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Immediate Action Needed on State Budget! The Neighborhood Family Services Colition wants you to know Governor Pataki vetoed funding for many critical programs in the state budget for fiscal year 2005, including the following: YOUTH: $1.2 million for the Youth Development Delinquency Prevention (YDDP) program, $307,800 for Runaway and Homeless Youth, ELIMINATION of the Youth Education Employment Training Program (YEETP); CHILD WELFARE: $10 million for foster care rates; TANF SURPLUS PROGRAMS: $58 million for wide range of programs that provide critical preventive and supportive services to thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers. As you may also know, the Assembly failed to override the Governor’s vetoes. At this point, there is much speculation about what will happen next. It seems the best hope for restoration of these and other critical pieces of funding is to press the Legislature to negotiate with the Governor on a supplemental budget when they return to Albany in mid-November. Toward this goal, we must urge our State Leaders to pass a supplemental budget and to ensure that these vital funding streams are included. ACT TODAY: Urge the New York State Leaders to: Work together to pass a supplemental budget and Ensure that funding for CHILD WELFARE, YOUTH SERVICES, AND TANF PROGRAMS is included in supplemental budget appropriations. Write to the following State Representatives:

Afterschool Advocate, Volume 6, Issue 1: Published by The Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization supported by a group of public, private, and nonprofit entities working to ensure that all children and youth have access to afterschool programs by 2010.

Putting College Out of Reach - A college education, not a menial job, offers the best road out of poverty, but regulations keep thousands of New York welfare recipients from attending college. The city seems inclined to change this policy, but Washington might make the rules even tougher than they are now.

New York City's Children - The number of children who are homeless in New York City has risen rapidly over the past decade, according to a report on New York City's children released by the non-profit group Citizens' Committee for Children of New York. The percentage of children living in poverty also increased, and now as many as half a million New York City children are poor. At the same time, infant mortality rates have gone down, fewer teenagers are becoming pregnant, and fewer children are leaving their families for foster care.

Nationwide Perspectives - Today's Economy and Afterschool Education - Recently on the ERIC Listserv there was an exchange of dialogue regarding the concerns and issues that afterschool programs are facing in the current economic climate. These nationwide perspectives reflect a commonality of challenges for the afterschool field. Due to the increased number of unemployed parents now forced to find lower cost and alternative forms of childcare, programs are losing kids and therefore losing money. The majority of those affected are students of color and low-income families. In order to counterbalance the drop off in enrollment, many programs have had to:

S.A.V.Y (Successful and Victorious Youth) is currently recruiting adult female women who are interested in making a difference in the lives of young women through group mentoring. If you are interested in learning more about S.A.V.Y and this volunteer mentoring opportunity please 718-907-0531 or e-mail savymentoring@excite.com.

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), on 2054 Morris Avenue in the Bronx, is looking for mentors and tutors for the youth they serve. CAB has multiple sites throughout the Bronx area and can use volunteers at all of them. Please contact CAB Director Vivian Vasquez at - Phone: 718-365-0910; Fax: 718-365-0697 for more information.

East Harlem Tutorial Program, at 2050 Second Avenue, is looking for individuals to assist youth with literacy-building, math, science, computers, arts, homework help and mentoring. Please contact Adama at 212-831-0650 to set up an appointment. Orientation is neces sary, call for more information.

Star Learning Center - Help a Child - Be a Volunteer Tutor! Volunteers needed to tutor one-on-one, for two hours a week. Our students need help in reading, writing and mathematics and attend grades 2-12. You must possess a caring attitude, good language skills, flexibility and be willing to make a time commitment. Tutoring hours are 3-7 on Monday and Wednesday and 3-6 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We are located at 26 West 84th Street, between Columbus Ave. and Central Park West. Please email Deena Hellman, Director, Star Learning Center, or call her at 212 362 6750 X303.

Educators for Social Responsibility has sites on the Upper West Side of New York and in Brooklyn, and is looking for mentors and tutors to assist with the young people they serve. It is imperative our youth receive emotional and psychological support during this crucial time. Those interested in volunteering can contact Lillian Castro at 212-870-3318.

Please call Carole Artigiani or Evie Hantzopoulos at 212-226-0130, or visit their website.

Henry Street Settlement in upper Manhattan is looking for volunteers to assist with homework help, reading, mentoring and general educational tutoring. Please contact the Director of Education, Laura Cole, at 212-254-3100.

Interfaith Neighbors, Inc. Persons interested in volunteering as a tutor may choose to work at one of the agency's sites-either at the Teen Leadership and Learning Center on East 82nd Street, or at GirlSpace site on East 109th Street. Each volunteer tutor will be appropriately matched with one student for the duration of the school year. Participation in our "Partners In Progress" tutoring program requires a commitment of 60 minutes, one day per week. The "Reading Lab" tutors work with their students two days per week, each session lasting an hour. All Interfaith tutors must participate in an initial orientation session, and will receive comprehensive training and support throughout the academic year from the agency's dedicated staff of professional educators. The students range in age from 10-15 years, and subject matter is varied. Tutoring is scheduled during after-school hours, ranging from 3:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The agency 's programs require the services of as many as 100 tutors each year, so they are eager to have you on board. It can be a wonderful and rewarding experience for you as well as the student with whom you work. For further information on how to apply, please contact Suzanne Power at (212) 717-1119 or via email at ifnspower@aol.com.

Southeast Bronx Neighborhood Centers, Inc.
955 Tinton Avenue 163rd Street
BRONX, NY 10456
Executive Director: Roger Sam
Contact Person: Clyde Thompson - 718-542-2727 EXT. 16 POSITIONS AVAILABLE: ESCORTS - Adults and/or mature youth needed to assist in the daily escorting of children to the afterschool program.

Programs we need assistance with are LITERACY BOOK CLUB PROJECT, FLAG FOOTBALL PROJECT, TUTORIAL AIDES, BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL PROGRAM, and GIRL SCOUT GROUP LEADER.All applicants will complete an application and personal interview.

Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center is looking for Youth Services volunteers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to assist with tutoring, mentoring and Administrative Assistance. Please call Noelle Richards at 212-360-7620 x24 for more information, or visit their website by clicking above on their organization name.

Additional Opportunities
For Licensed Mental Health Professionals: Safe Horizon is conducting training sessions on the crisis support group intervention model for licensed mental health professionals. Additional information can be obtained at 800-621-HOPE or 718-624-2111.