See job posting below:

CT Food Justice Project at New Haven Farms

About the Connecticut Food Justice VISTA Project

The Connecticut Food Justice VISTA Project is a partnership between non-profits throughoutthe state, each with one to two VISTA Members building the capacity of that organization.Together we strive for a multigenerational, racially and economically diverse group of leaders with the skills to move communities across Connecticut toward a just food system. With VISTA Member support, host sites commit to empowering their communities to have impact on food-related programs and services, and the food system in Connecticut as a whole. VISTA Members in the project will: 1. Participate in a collaborative forum for sharing best practices and curriculum among 11 project sites and 16 VISTA Members. 2. Build the capacity of each organization to empower under-represented populations 3. Create, expand and enhance the services offered by their host site by fundraising, managing volunteers, convening the community, surveying the community, enhancing awareness of food insecurity and injustice, and much more. University of Connecticut Extension, in partnership with some of the most effective and innovative nonprofit organizations in Connecticut, is coordinating the sixth year of this multi-site project beginning in August 2018.

Member Duties

New Haven Farms’ (NHF) mission is to promote health and community development through urban agriculture. NHF engages at-risk residents in growing food, cooking and nutrition education, and accessing healthy food through the 16-week Farm Based Wellness Program. The NHF’s VISTA will continue to build organizational capacity related to promoting health and community development through urban agriculture in low socioeconomic status (SES) New Haven neighborhoods. The VISTA will continue to strengthen our recruitment process to ensure consistent yearly enrollment in our summer Farm-Based Wellness Program (FBWP), support the FBWP by creating systems to ensure efficient and effective delivery on an annual basis, and develop our Community Health Ambassador (CHA) program as a pathway to becoming empowered community health workers. ***Service with CT-FJP at all our sites requires a minimum of 35 hours a week and can go above 40 hours dependent on site requirements***
Program Benefits

Relocation Allowance, Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health Coverage*, Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend, Stipend, Living Allowance, Training.
*For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit http://www.vistacampus.gov/healthcare

Terms

Permits attendance at school during off hours, Car recommended, Permits working at another job during off hours.

Service Areas

Community and Economic Development, Education, Community Outreach, Health, Environment, Hunger, Neighborhood Revitalization.

Skills

Urban Planning, Communications, General Skills, Leadership, Community Organization, Computers/Technology, Writing/Editing, Public Health, Non-Profit Management, Social Service, Recruitment, Team Work.

To apply

Visit https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=76681&fromSearch=true to apply.

A successful foster child is always the lengthened shadow of caring women and men. In New Haven, one of those individuals who cast a long shadow is Randi Ruben Rodriguez, executive director of ‘r kids Family Center. She and her supportive staff have been promoting permanency, safety and stability for vulnerable children and their families for over 20 years.  The group works with families who have entered the Department of Children and Families (DCF) system. Continue reading.

In 2010, as the U.S. Congress took up the Federal DREAM Act, a small group of undocumented students and allies from Connecticut met to discuss what they should do. The proposed legislation would allow them the life-changing opportunity to apply for legal permanent residency. They organized a statewide summit, joined the national advocacy network, United We Dream, and brought their voices to Washington. 

Connecticut Students for a Dream (C4D) was born from this advocacy work. Although the DREAM Act was ultimately defeated, C4D has continued its fight to better the lives of immigrants and won legislative victories at the state level. 
“After the DREAM Act failed, we did not lose hope,” says C4D Lead Organizer Lucas Codognolla. “We said, ‘Let’s fight locally.’”

That strategy was rewarded this month as the  Connecticut House of Representatives passed legislation that opens state financial aid to undocumented immigrants living in the state brought here as children. The aid comes from a pool of funds that all students, including undocumented students, contribute to through their tuition payments. Continue reading.

Two years after becoming a signature program of the New Haven Land Trust, Schooner Camp is planning to double in size. The growth represents a remarkable turnaround for the popular sailing and coastal exploration program. Financial difficulties nearly shuttered Schooner before a merger with New Haven Land Trust injected new life into the day camp that has introduced generations of city kids to the open water.  

“In many cases in New Haven we forget we live on the water, and so many New Haven residents have never set foot in Long Island Sound. Schooner summer camp opens the door to the explore the wealth of environmental opportunities that exists here,” says New Haven Land Trust Executive Director. 

Under the Land Trust’s new direction, the 43-year-old camp kicked off a fundraising campaign last year with an initial grant from The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. The successful effort helped the camp build up its curricula, establish new partnerships and offer scholarships for 240 campers. Continue reading.

New Haven Farms is looking for an Administrative Assistant! See the job description below (or on our website) for more information.

New Haven Farms Administrative Assistant

Job Description

Position Summary: New Haven Farms seeks an Administrative Assistant to support the organization in development and office operations. The Administrative Assistant will work with the Executive Director and staff to develop New Haven Farms’ engagement strategy, leveraging collaboration to achieve shared goals around revenue, relations, and office management. Primary responsibilities will include communications, operational capacity building, grant management, donor data management, bookkeeping, and support around event planning. This position will work directly with the Executive Director, supporting her in daily operations of the organization.

About New Haven Farms: New Haven Farms’ mission is to promote health and community development through urban agriculture. We transform vacant, urban land into vibrant and productive organic farms. Our Farm Manager and volunteer corps cultivate seven urban farms, and our harvest is made accessible to low-income families who struggle with diet-related chronic diseases and food insecurity. Our signature program, the Farm-Based Wellness Program, provides hands-on cooking demonstrations, nutrition education, therapeutic gardening, and a basket of fresh produce to families referred by their primary care physicians. Program participants struggle with the double burden of food insecurity and risk factors for chronic diet related illness. For more information about New Haven Farms, visit newhavenfarms.org.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Support NHF staff in administrative capacity, including working with our accountant to process payments, receipts, and transition to managing payroll in house
• Manage daily office operations, including mail processing
• Provide direct assistance to Executive Director
• Facilitate donor cultivation and retainment efforts
• Provide oversight and logistics for events, including summer farm visits, peer-to-peer fundraising, and fall fundraiser
• Promote new ways to connect with stakeholders
• Support the engagement of volunteers and community members in the mission of New Haven Farms
• Cultivate regular communication through digital and print media (newsletter, website, social media, mailings)
• Manage, in conjunction with our accountant, weekly processing of receipts and checks

Required Qualifications:

• Associates Degree
• 1+ year of experience in fundraising and development
• 1+ year of administrative experience
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent organizational skills, proven ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks, and to meet deadlines
• Experience working with Salesforce, Constant Contact, Wordpress and Quickbooks
• Able to communicate effectively and respectfully with diverse communities
• Ability to work individually in a self-directed manner and as part of a team in group projects
• Dedicated to the mission of New Haven Farms
• Flexibility to operate in a small dynamic nonprofit organization

Preferred Qualifications:

• Fluent in written and verbal Spanish communication
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Leadership Experience
• Well-developed sense of humor

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to operate a computer for extended periods with appropriate rest periods
• Ability to stand, sit; talk, hear, and use the hands and finger to operate telephone and computer
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds of general office equipment
• Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable any qualified person to perform the essential job duties

Time Commitment: This is a year-round, part-time position, for a maximum of 20 hours per week. While the schedule is somewhat flexible we need someone present in the office at least three days per week. We are a rapidly expanding organization and have the intention of increasing the hours as we grow. The position is a paid hourly position. Payment is commensurate with experience.

To Apply: Please send a resume and cover letter to nhfrecruitment@newhavenfarms.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with the intent to fill this position by early June 2018.

It is the policy of New Haven Farms, Inc. that no person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise discriminated against under any program, including employment, because of race, color, religious creed, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, learning disability and physical disability.

I look forward to getting to know the Greater New Haven community! 

Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the Schooner program: Denali Foundation, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, The New Haven Yacht Club, Patagonia, The Watershed Fund, Women's Seaman's Friends Society of CT, Greater New Haven Green Fund and many more! 

Black mothers and infants in the United States are far more likely to die than their white counterparts. The disparity has everything to do with the lived experience of race.

Listen here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/11/podcasts/the-daily/mortality-black-mothers-babies.html

A rain barrel is an easy and inexpensive way to harvest the rain and store runoff where it falls, on your property. This water can be used to water gardens and lawns.

Top 5 reasons to harvest rainwater:

• Conserve a natural resource
• Protect our rivers and streams from runoff pollution
• Use rainwater to grow healthy and lush plants
• Supplement your water supply
• Rainwater is a free resource that is easy to use!

Get your 50-gallon rain barrel for just $68 by ordering directly from the RWA's partner, Rainwater Solutions.Order your rain barrel by Sunday, June 17 at 11 p.m., and pick it up at the RWA's headquarters at 90 Sargent Drive in New Haven on Saturday, June 23, between 9 a.m. and noon. For more information, go to www.rwater.com/conservation-stewardship/harvest-the-rain.

 New Haven, Conn. (May 4, 2018) –The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (The Foundation) is excited to announce the results of The Great Give^® 2018, the region’s ninth community-wide online fundraising event for nonprofits serving The Foundation’s 20-town region. In 36 hours, the community raised over $1.7 million, far surpassing previous years, for Greater New Haven’s nonprofits. Nearly 11,000 donors gave to 406 nonprofits, once again proving their commitment to our community.

“The Great Give^® 2018 was a triumph, in large part to the tremendous efforts made by the nonprofits to engage our community,” said Will Ginsberg, president and CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the creator of The Great Give^®. “It far eclipsed all our previous giving events by every measure: donors, gifts, nonprofits supported and money raised.  Throughout the last several days, it certainly felt as though the community ‘buzz’ reached new heights.” 

With $240,000 in matching funds and 63 prizes at stake, nonprofits rallied donors through events held across the region and both long-time nonprofit participants and newcomers came out on top. As in prior years, many prize winners were smaller organizations.Read more.

By STEVE DUBB 

From NCRP’s “Power Moves” website.

“The philanthropic sector’s growing urgency to tackle inequities…offers strong motivation to take stock,” notes the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) in its new publication, “Power Moves: Your essential philanthropy assessment guide for equity and justice.” There are, of course, many positive examples of philanthropic action to address inequality. NCRP highlights a few of these, including...

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2018/05/09/social-justice-toolkit-helps-foundations-assess-progress-equity-goals/

GNH-VOTE 2018 is a nonpartisan initiative of The Community Foundation

Free Voter Engagement Training 

Learn how to engage and inform voters and use the voter pledge card.

Be a part of the local effort to build an engaged and informed electorate. GNH Vote-2018 is increasing the engagement and registration of historically disenfranchised community members. 

What you will learn: 

• How to be a part of the effort to lift up the voices of those historically disenfranchised
• Where to volunteer with a nonprofit 
• The power of the Voter Pledge Card 
• The messaging for activating voter power with historically underrepresented populations including: young people; people who are facing homelessness; recent immigrants; individuals impacted by incarceration or domestic violence.

Choose from one of two available sessions: Friday May 18th 1:00-3:00 p.m. or Wednesday May 30, 5:30 -7:30 p.m.

REGISTER HERE

Voto de Greater New Haven 2018

Voto de Greater New Haven 2018 llevará a cabo una capacitación gratuita para las personas interesadas en:  

• Registrar a otros para votar y aprender sobre el poder de la Tarjeta de Promesa de Votante utilizada en esta iniciativa de Voto de GNH
• Aprenda el mejor mensaje para activar el poder de los votantes en diversos contextos, incluso cuando conversa con personas jóvenes o personas que se enfrentan a la falta de vivienda, problemas de inmigración o si se ven afectados por el encarcelamiento o la violencia doméstica.
  Ser parte de un esfuerzo como para elevar las voces de aquellos históricamente privados de derechos y que quieran ser voluntarios de una organización sin fines de lucro con la población potencial de votantes, pero no el tiempo del personal.

Elije una de las siguientes talleres:
Viernes 18 de mayo 1: 00 - 3:00 p.m.
Miércoles 30 de mayo 5:30 - 7: 30 p.m.

Regístrate

Seven years ago, I decided I wanted to become an impact investor. Before then, no one ever told me it was possible to make investment decisions based on my values rather than just financial returns. Once I learned there was this rising tide of “impact investing,” I was all in.

 https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/why-i-want-community-organizers-to-tell-me-where-to-invest

What Do We Do With These Men?

April 27, 2018

The bad men are plotting their comebacks.

In recent days, Page Six reported that the former CBS anchor Charlie Rose, accused by employees of acts ranging from groping to walking around naked in their presence, is shopping a return to television. His new project? Interviewing other men felled by #MeToo...

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/opinion/sunday/metoo-comebacks-charlie-rose.html

What to Do With the ‘Bad Men’ of the #MeToo Movement

FEMA emergency funding is ending, continued support is needed

In the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria, Connecticut welcomed thousands of Puerto Ricans who had lost everything. For many of these fellow American citizens, the crisis is far from over.

FEMA housing assistance is ending on May 1st for displaced families in the area. 

Junta for Progresive Action is the default agency receiving families displaced to Connecticut. In addition to finding housing, Junta is helping these families secure the basic needs of food, clothing, medical care, and employment.

Learn more about Junta and how you can support their efforts.

CreditiStock

It’s a truism in child development that the very young learn through relationships and back-and-forth interactions, including the interactions that occur when parents read to their children. A new study provides evidence of just how sustained an impact reading and playing with young children can have, shaping their social and emotional development in ways that go far beyond helping them learn language and early literacy skills. The parent-child-book moment even has the potential to help curb problem behaviors like aggression, hyperactivity and difficulty with attention, a new study has found...

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/well/family/reading-aloud-to-young-children-has-benefits-for-behavior-and-attention.html ;

Kimberly Lawson - VICE

In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, four Black women share their pregnancy and childbirth experiences to highlight the lasting impact of the racism and trauma Black women too often face when entering motherhood.

https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/43bp43/black-maternal-health-care-racism-stories?utm_campaign=sharebutton

New Haven Farms is looking for volunteers to support our mission of promoting health and community development through urban agriculture. Our positions range from cooking to gardening to childcare, so no matter what your skills are, there are opportunities for you to get involved.

By working with New Haven Farms, you'll connect to the community, cultivate beautiful farm sites that bring joy to our city, and help create healthier outcomes for your friends and neighborhoods. Check out our volunteer positions to see exactly how you can make this happen:

• Farm Volunteer
• Cooking & Nutrition Volunteer
• Research & Welcome Volunteer
• Youth Program Volunteer

You can go to our website to learn more about the volunteer positions we have available and to sign up as a volunteer. Email Michael Lebwohl (volunteercoordinator@newhavenfarms.org) with any questions.

GNH-Vote 2018 is a nonpartisan initiative that gives service providers the tools and resources to increase the engagement and voter registration of historically disenfranchised community members.

Participating Organizations Will Receive:

• • A civic engagement grant of $1,000 for providing $100 stipends to individuals supporting the voter engagement effort and for voter engagement materials.
  • Training and support for conducting voter registration and voter pledge activities and other voter engagement.
  • Resources and tools for a successful voter registration and pledge to vote program.
  • Opportunities for peer learning.
  • Evaluation and analysis for your voter engagement activities.

Application Due May 4th, 5 p.m.

The American Red Cross is asking for help to Sound the Alarm in New Haven. The campaign aims to place 1,000 smoke detectors in city homes on Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. – 2 pm.

To meet this goal, the Red Cross is seeking volunteers. And everyone who helps will likely have a hand in saving a life.

“Statistics tell us that the people volunteering that day will save a life in the future,” says Richard Branigan, Chief Program Officer for the American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “For every 1,000 smoke detectors that are installed, one life is saved.”

The Red Cross aims to marshal a team of 350 volunteers for the effort, which involves canvassing neighborhoods, installing free smoke alarms, replacing batteries in existing alarms and helping families create escape plans.

The Red Cross is holding the event in coordination with the City of New Haven and local community partners. It is also receiving help from a team of 18-24 year olds assigned by AmeriCorps FEMA Corps program.

The Red Cross is specifically targeting the Newhallville, Hill, and Fair Haven neighborhoods, which have the highest concentration of residential structure fires in the city. Volunteers will provide free fire safety tips and information in addition to installing needed smoke detectors and replacing batteries.

All residents are encouraged to make an appointment for a free home fire safety visit. To make an appointment for a free fire safety visit or to volunteer, visit soundthealarm.org/Connecticut or call 1-877-287-3327.

Continue Reading