|
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments are making an impact in our Boulder County communities by providing resources to people who were hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this newsletter, we will share examples of the ARPA-supported work that is underway. We invite you to visit https://www.boco.org/ARPA
for additional information. |
|
IN THIS ISSUE
Digital Divide Projects 2022
The Family Learning Center STEM Summer camp
Bringing Meaningful Connections to Focus Reentry
TGTHR: Finding New Opportunities
An Exciting Phase 2 Highlight Coming in 2023
Family Connects: A New Resource for Households in2023
|
|
In June 2021, Boulder County established a Broadband Program to close the digital divide (the gap between those who have access to computers and the internet and those who do not). On https://www.boco.org/BroadbandProgram, you can find information for benefits available to county residents along with other useful information such as details about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) run by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) http://www.fcc.gov/acp to help low-income households pay for internet service and connected devices.
To see if you are eligible for ACP, please visit https://www.boco.org/BroadbandProgram.
|
|
|
Boulder County provided ARPA funds to seven non-profits and two internal departments at a cost of $557,000. The purpose of the funding was for procuring, providing, and instructing vulnerable community members on technological devices and connectivity so that they have access to education, employment, and virtual services that had not yet returned to full, in-person access. Below are a few of the stories relative to the Digital Divide funding.
|
|
|
In summer of 2022, ARPA funds helped provide 15 laptops and 18 Chromebooks to the Family Learning Center (FLC) to support their work with youth through FLC’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) summer camp.
The Family Learning Center is a local organization that focuses on Early Childhood Education, Youth Development, and Comprehensive Family Development.
This year, FLC celebrates 41 years of service to the Boulder County community to support the healthy development of children and families.
Additionally, FLC works to improve high school options for low-income youth of color and to prepare these youths for success in college and in life.
|
|
The Family Learning Center believes everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed through quality . For more information about FLC programs go to The Family Learning Center, Colorado https://flcboulder.org/.
|
|
|
While getting a second chance can be challenging for anyone, for people transitioning out of the criminal justice system these opportunities can seem out of reach. However, for Focus Reentry, a nonprofit that serves the needs of people in the Boulder County Jail before, during, and after their release, meeting this challenge became their cause and mission. Since 2005, the organization has addressed the “revolving door” of the criminal justice system, which often results from a lack of housing, employment, and support systems for men and women exiting prison.
The COVID-19 pandemic reduced availability of vital in-person resources. Our community's most vulnerable members, such as unhoused individuals, those involved with the criminal justice system, and people with physical and mental health issues rely on these essential connections to get healthcare, food, and opportunities for housing and jobs.
To support the agency's mission, ARPA funds provided Focus Reentry with pre-loaded phones that act as a lifeline to multiple services. Each phone enables someone to connect with court obligations, potential employers, housing assistance, family, and Focus Reentry staff. Because of this simple but essential connection, Focus Reentry beneficiaries have equitable access to the critical resources they need to build stronger, lasting relationships within the community. To learn more about Focus Reentry's impact, visiy https://www.focusreentry.org/
|
|
|
As the organization TGTHR indicates, “Ending youth homelessness requires all young people to have a place to live, employment, access to education, wellness, and a supportive community.”
For 55 years, TGTHR has worked with young people who are experiencing homelessness between the ages of 12 and 24. This local nonprofit organization provides a variety of services for immediate and long-term support with shelters, outreach programs, and other important initiatives so every young person is valued, empowered, and safe.
The urgent need for connection with unhoused youth became clearer during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of ARPA funds, organizations like TGTHR can connect better with the people they serve. “We have quite a few youths that come into our Shelter and Drop-In services who either don't have service on their phone or don't have a phone, so it's really hard to coordinate care with providers and set up appointments for case management,” noted Rachel Coates, Case Manager for TGTHR’s The Source Drop-In Center.
|
|
“I think we now have 75 phones in total, and they have proven to be really useful for us by helping youth get to where they need to go and then eventually get to that rapid rehousing stage and find a job.”
As demonstrated through the experience of a refugee who recently connected with TGTHR, having these resources provides life opportunities even for those who had to leave their countries of origin. “He needed help to get identification because he came here to the United States fleeing from an unsafe territory, so for him, having access to that phone is really crucial,” said TGTHR Program Manager Carynn Rudolph.
In addition to the shelter service, TGTHR has multiple programs for the community. Mark Boehner, who oversees street outreach for the organization and connects with those who are experiencing homelessness regardless of age, sees every day how the lack of resources affects whole families. “I met a 10-year-old who was on the street with both of his parents,” he noted. “They had lost housing in Iowa and ended up here in Colorado, had no means of communicating with anyone, and had lost pretty much all their belongings.” Now, with a phone provided through the program, the family can begin and sustain their recovery.
TGTHR provides resources in safe environments for all genders, identities, races, ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations. The organization is located at 3080 Broadway Boulder, CO 80302. To learn more, visit https://www.tgthr.org.
|
|
|
Family Connects is coming to Boulder County in 2023!
Family Connects will provide voluntary, bilingual, in-home nurse service for all families with newborns at no cost to the family. At about three weeks postpartum, a highly- trained registered nurse will check in on how the family is doing and make connections to resources as requested by the family.
“Based on the data collected from those visits we will identify the resources, how we can streamline referrals, and where are the gaps. The model looks for integration, feedback, and connections beyond a few visits,” said Felicia Cain, Family Health Nurse Services Coordinator.
|
|
Boulder County Public Health is the administrative home for the effort, but works in partnership with Boulder County hospitals, starting with Boulder Community Health. Family Connects, supported in part by ARPA funds, is designed to provide support for all families, regardless of income, status, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. “The only requirement for the program is that a newborn has come into the home and that, from a Boulder County perspective, it's a Boulder County family giving birth out of Boulder County hospital,” said Heather Matthews, Project Manager for Family Connects.
“Boulder Community Health is committed to providing high-quality care for our families. Working alongside Family Connects ensures our families continue to receive the in-home care and support they need, even after bringing home a baby,” added Lisa Allen, Boulder Community Health.
Although in its first stages, Family Connects has the opportunity to make a great impact on every family that wants to use the service. Felicia explains: “Family Connects has the potential to create a true sense of belonging for marginalized communities in Boulder County, because it’s for all families with a newborn, and the service emphasizes community alignment. This approach makes it easier to ask for help, lets families know that their voice matters, and that they have a role to play in making sure that resources are available and accessible to them.”
ARPA funds will support the program with $2 million over the next few years. “The generous ARPA award from the Commissioners is allowing BCPH to hire and train skilled nurses to deliver these important in-home services,” said Daphne McCabe, Boulder County Family Health Division Manager. The program will start next year by offering limited services to Boulder County families. A full launch is anticipated in 2024, when staff hopes to be at full capacity. The State of Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood is working on the long-term sustainable funding plan, so the ARPA award will bridge the funding gap from the seed-stage to the sustainability-stage. To see more updates please visit boco.org/familyconnects or send questions to familyconnects@bouldercounty.org
This program is a Phase 2 ARPA project, proposed by ARPA Working Groups during a broad planning phase in winter and spring 2022. Working Groups included partners, community members, staff, experts, and other stakeholders, who delved into Housing Affordability, Economic Challenges, and Mental Health and Social Resilience to identify impactful and transformational projects to address these issues.
|
|
Boulder County is hiring for new positions on public service programs funded by ARPA. To learn about these opportunities, visit the job link at Boulder County Careers. |
|
|
|
|
