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Single Stop Announces New Features to Help Lift People Out of Poverty

Single Stop Announces New Features to Help Lift People Out of Poverty

Single Stop recently announced dynamic new features in its client screener, case management, and reporting software. The features and improvements are included in the software release that went live on January 25.

Single Stop technologies have helped over 46 million Americans living in poverty access billions of dollars of life-changing benefits and resources. Its innovative platform screens clients for benefits and connects them to public resources and support partners. From their home or with a Single Stop case worker, clients can determine their benefits eligibility, get application information, and develop a network of services to meet their needs, putting them on the road to economic stability.

The Single Stop client screener now features screening for Federal Pell Grant eligibility and funding. Learn more about the screener and how it helps lift people out of poverty on the Single Stop website.

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Women’s History Month Should Propel Us to Look Forward

Women’s History Month Should Propel Us to Look Forward

March 14, 2022

Women’s History Month highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. The actual celebration of Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society organized by the school district of Sonoma, California, in 1978. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with International Women’s Day on March 8, and during October in Canada, corresponding with the celebration of Persons Day on October 18.

When President Jimmy Carter established National Women’s History Week in the US in 1980, he said, “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and their contribution went unnoticed. But the achievements, courage, leadership, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

While I applaud President Carter’s action and value the importance of honoring all that what women have contributed to the arc of the world’s history, I think it is equally important to use this month to raise awareness of how far women still have to go to be true equals in society.

Just think, many of our grandmothers were born without the right to vote. And while there have been 12,024 men who have served in the U.S. Congress since the first Congress in 1789, there have been only 397 women. According to a 2017 Pew Research poll, 42% of women face workplace discrimination in the United States. In 2018, the Census Bureau reported that women earned just 82 cents for every dollar made by men in the United States.

Equality between men and women was a core tenet enshrined in the UN Charter in 1945. Yet, 75 years later, women and girls live in a world of widespread gender inequality.

While the past decades have seen important progress for women and girls, change has been uneven and incremental. In parts of Africa, female genital mutilation is still a taking place. In India, seven percent of girls are married by the time they’re 15 years old. Worldwide, 47,000 women and girls were killed by their intimate partners or other family members in 2020. This means that, on average, every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by someone in her own family.

According to Mr. António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, gender equality is the “unfinished business of our time and the greatest human rights challenge in our world.”

A recent UN publication emphasized that “Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development. Moreover, it has been shown that empowering women spurs productivity and economic growth. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality of rights and opportunities between men and women, warns UN Women. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to end the multiple forms of gender violence and secure equal access to quality education and health, economic resources, and participation in political life for both women and girls and men and boys. It is also essential to achieve equal opportunities in access to employment and to positions of leadership and decision-making at all levels.”


So as we rightly celebrate the contributions of women to our world, let’s also keep our eye on the future—a world where a little girl born in this world has the same opportunities, same access, same treatment, same encouragement, same expectations for greatness, as the little boy born next to her.

Women’s History Month, Debería Impulsarnos a Mirar Hacia Adelante

14 marzo 2022

Women’s History Month, destaca las contribuciones de las mujeres tanto en los acontecimientos de la historia asi como de la sociedad contemporánea. La celebración real del Women’s History Month, surgió de una celebración que duro una semana a cerca de las contribuciones de las mujeres a la cultura, la historia y la sociedad, organizada por el distrito escolar de Sonoma, California, en 1978. Se celebra durante marzo en los Estados Unidos, el Reino Unido y Australia, correspondiendo con el Día Internacional de la Mujer el 8 de marzo, y durante octubre en Canadá, correspondiendo con la celebración del Persons Day el 18 de octubre.

Cuando el presidente Jimmy Carter estableció la Semana Nacional de la Historia de la Mujer en los Estados Unidos en 1980, dijo: “Desde los primeros colonos que llegaron a nuestras costas, desde las primeras familias indígenas nativas que se hicieron amigas de ellos; hombres y mujeres han trabajado juntos para construir esta nación. Con demasiada frecuencia, las mujeres no eran reconocidas y su contribución pasaba desapercibida. Pero los logros, el coraje, el liderazgo, la fuerza y el amor de las mujeres que construyeron Estados Unidos, fueron tan vitales como los de los hombres cuyos nombres conocemos tan bien.”

Si bien aplaudo la acción del Presidente Carter y valoro la importancia de honrar todo lo que las mujeres han contribuido al curso de la historia del mundo, creo que es igualmente importante usar este mes para crear conciencia sobre lo lejos que aún tienen que ir las mujeres para ser verdaderas iguales en la sociedad.

Solo piensa, muchas de nuestras abuelas nacieron sin derecho al voto. Y mientras que ha habido 12,024 hombres que han servido en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos desde el primer Congreso en 1789, solo ha habido 397 mujeres. Según una encuesta de Pew Research de 2017, el 42% de las mujeres enfrentan discriminación en el lugar de trabajo en los Estados Unidos. En 2018, la Oficina del Censo informó que las mujeres ganaban solo 82 centavos por cada dólar ganado por los hombres en los Estados Unidos.

La igualdad entre hombres y mujeres fue un principio básico consagrado en la Carta Magna de las Naciones Unidas en 1945. Sin embargo, 75 años después, las mujeres y las niñas viven en un mundo de desigualdad de género generalizado. Si bien en las últimas décadas se han visto importantes progresos para las mujeres y las niñas, el cambio ha sido desigual y gradual. En algunas partes de África, la mutilación genital femenina sigue teniendo lugar. En la India, el siete por ciento de las niñas se les casa cuando tienen 15 años. En todo el mundo, 47.000 mujeres y niñas fueron asesinadas por sus parejas íntimas u otros miembros de la familia en 2020. Esto significa que, en promedio, cada 11 minutos, una mujer o niña es asesinada por alguien de su propia familia.

Según el Sr. António Guterres, Secretario General de la ONU, la igualdad de género es la "asignatura pendiente de nuestro tiempo y el mayor desafío en derechos humanos en nuestro mundo.”

Una publicación reciente de la ONU enfatizó que “las mujeres y las niñas representan la mitad de la población mundial y, por lo tanto, también la mitad de su potencial. La igualdad de género, además de ser un derecho humano fundamental, es esencial para lograr sociedades pacíficas, con pleno potencial humano y desarrollo sostenible. Además, se ha demostrado que el empoderamiento de las mujeres estimula la productividad y el crecimiento económico.

Desafortunadamente, todavía queda un largo camino por recorrer para lograr la plena igualdad de derechos y oportunidades entre hombres y mujeres, advierte UN Women. Por lo tanto, es de suma importancia poner fin a las múltiples formas de violencia de género y garantizar la igualdad de acceso a la educación y a la salud de calidad, a los recursos económicos y a la participación en la vida política tanto para las mujeres como para las niñas, así como para los hombres y los niños. También es esencial lograr la igualdad de oportunidades tanto en el acceso al empleo como a puestos de liderazgo y toma de decisiones en todos los niveles. “

Así que mientras celebramos con razón las contribuciones de las mujeres a nuestro mundo, también mantengamos nuestra mirada en el futuro; un mundo donde una niña nacida en este mundo tenga las mismas oportunidades, el mismo acceso, el mismo trato, el mismo aliento, las mismas expectativas de grandeza, como el niño nacido junto a ella.

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Celebrating the Strength and Tenacity of Women

Celebrating the Strength and Tenacity of Women

March is National Women’s History Month, which recognizes the contributions of women to history, society and culture. The month-long observance, celebrated since 1987, honors women who changed history—women like Abigail Adams, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks—and countless others who, despite systemic discrimination, fought for equality and justice, and achieved greatness in their chosen field of endeavor.

Despite the incredible courage and hard work of generations of women, we are still a long way from an equitable society. Women constitute 27 percent of Congress, but over half the population. At Fortune 500 companies, women account for just over seven percent of CEOs. Women make up only 28 percent of the STEM workforce. Women’s median earnings are 80.8 percent those of men. A black woman has to work 19 months to earn what white men do in a year, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families. Latina women earn $0.57 for every dollar earned by white men.

Across the U.S., 15.5 percent of women live in poverty compared with 11.9 percent of men. Retired women are twice as likely as retired men to live in poverty. Workplace sexual harassment and assault are common, and drive many women from their jobs. Sixty-six percent of female service members report sexual harassment or assault. As many as one in four women are victims of domestic violence.

These inequalities and injustices were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a disproportionate impact on women’s participation in the workforce, placed greater burdens on paid and unpaid caregivers, and increased rates of domestic violence. Today, the constitutional right to abortion is threatened as States seek to restrict and deny critical reproductive health care and bodily autonomy.

Yet women everywhere, inspired by heroines who changed history, are making great strides in the ongoing fight for equality. According to A Proclamation on Women’s History Month, 2022 by President Joe Biden—“Women of the labor movement are achieving monumental reforms to help all workers secure the better pay, benefits, and safety they deserve. LGBTQI+ women and girls are leading the fight for justice, opportunity, and equality — especially for the transgender community. Women and girls continue to lead groundbreaking civil rights movements for social justice and freedom, so that everyone can realize the full promise of America.”

The companies of The Fedcap Group are represented by women at every level, and we are stronger for it. Please join us during this Women’s History Month in honoring women who have changed the world, and those who continue the struggle for equality and fairness.

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ReServe Is Impacting Health Care Disparities in Underserved Communities

ReServe Is Impacting Health Care Disparities in Underserved Communities

ReServe continues to make a profound impact on the communities it serves. For the past two years, this impact has been most strongly felt in efforts to improve public health in New York City’s underserved communities.

ReServe recently was awarded a grant from the NYC Fund for Public Health, which facilitates partnerships between the public and private sector to develop, test, and launch new public health initiatives. The work supported by the grant addresses health care disparities in three underserved Bronx communities of color, where disparities in the social determinants of health that have long existed were heightened by COVID-19.

Under terms of the COVID-19 Disparity Grant, ReServe is engaged in wide-ranging in-person and virtual outreach. In-person outreach includes canvassing, tabling, listening sessions, educational events, and meetings with community leaders. Virtually, the team is reaching out to the communities through social media while also building a community member and partner organization distribution list that will distribute weekly updates and resource lists.

All outreach is designed to engage community members and provide health-related information. In keeping with The Fedcap Group’s commitment to amplification of services, the group also connects residents to both general resources and Fedcap Group/ReServe focus areas that include dementia care coaching. Single Stop was an essential component of the ReServe grant proposal and is being used to screen resident for benefits eligibility, and to provide tax preparation services and access to personal banking.

ReServists most often live and work within their communities, helping children learn, helping families manage the health care of their loved ones, helping fight poverty, and enhancing the capacity of government and nonprofits.

The COVID-19 Disparity Grant is not the only public health initiative undertaken by ReServe since the onset of the pandemic. In January 2021, ReServe was engaged by NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest public health care system, to provide a range of community engagement services to raise awareness of the then-new COVID-19 vaccine, and to encourage people to get vaccinated. Services provided by ReServe included scheduling COVID-19 tests, distributing personal protective equipment (PPE), and scheduling vaccination appointments. The impact and metrics for ReServe have been so strong that ReServe is one of two remaining agencies (of an original cohort of 7) who continue to provide staff for community outreach, a centralized PPE warehouse in Brooklyn, and five distribution sites throughout NYC.

The COVID-19 Disparities Grant team is comprised entirely of ReServists who are Bronx residents. ”We believe that people within the community actually have the best solutions for their communities; all we need to do is to provide public health expertise and linkage to resources,” said ReServe Director Ed Bolognini.

Measured impacts of this work include the number of individuals being vaccinated and receiving booster shots, the impact on users of the Single Stop benefits screener and other services, and the number of jobs gained by Bronx residents.

ReServe also received a grant from the CIGNA Foundation to help its Dementia Care Coach Program provide coaches to persons who lack economic wellbeing. Further underscoring The Fedcap Group’s commitment to amplification, ReServists working under the NYC Fund for Public Health grant in the Bronx always ask those in their community outreach efforts if they know anyone in need of Dementia Care Coaching services.

About 369 ReServists are currently working with NYC government agencies, and another 279 are working with nonprofit agencies. Many are engaged in public health initiatives, such as the COVID-19 Disparities Grant team, and other pandemic-related efforts.

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Fedcap School Students Expand Research and Presentation Skills with Black History Month Multimedia Projects

Fedcap School Students Expand Research and Presentation Skills with Black History Month Multimedia Projects

 “This project shows them what they can accomplish when they are not encumbered by behavioral triggers and rejection.” – Luanne Macri,  Director

The Fedcap School held its annual Black History Month celebration on March 3rd. Each homeroom, usually about eight students, chose a topic related to BHM and created a multimedia art project that was then presented to the entire school.

“The entries this year were amazing,” said Luanne Macri, The Fedcap School’s Director. One group picked for a topic the Newark riots of 1965. The students conducted extensive research on the events leading up to and after the riots, and led a school-wide discussion about how they changed the economic life of the city, and are still impacting it today as a result of companies that closed and neighborhoods that were never fully rebuilt. The group created a board with pictures, text and quotes.

Another project looked at African American women scientists and inventors, who found solutions to some of society’s most difficult challenges. The students connected the work of these dynamic women to their own STEM activities. One mixed media presentation featured the words that have inspired The Fedcap School’s entire student body—”Average will not be my legacy.”

“I am extremely proud of our students at The Fedcap School,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group. “Their work for this exciting Black History Month project is so creative and thoughtful, and their messages so powerful and uplifting. Clearly, ‘average’ is not the legacy of these bright and promising young people. I congratulate them on their success, and offer heartfelt thanks to Luanne and her team for providing such great leadership.”

The annual exercise is a competition among teams, with two prizes awarded. The criteria for the presentations were given in advance as a rubric to see if they met objectives. Each project had to have a title with an essential question—such as “How dd the Newark Riots of 1965 effect the economy of Newark then and now?” The project had to be fully researched, and could be made using any media as long as the effort was collaborative. Each student was required to explain his or her part.

“The students were so proud of their projects,” Luanne said. “The projects have great value in helping students build their confidence, hone their speaking skills, develop coping skills, and bond with their peers in a highly collaborative way. They really knew their subject matter, and it was very meaningful for them.”

While students at The Fedcap School face behavioral challenges, many are brilliant and can accomplish great things given the right opportunity and environment. “This project shows them what they can accomplish when they are not encumbered by behavioral triggers and rejection,” Luanne said.

View the photos of some of the students with their projects below. 
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Engaging Our Employees in Well-Being Programs

Engaging Our Employees in Well-Being Programs

Three young people smiling and looking at a laptop

March 7, 2022

As we move into March, I want to delve deeper into a topic I started in January—the idea that employee engagement and well-being is mission critical for successful organizations. What strikes me as most important is finding ways to fully engage employees in well-being programs. In my research on the topic I found three concepts that made sense and seem very worthy of the investment of time and resources.

At ICF insights, I found this nugget written by Katrin Homer.

1. Find your well-being story, and then personalize it.
This article stresses the importance of being clear about what story we, as company leaders want to tell our employees about how we value employee well-being. The author suggests that once you “Identify this central, compelling narrative, you should then build specific communication for different groups/audiences” throughout the organization. Because employees have different needs, any CEO’s well-being message needs to be as relevant as possible to the audience. According to the 2021 World Trend Index report from Microsoft and Edelman, taking a segmented approach to your communications results in a significantly higher engagement of the message.

Homer also shared that increasingly, organizations are creating networks of trained employees to directly support and engage staff in employee well-being programs. “These human support networks work alongside an organization’s other resources—such as an employee assistance program (EAP) or a digital well-being hub and are trained communicators of the company’s well-being story.” With training and ongoing support, these well-being ambassadors can help to create an organizational culture where regular conversations with colleagues about well-being are commonplace.

2. Tailor well-being programs to employee interests.
This idea of a layered approach to employee engagement is also supported by recent Gallup polls. According to the Gallup, companies are most successful at creating a culture of well-being when they provide managers with the right tools for a holistic, multifaceted approach.”
By tailoring well-being program offerings, we can create value for participants and the organization. Surveys on needs and interests, interviews, and focus groups are good ways to understand what is important to employees. Employers also can learn what kind of rewards, from water bottles to gift cards, might be good incentives for employees to attend an event or take a survey. They also can gain insight into what might motivate employees to make changes for a healthier lifestyle.

3. Include an Educational Component.
According to Corporate Wellness Magazine, successful employer-based wellness programs include an educational component. In order to encourage employees to get and remain healthy, employers need to constantly reinforce the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The educational aspect of wellness programs rely on a mixture of paper handouts, instructor-led courses (in person and online) and coaching to keep individuals motivated around health and wellness issues.
The beauty of wellness programs is that every employee can be reached via online options. According to a report titled, “WORKING WELL: A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies,” produced by Buck Consultants, the fastest-growing components of wellness initiatives are technology-driven tools such as Web portals and online healthy lifestyle programs—which are expected to increase 100 percent or more over the next three years.

8 de marzo de 2022

Involucrar a Nuestros Empleados en Programas de Bienestar Social

A medida que avanzamos hacia marzo, quiero profundizar en un tema que comencé en enero: la idea de que el compromiso y el bienestar social de los empleados son una misión crítica para las organizaciones exitosas. Lo que me parece más importante es encontrar formas de involucrar plenamente a los empleados en programas de bienestar social. En mi investigación sobre el tema, encontré tres conceptos que tenían sentido y que me parecían muy dignos para invertir el tiempo y los recursos.

En los conocimientos de ICF, encontré esta muestra escrita por Katrin Homer.

1. Encuentra tu historia de bienestar social y luego personalízala.
Este artículo enfatiza la importancia de tener en claro cúal historia nosotros, como líderes de la empresa, queremos contar a nuestros empleados sobre cómo valoramos el bienestar social de ellos. La autora sugiere que una vez que “identifiques esta narrativa central y convincente, debes construir una comunicación específica para diferentes grupos oaudiencias” dentro de toda la organización. Debido a que los empleados tienen diferentes necesidades, el mensaje de bienestar social de cualquier Presidente Ejecutivo debe ser, el más relevante posible para la audiencia. Según el informe del 2021 World Trend Index de Microsoft y Edelman, adoptar un enfoque segmentado de tus comunicados da como resultado una participación significativamente más fuerte del mensaje.

Homer también compartió que cada vez más, las organizaciones están creando redes de empleados capacitados para apoyar e involucrar directamente al personal en los programas de bienestar social para empleados. “Estas redes de apoyo humano trabajan junto con otros recursos de laorganización, como: el programa de asistencia al empleado (EAP) o la plataforma digital de bienestar social, los cuales son todos comunicadores capacitados de la historia de la organización de bienestar social.” Con capacitación y apoyo continuo, estos embajadores del bienestar social pueden ayudar a crear una cultura organizacional donde las conversaciones regulares con colegas sobre el bienestar social sean comunes.

2. Adapta los programas de bienestar social a los intereses de los empleados.
Esta idea de un enfoque en capas para el compromiso de los empleados también está respaldada por encuestas recientes de Gallup. Según Gallup, las empresas tienen más éxito en la creación de una cultura de bienestar social cuando proporcionan a los gerentes las herramientas adecuadas para un enfoque holístico y multifacético”.

Al adaptar los ofrecimientos de los programas de bienestar social, podemos crear valor para los participantes y la organización. Tanto las encuestas sobre necesidades e intereses, las entrevistas y los grupos focales son buenas maneras de darse cuenta de lo que es importante para los empleados. Los empleadores también pueden saber qué tipo de recompensas; desde las botellas de agua hasta las tarjetas de regalo, podrían ser buenos incentivos para que los empleados asistieran a un evento o realizaran una encuesta. También pudieran obtener información sobre lo que podría motivar a los empleados a hacer cambios para un estilo de vida más saludable.

3. Incluir un Componente Educativo.
Según Corporate Wellness Magazine, los programas exitosos de bienestar social fundamentados en el empleador incluyen un componente educativo. Con el fin de alentar a los empleados a obtener y permanecer saludables, los empleadores deben reforzar constantemente los beneficios de un estilo de vida saludable. El aspecto educativo de los programas de bienestar social se basa en una mezcla de folletos en papel, cursos dirigidos por un instructor (en persona y en línea) y capacitación para mantener a las personas motivadas en torno a los problemas de salud y bienestar.

La belleza de los programas de bienestar social es que se puede llegar a todos los empleados a través de opciones en línea. Según un informe titulado “WORKING WELL: A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies”, producido por Buck Consultants, los componentes de más rápido crecimiento de las iniciativas de bienestar social son herramientas impulsadas por la tecnología, como portales web y programas de estilo de vida saludable en línea, que se espera que aumenten un 100 por ciento o más en los próximos tres años.

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