Blogs

This article was published online on February 11, 2021.

I. To My Mother

you were born on July 9, 1964, in Greenwood, Mississippi, delivered into the cradle of white supremacy. Listening to the stories of terror and hope woven into the story of your birth used to frighten me. The year before you entered the world, white supremacists were blocking food aid to Greenwood, trying to starve Black sharecroppers who were demanding their civil rights. You were carried home in the middle of Freedom Summer, right down the street from where Fannie Lou Hamer led a movement that included your neighbors and cousins to demand self-determination. You suckled and wailed, oblivious to your membership in the final group of Black babies born under Jim Crow. There were many such children, born just on the wrong edge of the fight for freedom. But only one of them was my mama...

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/03/voting-rights-act-democracy/617792/

Continuum of Care, Inc. is a not for profit organization serving adults diagnosed with mental illness, (such as major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder [OCD], post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], borderline personality disorder, etc.) or severe developmental and intellectual disabilities, (such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, traumatic brain injury, or seizure disorders).

From its founding, Continuum has sought to demonstrate that previously institutionalized adults can live meaningful lives in the community with the right support and services. Today, we are one of the largest community housing providers in Connecticut for persons with mental illnesses and substance abuse. Continuum operates 52 licensed group homes, supported and independent living programs, crisis and respite services, and residential case management programs throughout the state of CT.

Click here to view our open positions: https://www.indeedjobs.com/continuum-of-care/_hl/en?cpref=JXWAtnzf3XWjLOi4YeVNLqyMzQ_zPWPBMGFJuOJhrKI

Artists are the torchbearers of our time, the ones who are processing and interpreting all of the upheaval, and shining a light into the dark corners of how to find meaning in all of it. Mixed-media sculptor Meg Bloom is one such artist, which you will discover in her exhibit BURIED IN THE BONES, on view at City Gallery from February 6 - 28, with an opportunity to Meet the Artist on Saturday, February 6 from 2-4PM.

“What you’ll see is a journey of art making through the last two years, though mostly 2020,” Bloom explains. “This is my response to the enormous loss and pain and devastation — a response to the crises in our environment, our climate, to the loss of human life, to the tragic destruction and violations as a result of racism, poverty, cruelty, discrimination. This work reflects my constant state of anxiety and impotence to adequately respond to the ‘everything.’”

Most of the work in Bloom’s show consists of handmade paper sculptures made from kozo and abaca fibers. Some have added pigment, many have embedded plant matter. Additionally there are a few mixed media collages. “Finding beauty in the imperfect, acknowledging moments of change, and engaging with the process of transformation form the basis of my work,” says Bloom. Her art references nature, whether human or otherwise, and attempts, metaphorically through layering process and form, to address the broader social and environmental issues.

Meg Bloom is a sculptor, installation, and mixed media artist. She has exhibited mostly in Connecticut and New York galleries, holds work in public and private collections, and has done several public art installations and community projects. In recent years, her work has been on view at Silvermine Galleries, City Gallery, City Wide Open Studios, Ely Center for Contemporary Art, the Slade Ely House, Albertus Magus College, New Bedford Art Museum, Governors Island, and the Plexall Gallery and Westbeth Gallery in New York. Bloom is a graduate of Brandeis University, UConn School of Social Work, and completed a three-year course of study at New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture. A member of City Gallery since 2003, Bloom is also a member of the New York Sculptors Guild, and Surface Design Association, and new member of Silvermine. She resides in New Haven. You can see her work and a complete profile at www.megbloomartist.com.

BURIED IN THE BONES is free and open to the public, and runs February 6 - 28, 2021. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Modified gallery hours are Saturday and Sunday, 2PM - 4PM, and you are welcome to schedule an appointment by calling 203-530-7656. Number of visitors limited to 4 at a time. All visitors are required to wear a mask and observe social distancing protocols. For further information please contact City Gallery, 203-782-2489, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.

Northern Correctional Institution, the state’s controversial “supermax” prison located in Somers, will close by July 1, sources said Monday.

The closure is not a surprise...

https://ctmirror.org/2021/02/08/state-to-close-only-supermax-prison-northern-correctional-institution/

The 2021 Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant Program funding cycle is now open. Learn more

Women & Family Life Center is hiring! We have two positions open and are seeking an experienced Development Director to oversee, coordinate and grow our fundraising efforts and a Program Manager to lead the design, development and oversee all aspects of implementation and evaluation of mission-focused programming that supports the goals of the Center. See below for the job descriptions or visit www.womenandfamilylife.org. ;

Development%20Director%20FINAL%202020-2021.docx.pdf

Program%20Manager%20FINAL%202020-2021.docx.pdf

The Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism seeks individuals to serve on the Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant review panel. Panelists are responsible for reviewing and evaluating qualifying proposals. Interested individuals should complete the Panelist Nomination Form https://forms.gle/QBJHDgxPAGAACQSV8 online or download (https://www.newhavenct.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=34795) and submit via email to mailto:kfutrell@newhavenct.gov.

This article comes from the winter 2020 edition of the Nonprofit Quarterly.

History has proven that, in the absence of grassroots advocacy, policy can have significant, long-lasting destructive effects, especially on marginalized, disenfranchised communities. Nonprofits are well positioned to offer solutions and policies that address the spectrum of challenges our society faces—and in the current environment, it is imperative that nonprofits engage in policy advocacy, and that funders support them to do so.

While some may think advocacy simply means politics and protest, it encompasses a far broader variety of actions that nonprofits and funders can incorporate into their work, including the following:

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/6-steps-for-nonprofits-to-be-effective-advocates-of-community-supporting-policy

Both sessions have been POSTPONED to February 8 & 9.
ALL ATTENDEES will need to reregister—we apologize for the inconvenience! Join our two-part webinar event on Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis! To register & for more details:
https://lnkd.in/etJZCE9

Come & join Health Equity Solutions February 8 & 9 for a two-part webinar event on Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis!

Part 1 Making the Declaration: The first event will explain what it means to declare racism a public health crisis and why 20 municipalities in Connecticut and 173 states, municipalities, and organizations across the U.S. have made the declaration.

Part 2 Taking the Next Step: The second event will be a panel discussion with local leaders to discuss what next steps have been taken and how to leverage declarations to make anti-racist policy! This event will be recorded.

#HealthEquity

A volunteer holds a sticker to give to a voter at a polling place on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020, in Stamford. Jessica Hill / Associated Press

A free two-day training program aimed at helping more people of color run for public office will be held virtually next month, a product of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and Campaign School at Yale University, according to a release.

https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Free-training-program-aims-to-help-people-of-15903692.php?

This article comes from the winter 2020 edition of the Nonprofit Quarterly as part of an article series on “America’s healthcare crisis.”

The Nonprofit Quarterly recently sat down with Dr. Willarda V. Edwards, who has been helping to spearhead an effort inside the House of Delegates at the American Medical Association (AMA) to reorient the organization around antiracist principles. This has resulted in a policy platform, made public in mid-November 2020, that took on a wide variety of issues seen as needing systemic redress. The new policy,¹ now approved by the AMA House of Delegates, will do the following...

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/recognizing-racism-as-a-public-health-threat-a-conversation-with-dr-willarda-v-edwards/?utm_content=152202180&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-542508 ;

For Kids and Adults

Free program we at H.O.P.E., Inc. are offering for kids and adults called #TeamResilient-Student Success Every Day!The purpose of the program is to address mental well-being during these trying times of COVID, distance learning and social distancing and racial turmoil. We plan to offer programs to help us have fun, and connect with others, build and maintain relationships, and practice social skills to boost personal development and wellbeing. The program is open to all of those interested, and we have received enough funding to serve a minimum of 75 participants. 

Visit our website for more information about the program, and click here to register. We are available for group information sessions if you want to hear more about the program and specific activities.

Request for Proposals for grants in 2021 are now open.

Visit our website: www.gnhgreenfund.org for details.

We offer grant awards from $1,000 to $10,000 for environmental and public health initiatives in the Greater New Haven region (New Haven, Hamden, East Haven and Woodbridge).

The application is online and due by January 22, 2021 at 5:00 PM.

A powerful new video series produced by Purple States and DataHaven brings local voices to the conversation about the need for equity. Produced with New Haven residents Aziya Ricard and Tyrone Jones, "Covid Reckonings" is the first of a four-part series created with Connecticut communities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Grantseeker Information Webinar

Last chance to register!

Thursday, January 14, 20219:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Sign up for this valuable webinar about The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven's grant processes.

Learn all about 2021 deadlines, capacity building training sessions and more. 

Topics covered: 

• All of the Community Foundation's grant processes

• Changes to increase access for organizations new to The Foundation

• Changes to the Responsive Grant process

• How to apply for a Responsive Grant

• The timeline from start to finish

• Upcoming technical assistance opportunities to support your application preparation

REGISTER NOW

The Hamden Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) in partnershup with the CT Department of Housing (DOH) and the CT Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) is pleased to announce this exciting new training opportuntiy. This program is open to CT Residents who are interested in a career in the field of housing and community development. Here are links to the facebook page  (new web site coming soon).

https://www.facebook.com/Housing-and-Community-Development-Leadership-Institute-102838981701519

More information about the program....

Access Health CT has extended its Open Enrollment period until January 15, 2021!!

Access Health CT is the state's official health insurance marketplace, where you can shop, compare and enroll in quality healthcare plans.  It is the only place where you can qualify for financial help to lower your costs, or be eligible for free or low-cost coverage through HUSKY Health (Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program).  You may qualify to enroll right now. To compare plan options or for more information visit AccessHealthCT.com, call 203-773-0838 or refer someone on Unite Us.