Community and Faith-Based Organizations to Receive Over $1 Million in Federal Education COVID Response Funding

Funding to be Directed to Communities Most Adversely Affected by Coronavirus Pandemic

Community and faith-based organizations across New York state will receive over $1 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES Act) funds to provide services and supports for students and families adversely affected by the pandemic, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. The State Education Department’s Community Schools Technical Assistance Centers will provide the grants to 47 entities.

“As the pandemic raged in New York, we saw our historically most marginalized communities bear the brunt of the impact,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. “Working with community and faith-based organizations in those areas, resources will now be available to the children and families that need them.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected New York’s students, who have suffered from social isolation, experienced personal and community loss of connection, witnessed ongoing civil unrest, faced economic hardship, and for many, lost loved ones,” said Commissioner Rosa. “By working with our community and faith-based partners in the neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic, we are making strides in supporting and helping children in these communities.”

The New York State Education Department previously used CARES Act funding to amend two existing contracts with the Community Schools Technical Assistance Centers (CSTACs) at Fordham University and the Research Foundation for the State University of New York (RF SUNY) at Binghamton University to expand their scope of work. The amended contracts allow the CSTACs to partner with community and faith-based organizations, as well as school districts, to leverage the resources and experience of community-based partners to address the needs children and families most adversely impacted by Coronavirus.

The grant awards range from $10,000 to $25,000. Not-for-profit and faith-based organizations were eligible to apply for funding. The regions eligible for program support were identified based on economic disadvantage and the adverse impacts of the coronavirus. The partnership awards will be disseminated to organizations providing support to children and their families in the following areas:

Social Emotional Learning and/or Mental Health services;
Academic enrichment;
Digital literacy for students and families; and
Family services

The program expands the variety of services already provided through the CSTACs, which helps to meet the goal of increasing statewide capacity to support effective Community School strategies. The CSTACs continue to serve all of New York State through consultation, training, and support to school districts and community providers in three regions: the Central-Western CSTAC led by Binghamton University; the Eastern CSTAC led by Rockland 21C; and the New York City CSTAC led by Fordham University.

Please visit the NYS CSTACs website for more information about the program and free CSTAC services available all New York State schools.

Grants will be awarded to:

New York State Cares for Communities Partnership Awards
Awardee	Region Served	Counties/Boroughs Served	Service Categories	Award
A House on Beekman	New York City	Bronx	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Family Services	$21,500
Albany Community Action Partnership	Hudson Valley	Albany	Family Services	$25,000
Astor Services for Children & Families	New York City	Bronx	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Family Services	$20,000
Autism Society Habilitation Organization, Inc. (ASHO)	New York City	Queens	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy	$25,000
Barbershop Books, Inc.	New York City	Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Richmond (Staten Island)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
Berea Scholars Inc.	New York City	Kings (Brooklyn)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy, Family Services	$25,000
Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth	Hudson Valley	Dutchess	Family Services	$24,875
BestSelf Behavioral Health, Inc.	Western New York	Erie	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
Catholic Charities of Onondaga County	Central New York	Onondaga	Digital Literacy	$25,000
Center for Community Alternatives	Central New York	Onondaga	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
Center For Family Life and Recovery	Central New York	Oneida	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy, Family Services	$18,377
Central Family Life Center, Inc.	New York City	Richmond (Staten Island)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy, Family Services	$24,561
Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, Inc.	Western New York	Orleans	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy	$25,000
Community Mediation Services, Inc. (CMS)	New York City	Queens	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$11,262
Contact Community Services	Central New York	Onondaga	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Family Services	$23,260
Cornell Cooperative Extension Oneida County	Central New York	Madison, Oneida	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$19,555
Educational Alliance	New York City	New York (Manhattan)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$18,100
Empowered Pathways	Central New York	Madison, Oneida		$16,310
Family Help Center	Western New York	Erie, Niagara	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Family Services	$20,000
Food 4 Ur Soul International Kitchen Mobile Soup Kitchen and Pantry, Inc.	Long Island	Suffolk	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy, Family Services	$25,000
FORESTDALE, INC.	New York City	Kings (Brooklyn), Queens	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
Fresh Youth Initiatives	New York City	New York (Manhattan)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
Girl Be Heard	New York City	Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
Global Kids	New York City	Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens, Richmond (Staten Island)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
Hudson River Housing, Inc.	Hudson Valley	Dutchess	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$10,498
Joe Torre Safe At Home	New York City	Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
La Fuerza Unida, Inc.	Long Island	Nassau	Academic Enrichment, Family Services	$15,068
Long Island Crisis Center	Long Island	Nassau, Suffolk	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
Make the Road New York	New York City	Kings (Brooklyn), Queens	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
New Alternatives for Children, Inc.	New York City	Bronx, New York (Manhattan), Queens, Richmond (Staten Island)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$17,463
New Directions Youth & Family Services	Western New York	Erie, Niagara, Orleans	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
NIA Community Services Network, Inc.	New York City	Kings (Brooklyn)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$25,000
SPEAKHIRE	New York City	Bronx, Queens, Richmond (Staten Island)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy	$17,463
Student Advocacy, Inc.	Hudson Valley	Westchester	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Family Services	$24,314
The Arthur Project	New York City	Bronx	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services	$23,926
The Auditory Oral School of New York	New York City	Kings (Brooklyn)	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Family Services	$25,000
The Bowery Mission	New York City	Bronx	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy	$15,744
The Opening Word Program, Inc.	Long Island	Suffolk	Family Services	$25,000
The Reading League	Central New York	Oneida, Onondaga	Academic Enrichment	$25,000
The Urban League of Rochester, N.Y., Inc.	Western New York	Monroe	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy, Family Services	$25,000
United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, Inc.	Hudson Valley	Dutchess, Orange	Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Family Services	$25,000
Urban Dove	New York City	Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens	Academic Enrichment	$25,000
Villa of Hope	Western New York	Monroe	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy, Family Services	$17,811
Vision of Hope Caregivers Inc.	Long Island	Nassau	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy	$25,000
Washingtonville Housing Alliance	Hudson Valley	Westchester	Academic Enrichment, Digital Literacy	$25,000
Westchester Jewish Community Services, Inc.	Hudson Valley	Westchester	Academic Enrichment, Social Emotional Learning or Mental Health Services, Digital Literacy	$25,000
Young Women’s Christian Association of the City of New York	New York City	Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens, Richmond (Staten Island)	Academic Enrichment	$25,000
			Total Awarded:	$1,060,085