In the March 2021 newsletter, we reflect on the BronxWorks response to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year. For many BronxWorks essential programs, operations continued without interruption with adjustments made for safety protocols, including office modifications and hybrid scheduling. While it would be impossible to share all of the amazing stories that have taken place throughout this year, we would like to share the experience and insights of a handful of programs that exemplify the BronxWorks commitment to service.

BronxWorks expands food pantry and access to emergency food across the organization

At the outset of the pandemic, an immediate need that emerged was food insecurity stemming from loss of income or employment. As a response, BronxWorks expanded food pantry and emergency food services across 12 sites. The BronxWorks Community Food Pantry quickly shifted from a bi-weekly to a weekly schedule. Held on Saturdays to provide access to working households, since March 2020 the BronxWorks Community Food Pantry has assisted over 1,270 households and distributed over 21,650 grocery bags, along with diapers, baby formula, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, and other essential items.

In similar fashion, other BronxWorks offices expanded their emergency food services, reaching high-need community members in NYCHA houses and senior residences in many Bronx neighborhoods. These programs have distributed tens of thousands of grocery bags to thousands of individuals and families. Thanks to the support of generous funders and supports and through the dedicated work of staff across all of these sites, BronxWorks will continue to help address the rising food insecurity within our communities.

Prior to the pandemic, the CMCC Kitchen cooked and provided over 600 meals to BronxWorks  family shelters, recreation programs, and day care and early childcare center programs through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This year, many families did not enroll in these programs or could not come out to get food, so the Kitchen had to grapple with the issue of how to increase access to the food program amid rising food insecurity. To address the challenge, kitchen staff experimented with pick up and delivery services to provide convenient and safe access to the crucial meals that many households have come to rely on.

Furthermore, when the Jerome Avenue Mens Shelter (JAMS) relocated to a Midtown hotel for the safety of the residents, the CMCC Kitchen was tasked with preparing and delivering meals to participants at the new location. The kitchen packages over 200 individual meals and delivers them twice a day every day of the week.

BronxWorks is committed to supporting our community across the digital divide.

For many programs, the restrictions of the pandemic meant finding new ways to deliver crucial resources and services to address the inequalities that persist throughout the borough. One example lies in the BronxWorks Community Health programs and SNAP-Education, which immediately adjusted to a virtual service delivery model.

COVID-19 opened the door and showed the value of virtual programming. It showed that our programs could do it well and reach a larger audience than before,” said Community Health Programs Director Rachel Gill.

BronxWorks Senior Centers also added virtual programming as a component of their service model during the pandemic. Staff at our senior centers continue to conduct wellness checks, and seeing an increase in isolation, began to offer virtual activities around mental health wellness, nutrition, technology support, and exercise classes. The BronxWorks senior centers are embarking on an expanded virtual curriculum set to launch at the beginning of April. The initiative will include purchasing of tablets to distribute to participants and providing access to low-cost internet service.

The pandemic has also drastically affected students who had to adapt to remote or hybrid learning. BronxWorks acted immediately in a number of ways to bridge the digital divide in our communities and bring digital inclusion to participants. BronxWorks received multiple grants from generous funders to support digital inclusion and enhance STEM learning in our Children & Youth programs. The grants fund upgrades to computer labs and purchasing new equipment, including computers, smartboards, printers, and tablets for participants to borrow for remote learning needs.
Another large development in BronxWorks digital inclusion efforts was the expansion of Wi-Fi access to all three of our family shelters. When in-person learning closed in New York City schools, BronxWorks took steps to secure Wi-Fi access for the Jackson Avenue, Willow Avenue, and Nelson Avenue Family Residences. The shelter teams reached out to a trusted vendor that recently installed closed-circuit television systems. Using the existing network, we installed Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the buildings. By mid-May, all three family residences were connected to high-speed Wi-Fi, allowing students to reliably participate in remote learning.

Creatively connecting our families in shelter to Wi-Fi is just one example of our relentless efforts to support Bronx families,” said Eileen Torres, Executive Director.

Thanks to all of these efforts and more that we could not cover, BronxWorks has been able to innovate and adapt to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that by sharing examples of our efforts through this past year, we can express our appreciation for the staff that have made these accomplishments possible. As the pandemic continues, BronxWorks remains committed to doing everything necessary to sustain exemplary services and support our community to recover and build a brighter future for the Bronx.

In the March 2021 newsletter, we reflect on the BronxWorks response to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year. For many BronxWorks essential programs, operations continued without interruption with adjustments made for safety protocols, including office modifications and hybrid scheduling. While it would be impossible to share all of the amazing stories that have taken place throughout this year, we would like to share the experience and insights of a handful of programs that exemplify the BronxWorks commitment to service.

BronxWorks expands food pantry and access to emergency food across the organization

At the outset of the pandemic, an immediate need that emerged was food insecurity stemming from loss of income or employment. As a response, BronxWorks expanded food pantry and emergency food services across 12 sites. The BronxWorks Community Food Pantry quickly shifted from a bi-weekly to a weekly schedule. Held on Saturdays to provide access to working households, since March 2020 the BronxWorks Community Food Pantry has assisted over 1,270 households and distributed over 21,650 grocery bags, along with diapers, baby formula, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, and other essential items.

In similar fashion, other BronxWorks offices expanded their emergency food services, reaching high-need community members in NYCHA houses and senior residences in many Bronx neighborhoods. These programs have distributed tens of thousands of grocery bags to thousands of individuals and families. Thanks to the support of generous funders and supports and through the dedicated work of staff across all of these sites, BronxWorks will continue to help address the rising food insecurity within our communities.

Prior to the pandemic, the CMCC Kitchen cooked and provided over 600 meals to BronxWorks  family shelters, recreation programs, and day care and early childcare center programs through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This year, many families did not enroll in these programs or could not come out to get food, so the Kitchen had to grapple with the issue of how to increase access to the food program amid rising food insecurity. To address the challenge, kitchen staff experimented with pick up and delivery services to provide convenient and safe access to the crucial meals that many households have come to rely on.

Furthermore, when the Jerome Avenue Mens Shelter (JAMS) relocated to a Midtown hotel for the safety of the residents, the CMCC Kitchen was tasked with preparing and delivering meals to participants at the new location. The kitchen packages over 200 individual meals and delivers them twice a day every day of the week.

BronxWorks is committed to supporting our community across the digital divide.

For many programs, the restrictions of the pandemic meant finding new ways to deliver crucial resources and services to address the inequalities that persist throughout the borough. One example lies in the BronxWorks Community Health programs and SNAP-Education, which immediately adjusted to a virtual service delivery model.

COVID-19 opened the door and showed the value of virtual programming. It showed that our programs could do it well and reach a larger audience than before,” said Community Health Programs Director Rachel Gill.

BronxWorks Senior Centers also added virtual programming as a component of their service model during the pandemic. Staff at our senior centers continue to conduct wellness checks, and seeing an increase in isolation, began to offer virtual activities around mental health wellness, nutrition, technology support, and exercise classes. The BronxWorks senior centers are embarking on an expanded virtual curriculum set to launch at the beginning of April. The initiative will include purchasing of tablets to distribute to participants and providing access to low-cost internet service.

The pandemic has also drastically affected students who had to adapt to remote or hybrid learning. BronxWorks acted immediately in a number of ways to bridge the digital divide in our communities and bring digital inclusion to participants. BronxWorks received multiple grants from generous funders to support digital inclusion and enhance STEM learning in our Children & Youth programs. The grants fund upgrades to computer labs and purchasing new equipment, including computers, smartboards, printers, and tablets for participants to borrow for remote learning needs.
Another large development in BronxWorks digital inclusion efforts was the expansion of Wi-Fi access to all three of our family shelters. When in-person learning closed in New York City schools, BronxWorks took steps to secure Wi-Fi access for the Jackson Avenue, Willow Avenue, and Nelson Avenue Family Residences. The shelter teams reached out to a trusted vendor that recently installed closed-circuit television systems. Using the existing network, we installed Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the buildings. By mid-May, all three family residences were connected to high-speed Wi-Fi, allowing students to reliably participate in remote learning.

Creatively connecting our families in shelter to Wi-Fi is just one example of our relentless efforts to support Bronx families,” said Eileen Torres, Executive Director.

Thanks to all of these efforts and more that we could not cover, BronxWorks has been able to innovate and adapt to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that by sharing examples of our efforts through this past year, we can express our appreciation for the staff that have made these accomplishments possible. As the pandemic continues, BronxWorks remains committed to doing everything necessary to sustain exemplary services and support our community to recover and build a brighter future for the Bronx.

During our Year-End Appeal, we shared the story of a young woman named Ginessi who was a participant in the BronxWorks Jobs Plus program and whose family had lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Ginessi was working part-time while also a full-time student on her way to earning her Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Since then, Ginessi has graduated with her A.A., enrolled to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and in February accepted a full-time position as the Program Specialist at the BronxWorks Morris Innovative Senior Center.

When I heard about this job, I felt this was the opportunity I had to take to elevate myself and do something meaningful,” Ginessi said.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ginessi and participants like her have continued to work with the programs within the BronxWorks Workforce Development Department (WFD). In addition to enhancing food access, WFD continued to provide job preparation, search, and placement services. Despite a slumping economy, the Department has made 165 adult workforce and 48 youth workforce job placements, totaling 213 individuals placed into new employment.

As with all BronxWorks programs, WFD staff have remained committed to the work that is needed. For job-seeking participants like Ginessi, it has opened doors and provided opportunities to pursue a brighter future, and for thousands of other individuals and households.

Watch Ginessi’s story here:

During our Year-End Appeal, we shared the story of a young woman named Ginessi who was a participant in the BronxWorks Jobs Plus program and whose family had lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Ginessi was working part-time while also a full-time student on her way to earning her Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Since then, Ginessi has graduated with her A.A., enrolled to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and in February accepted a full-time position as the Program Specialist at the BronxWorks Morris Innovative Senior Center.

When I heard about this job, I felt this was the opportunity I had to take to elevate myself and do something meaningful,” Ginessi said.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ginessi and participants like her have continued to work with the programs within the BronxWorks Workforce Development Department (WFD). In addition to enhancing food access, WFD continued to provide job preparation, search, and placement services. Despite a slumping economy, the Department has made 165 adult workforce and 48 youth workforce job placements, totaling 213 individuals placed into new employment.

As with all BronxWorks programs, WFD staff have remained committed to the work that is needed. For job-seeking participants like Ginessi, it has opened doors and provided opportunities to pursue a brighter future, and for thousands of other individuals and households.

Watch Ginessi’s story here:

BronxWorks and SOMOS Community Care offered COVID-19 vaccinations to Bronx community members.

In February 2021, BronxWorks became a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine distribution site. In partnership with SOMOS Community Care, the BronxWorks Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center offered vaccines to qualifying individuals of the Bronx from Saturday, February 6 through Thursday, February 11, and will offer the second dose to vaccinated individuals in March.

BronxWorks is thankful to SOMOS Community Care for the successful partnership and proud to have distributed thousands of COVID-19 vaccines to Bronx community members.”
– Eileen Torres, Executive Director

BronxWorks continues to work with New York City agencies to promote information on COVID-19 vaccines and how members of the community can get vaccinated. To learn more, visit NYC Department of Health vaccine page.

For more information or announcements, follow us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. To learn more about SOMOS Community Care, visit their website here.

BronxWorks and SOMOS Community Care offered COVID-19 vaccinations to Bronx community members.

In February 2021, BronxWorks became a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine distribution site. In partnership with SOMOS Community Care, the BronxWorks Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center offered vaccines to qualifying individuals of the Bronx from Saturday, February 6 through Thursday, February 11, and will offer the second dose to vaccinated individuals in March.

BronxWorks is thankful to SOMOS Community Care for the successful partnership and proud to have distributed thousands of COVID-19 vaccines to Bronx community members.”
– Eileen Torres, Executive Director

BronxWorks continues to work with New York City agencies to promote information on COVID-19 vaccines and how members of the community can get vaccinated. To learn more, visit NYC Department of Health vaccine page.

For more information or announcements, follow us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. To learn more about SOMOS Community Care, visit their website here.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has presented new challenges to the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), but they continue to provide critical services day in and day out. HOT  is especially vital during the winter months when freezing nighttime temperatures result in Code Blue orders throughout the city. A Code Blue weather emergency is ordered on any winter night where the temperature drops to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below. The HOT Team also played an essential role during New York City’s annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) Count. In this story, we highlight how the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team continues to provide essential services throughout the year and especially during the severe winter months.

BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team managed the entire HOPE Count for the Bronx over a three day event.

The HOPE Count is an annual survey of the street homeless population in every borough. In typical years, the HOPE Count is supported by over 3,000 volunteers city-wide, managed by the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS). Due to COVID-19 precautions, this year the HOPE Count was  completed entirely by each borough’s designated homeless outreach provider. BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) provided the HOPE count for the Bronx.

The HOPE Count takes place on the last Monday in January, which is expected to be the coldest night of the year. HOT opted to split the count over three days in order to cover the 252 survey areas, known as “maps”, in the Bronx. Assisted by staff members from other BronxWorks departments, the group surveyed 134 maps during the first night, followed by 59 maps each of the following two nights.

The Team was supported by a digital dashboard to track the progress of each map surveyed throughout the night. The dashboard allows HOPE Count district captains to dispatch or reposition team members as the teams on the ground update data in real time. “It’s a huge improvement from having to call teams to track their progress throughout the night. It’s also great to have teams using an app to complete surveys, versus the paper surveys we’ve done in past years,” says Juan Rivera, the Program Director of the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team. This year they utilized virtual communication and coordination to avoid large groupings, carefully navigating the neighborhoods of the Bronx to create an accurate picture of the street homeless population on a given night.

Of the 51 areas where we saw people on the street, we predicted that we would find people in 48 of those areas,” said Juan Rivera when asked about the results of this year’s count. “We will use the information on the three areas that we didn’t predict to inform our outreach in subsequent years.”

Over the course of the three night count, the Team surveyed dozens of individuals in street locations throughout the Bronx. The raw count that the BronxWorks team collected will be submitted to NYC DHS, which is expected to release an official report for city-wide 2021 HOPE results in Spring or early Summer. Additionally, HOT helped transport three individuals that needed immediate assistance and referred the rest to warming centers and other resources.

Juan Rivera, Program Director of the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team, speaks about Code Blue at the Bronx Health & Housing Consortium Town Hall.

At a recent Bronx Health & Housing Consortium virtual town hall, members of the BronxWorks Adult Homeless Services Department spoke about homeless outreach amid the COVID-19 pandemic and during city-wide Code Blue alerts. Juan Rivera, Program Director of the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team said that despite some challenges and adjustments made due to COVID-19, street outreach, particularly during Code Blue alerts carries on largely as usual.

During a Code Blue alert, the HOT becomes the backstop to prevent any street homeless individual from succumbing to freezing temperatures outside. This responsibility remains their top priority. Oftentimes, HOT will help transport or arrange transportation for individuals they encounter to the BronxWorks Living Room Drop-in Center or warming centers setup throughout the borough.

Bronx hospitals have always been locations frequented by homeless individuals for services and for shelter. Working with Bronx hospitals to address the needs of these homeless individuals is an important function of street outreach for HOT. As a result, HOT incorporates a Hospital Coordinator as a part of their team to serve in a liaison role with Bronx hospitals. BronxWorks also developed an Emergency Department Housing Coordinator position stationed at certain Bronx hospitals to specifically target the hospital homeless population, but due to COVID-19, hospitals and BronxWorks agreed to restrict non-medical staff from the hospital premises. In addition to our Outreach Team, the NYC DHS has set up five warming buses at four locations, including hospitals, and one roaming bus to provide emergency shelter and transportation to homeless individuals identified outside during Code Blue alerts.

In New York City, if you identify a homeless individual outside and in need of assistance, call 311 or visit Home · NYC311. To learn more about the Bronx Health & Housing Consortium, their work, research, and programming, visit their website here.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has presented new challenges to the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), but they continue to provide critical services day in and day out. HOT  is especially vital during the winter months when freezing nighttime temperatures result in Code Blue orders throughout the city. A Code Blue weather emergency is ordered on any winter night where the temperature drops to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below. The HOT Team also played an essential role during New York City’s annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) Count. In this story, we highlight how the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team continues to provide essential services throughout the year and especially during the severe winter months.

BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team managed the entire HOPE Count for the Bronx over a three day event.

The HOPE Count is an annual survey of the street homeless population in every borough. In typical years, the HOPE Count is supported by over 3,000 volunteers city-wide, managed by the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS). Due to COVID-19 precautions, this year the HOPE Count was  completed entirely by each borough’s designated homeless outreach provider. BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) provided the HOPE count for the Bronx.

The HOPE Count takes place on the last Monday in January, which is expected to be the coldest night of the year. HOT opted to split the count over three days in order to cover the 252 survey areas, known as “maps”, in the Bronx. Assisted by staff members from other BronxWorks departments, the group surveyed 134 maps during the first night, followed by 59 maps each of the following two nights.

The Team was supported by a digital dashboard to track the progress of each map surveyed throughout the night. The dashboard allows HOPE Count district captains to dispatch or reposition team members as the teams on the ground update data in real time. “It’s a huge improvement from having to call teams to track their progress throughout the night. It’s also great to have teams using an app to complete surveys, versus the paper surveys we’ve done in past years,” says Juan Rivera, the Program Director of the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team. This year they utilized virtual communication and coordination to avoid large groupings, carefully navigating the neighborhoods of the Bronx to create an accurate picture of the street homeless population on a given night.

Of the 51 areas where we saw people on the street, we predicted that we would find people in 48 of those areas,” said Juan Rivera when asked about the results of this year’s count. “We will use the information on the three areas that we didn’t predict to inform our outreach in subsequent years.”

Over the course of the three night count, the Team surveyed dozens of individuals in street locations throughout the Bronx. The raw count that the BronxWorks team collected will be submitted to NYC DHS, which is expected to release an official report for city-wide 2021 HOPE results in Spring or early Summer. Additionally, HOT helped transport three individuals that needed immediate assistance and referred the rest to warming centers and other resources.

Juan Rivera, Program Director of the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team, speaks about Code Blue at the Bronx Health & Housing Consortium Town Hall.

At a recent Bronx Health & Housing Consortium virtual town hall, members of the BronxWorks Adult Homeless Services Department spoke about homeless outreach amid the COVID-19 pandemic and during city-wide Code Blue alerts. Juan Rivera, Program Director of the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team said that despite some challenges and adjustments made due to COVID-19, street outreach, particularly during Code Blue alerts carries on largely as usual.

During a Code Blue alert, the HOT becomes the backstop to prevent any street homeless individual from succumbing to freezing temperatures outside. This responsibility remains their top priority. Oftentimes, HOT will help transport or arrange transportation for individuals they encounter to the BronxWorks Living Room Drop-in Center or warming centers setup throughout the borough.

Bronx hospitals have always been locations frequented by homeless individuals for services and for shelter. Working with Bronx hospitals to address the needs of these homeless individuals is an important function of street outreach for HOT. As a result, HOT incorporates a Hospital Coordinator as a part of their team to serve in a liaison role with Bronx hospitals. BronxWorks also developed an Emergency Department Housing Coordinator position stationed at certain Bronx hospitals to specifically target the hospital homeless population, but due to COVID-19, hospitals and BronxWorks agreed to restrict non-medical staff from the hospital premises. In addition to our Outreach Team, the NYC DHS has set up five warming buses at four locations, including hospitals, and one roaming bus to provide emergency shelter and transportation to homeless individuals identified outside during Code Blue alerts.

In New York City, if you identify a homeless individual outside and in need of assistance, call 311 or visit Home · NYC311. To learn more about the Bronx Health & Housing Consortium, their work, research, and programming, visit their website here.