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Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERSHIP

Multiple seats available

Nominations accepted through Sept. 14, 2020

Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) is currently accepting nominations (and self-nominations) for membership on our Board of Directors. Ideal candidates will be passionate and committed to DESK’s mission. This is a volunteer position with an expected commitment to a three-year term.

Mission and Background

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. Our core programs include nightly dinner, a weekly food pantry, a summer mobile pantry, and a senior lunch program. DESK has been operating in New Haven since 1987. For more information on our programs, services, history, and vision, visit us online at www.deskct.org.

DESK’s Board of Directors is comprised of a small group of professionals who are highly engaged in the community in a variety of ways, each bringing at least one area of specialization or knowledge to their Board service. In addition to our monthly meeting, Board members meet as part of standing committees (Finance, Development, Program, Nominating, and Facilities) or taskforces.

Core Requirements and Responsibilities of Board Members

• Board Meeting Attendance – Board members must generally be available to meet for the full Board meeting on the second Monday of each month.
• Committee Participation – Board members must serve on at least one standing committee.
• Fiduciary Responsibility – Board members are responsible for providing financial oversight to the organization, including adherence to relevant laws, appropriate expenditures, and ethical fundraising practices.
• Programmatic Oversight – Board members are responsible for determining ethical, appropriate, and impactful program and service provision.
• Employment Oversight – Board members are responsible for ensuring ethical and fair employment practices in accordance with all laws.
• Strategic Planning – Board members are responsible for setting the mission, vision, and values of the organization and determine the long-term plans for achieving predetermined goals and ensuring organizational sustainability.

Skillsets and Backgrounds Currently Being Sought

• General diversity of voice
• Community leaders
• Financial and accounting professionals
• Project management, real estate, and construction professionals
• Representation from underserved communities and neighborhoods in New Haven
• Fundraising and strategic development professionals
• Social service and healthcare professionals

Compensation and Benefits

Board service is an unpaid volunteer position.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should email a cover letter and résumé to Scott McLean at president@deskct.org with “Board Member Application” in the subject line.

DESK values greatly the role of diversity in organization and strongly encourages applications

from people of all backgrounds and lifestyles.

here is a “gravitational pull” dragging down Black men in America. “There’s no respect in our community for each other as brothers.” “There are not enough men who are positive role models.” “What can we do as a society to lift Black men up, because y’all did a hell of a job tearing them down?”

These and many other hard truths came to light Wednesday night in the screening of and panel discussion about the short film These Truths: A Documentary on the State of the Black Community, hosted online by The Narrative Project and drawing an audience of about 100...

https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/narrative_project_tells_these_truths/

Call for Participants

UNDERSTANDING COVID-19 IN NEW HAVEN

Do you identify as: 

• A New Haven Resident?
• Black, African American, Latinx, or Hispanic?

If so, please consider taking this survey: https://bit.ly/33McUuf

You will be entered to win a $250 gift card (3 winners will be chosen)

Prefer to take the survey by phone?
Contact: (203) 290-2764

Flyers:

CARE%20-%20COVID-19%20Survey%20-%20English.jpg

CARE%20-%20COVID-19%20survey%20-%20Espanol.jpg

Join Us and Take the Pledge:

In order to become more anti-racist, (Your Organization Name Here) pledges to make these changes:

CULTURE
To change our internal culture to one that actively amplifies BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) voices, encourages open and productive discourse on race and racism, and is aware of and addresses racism when it happens.

POLICY & PRACTICE
To review our policies to identify and dismantle any unjust policies and practices that create barriers for BIPOC; this involves recruiting, promoting, and empowering BIPOC for leadership roles in the body responsible for organizational oversight (i.e. board of directors), and committing to a JEDI statement (Justice, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) around which to build policy and programming.

ART
To acknowledge the barriers that have led to BIPOC artists being vastly underrepresented in the arts; and to actively counter this by employing and presenting work(s) by more BIPOC artists.

SOCIAL JUSTICE: To acknowledge that there are diverse communities which have been untapped by our organization; and to actively counter this by seeking out and providing a space for art focused on cultural pride, racial justice, civil rights, and other issues which are important and relevant to BIPOC communities.

ACCESSIBILITY
To offer programming that is more accessible to BIPOC, which may include adjusting ticket and/or admission price, format, schedule, and/or venue, in addition to content.

PARTICIPATE
To change our mentality from doing for the community to partnering with the community; this involves offering more “participatory” programming that directly involves diverse community members and allows them an interactive role in artistic and cultural activities.

HISTORY
To research and be aware of the historical and social context of the programming and the impact it may have on BIPOC communities; and to let this research and awareness inform programmatic decision-making.

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Note: Each point of the pledge has its own accompanying list of resources and tools to guide you through the process of becoming an anti-racist organization. 

TAKE THE PLEDGE

Amidst a global health and economic crisis, attention to racial inequity and injustice, and growing divisions in a pivotal election year, CAW seeks to explore issues of our time and of our city and region through our fall exhibition program.

Even as our own building is closed, our most public stage — our street-to-roof curtain wall — looking into our two-floor gallery space is wide open. We are excited at the opportunity to invite proposals for work by New Haven and CT-based artists to exhibit at CAW.

Proposals are now being accepted for site-specific window installations at 80 Audubon Street that explore issues that our community is grappling with. Proposed artworks or installations can be 2D or 3D, but must be designed to be viewed streetside through the windows of the CAW gallery. A reopening plan for CAW is still in formation; however, it is anticipated that no gallery visitors will be entering the building and gallery space to see work during the fall. Applications and concept ideas must take this into account.

Proposals may be submitted by individual artists or collaborative artist groups or teams. CAW’s intention is to better use its gallery and window space, particularly in this triple crisis we are experiencing as a community and nation. We hope to see proposals that advance the most creative use of the space and opportunity within the context presented. We strongly encourage applications from artists of diverse backgrounds, experience, and training. Preference will be given to artists whose work affirms the importance of black and brown lives, lived experiences, influence, and culture in our community and nation.

Successful proposals will both explain the concept for the installation, and give consideration to the technical elements of the installation, including being mindful of social distancing requirements during installation and de-installation. Ladders are available at CAW, but no scissor-lifts.

Proposals should include an idea for an accompanying online program to complement the installation. This part of the proposal can be modest in scale and scope, but seen as a way of engaging with the community. For some it may look like an ‘on air’ demonstration, artist studio visit, or visit to the windows to give a tour of the work, for others it may be a proposed 1:1 conversation with another artist, a CAW board member, teacher, staffer, and for others, it might include community organizing. Ideas need not be limited to this list.

Stipend: Each selected artist or artist team will receive a $750 stipend to cover materials, creation of the work, and facilitation of an online program.

In addition to the stipend, CAW staff will assist artists with the marketing, installation, and development and execution of relevant online programming.

Exhibition Dates: Up to three (3) proposals will be selected. Each window installation will be installed for up to four (4) weeks, slated as follows:

Window Exhibition 1: September 28 – October 25
Window Exhibition 2: November 2 – November 29
Window Exhibition 3: December 7 -December 20

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 5 pm

Artist Notification: Monday, August 31, 2020

To Apply: Interested artists should submit their proposal along with 3 samples of work and contact information to gallery@creativeartsworkshop.org. Please use “2020 Window Installation” in your subject line.

Window Dimensions: There are five identical window bays, each with three vertically-stacked panes. Each bay is 82” wide and just over 19½’ tall. For dimensions of the panes, see our online specs.

This exhibition program is made possible with the generous support of the Neighborhood Cultural Vitality grant program of the City of New Haven.

Link to Application: New%20Haven%20Health%20Leaders%20Application%202020.pdf

I hope this message finds you well. The Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) is now accepting applications for its 2020-2021 New Haven Health Leaders Program. Please see the link to the application above. I am happy to provide paper copies of the application upon request. We are very excited to embark upon our second year!

In this 9 month program, New Haven Health Leaders will receive training about health disparities and solutions to create health equity at the neighborhood level. We will co-learn from each other about New Haven’s neighborhoods, community engagement, and leadership development – with a focus on improving health in New Haven.

Participants will receive a stipend of $300 per month which equals out to a total of $2,700! Please encourage anyone who displays a genuine interest to apply. If you have any questions do not hesitate to email me at avshalomsmd1@southernct.edu or call (203) 392-6902.

Best regards,

Devin

Community Engagement Coordinator, CARE

College of Health and Human Services

Southern CT State University
Phone: (203) 392-6906

https://carenhv.org