social media posts with your own networks. Together we can continue to create stable, safe and successful communities throughout New York City.