Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation Inc

THE MISSION OF CHLDC IS TO BUILD A STRONG, EQUITABLE EAST NEW YORK BY REVITALIZING THE COMMUNITY.

YOUTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE CYPRESS HILLS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (CHLDC) SERVED 2,042 CHILDREN IN HIGH QUALITY, COMPREHENSIVE AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMMING IN FY21, FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEALTH PROTOCOLS. WE ENGAGED YOUNG PEOPLE IN EVIDENCE-BASED LITERACY BUILDING PROGRAMMING, ARTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, RECREATION AND SPORTS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. OUR ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL STRATEGIES AND MODELS TO STRENGTHEN THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES OF OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS THIS HAS BEEN AN EVEN HIGHER PRIORITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. AT OUR BEACON SCHOOL-BASED COMMUNITY CENTERS AT JHS 218 AND PS 214 WE SERVED 742 CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH EDUCATION, RECREATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING OUR COUNSELORS IN TRAINING INITIATIVE WHICH IS THE FIRST RUNG OF OUR INTERNAL LADDERS OF LEADERSHIP WHICH ENHANCES THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS OF OUR YOUTH AND TRAINS THEM FOR CAREERS IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AT OUR ORGANIZATION. IN FY21 OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER (MSSSC) SUPPORTED 517 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE CITY'S COMPLEX HIGH SCHOOL CHOICE PROCESS, ENABLING 80% OF OUR STUDENTS TO SECURE ADMISSION TO HIGH SCHOOLS WITH GRADUATION RATES ABOVE 75%. THE MSSSC ALSO EXPOSED OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO EARLY COLLEGE PLANNING AND TRAINED NINE YOUTH LEADERS TO ACT AS PEER COUNSELORS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL AND EARLY COLLEGE PLANNING PROCESS.

COLLEGE SUCCESS PROGRAMS CHLDC RUNS A SUITE OF PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE IN EAST NEW YORK IN ASPIRING TO COLLEGE, APPLYING TO COLLEGE AND FINANCIAL AID, MATRICULATING INTO COLLEGE AND PERSISTING UNTIL GRADUATION. IN FY21 WE PROVIDED COLLEGE ACCESS AND PERSISTENCE SERVICES TO 2,458 HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ACROSS TWO SCHOOL-BASED STUDENT SUCCESS CENTERS (SSC) AND OUR COMMUNITY-BASED COLLEGE STEPS OFFICE. WE PROVIDED EARLY AWARENESS GROUPS, COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE WORKSHOPS, VIRTUAL COLLEGE TRIPS, ONE ON ONE INTENSIVE ADMISSIONS COUNSELING, ESSAY WRITING HELP, FINANCIAL AID ADVISEMENT AND SUPPORT AROUND SELECTING THE BEST FIT COLLEGE AND ENROLLMENT INTO COLLEGE AND ASSISTANCE WITH THIS BIG TRANSITION. ONCE IN COLLEGE, WE HELP OUR STUDENTS SELECT CLASSES, SECURE ACADEMIC AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES ON CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY, NAVIGATE OFTENTIMES BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEMS AND TRANSFER FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO FOUR YEAR INSTITUTIONS AS APPROPRIATE.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE CHLDC HAS BEEN THERE THROUGHOUT THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC FOR RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY AND HELPING LOCAL MERCHANTS STAY AND THRIVE. OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM, STAFF IN ALL DIVISIONS AND OUR AMERICORPS MEMBERS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO CHECK IN WITH FAMILIES ABOUT THEIR NEEDS AND TO ADDRESS THOSE PRESSING NEEDS. WE DISTRIBUTED 345 SUPERMARKET GIFT CARDS AND 10,000 BAGS OF GROCERIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GRASSROOTS FOOD PANTRIES. CHLDC ALSO PARTNERED WITH A PRIVATE FAMILY FOUNDATION TO ISSUE EMERGENCY GRANTS TO RESIDENTS TO PAY FOR FUNERAL EXPENSES, AVOID EVICTION AND FORECLOSURE AND KEEP UTILITIES ON. WE ASSISTED 282 LOW INCOME RESIDENTS TO SECURE SNAP BENEFITS AND ASSISTED 65 SMALL BUSINESSES TO OBTAIN LOANS AND GRANTS TO SUSTAIN THEIR OPERATIONS. WE MAINTAINED OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE HOTLINE AND WEEKLY NEWSLETTER TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY INFORMED OF NEW BENEFITS AND EVER-CHANGING PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORIES. CHLDC WORKED TIRELESSLY TO CREATE GREATER ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINES, HOSTED COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ON VACCINATIONS AND ORGANIZED "POP UP" VACCINATION AND TESTING EVENTS.

YOUTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE CYPRESS HILLS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (CHLDC) SERVED 2,042 CHILDREN IN HIGH QUALITY, COMPREHENSIVE AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMMING IN FY21, FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEALTH PROTOCOLS. WE ENGAGED YOUNG PEOPLE IN EVIDENCE-BASED LITERACY BUILDING PROGRAMMING, ARTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, RECREATION AND SPORTS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. OUR ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL STRATEGIES AND MODELS TO STRENGTHEN THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES OF OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS THIS HAS BEEN AN EVEN HIGHER PRIORITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. AT OUR BEACON SCHOOL-BASED COMMUNITY CENTERS AT JHS 218 AND PS 214 WE SERVED 742 CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH EDUCATION, RECREATION AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING OUR COUNSELORS IN TRAINING INITIATIVE WHICH IS THE FIRST RUNG OF OUR INTERNAL LADDERS OF LEADERSHIP WHICH ENHANCES THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS OF OUR YOUTH AND TRAINS THEM FOR CAREERS IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AT OUR ORGANIZATION. IN FY21 OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER (MSSSC) SUPPORTED 517 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE CITY'S COMPLEX HIGH SCHOOL CHOICE PROCESS, ENABLING 80% OF OUR STUDENTS TO SECURE ADMISSION TO HIGH SCHOOLS WITH GRADUATION RATES ABOVE 75%. THE MSSSC ALSO EXPOSED OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO EARLY COLLEGE PLANNING AND TRAINED NINE YOUTH LEADERS TO ACT AS PEER COUNSELORS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL AND EARLY COLLEGE PLANNING PROCESS.

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WE ARE FINISHING UP CONSTRUCTION ON CHESTNUT COMMONS WHICH WILL PROVIDE DEEPLY AND PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO 274 FAMILIES, NEIGHBORHOOD RETAIL AND A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER RUN BY CHLDC. YOUNG ADULTS, GRADUATING FROM OUR BUILDING EAST NEW YORK JOB TRAINING INITIATIVE HAVE FOUND EMPLOYMENT THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHESTNUT COMMONS. THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF MANY DONORS, CHLDC RAISED OVER $4 MILLION FOR THE BUILD-OUT, FURNITURE, FIXTURE AND EQUIPMENT, IT AND AV, AND SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER. DURING THE YEAR, WE ALSO MADE PROGRESS ON SEVERAL OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION PROJECTS WHICH ARE IN THE PRE-DEVELOPMENT PHASE. WE HOSTED OUR CYPRESS HILLS FARMER'S MARKET WITH GROWNYC AND HELPED 1,242 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACCESS HEALTHY FOOD. IN FY21, OUR HOUSING COUNSELORS ASSISTED 386 RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS IN ACCESSING EMERGENCY HOUSING RELIEF PROGRAMS, SECURING REPAIRS AND PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT. CHLDC OFFERED IN-PERSON EVICTION PREVENTION, TENANT COUNSELING, FORECLOSURE PREVENTION, FINANCIAL LITERACY AND HOMEOWNERSHIP STABILIZATION SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THIS TURBULENT YEAR.

CAREER & EDUCATION PROGRAMS, SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING CHLDC SERVED 676 RESIDENTS THROUGH OUR CAREER & EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN FY21 WHICH INCLUDES SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND SECTOR SPECIFIC JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION EDUCATION AT CYPRESS HILLS (TE@CH,) TRAINING TO OBTAIN THE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE, BUILDING ENY BASELINE CONSTRUCTION SKILLS TRAINING, BUILDINGWORKS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CARPENTER'S UNION YOUNG ADULTS RECEIVED ADVANCED TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS AS WELL AS UNION EMPLOYMENT, AND CAREERS THAT CARE TRAINING IN ENTRY LEVEL HEALTH CARE CAREERS. WE ALSO CONTINUED TO PROVIDE CLASSES TO PREPARE YOUNG ADULTS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY EXAM. CHLDC ORGANIZED LOCAL MERCHANTS TO PLAN FOR A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HELPED WITH GRAFFITI AND TRASH REMOVAL AND COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP ON THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR.