Blogs

For 30 years, Elizabeth Hird was a pioneer in the local community for environmental preservation and education. Perhaps no single act demonstrated her commitment to environmental conservation as much as her donation of Outer Island to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995. 

In 1940, a white developer wanted to build a neighborhood in Detroit. So he asked the US Federal Housing Administration to back a loan. The FHA, which was created just six years earlier to help middle-class families buy homes, said no because the development was too close to an "inharmonious" racial group. Meaning black people.

It wasn't surprising. The housing administration refused to back loans to black people — and even people who lived around black people. FHA said it was too risky. So, the next year...

https://www.vox.com/2016/6/6/11852640/cartoon-poor-neighborhoods ;

The Disability Rights Storytellers Fellowship managed by Rooted in Rights and AAPD provides the opportunity for individuals with disabilities to learn and apply skills in digital media storytelling, and to connect with media professionals to prepare participants for advanced careers in media production, journalism, online advocacy, or digital design. The project combines hands-on training in cutting-edge technologies with a strong foundation in developing each individual’s voice and using story-driven videos in advocacy.

https://www.aapd.com/disability-rights-storytellers/

Accepted entrepreneurs receive: 

• A spot in a 10-week workshop series on leadership and entrepreneurship
• Pre-seed funding of $1000
• Free coworking space
• 1-on-1 coaching sessions
• An assigned mentor from the Collab Mentor Network
• Case-by-case pro bono services from Corporate Partners (legal, marketing, etc.) 
• Opportunity to pitch in front of investors and community members.

Apply here.

OPEN POSITION

Fall Program Intern

Part time, 10-15 hours per week

Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) seeks a dedicated and passionate intern who will be responsible for overseeing our weekly Food Pantry program.  You must be an advanced undergraduate or graduate student, or burgeoning professional in a field related to social work, nonprofit administration, public health, or nutrition.

Mission & Background Information

DESK serves people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty by providing food assistance and services that promote health, community, and equity.  We are located in downtown New Haven, just off the Green.  For more information on our programs, services, history, and vision, visit us online at www.deskct.org.

Core Responsibilities

• Program Execution – The Program Intern will be in charge of ensuring that the weekly Food Pantry program—serving up to 150 people weekly—is carried out under the standards and guidelines set forth by DESK staff.  You must be available on Wednesdays between 1:00 and 4:00 pm.
• Client Relations – The Program Intern will work directly with clients to ensure that their immediate needs are met (within program parameters).
• Volunteer Supervision – The Program Intern will oversee up to 10 volunteers at a time.
• Performance Measurement and Quality Assurance – The Program Intern will work with Executive Director to develop the standards and metrics to determine program success, and ensure that all requisite data are collected in an appropriate manner.

Compensation and Benefits

This is an unpaid internship position.  The primary benefit will be in the form of direct services experience and university credit, if applicable.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should email a cover letter and résumé to Steve Werlin at swerlin@deskct.org with “Program Intern Application” in the subjection line.

DESK is an equal opportunity employer who values greatly the role of diversity in the workplace and

Strongly encourages applications from people of all backgrounds and lifestyles.

Job Summary

United Way of Greater New Haven (UWGNH) brings people and organizations together to create solutions to Greater New Haven’s most pressing challenges in the areas of Education, Income, and Health.  We tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone.  

We are seeking candidates for this full-time position to lead the Greater New Haven Coordinated Access Network (GNH CAN), a collaborative housed at UWGNH, to prevent and end homelessness for individuals, families and youth experiencing homelessness in our nineteen-town region. The Director will work with partners and stakeholders to realize the GNH CAN mission: to make homelessness rare, brief and a one-time experience.

The ideal candidate will be experienced in leading work across organizations and sectors, using evidence and partnerships to deliver measurable results, and putting their passion into action to help people live their best possible lives.   

Reporting Structure: Reports to the UWGNH Chief Impact Officer

Essential Job Functions:   

The GNH CAN Director will be responsible for leading a set of strategies to reach the goals of preventing and ending homelessness, as well as the other priorities of the GNH CAN:

• Develop cross-sector collaborations with state agencies, municipalities, businesses, advocates and providers.
• Maintain relationships with local and statewide leadership, and work with GNH co-chairs to support members in developing and monitoring policies, priorities and goals.
• Advocate for issues affecting the GNH CAN goals, including expanding access to deeply affordable housing.
• Develop strategies to engage consumers in identifying opportunities for growth, assessing needs and identifying areas for improvement.
• Work with partners and funders to align existing resources and services to meet goals.
• Develop new resources and relationships to meet goals, including grant writing and fundraising activities.
• Provide oversight of operations, including: direct services, contracts, communications and use of CAN resources.
• Supervise and support a customer-oriented and effective team of staff.
• Monitor use of funds and manage budgeting and reporting, in conjunction with the finance department.
• Other job duties as assigned.

Qualifications 

• Master’s degree preferred.
• 5+ years experience preferred in leading collaborative or systems-change efforts.
• Experience with group facilitation, coaching and training.
• Effective public speaker and presentation skills.
• Experience managing budgets.
• Effective relationship management skills.
• Ability to use data to inform decision-making.
• Ability to lead a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work environment.
• Knowledge of the challenges/barriers homeless people face, and understanding of the systems with which they interact.
• Proficient with MS Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Local and Statewide travel is required; candidates must have a valid driver's license and reliable transportation.

Personal Characteristics    

Ideally, the successful candidate will be:

• Personally committed to advancing UWGNH’s values, mission, goals and programs.
• A proactive and strategic thinker with the ability to work both individually and

• A result-oriented problem solver, willing to learn and engage with diverse perspectives, and able to manage an aggressive workload.

• A superior communicator who shares information readily and concisely, and listens as well as gives advice.
• A team player who inspires collaboration and functions decisively.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates should submit a detailed letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to employment@uwgnh.org.  No phone calls, please. 

All applications are treated confidentially.  The position will remain open until filled.

**United Way of Greater New Haven is an equal opportunity employee. **

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven seeks a qualified candidate for Director of Gift Planning for Development. Application deadline: August 31, 2018.  Learn more

It wasn’t too long ago that a lot of people were talking about a post-racial America. We had elected a Black president for the first time, and then went ahead and re-elected him four years later, and the country was feeling pretty good about itself.

While Barack Obama’s presidency was indeed a profound and meaningful mark of true progress, racism, of course, never really went away. The presence of a black president, hockey star, or movie-franchise superhero, however welcome and exciting, cannot reverse centuries of racial injustice.

In fact, racism is built right into every level of our society in ways that might surprise you...

https://www.benjerry.com/home/whats-new/2016/systemic-racism-is-real#.W2JO84J-_QY.email

by Khalilah L. Brown-Dean

June 28, 2018

...

This week marks the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965. An act that single handedly transformed American politics by ushering in more American Indians, African-Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans as voters, candidates and legislators. The Shelby decision struck down the formula used to determine which jurisdictions needed to vet proposed changes to their voting qualifications by the Justice Department before taking effect....

http://diverseeducation.com/article/118924/