NIA Community Services Network’s Outreach Project is funded by a $10,000 grant from Brooklyn Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. With this grant, NIA will provide immediate assistance to close to 200 low-income immigrant families and families of color in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Gravesend, both neighborhoods in Brooklyn disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

“Our families and communities hit hardest by this pandemic merit on-going support and increased attention during this difficult time. NIA is grateful for this funding, which is helping us provide resources that would otherwise not be available to these families,” says Mary Anne Cino, CEO of NIA.

NIA will support these families this summer with wellness care packages that include food and hygiene supplies, grocery gift cards, academic materials, and books for children. NIA will also provide COVID-19 prevention information and self-care strategies in multiple languages and individualized assistance, which includes helping families navigate applications for a variety of services, like SNAP, HEAP, unemployment, healthcare, and more.

NIA has strong community relationships with Bedford Stuyvesant and Gravesend due to partnerships with PS 627 and PS/IS 95, providing free after-school and resources to families for over 5 years. NIA is building on the existing partnerships in these school communities, providing outreach and support in this challenging time. Many families in both communities face the strain imposed by economic inequality, with 70% of families eligible for HRA assistance and more than 25% living below the federal poverty level prior to the pandemic. After COVID-19 hit, data for related zip codes showed nearly 50 more deaths than the city average for a neighborhood.

“Brooklyn Community Foundation is proud to support the work of NIA and more than 200 other Brooklyn-serving organizations that have led an unprecedented community-driven response to the unjust health, economic, and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in our borough,” says Cecilia Clarke, President and CEO of Brooklyn Community Foundation. “To date, more than 1,600 donors have helped raise over $3.7 million to fund the work of these vital nonprofits that are lifelines for communities across our borough.”

 About NIA Community Services Network

Since 1981, NIA Community Services Network has been creating solutions that address a broad range of issues our communities face throughout New York City. NIA serves thousands of children, seniors, and families through access to free after-school programs, Beacon community centers, events, family guidance, literacy initiatives, and community assistance and referral services. To learn more, visit www.niabklyn.org or call 718-236-5266.

About Brooklyn Community Foundation

Brooklyn Community Foundation is on a mission to spark lasting social change, mobilizing people, capital, and expertise for a fair and just Brooklyn. It is the first and only public foundation solely dedicated to Brooklyn, working in partnership with generous donors and community leaders to advance racial justice and equity, bolster vital nonprofits, strengthen neighborhoods, and increase opportunities and outcomes in communities of color. Since its founding in 2009, the Foundation and its donors have provided over $50 million in grants to hundreds of nonprofits in Brooklyn and beyond.

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