Good Afternoon, Folks-

 

Here are some NYSCAA News and Updates along with other items that may be of interest.

 

NYSCAA News and Updates

 

New NYSCAA Program Director to Start.  Please join us in welcoming Lisa Allison as NYSCAA’s new Program Director.  She is filling the vacancy left by Jen Forster Green and can be reached as of Tuesday, September 4^th at lallison@nyscaaonline.org or 518-690-0491, ext. 21.  Please join us in wishing Jen the best.  Her last full day in the office will be Wednesday, September 5^th.

 

Governor Spitzer Appoints an Economic Security Cabinet.  As you may know, Governor Spitzer has agreed to appoint a Cabinet on Economic Security earlier this month.  NYSCAA and New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness are pulling together a meeting of poverty advocates on Tuesday, September 12^th at 10:00 in Room 711A at the LOB in Albany to discuss this Cabinet, strategize on ways to impact the Cabinet, and assess how this impacts our call for a Statewide Commission on Poverty.  If you are interested in participating, please let Denise know at dharlow@nyscaaonline.org.

 

NYSCAA Member Executive/Senior Management Retreat.  Please plan on joining your colleagues in Seneca Falls/Waterloo September 19-21 for the Executive/Senior Management Retreat.  To date we have 41 participants from 16 agencies. The retreat will begin with networking on Wednesday evening and will conclude by 12:00 on Friday.  The registration cost is $275 and will include 2 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, and 1 reception.  Hotel rooms are $89/night and need to be reserved with the hotel by Wednesday, August 28^th to get the discounted rate at 315-539-5011.  You may also secure the discount hotel rate online at www.hiwaterloo.com by entering discount code CAA.  For more information on the retreat and to register online, go to  http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Events_Events_NYSCAAEvents.aspx. You may also register by phone by calling Kristine Speth at 518-690-0491, ext. 27.   The retreat is open to all Executive Directors/CEOs and their senior management team and sessions.  Scholarships are available by contacting Dense Harlow at dharlow@nyscaaonlin.org.

 

Assembly Social Service Committee Chair Keith Wright hosting PA hearings in NYC on September 6^th and Westchester September 7th.   These hearings are to assess the need for an increase in the public assistance grant.   As you know, an increase has not been made since 1990.  Please consider attending these hearings along with customers to share stories that articulate the need for an increase in the basic grant. New York City’s slots are full but there may still be room in Westchester.  To register, contact Elaine Fernandez at fernane@assembly.state.ny.us.  Hearings will also happen in Troy and Syracuse later in September.  The schedule has changed numerous times given the Assembly’s schedules and we will work to keep you in the loop.

 

State Hearings on Universal Health Care – New York State took an important step towards universal health care by including in the budget $200,000 for independent studies of the merits of various approaches to universal health care. The Spitzer administration has also set up the “New York’s Partnership for Coverage” to be run by the Health Commissioner and Insurance Superintendent to study the obstacles to health coverage in the current system. They will then develop, evaluate and recommend proposals for achieving universal health insurance, including any interim steps necessary to ensure coverage.   The “Partnership for Coverage” hearings on universal health care will begin in Glens Falls on September 5. Governor Spitzer is expected to attend the first hearings.  The public hearings will require pre-registration.  See registration instructions at  http://www.partnership4coverage.ny.gov/hearings/notice.htm  All are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The sites and dates are:

Ø       Sept. 5, Glens Falls Civic Center

Ø       Oct. 3, Erie County Community College, Buffalo

Ø       Oct. 30, Fordham University, 113 West 60th St., Manhattan

Ø       Nov. 13, Onondaga Community College Syracuse

Ø       Dec. 5, SUNY Old Westbury

 

Social Venture Training.  Reminder that NYSCAA and several CAAs have been discussing contracting with Social Enterprise Ventures, LLC, a consultant group out of New Mexico who presented at the recent CAPLAW conference, to engage in an intensive training program on how to create and run ventures that generate unrestricted income.  Please see my 8/13/07 email for more information and a copy of the training proposal.  As you will see agencies will compile teams of 5-6 staff and board members to go through the process and will agree to participate in 3 full-day intensive training programs over a 6-9 month period.  The cost to each agency will not exceed $8,000 which will include training and travel expenses for the trainers and administration expenses for NSYCAA.  We hope that with controlling for some travel and other incidental costs as well as negotiating with the trainers on their fee, the total may be less than $8,000 but we see that as the outside number at this point.  Please let me know no later than Friday, August 31^st if you are interested.  While we know you may need to approach you board on this project, the group hopes to have the first full day session this fall (after October 1) and hopes to move somewhat quickly.

 

Certified Community Action Professional/CCAP Scholarship Available .  NYSCAA still has one additional CCAP scholarship available for someone in the network who is interested in pursing their CCAP.   One scholarship was awarded to a CCAP webinar participant but we do have one more remaining.  The scholarship will cover the enrollment and examination fees. Please contact Denise if interested at dharlow@nyscaaonline.org.

 

NYSCAA Board, Committee and CSBG Advisory Council Meetings

 

NYSCAA Public Policy Committee. Meeting is meeting via conference call on September 6^th at 10:00.  Please call 1-866-680-1500 and enter code 3162050# at the prompt.

 

NYSCAA Board Meeting.  Wednesday, September 19^th at 2:00 at the Waterloo/Seneca Falls Holiday Inn.  Please let me know if you are planning on attending. 

 

CSBG Advisory Council. Tuesday, September 11^th at 41 State Street, 11^th Floor Conference Room, Albany, New York.  The meeting is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am. 

 

 

Other Items and Publications of Interest

Attacking Poverty in America?.  Here is a link to an interesting article from the Rural Assistance Center that outlines an approach to address poverty shared with us by Tina Zerbian. The article is by Tom Corbett has emeritus status at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is an active affiliate with the Institute for Research on Poverty where he served as Associate Director. He has worked on welfare reform issues at all levels of government and continues to work with a number of states on issues of program and systems integration.  http://www.raconline.org/newsletter/web/summer07.php#corbett

Census Bureau Poverty Day.  Keep an eye on the Census Bureau on Tuesday (8/28) as they release their annual report on poverty and health insurance in the US.  NYSCAA will work to get an update out as soon as we can and let us know if we can be of assistance on press releases.  We will send you what we send out as well.

NCAF Blog. Have you checked out NCAF's blog spot lately?  Community Action leader says Americans expect more from Congress Tomorrow may well be the "Golden Age" of community programs for people in need, said David Bradley, executive director of the National Community Action Foundation, at the 36th annual Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD) ...Community Action Blog - http://ncaf.blogspot.com/  ; History and Philosophy of the War on Poverty Seminars; Children In Poverty; and many more. Visit http://ncaf.blogspot.com/ and scroll the page for all postings.

 

Citi Foundation. Now receiving all U.S. grant applications through an online submission system. Working with a global network of Citi colleagues and nonprofits in the community, the Foundation supports programs in three areas: Financial Education, Educating the Next Generation, and Building Communities and Entrepreneurs. Within these areas, the Foundation provides grants and technical expertise to organizations that help people improve their lives, businesses grow, and communities prosper. For information on applying for a U.S. grant, please contact your U.S. Contributions Coordinator listed under the Foundation Staff pages of their Web site; http://www.citigroupfoundation.org/citigroup/corporate/foundation/index.htm.

 

Other Events

 

Community Action Partnership Annual Conference.  Register now for the Community Action Partnership Annual Convention, AUG. 28-31. General sessions will highlight issues crucial to the Community Action network, such as the New National Conversation on Poverty and Economic Security. Words of inspiration will be shared by special speaker Devon Harris, a member of the first Jamaican bobsled team, which inspired the Disney movie Cool Runnings. Nearly 100 workshops will cover such topics as housing, Head Start, legal accountability, fiscal management, human resources, energy issues, board training and more. Registrations received by July 16 qualify for the early registration discount. For more information on the convention and to access the registration form, click here http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/convention.asp.

 

Connecticut Association for Community Action Conference " Ending Child Poverty: Investing in Our Future" September 24-25, 2007, Rocky Hill Marriott. Conference flyer and registration form for the 2007 Connecticut Community Action annual conference here http://www.cafca.org/ . Join them for what we hope is an informative and important next step in developing strategies to make the goal of a 50% reduction in child poverty in Connecticut by 2014 a reality.

 

SAVE THE DATE: NYSCAA’s Second Annual Symposium on Poverty and Economic Security will be February 25-26 in Albany.

 

I will in San Diego all week (8/27-8/31) attending a CAA State Association meeting and the Partnership Conference but will be checking email and voicemail from the road.  Hope to see many of you there.

 

Thanks,

Denise

 

 

Denise Harlow, CEO

New York State Community Action Association, Inc.

2 Charles Blvd.

Guilderland, NY  12084

518-690-0491, ext. 24

FAX 518-690-0498

dharlow@nyscaaonline.org

 

Join the Call for a Statewide Commission on Poverty and Economic Security.  Learn more and add your name and organization to the list of supporters at http://www.nyscaaonline.org/FirstPageNewsArticles/StateWidePovAndEcoSec.aspx.