Author: West Park Times

By Jessie Schoonover

The Hope Center for Refugees and Immigrants (Building Hope in the City), 15135 Triskett Rd., is coming up with solutions for connecting those who rely on the organization throughout COVID-19. 

The Hope Center provides walk-in assistance as well as classes for immigrants and refugees arriving in Cleveland. 

“Part of what they’re facing is not having that ability to have a face-to-face relationship,” says Building Hope in the City Refugee & Immigrant Ministries Director Eileen Wilson. “I think that’s a piece of it that is lost; that I think is an underlying piece.” 

But the bigger things our immigrant and refugee communities have lost include much of what the entire country has because of COVID-19: employment, job security, and food security.

“They’ve lost continuity,” says Wilson, “where their children were at school and they were able to do things with their life. So, not having the kids at school and not having daycare has been a huge part of this because even if we’re doing virtual classes- even doing virtual classes with your children there- you can’t really stay in the class. And, on the other hand, your children need help with the technology and how to do the schoolwork, and a lot of parents are finding themselves really not equipped, both from the language and technology perspective, to be able to help their children.” 

According to Wilson, they are also seeing people having difficulties with benefits and “just being able to reach out to people to get answers,” she says. 

“And with new families that came right as the COVID-19 was hitting; they are brand new families who are coming to Cleveland; they haven’t been able to get registered at school yet. They don’t have any real resources,” she says. “They are kind of just hanging out there.” 

Internet access has also been a challenge for some. According to Wilson, some Internet providers have extended offerings such as free access. But, she says, it is for a certain amount of time only and many still have trouble navigating how to sign up for this particular benefit. 

“Some things have been given to people to say ‘yes we’ll help you’ but there’s a step in between,” explains Wilson. “There’s a lot of that kind of thing where there’s partial access.” 

According to Wilson, they have been utilizing a mobile, video, and messaging application to interact with individuals who would normally go to the center. 

“We’ve been pretty successful with people doing their English classes. We also have people doing citizenship; we have people working on English and we’re tutoring some kids. So, it’s hit or miss.” 

So, with the lack of face-to-face communication and possibly the barrier of no Internet access, how are people still finding The Hope Center during COVID-19? 

“The good thing is the relationships we’ve built and the community workers we know,” says Wilson, who noted being within “these communities” for 11 years. “We’re using those people to find the vulnerable populations. Who do you know or who do you hear about that actually needs the help,” she says. 

“While we would never want something like this to happen, we’ve actually been able to build some networks that are stronger now,” says Wilson. “We now have access to some of the more vulnerable families to make sure they’re okay because people are realizing ‘okay we have to make sure all of the families are doing okay.’

“So, while people aren’t able to come and walk in and find us, they are absolutely finding us through this network of refugee and immigrant population organizations that work really well together in Cleveland. They are a huge blessing.” 

According to Wilson, The Hope Center is currently re-open for walk-ins from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 

The Hope Center is also collecting sports equipment or sporting goods to put together kits for 48 families/118 children, which would allow them to play outside. These include wiffle balls, soccer nets, and similar items. 

For more information, contact the West Park Times at email westparktimes@gmail.com.

Buckeyes Battle Uneven Playing Field; COVID-19 exacerbates trends; Women and Young Workers Hit Particularly Hard

By Kevin Williams 

Graphics by Cid Standifer

This public service journalism article provided by nonprofit nonpartisan Eye on Ohio, the Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism. 

Carmine Ballard graduated from The Ohio State University in 2016, with two Bachelor of Arts degrees— one in Psychology, another in Women’s and Gender Studies. Ballard’s parents helped them through college— paying their tuition. Yet, despite that, Ballard still ended up with about $10,000 worth of federal student loans by graduation, for living expenses during college.

Ballard graduated with a 3.0 average, and made the dean’s list several times. Ballard planned to get into counseling and spaces that served minorities and other at risk populations. 

However, after more than twenty-five applications and interviews that didn’t go anywhere, Carmine, short on cash after three months of applying, ended up taking a food service job to make ends meet. The $114 a month for their student loan repayment was too much to handle with very little income, so Ballard’s parents continued to help out.

“When I tried to apply for jobs, I just wouldn’t hear back. I couldn’t even get a job doing clerical work,” said Ballard. 

CONTENT SUBMITTED

The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund coalition announced today its latest round of grants to support the nonprofit community, which continues to face unprecedented challenges during the ongoing pandemic. In total, $908,000 was awarded to 20 organizations and groups serving Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties. Since the Fund’s creation in mid-March, partners have granted more than $4.7 million to 85 nonprofit groups and organizations. The latest round of grant recipients includes: 

Food & Shelter 

• • Asian Services in Action, Inc. ($20,000): To provide emergency food assistance, basic needs and small business support for immigrant and refugee populations across the organization’s Northeast Ohio service area. 
• • Bellaire Puritas Development Corporation ($32,000): For the Community Essential Needs Collective, a collaborative effort between Bellaire-Puritas Development Corporation, The Bountiful Basement at Blessed Trinity Church, Neighborhood Family Practice, and St. Paul AME Church Pantry to distribute emergency food resources, public health information and cleaning supplies and emergency assistance to families in the West Park neighborhood. 
• • Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc. ($65,000): To prepare and distribute hot meals and care packages containing PPE, hygiene products and cleaning supplies to homebound residents in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Shaker Square, Buckeye-Woodhill, Central and Kinsman neighborhoods. 
• • Family Pride of Northeast Ohio ($30,000): To support the immediate needs of individuals and families throughout Geauga and Lake counties who are clients of this behavioral health organization including access to food, technology, and emergency shelter and housing support, as well as resources for families to keep kids physically and emotionally healthy. 
• • Front Steps Housing and Services ($75,000): For food, supplies and staffing to serve the growing needs of its clients, who are formerly homeless individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. 
• • Greater Collinwood Development Corporation ($16,000): To safely scale up its provision of free food packages to residents in need. 
• • Harvard Community Services Center ($40,000): To serve homebound adults and families across the Lee-Harvard, Miles and Seville neighborhoods through the mobile delivery of care packages containing food and basic hygiene items. 
• • Lakewood Community Services Center ($34,000): For staffing needed to continue its zero-contact food delivery and distribution system for individuals and families in Lakewood who are facing food insecurity. 
• • MidTown Cleveland ($30,000): For bulk meal purchases from AsiaTown restaurants, providing a direct infusion of business to locally owned restaurants while serving the needs of food insecure residents. 
• • The Phillis Wheatley Association ($65,000): For staffing, food and other basic supplies to continue to provide meals and critical services to older and disabled adults in the core city of Cleveland. 

PPE 

• • Salaam Clinic of Cleveland ($25,000): To purchase personal protective and infection control equipment and additional technology resources that will allow the clinic to resume operations providing health care services to the uninsured and underinsured population of Northeast Ohio. 
• • Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association ($85,000): To support the #Masks4Community project, which will distribute 33,000 kits in Cleveland and East Cleveland neighborhoods. The kits will include: a washable mask, safety outdoors coloring sheet, 2020 Census, Election/Voting and COVID-19 safety information. The kits will be distributed to essential community locations, including grocery stores, pharmacies, discount stores and food bank sites. 

Vulnerable Populations 

• • Forbes House ($80,000): To help Lake County’s only domestic violence shelter increase capacity to support the growing number of low-income and at-risk families dealing with trauma by providing emergency shelter, mental health counseling and access to technology. 
• • HELP Foundation ($100,000): To continue providing uninterrupted services, including expanded meal delivery, virtual programming, emergency sanitation and PPE supplies, to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities at more than 20 residential locations. 
• • Kidney Foundation of Ohio ($25,000): To provide medications, transportation support, emergency assistance and patient service programs to those living with kidney disease in Greater Cleveland and throughout Cuyahoga County. 
• • Long Term Care Ombudsman ($13,000): To upgrade existing technology to allow certified staff and volunteers across a five-county footprint to advocate for excellence in long-term care services while nursing homes and other care facilities are closed to outside visitors. 
• • Paralyzed Veterans of America, Buckeye Chapter ($18,000): To provide food, medical supplies and other basic needs to honorably discharged veterans with spinal cord injuries or disease, including Multiple Sclerosis and ALS. 
• • Cleveland Rape Crisis Center ($90,000): To support case management and hotline staff and coordinate new service delivery methods for survivors of rape and sexual abuse. 
• • Ravenwood Mental Health Center ($15,000): To provide emergency food delivery, toiletries and hygiene products at this community mental health and addiction treatment center serving Geauga County. 
• • United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland ($50,000): To cover increased staffing expenses due to COVID-19, including 24/7 care at group homes, virtual employment services, tele-education, telehealth and nursing services for individuals with disabilities. 

Overall contributions to the Rapid Response Fund now total more than $8.5 million from 73 different corporate, civic and philanthropic partners, including individuals and families across the region. New funding partners (since May 1) include The Dan and Ellen Zelman Family Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland; The Neary Family; and UnitedHealthcare. Funding partners urge other foundations, corporate entities, individuals and organizations to contribute to the fund via ClevelandFoundation.org/Response, where you can also view a list of partners to date. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are tax deductible. 

The partners still plan to continue to make grants through June, with the potential to extend grant opportunities as needed and as additional funding resources become available through new partners joining the effort. Frontline nonprofits that have pressing needs related to the COVID-19 crisis response should email covid19response@clevefdn.org to receive more information about the streamlined funding process. The funding collaborative will continue to identify potential grantee partners, solicit guidance on proposed projects from community advisors and recommend final awards. Organizations that have already submitted funding requests will remain in consideration for future grant distributions until further notice. 

Based upon the charitable structure of the Rapid Response Fund, grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution, such as schools, faith-based organizations and other public entities. The partners are not able to fund individuals or businesses directly, labor unions, or other 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5) and 501(c)(6) organizations. 

For more information or to donate, visit ClevelandFoundation.org/Response. 

# # # 

The world-class research facility at NASA Glenn– a famous part of West Park– is offering 45-minute guided tours behind-the-scenes once a month, through October.   

Tickets are expected to go quickly. Tours are free and open to the public for age 10 and older.

Tickets are available staring 30 days prior to each event.    Tour dates are: July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12 and Oct. 17.   

A tour bus departs from the main gate every hour, from 8-11 a.m.