(from left to right) Paul Joslyn, Executive Director of AccessCNY, Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon, II, Carolyn Brown, Executive Director of PEACE, Inc. and Brian Fay, Executive Director of the Syracuse Northeast Community Center.
On March 9, 2022 Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon announced the recipients of funding from the COVID-19 Response Fund. COVID-19 Response Fund Vision: Address the human service needs and improve quality of life for the populations in Onondaga County disproportionately impacted by the COVID19 pandemic.
The COVID 19 Pandemic has had far reaching impact on all of our community. Populations that rely on others to help meet their basic needs, experienced substantial social isolation, and/or were at higher risk of contracting COVID were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This impact is compounded for those who live in poverty and/or have barriers to utilizing technology.
According to Onondaga County Executive’s Office “There was a specific focus placed on our youth and senior citizen populations.”
Total Funds Available: $1M (maximum award $100,000)
Awardees (11):
- Access CNY ($98,760):
Reducing Social Isolation and Meeting Social Determinants of Health Connect individuals who live with a developmental disability, acquired brain injury, or mental health diagnosis, with needed services including increasing attendance at medical appointments, decreasing food insecurity, and decreasing feelings of social isolation.
- Access CNY ($94,330):
Caregiver Training
Increase outreach and collaboration across systems and develop curriculum to provide educational resources and supports to unpaid care givers of individuals with a mental health diagnosis.
- Aids Community Resources, Inc. ($100,000):
Mobile Health Services Team
Enhance outreach, education, harm reduction, and prevention services for individuals with Opiate Use Disorder and/or those at increased risk for HIV/STDs.
- Aurora of Central New York, Inc. ($100,000):
Safe Outreach Project for People with Vision and Hearing Loss Ensure proper access to, and utilization of, mental and physical health services using appropriate sign language interpretive services, for the Deaf New American Community and American Deaf individuals. Reduce isolation for seniors with vision or hearing loss by providing training in adaptive and assistive technologies.
- CirCare ($78,836):
Parent Project Implement the Parent Project Model, an evidence-based curricula, helping parents develop strategies to handle some of the most difficult behaviors exhibited in their school aged children.
- Contact Community Services, Inc. ($100,000):
TeleCare
Telephone reassurance calls for isolated and vulnerable older adults, including daily wellness checks and medication reminders.
- Elmcrest Children’s Center ($100,000)
Non-traditional Childcare at Northside Early Education Center
Implement a pilot program to provide center based licensed childcare during non-traditional hours (5 pm – 12 am) for parents working second shift.
- Empower Parkinson, Inc. ($77,151):
Expansion of services for People with Parkinson’s Disease Expand provision of services including boxing, other fitness activities, education, support, and socialization for individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease.
- PEACE, Inc. ($100,000):
Aging in Place Senior Home Modification
Improve the physical environments of HEAP eligible seniors so that they are able to stay in their own homes safely. This includes activities such as ramp installation, doorway widening, and modifications to accommodate medical devices.
- Reach CNY, Inc. ($50,923):
Childbirth Education for Refugee and Immigrant Women and Families
Utilize certified childbirth educators and trained medical interpreters to provide high quality childbirth education classes to pregnant women in Onondaga County whose first language is Somali, Arabic, wahili, or Kinyarwanda.
- Syracuse Northeast Community Center ($100,000):
Food Foundations
Improve and expand existing Basic Needs and Senior services while working towards implementation of a full Food Farmacy program model.
