Emily Hays Photo
Masked at the management team meeting.
Two Dwight-based groups have received money from Yale to address the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic with food assistance, face masks and menstrual supplies.
The Dwight Central Management Team is involved in both efforts. It shared plans to spend the Yale Community for New Haven Fund dollars with other neighbors on Tuesday evening.
“At the last meeting, [Yale’s Office of New Haven Affairs Director] Karen King gave us information about the funding from Yale and the application,” said Dwight Alder Frank Douglass. “Thank you, Karen King, for making this happen for us.”
Yale started the fund in response to the Covid-19 pandemic with $1 million of its own money. The university also pledged to match donations from students, faculty and staff. (Read more on debates about the university’s role in the pandemic here.)
Douglass and fellow alders Evette Hamilton and Tyisha Walker-Myers teamed up with DCMT members to win $10,000 from the fund, Douglass said. This is enough for 5,000 masks and 300 $50 grocery and pharmacy gift cards to be distributed to a total of 300 families, 100 in each alder’s neighborhood.
Douglass named CMT Chairperson Florita Gillespie, Curlena McDonald and Dottie Green as fellow leaders in the project. The three have already distributed 1,300 masks in the neighborhood using their Neighborhood Public Improvement Program (NPIP) grant.
The masks are scheduled to arrive on Friday and the alders will need volunteers to bag the supplies, Douglass said. Dwight neighbors can contact the alders or the CMT leadership to help out.
Green is leading another Yale Community for New Haven funded project as president of the National Council of Negro Women to combat period poverty, where the cost of menstrual supplies is out of reach.
The local organization won $15,000 from the fund to put towards three months’ worth of tampons and masks for 300 women.
“It’s not an issue most people think about. Given school is out and access to secondary resources is harder, many do need that support,” Green said.
Green told the meeting attendees to call or email her if they know anyone who can use the help.
Don't forget diapers and prescription medicine along with food, masks and menstrual supplies. If you have no income you can't afford your meds or your babies diapers along with period products.
Thank you to the people who donated their time and money to helping people who need it.