Greater Syracuse HOPE

Poverty is a set of conditions that anyone at any time can experience. However, it is not the whole experience of a person. If there is a moral failing to be identified within the discussion of poverty it is the moral failing of systems and not people who are experiencing the condition.

H.O.P.E.’s strategic interventions worked to impact systems and create opportunities. We’re grateful for the community that helped us create programs to address concentrated poverty in our city.

Thank you to our former Community Engagement intern, Keturah Cochren-Albright!

The thoughts and ideas of community members were crucial in charting the path forward. Every decision was made with community input

"...That's the driving factor of Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E.: The people of Syracuse." Learn more about the vision of H.O.P.E.:

At HOPE, we value people, policies that protect and advance people, and how people experiencing poverty are perceived. The past inaction by the US Senate to pass a timely and comprehensive COVID relief bill (at the federal level) is having very real effects on people in our community (at the local level). Learn how policymakers in the Senate affect our everyday lives in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

Happy Holidays from the Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E. team!

For more voting information, go to onvote.net

Check out onvote.net more voting and ballot information!

Know your voting rights! More information here: https://ag.ny.gov/civil-rights/voting-rights

Polls are open! Go vote! You can look up your polling place here: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ And remember, if you're in line tonight and the polls close, stay in line. You have a right to vote!

"Café Sankofa presents our Thanksgiving Fundraiser! Please help us feed 100 families this holiday season by purchasing a box or turkey through the Food Sense Program (Swipe Left) ... Donations can be sent to PayPal: [email protected] or Cashapp: $CafeSankofa and will be accepted through November 13. ... Thank you so much for your support! ... Please DM us or contact Arlaina Harris (@lainabainaa8) at [email protected] for more info!" See more

If you're in line to vote tomorrow night and the polls close, stay in line! You have the right to vote. Polls are open 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Today is the last day to notify your employer if you need to take up to two hours of paid time off on Election Day in order to have sufficient time to vote. More information here: https://www.elections.ny.gov//elec/TimeOffToVoteNotice.pdf

Today is the last day to vote early! And Election Day is in two days. What's your voting plan? More information at http://www.ongov.net/elections/

Early voting continues today and this weekend! And Election Day is in 4 days! Check out http://onvote.net/ for more information.

Voting ends in 6 days! Check out http://onvote.net/ for more information.

Today is the last day to APPLY for your absentee ballot. More information here: http://www.ongov.net/elections/absentee.html Online application here: ... https://absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov/ See more

Check out some important voting advice from Onondaga County Elections Commissioner, Dustin M. Czarny. If you're planning on voting on Election Day, November 3, check your polling location here: https://maptv.wwav2020.civicengine.com/ And use http://onvote.net/ for any voting questions!

Early voting continues! Early voting hours have been extended this weekend: early voting locations will now be open from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1. More information here: http://www.ongov.net/elections/early-voting.html

Click the link and register!

Register to vote online by tomorrow, Friday, October 9! https://dmv.ny.gov//electronic-voter-registration-applicat And check your voter registration status here: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

On this episode of Syracuse Speaks, H.O.P.E.'s Executive Director, Ocesa Keaton, talks about the struggles and solutions facing our community in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. PEACE, Inc., Central New York Regional Transportation Authority - Centro Street Addiction Institute, Inc. -SAII

Go to my2020census.gov to fill it out the census!

"REDLINING. URBAN RENEWAL. Each are terms that many are recently hearing for the first time. The former sounds negative. The latter on the surface sounds positive. Yet what are they?... How have these policies helped to concentrate power in the hands of a few and to create poverty among communities of color?"

"PEACE, Inc. and Ocesa B. Keaton LMSW, Executive Director of Greater Syracuse HOPE, have teamed to release the first of monthly white papers exploring the effects of Poverty in Central New York. Together, the partnership will present accessible tools for community use, planning, and action. This month’s essay, "What is Redlining and Urban Renewal? Inequality and Resistance in mid-Century Syracuse," seeks to explain these discriminatory practices of the mid-twentieth century. ...The essay also explores the ways in which those most impacted by Redlining and Urban Renewal sought to combat it. Last, the essay sets a groundwork for future essays about poverty by showing the connections between past policies and current structural inequalities in Central New York. A link to the essay as well as PEACE, Inc.’s broader research efforts can be found on the agency’s website, https://www.peace-caa.org/about-us/reports-and-research/. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. Next month, we’ll be covering housing! (Note: Picture found through www.dot.ny.gov/i81opportunities)."

'We’re suffering here, and we don’t have a moment to waste while you guys have this power struggle. This is not something that should be politicized because we’re in survival mode in this city and in many cities across the country.'

http://bit.ly/HOPECovidSurvey Our community is still in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. From food access to facing eviction to being unemployed, this crisis has started new hardships and exacerbated existing ones. We used your survey responses from the first Syracuse COVID-19 experience survey to advocate for Syracuse families to our elected officials. But there is still a lot of work to be done. Our elected officials need to keep on hearing from us in our own words.... Please fill out the second iteration of the survey and share. Survey participants will be entered to win a $50 Visa gift card. We will use this information to advocate for you and all H.O.P.E. families. It is our mission to fight for a better future, immediate and long term, for all Syracuse residents. http://bit.ly/HOPECovidSurvey

'It was critical to assess the impact of COVID-19 on residents, particularly those who receive low wages, to better model solutions that meet their specific needs. That’s how H.O.P.E. identified its concentrated poverty community needs: through listening sessionsand our partners looked at those responses similar to how they are looking at these survey responses to help them understand how they can better fill in the gaps for their clients'," said Ocesa Keaton, Executive Director of Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E.

Today, we released the full results of our Syracuse COVID-19 Experience Survey. You can view the full findings here: https://bit.ly/syrhope-covidresults2020a More than 200 people participated in the survey, which revealed how the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated long-standing issues like housing, food, employment, and income insecurity among vulnerable populations. We will use these findings to lobby for aid for families.

Thank you to all the panelists and everyone who came out for our citizens' town hall last week. To continue the important conversation on the intersections of poverty and racism in our community, please join our Facebook group, Anti-Poverty Work in Anti-Racist Work: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2674693432847564

Please join us and community leaders at our citizens' town hall tomorrow, August 4, at 5:30 PM as we discuss the intersections of poverty and racism. Register here: https://hopetownhall.eventbrite.com

"Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E., an organization helping to address poverty through systematic change, has seen its clients make upward improvement in their credit scores after utilizing Syracuse FEC services."

"...More than 40% of renter households in the U.S. are going to experience rental shortfall during the Covid-19 crisis with just under 12 million facing eviction over the next four months alone. Around 17 million are likely to be impacted throughout the pandemic."

Concentrated poverty is a multi-layered issue where one of the drivers is racism. Racism does not stop at police brutality. And COVID-19 has served as the intersection of issues that exacerbate the conditions of poverty. Thank you to all who have participated in the survey. Here are some of our findings:

Concentrated poverty is a multi-layered issue where one of the drivers is racism. Racism does not stop at police brutality. And COVID-19 has served as the intersection of issues that exacerbate the conditions of poverty. Thank you to all who have participated in the survey. Here are some of our findings:

Thank you to Symphoria for finding innovative ways to keep your audience engaged. It was a pleasure being your guest.

Senator Rachel May is right. We must be anti-racist in all aspects of our society, including health care, housing, and education.

If you haven’t already, go vote! Primary elections include candidates for the House of Representatives and two city court judge seats. Polls open 6AM to 9PM. More info here: http://www.ongov.net/elections/

The relationship between highways and racial injustice exemplifies the kinds of systemic issues that many protesters are now seeking to challenge. Policies that on their face may have appeared to be about easing transportation barriers and revitalizing cities were and still are often rooted in long standing racial prejudice, and carried with them cascading effects that worsened pre-existing inequalities. The I-81 viaduct in Syracuse is no exception.

Vote early! The presidential and local/state primary elections are Tuesday, June 23. But you can also vote early between Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 21! More info here: http://www.ongov.net/elections/early-voting.html

Tomorrow is the last day to request an absentee ballot for the June 23 primary election through email, fax, or phone. More info here: ongov.net/elections/absentee.html After June 16th, voters may apply for an absentee ballot in person at the Onondaga County Board of Elections OR you can vote EARLY between June 13-21 at the six early voting polling sites throughout Onondaga County! More info here: ongov.net/elections/absentee.html

Please see our ongoing list of COVID-19 Resources in Syracuse: https://www.greatersyracusehope.org/covid19-resources

Please see our ongoing list of COVID-19 Resources in Syracuse: https://www.greatersyracusehope.org/covid19-resources

https://bit.ly/SyrCOVID19Experience Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E.’s driving force is the voice of the community. Now is the time for us all to express to local and state officials, in our own words, how the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted our lives. By filling out this survey, you are helping us understand how COVID-19 is affecting you and your family. We will use this information to advocate for you and all H.O.P.E. families, as it is Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E.’s sole mission to fi...ght for a better future for all Syracuse residents. Please fill out to the best of your ability and share! Survey participants will be entered to win a $50 Visa gift card.

Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E.’s driving force is the voice of the community. Now is the time for us all to express to local and state officials, in our own words, how the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted our lives. By filling out this survey, you are helping us understand how COVID-19 is affecting you and your family. We will use this information to advocate for you and all H.O.P.E. families, as it is Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E.’s sole mission to fight for a better future for all Syra...cuse residents. Please fill out to the best of your ability and share! Survey participants will be entered to win a $50 Visa gift card. https://bit.ly/SyrCOVID19Experience

Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E., in partnership with the Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA), would like to hear your experiences throughout the COVID-19 crisis to help us understand both the direct and indirect impacts that COVID-19 is having on the Syracuse community. Please take our survey here: https://bit.ly/COVIDCommunityNeedsSYR Thank you!

We are focused on making sure that we talk about poverty in a way that is human centered and not in a way that we’re looking at it as a morality issue. -Ocesa Keaton, Executive Director

I really was, and still am, really committed to making sure we infuse the voice of the community in all aspects of everything that H.O.P.E. does...and just make sure that each step of the way we continue to go back to the community to make sure that we’re not veering too far from what they feel the needs are." -Ocesa Keaton, Executive Director, Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E.

The COVID-19 crisis requires bold solutions. The health and livelihood of people must come first.

"When we demonize the individual who’s having a hard time, it makes it easy to put policies in place that does more harm to their situation than good."

Have you or a member of your household been impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic? You may have recently lost your job, seen a reduction in weekly hours, had to take on additional caretaking roles, or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 yourself and lack adequate healthcare. We would like to hear your experiences throughout this pandemic to help us understand both the direct and indirect impacts that COVID-19 is having on the Syracuse community. Please fill out our survey below:

The Mobile Food Pantry will be at Lincoln beginning at 4 pm | today, Thursday, April 9th! We are asking for everyone to remain in their vehicles to receive food... packages. It is going to be very important that we use safety and caution as we are forming vehicle lines in our parking lot. If you are not in a vehicle, we are asking that you wait in line on the side of the building closest to the parking lot (as usual). It is recommended that you remain 6 feet from another person to ensure we are practicing social distancing! More than ever it is very important that we respect each other and all systems being implemented to allow everyone the opportunity to benefit from the food distribution. We are all working very hard to ensure everyone receives food packages! Thank you

The US government needs a response to the coronavirus that prevents people from having to choose between a missed paycheck and risking their and their families’ health..."

We know that many throughout the community are in critical need of diapers. Be sure to view this useful CNY Diaper Bank resource to access your local sites. #PEACEIncSYr #Diapers #CNY #Syracuse

Please share! We must ensure that everyone gets the food they need in the midst of this crisis.

Starting tomorrow, PEACE, Inc.’s Westside Family Resource Center and Food Pantry will be open the following hours. The address: 200 Wyoming Street, Syracuse. Fo...r our other Family Resource Center locations and hours -as well as wider community resources- visit our coronavirus webpage at https://www.peace-caa.org/coronavirus/. See more

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the health and dignity of communities must be prioritized.

Thank you to The Creators Lounge and Indaria Jones for the opportunity to speak out on the importance of a strong community as we navigate through these uncertain times.

As we navigate through this difficult time as a community please take care of yourself and your loved one but let us not forget those who are most marginalized. You can help by taking the following steps: 1. Please check in with seniors and those that have limited transportation to ensure that they have enough food and supplies to last for two weeks. If you are taking care of a senior or know of a senior that needs assistance please call 315-218-1987 2. Please do not hoard s...upplies as there are many within our community that can not make multiple trips to the grocery store and/or have limited income so they can only purchase certain items throughout the month. 3. If you are looking for ways to volunteer please visit the Food Bank and/ or www.volunteercny.org to sign up or call 315-428-2229 4. If you would like to donate please visit the Central New York Community Foundation page https://cnycf.org/covid19#.XnD8CG5FzD5 or call 315-422-9538 Please check back periodically as I will provide updates as they are released. Thank You and Be Safe, Ocesa B. Keaton, LMSW

#OnondagaCouty Executive Ryan McMahon’s Daily Briefing re: COVID19. March 17, 2020

Unjust health inequalities are closely tied to income inequalities in the US. Everyone deserves guaranteed health care no matter their income level.

Among uninsured adults, over 27% are poor and over 25% are near-poor. "Health inequities are specific types of disparities that are avoidable, unjust and the result of continued and persistent health differences. When health differences are 'preventable and unnecessary, allowing them to persist is unjust.'"... https://www.michigandaily.com//jenny-gurung-healthy-equali

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Report Back to the Community last week! We’ll continue being people focused and working with our community partners to impact systems and create effective pathways of opportunity.

Dunk Your Junk is one our community partnerships for middle school students designed to develop job readiness skills through community service clean-up efforts and increase financial literacy. Hear more stories about Dunk Your Junk and our many other partnerships at our Impact of Community Stories: A Report Back to the Community on February 1, part one H.O.P.E’s Journey series. Please RSVP for the event here: syrhope.eventbrite.com and share!

Please join us tomorrow for our "Impact of Community Stories: A Report Back on the Partnership of People," Part 1 of H.O.P.E's Journey series. We are excited to share our progress so far.

We're in this together. This has to be a community led initiative. - H.O.P.E. Executive Director Ocesa Keaton Please join us this Saturday at 5:30 PM at the Well of Hope Church as we share stories and report back to the community about our ongoing anti-poverty initiatives. RSVP at syrhope.eventbrite.com

"We are working together as a unit to create change." Executive Director Ocesa Keaton On Saturday, February 1, at 5:30 pm join us at the Well of Hope Church for dinner and to learn how our strategic partnerships are working to help you. #syracuse #hope #rtc #reporttothecommunity https://www.localsyr.com//greater-syracuse-h-o-p-e-prepar/

On Saturday, February 1, please join us for H.O.P.E’s Journey Part 1: Impact of Community Stories, A Report Back on the Partnership of People. Together with our partners, we will share our exciting progress and the impact of our collaborative efforts to date. Please RSVP at the Eventbrite link below and share!

Throwback Thursday: Since 2015, we've been working to create opportunities and address poverty in our communtity. Now, please join us on Februrary 1 for our Impact of Community Stories: A Report Back on the Partnership of People. Event details and RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1505035266319805/ (Video by Central New York Community Foundation)