The Miami Foundation in partnership with Allegany Franciscan Ministries Supports Affirming Youth Foundation, Inc., in their COVID-19 intervention efforts
August 10th, 2020 – (MIAMI, FL) – Affirming Youth Foundation, Inc., has received $10,000 in support of its work to address the critical health and wellness needs that have disproportionately impacted communities of color.
The Miami Foundation in partnership with Allegany Franciscan Ministries has approved an award to Affirming Youth Foundation, Inc., of $10,000 from their Community Recovery Fund to address critical health and wellness needs that disproportionately impact communities of color across Greater Miami.
“We see the immense mental and emotional strain this pandemic has put on families across Miami-Dade, especially on residents already living with reduced access to healthcare,” said Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, president, and CEO of The Miami Foundation. “Affirming Youth has been a tremendous resource for youth of color in our community, and we are so grateful to Allegany for stepping up so we can invest in their important, life-saving work.”
The COVID-19 pandemic poses implications for a wide range of experiences such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, poverty, and community violence that can directly affect the health status of children over the lifespan. These adverse effects can lead to household mental illness, child abuse, childhood victimization, and substance abuse.
“COVID-19 has really magnified the disparities in our communities and uncovered how much the critical needs of our communities of color are not being met,” says Jonathan Spikes, Founder and Executive Director of Affirming Youth Foundation, Inc. “I am grateful for the support of community partners as we try to help people as much as we can during this pandemic.”
This investment will provide Affirming Youth with resources to continue providing services that will increase primary caregivers’ health and behaviors; reduce the mental and emotional strain of survival; and improve family relationships.
Although operations are minimized due to Quarantine restrictions Affirming Youth is still delivering services in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of professionals to identify and address service gaps and barriers and create a community success and violence reduction blueprint to support children and young victims of violence.
For more information reach out to info@affirmingyouth.org or visit us at www.affirmingyouth.org
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ABOUT US
Affirming Youth Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization with the vision to curate safe spaces for youth to address their traumatic experiences and discover their strengths. Our mission is to provide trauma-informed services that meet the educational, emotional, physical, and mental health needs of youth and their families.