Our Response
to the COVID-19 Crisis
Our work to ensure that our young people emerge from the Covid crisis healthy and whole.
And so, we’ve responded to the Covid crisis in a deep and far reaching manner, providing critical and robust emergency supports including food distributions, technology assistance, direct financial disbursements, increased access to mental healthcare, and more. All of this is being conducted in addition to our usual wrap-around support programming, mentorship, and love.
After a year of hybrid programming – with remote programming and in person programming at three different sites in Harlem to allow for sufficient social distancing – BroSis is now conducting the vast majority of our programming in person.
PIX 11 News highlights our food relief work
Harlem non-profit hands out holiday meals.
The Brotherhood Sister Sol says they are on track to officially have distributed more than one million meals.
Food insecurity persists, forcing community organizers to act
The Brotherhood Sister Sol has taken matters into its own hands.
BroSis’ Special Feature On The Today Show
For decades, The Brotherhood Sister Sol has been empowering young people to be agents of change in their communities and their personal lives. Sheinelle Jones shares how BroSis is continuing our mission today.
Your Support
Your contribution helps us provide essential
services to the youth of Harlem.
Pre-COVID Challenges
Economic Poverty
In our community, the mean family income is $26,271 with over a third of residents living below poverty level. Many of our members live in households struggling to make ends meet.
Food Insecurity
Over 14 % of New Yorkers experience food insecurity, leading to a City-wide meal gap of 207 million in 2018. BroSis provides over 14,000 meals to our youth members each year.
Youth Development
Insufficient educational opportunity, a lack of job skills & opportunities, and a sense of hopelessness are all part of the cycle of unfulfilled potential experienced by our youth members.
Manhattan has the largest income gap of any county in the country – according to the last Census, the top 5% of households earned $864,394, 88x as much as the poorest 20%, $9,822.
As is the case with any emergency situation, the community we serve – economically poor and lacking access to resources – will be hit especially hard.
Our Response
Emergency Food Distribution
Laptops & Hotspots
Financial Support
Mental Health Support
Virtual Sessions, Check-ins, & Tutoring
Training & resources for staff
Statistics
In Emergency Financial Assistance Allocated to Our Members & Families
Laptops & 8 Wifi Hotspots Provided To Support Remote Learning
Meals Distributed during weekly food distributions to both our youth and our the general public *As of 3/1/22
Timeline of Our Response to the Covid Crisis
Summer 2021
BroSis summer programming – the majority of which will take place in-person – begins on June 28!
September - June
BroSis continues to facilitate the portfolio of programs we customarily provide – including Rites of Passage, Environmental Programming, an array of arts programs, training of activists and organizers, college access and academic support, tutoring and wellness, and political education. Our youth-run farmers market continues as does our weekly food distribution that provides about 500,000 meals to thousands of youth and community members.
August
BroSis summer programming concludes, with members participating in various educational experiences centered on social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement, the arts, environmental education, health, and wellness. 30,000 lbs of fresh fruit and vegetables distributed through our youth-run farmers’ market, which serves over 2,000 people. 40,000 meals provided through our weekly emergency food distributions. Check out our blog for additional updates.
July
After shifting to remote programming since March, BroSis resumes in-person programming. The safety of our youth and staff is our utmost priority and we have planned for this reopening and are adhering to all NYC and NYS regulations. Summer programming provided includes a Summer Day Camp, workforce training, environmental education and programming, creative arts, college bootcamp, and fitness programming. For more information, please click here. Emergency support continues, including about 53,600 meals provided.
June
BroSis holds weekly emergency food distributions, providing about 40,000 meals to BroSis families and to the general public. Emergency financial assistance, laptops & hotspots, and increased access to mental healthcare all continue. BroSis also plans for in-person summer programming, with a priority on maintaining the safety of members and staff.
May 27
BroSis holds 6th food distribution for the immediate community with contributions from our partners Colonial Verde/Basbaas Sauce, and Grow NYC.
May 20
BroSis begins to distribute weekly meals to youth members and the community. Our partnership with Grow NYC expands from our seasonal BroSis Green Youth Market on Wednesdays to now support our food pantry with a contribution of boxes that include potatoes, fruits, vegetables, fruits, beans, and lentils until the end of August. West Harlem Group Assistance and Corbin Hill Food Project also contributed to the effort. 15,000 meals distributed up to this date.
May 6
Over 4,000 meals distributed to about 100 members and their families, as well as to almost 200 community members unaffiliated with BroSis, in direct response to the increasing food insecurity we are seeing. In addition to community partners West Harlem Group Assistance and Corbin Hill Food Project, Harlem restaurant Field Trip and Brooklyn restaurant Colonial Verde contributed food to this effort.
April 22
About 3,000 meals distributed to 500 individuals, including youth members, their families, and members of the local community. Brooklyn restaurant Colonial Verde generously donated a quart of stew for youth members – their dinner for the night.
April 8
BroSis holds a 2nd food distribution, providing another 2,500 meals, with plans to continue every few weeks.
March 30 – April 3
All chapters and programs move to holding virtual sessions, tutoring, mental health counseling, and an online Resource Guide has been developed to provide a tool-box of community resources for members.
March 23 – 27
50 laptops and 8 wifi hotspots provided to members to support online learning. About 500 members are surveyed by staff to assess needs across housing, food, technology, mental health, physical health, and finances.
March 23
BroSis distributes 200 bags of food to members, alumni and community members, providing about 600 people with 8 meals, 4,800 meals in total.
March 16
BroSis temporarily closes our doors, fast-tracking $15,000 in emergency financial assistance to about 75 youth members, with another $40k expected in April.
Photos
