NEWS EXTRA

This segment provides the viewer / reader with news they might have missed and focuses on key issues related to current and past events. These articles are provided courtesy of our many contributing sources. We ask that you enjoy these stories and continue your support of beenetworknews.com, our contributing sources and publishers.

SOURCE:  AMERICORPS

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for 2017 AmeriCorps State & National grant funding is now available here. The Notice page also includes a variety of resources available to assist you in preparing for this competition.

• The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) should be read together with the Mandatory Supplemental Guidance and Application Instructions.

• The CNCS AmeriCorps State and National Program Office will host technical assistance conference calls to answer questions and provide technical assistance to organizations, local government agencies and tribes who are interested in applying for FY2017 AmeriCorps grants. The first call is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17 at 3 pm ET, and the recording will be available shortly after. New calls will be added throughout the next several months and the schedule will be updated with the call description and call-in details.

• Technical Assistance Documents – We have prepared a series of documents to cover common topics related to AmeriCorps funding that may be helpful for new potential applicants.

• There is a link to the 2017 Performance Measure Instructions and a tutorial on how to use the Performance Measures module.

If you have not yet done so, please sign up for email updates about AmeriCorps State and National funding opportunities by using the link “Get Email Updates” in the upper right-hand corner of our website, http://www.nationalservice.gov and subscribe to “New Funding Opportunities.” 

Applicants are encouraged to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply by Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 5 p.m. ET, and the submission guidance is provided in the NOFO.

Photo Courtesy: U.S. Congressman Thomas Massie

SOURCE:  REP. THOMAS MASSIE

Congressman Massie meets with constituents at the Carroll County “Coffee with your Congressman” on August 9, 2016. Photo Courtesy: Rep. Thomas Massie

Congressman Massie meets with constituents at the Gallatin County “Coffee with your Congressman” on August 9, 2016. Photo Courtesy: Rep. Thomas Massie

These coffees are a great way to discuss the budget, the national debt, the appropriations process, and other important issues in an informal setting. Please see below for upcoming “Coffee with your Congressman” events!

SOURCE:  BLACKNEWS.COM

129-YEAR OLD BLACK CHILD WELFARE AGENCY STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE

This 77-year old blind man, who goes by the name of R.B., was left on the doorstep of Childrens Service Inc. back in the 1940s . Photo Courtesy: Blacknews.com

Philadelphia, PA  — Children’s Service Inc. (CSI) is a 129-year old child welfare organization, originally founded by Episcopalian nuns and Edith Wharton Dallas of St. Marks Episcopal Church to serve colored crippled and indigent children in 1887.

Now, one of only a few historically black agencies remaining in the nation, it struggles to survive. A GoFundMe page has been set up with a goal of $300,000 needed to shore up the Behavioral Health counseling programs for adoptive, foster care children and emancipating supervised independent living (SIL) youth – some of whom with LGBT struggles.

Spending cuts, delayed payments and the impact of nine months of last years PA State budget impasse has adversely affected the agency. Some staff have even accepted salary cuts and staff and board members have made out of pocket donations to keep the agency open.

Recently, a 77-year old blind man reconnected with CSI to return to his roots. The man, who goes by the name of R.B., had been left on the doorstep of the agency in the 1940s, and in the spring of 2016 he went on a quest to locate his childhood home .He was seen wandering around downtown Philadelphia, asking about the House of The Holy Child which had been renamed Childrens Service Inc. He wanted to “give the love back to CSI that they gave to me.” Passing pedestrians helped R.B. find the new headquarters of CSI, which he visited at 1315 Walnut Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

As a visually-impaired artist, R.B., wants to have his artwork on exhibit within the Children’s Service, Inc, agency. Hopefully, with some measure of support from the GoFundMe campaign, both CSI and R.B. can spend quality time in their golden years.

SOURCE:  BLACKNEWS.COM

THE HARLEM BUSINESS ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES THE LILLIAN PROJECT: INSPIRE, EMPOWER & ELIMINATE OBSTACLES FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN HARLEM WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

New York, NY — The Harlem Business Alliance (HBA) of Harlem, New York has always been on the forefront for leading community economic development. Harlem Business Alliance has launched, The Lillian Project, to create an incubator for Harlem women to educate, empower and eliminate the challenges that are unique to low-income and minority business entrepreneurs. The project will facilitate and teach an intensive entrepreneurial program for 100 native-born, African-American low-income Harlem women, through July 2018. Applications for the project are available on the website, http://www.thelillianproject.org and due by August 23, with finalists selected by August 30.

The project is supported with a $300,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan.

“The Harlem Business Alliance under the direction of executive director, Regina Smith, is a gem in this community. The positive effect the organization has had on individuals and businesses is immeasurable, however, The Lillian Project is extra special in that is it laser focused on a specific demographic. This is about a community of black women charged to put the lives of other black women on a trajectory for success; women who may not have had the opportunity without this program, it’s a game changer for all involved, says Gina B. Ramcharan, project director of The Lillian Project.

With five dollars and a dream, Lillian Dean Harris aka Pigfoot Mary became one of Harlems wealthiest entrepreneurs, at the turn of the 20th century. Ms. Harris is the inspiration behind the The Lillian Project.

* Educate and mentor skills needed to start and grow a business while providing hands-on support with strategic planning, business development, financial aptitude and implementation.* Provide intensive master classes needed to ensure that women who operate home-based businesses expand into a storefront or office, that more of the small-scale food manufacturers export their products beyond New York.

* Expand the types of industries women owned businesses operate, especially in the technology sector; help women entrepreneurs obtain financing from sources other than traditional banks.

The Harlem Business Alliance has pledged its service as an advocate for the preservation and retention of Harlem’s business community for over 36 years. Programs include but are not limited to: Harlem’s first co-working space; first adult stem program; 10,000 entrepreneurs served through programs and services; 2,000 entrepreneurs received 1-1 counseling and over 1,200 workshops.

Ramcharan added, We have raised the bar and expectations in how business is done. The success of our entrepreneurs to open businesses, showcase their products at trade shows, secure finance, garner media awareness and win numerous awards speaks volume about the dedication and professionalism of the staff at the Harlem Business Alliance. With this grant, we are able to bolster, build and shape confident women into entrepreneurs providing them with a pathway out of poverty. We all know that once a black woman gets started, she is unstoppable.