The months of July and August seemed to pass in a flurry as our programs continued to assist the communities in our city hardest hit by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Even as many of us continue a "return to normal," many of our fellow New Yorkers are still struggling to make ends meet in order to provide for themselves and their families. Additionally, with the Delta variant now making up the majority of cases in the tri-state area, concerns are mounting for the unvaccinated and those who are immunocompromised.
A year and a half into the pandemic, we are so thankful for the continued dedication of CAMBA staff who are still showing up in-person every day without respite at our shelters and residential facilities, our food pantry, and our violence prevention programs. Thanks to their dedication, we can continue to deliver our necessary programs and services. And thanks to your continued support, we can continue to be there for the more than 65,000 New Yorkers in need who rely on us every year.
Warmly,
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Joanne M. Oplustil
CAMBA President & CEO
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BIVO Takes to the Streets
to Denounce Gun Violence
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Last month, our Anti-gun violence program BIVO (Brownsville in Violence Out) hosted a community response to denounce gun violence as a response to incidents where five young men were shot in Brownsville, Brooklyn. BIVO partnered with residents, clergy, and other community-based organizations to say Enough is Enough!
While the BIVO team is committed to responding in a timely manner to incidents like these, providing much needed conflict resolution and mediation services to local residents who've suffered trauma caused by gun violence, the BIVO team is embedded in the community every day, rain or shine, to provide preventive services, share information, and offer therapeutic support to help those dealing with stress and loss.
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CAMBA's Education & Youth Development Programs Transition from Summer to Fall |
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Last month, CAMBA's Beacon 164 Community Center hosted a Summer Rising, now Back-to-School Giveaway. Every Summer Rising participant received a new backpack for the school year, which contained notebooks, pencils, whiteouts, erasers, and much more. Events like these help to prepare and excite our local students as they return to in-person learning this fall, especially after a full year of remote learning.
We had more than 2,000 children enrolled in CAMBA's Summer Rising program across 12 locations. Nearly 1,000 children, teens, and community members participated in its Cornerstone Center Summer program.
CAMBA’s Community Centers are hubs of activity and support for students and families throughout Brooklyn. Together, these 13 centers provide comprehensive services to over 5,000 children, youth and adults each year. Through health fairs, theater presentations and other community events, we reach a total of 12,300 local residents. Our portfolio includes four Beacon Community Centers located in New York City public schools and nine Cornerstone Community Centers located in public housing developments.
We also had nearly 700 youth participate in CAMBA's Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), with more than 400 older youth and nearly 300 younger youth.
CAMBA’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) places youth who live in the five boroughs in subsidized minimum‑wage jobs, helping youth gain valuable work experience and much-needed income. Youth also develop important professional skills, such as critical thinking, communication, work‑place etiquette, financial responsibility and time management. The program places youth in government agencies, private non‑profits and for-profits in a range of positions, including as camp counselors, clerical and custodial positions, as hospital/recreational aides, and as teacher aides/library assistants. This program is funded by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development.
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Leading to College Graduates
from The School for Human Rights
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Pictured left to right (standing): Abigail Young, Salutatorian Michelle Reyes, Patrick Saget;
Valedictorian Siera Long, Natalia Bazzey, and (kneeling) Adriana Vargas
We would like to congratulate all our 2021 Leading to College graduates from The School for Human Rights! Graduating students are each awarded a traditional African Kente cloth stole on which to place their achievement pins at the time of their graduation. The symbols on the stole include a key (representing a seat of leadership). Leading to College (LtC) is an intensive collaboration between CAMBA, CUNY’s College Now at Brooklyn College, and three high schools located at the Wingate Educational Complex: School for Human Rights, High School for Public Service and Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts. The four-year program that starts in ninth grade is designed to improve student and family awareness about college, help students graduate high school on time, and earn credits that can be applied to their college degree. Students prepare with ‘College Now’ foundation courses — which follow a college-like syllabus, and build reading, writing, and critical reading skills.
The 2021 Graduates are:
- Michelle Reyes - earned 9 College Credits
- Siera Long - earned 12 College Credits
- Patrick Saget - earned 12 College Credits
- Abigail Young - earned 12 College Credits
- Natalia Bazzey - earned 12 College Credits
- Adriana Vargas - earned 15 College Credits
- Avion Christie - earned 12 College Credits (not pictured)
- Brianna Lee - earned 6 College Credits (not pictured)
Congratulations again to this year's graduates!
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CAMBA’s New Partnership with United Health Foundation
Featured in Segment on PIX 11 News
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In July, CAMBA’s new partnership with United Health Foundation to help New Yorkers in need get access to pre- and postpartum care was featured in a segment on the PIX 11 News. Claire Harding-Keefe, Executive Vice President of Homeless & Family Services spoke with PIX 11's Marysol Castro about the program and the prenatal and postpartum services that will be provided in two of CAMBA's family shelters and nine CAMBA Cornerstone Community Centers. You can watch the segment by clicking here.
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An Important Update About CAMBA Night Out |
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Sometimes the best night out is a night in!
In order to keep our supporters and staff safe, we've decided to make this year's CAMBA Night Out a virtual event. We look forward to sharing CAMBA Night Out and our silent auction with you virtually on November 4th! To get your tickets, click here.
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CAMBA offers excellent career opportunities to candidates who are interested in growing with one of New York City's largest multi-service nonprofit providers. If you, or someone you know is looking to work for a caring, community-minded organization, please share our jobs link or visit CAMBA.org/careers to learn more about our programs and achievements.
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