CAMBA has helped struggling New Yorkers for the past 44 years, but this past year has highlighted just how many families live paycheck to paycheck in our country – hence the devastating impact of job losses due to the pandemic. National news reports feature the long lines of cars waiting in line for food donations over the past year. At CAMBA’s emergency food pantry in Brooklyn, we continue to have scores of people waiting for food – a 500% increase at the height of the pandemic. Even today, we continue to see a more than 250% increase over the average from 2019.
With the welcomed news that New York City will be fully reopened by July 1st, we hope and expect more jobs will return – allowing our families to begin building a more stable life. However, as we have learned time and again, it will take all of us to cross this last hurdle together.
As you’ll see in this month’s CAMBA Connection, we continue to provide programming to help struggling New Yorkers build strong, successful futures. This month we feature our efforts to ensure children living in homeless shelters have equal access to remote learning, along with celebrating college decision day for our high school seniors, and our Junior Board's participation in career preparation programs. We also proudly share the news of a Film Festival Award for our Project ALY program.
As always, thank you for your support which changes lives.
|
|
Joanne M. Oplustil
President/CEO
CAMBA/CHV/CLS
|
|
Meeting the Need for Remote Learning in Homeless Shelters |
|
When New York City schools transitioned to remote learning in March 2020, one of CAMBA’s greatest concerns was the lack of consistent internet access for 650 school-aged children living in our five family shelters at the start of the pandemic. The move to 100% remote learning also coincided with the closures of all branches of the New York Public Library system, which severely limited access to computers. Onsite computer labs in two of our shelters were also closed for health reasons. Already dealing with the trauma of homelessness, students now facing limited access to online learning were unable to keep up with their peers, potentially leading to severe consequences for the rest of their education, and the rest of their lives.
CAMBA focused on ensuring these students had access, and was among the first shelter providers to install hardware and wiring that enabled Wi-Fi access in all existing units beginning in the summer. CAMBA opened a sixth family shelter which was fully wired by November. With consistent and reliable Wi-Fi, our staff worked with parents and children to build the knowledge, skill and comfort level with remote learning.
Our thanks to the New York Community Trust who supported our efforts by funding a full-time Bilingual Educational Coordinator who joined CAMBA in October 2020 and began helping children and families with remote learning. One example of the Coordinator’s work follows:
“At one of our Brooklyn family shelters, there was a client whose children's attendance rate hovered between 20%-30%. Despite frequent phone calls, their attendance did not improve. After reaching out to the Case Manager, we were able to organize a meeting with client. We sat with his two children and worked through the iPad and Google Classroom steps. A few minutes later the youngest child was successfully on a Zoom class with the teacher, who expressed how happy she was to see the student. The next month the student received an award for improved attendance”.
In addition to ensuring students are able to access the Google Classroom, the Education Coordinator helps students and parents with language barriers. Staff also provide incentives and awards for students with attendance rates of 90% or higher. We are pleased to report that the number of children with a 90% or greater attendance record has been increasing each month, with the number of severely chronically absent dropping each month.
We want to thank our many generous donors and funders, including the New York Community Trust and the NYC Department of Homeless Services, that supported Wi-Fi being in place for our children's learning at CAMBA sites in advance of the City's decision to provide Wi-Fi at all family shelter sites.
|
|
CAMBA College Bound Decision Day |
|
CAMBA’s College Bound held its first ever Virtual College Decision Day event celebrating the program’s graduating seniors as they made their announcements about where they will attend college in the fall, and how they arrived at their decisions.
The program leaders Idriss Barnes and Jesica McLaughlin opened the event by expressing their immense pride and congratulating the students for completing the program and reaching this milestone moment in their education. The graduating seniors were then introduced individually, and each of them excitedly revealed their college choices to rounds of applause from the attendees, that even included younger high school students who were able to see a glimpse of their own futures. Many of our students have been awarded various scholarships and other financial assistance in recognition of their achievements, helping to make their college dreams come true.
Some of the colleges and universities where our graduating seniors will be attending includes:
|
|
CAMBA College Bound works with students – beginning in the 9th grade – to help develop their skills and talents and support their academic progress. The dual-generation program also helps parents understand the college applications process and financial aid availability. These students are often the first in their family to attend college, and through this program students and parents work towards “where” the student will go to college, rather than “if” they will attend college. |
|
|
|
On April 8th, two CAMBA Junior Board Members, Sydney Parks and Christa Lynch, were guest speakers at our latest YMI: A Day in the Life series.
Ms. Parks, a law student, and Ms. Lynch, founder of Brooklyn Braised, shared their life and career stories with our YMI program participants. The students were very engaged and inspired by hearing about their unique paths and how they overcame obstacles in their lives.
“I think it’s very powerful to see how the YMI program is really shaping the lives of our future generations. It’s amazing,” said Marcus Scurry, YMI program lead and director at Pink Houses, one of CAMBA’s Cornerstone Community Centers. “We all know how valuable mentoring programs are, so to be a part of something this powerful is really rewarding.
CAMBA’s Junior Board consists of young professionals who want to use their skills and passion to make a difference in improving our community. If you are interested in joining the Junior Board, please contact CAMBA Development Director Melissa Fisher at melissaf@camba.org.
|
|
"Proud Dad" Receives Film Festival Award |
|
Congratulations to the Project Aly Team, whose film “Proud Dad” won the Audience Award at the Media Done Responsibly Film Festival! A special shout out to Roslyn Campbell, who directed the film with Andre Lambertson. Click here to watch the trailer.
CAMBA’s Project Accept LGBT Youth (Project ALY) promotes acceptance from parents and family members of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Through a variety of programming and resources, the program helps family members who are struggling with acceptance understand the detrimental effects that disapproval can have on LGBTQ youth.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
