Dear friends,

We are a month away from commemorating two years since the first reported case of COVID-19 in New York City. It is hard to believe that two years have passed since our way of life was challenged as never before. Forced to reimagine a new normal, we adapted and readapted countless times. Just as we thought we had conquered some of the biggest hurdles, we were confronted with Omicron. As I have said before and reaffirm today, if these 24 months have taught us anything, it is that love and hope are our most powerful tools to overcome our collective challenges.

At Acacia Network, we get to experience this transformative way of leading through our deep commitment to our community roots and the unwavering dedication of our diverse workforce. We witness it day in and day out during the ongoing opioid crisis, as we help thousands of individuals get the help they need to overcome addiction. We saw it last month when the local community, City agencies, and CBOs –including Acacia Network– came together to respond to the tragedy at Twin Parks North West in the Bronx, during which a fire claimed the lives of 17 individuals and left many families devastated and homeless.

Love and respect matter, which is a fitting thought for the month of February –regarded almost universally as the month of love, and also one that is dedicated to celebrating Black History, to acknowledging the immense contributions of individuals of African descent to our society, and to reflecting on our collective duty to continue doing more –much more– to address racial injustice and systemic inequality. At Acacia Network, where nearly half of our workforce and our clients identify as Black/African American, we are committed to moving the needle forward in our pursuit of a more just and equitable society for all.

We also remain firm in our commitment to serving as a safe haven for anyone in need of support, and are proud to see that the systems we have put in place to ensure quality, compliance, and accountability at every level of the organization have allowed us to become stronger and more nimble in our ongoing efforts to support our communities wherever and whenever they need us most: from putting shots in arms and tackling vaccine hesitancy, helping individuals to manage chronic conditions such as HIV and HepC, and helping countless individuals struggling with addiction, to building green, affordable housing to address housing insecurity among formerly homeless and low-income households.

We couldn’t do any of this without you. Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to our dedicated staff, our Board of Directors, our partners, our funders, and our community. May we continue cultivating happier and healthier communities together.

We are pleased to announce that La Casa de Salud –Acacia Network’s FQHC Arm– has been awarded $2.96 million to work with its Health Partners in the Bronx and Puerto Rico to promote resiliency and prevent burnout among healthcare workers, through the “Promoting Resilience and Mental Health Among Health Professional Workforce (PRMHW)” Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The news was made public as part of a press release by the Biden-Harris Administration, in which they announced the awarding of $103 million in American Rescue Plan Funds.

The purpose of the PRMHW Program is to provide support to healthcare organizations and providers within medically underserved communities, in order to establish, enhance, or expand evidence-based programs to promote resilience, mental health, and wellness among healthcare workers.

Congratulations to La Casa de Salud, our partners in the Bronx, and our Agendas Comunes Coalition members in Puerto Rico. We look forward to providing additional updates on this program very soon!

Through the Promoting Integration of Primary & Behavioral Health Care (PIPBHC) program funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Acacia Network offers enhanced service integration and referrals to clients at our Carlos Pagan Recovery Center in Brooklyn. We serve individuals in substance use recovery who also live with a chronic physical or mental health condition.

As of December 31st, 2021, the PIPBHC Program had served over 200 clients at the Carlos Pagan Recovery Center, 53% of whom identify as Hispanic/Latinx and 16% of whom are Black/African American. The program provides in-person and telehealth services such as:

In addition, we continue to expand access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) by establishing an agency-wide MAT task force to expand education and opportunities for clients to receive MAT services outside of methadone, such as Suboxone and Vivitrol.

Our Education & Youth Development Division, operated by our affiliate, the Community Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP), provides integrated programming to 3,200+ K-12 students and families through our school-based and Cornerstone programs. Our services include afterschool enrichment activities, youth development programs, family support services, food and nutrition initiatives, family wellness & health education, counseling, and more. 

In addition to other critical needs, our programs address food insecurity among the families we serve. Notably, our Beacon Program at MS 117 in the Bronx has partnered with Food Bank for New York City to serve as a monthly food distribution site in the Morris Heights community.

As part of this initiative, we serve 300+ individuals every month. Our Beacon Program at MS117 became a partner of the Food Bank in May 2021. Since then, we have distributed over 2,000 meals and groceries.

Dina, a 31-year-old single mother of two, has not been a stranger to adversity: Fleeing her home country in search of a better life and seeking protection from a violent gang, she crossed the United States border carrying only a bag of bread, fruit, water and, most importantly, her children and her dreams. In March of 2020, she moved into Wales Family Residence –a shelter for families with children operated by Acacia Network Housing (ANH)– after having been in the shelter system since 2014. Acacia Network quickly noticed that Dina and her family were in dire need of integrated support services –from primary care and education services, to employment and legal assistance.

To begin addressing the family’s full spectrum of needs, we first connected them with the integrated primary care services at our Ramon Velez Health Center in the Bronx. Aware they were struggling to make ends meet, we referred them to our food pantry at Ruth Fernandez so they could get free, nutritious groceries. To nurture the social-emotional wellness of the children and provide additional stability, we arranged transportation to school, equipped them with internet-enabled tablets, and enrolled them in the Virtual Arts Program at our arts & culture affiliate, the Loisaida Center. Dina was also referred to the Family Justice Center for legal assistance with her immigration status, and we provided assistance in her employment search, helping her to land a full-time job.

After months of hard work and perseverance, the Wales team and Dina received good news: She had been approved for a housing voucher. In February of 2022, she signed the lease to a beautiful 3-bedroom apartment in the Bronx, located near her children’s school. We wish Dina the very best in this new chapter!

We are pleased to announce that the affordable housing lottery has launched for Sendero Verde (Phase I), a 100 percent affordable mixed-use Passive House and Enterprise Green Communities certified development in East Harlem, developed by Jonathan Rose Companies, L+M Development Partners, and Acacia Network.

The development features studio, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments for individuals and families at 30 to 110 percent of the area median income (AMI), with annual household incomes between $15,806 to $162,800.

Sendero Verde Phase I / Triborough Finance New Station, P.O. Box TBD, New York, NY 10035. Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications, or apply online and also send in a paper application.

After the deadline, applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If yours is selected and you appear to qualify, you will be invited to an appointment of eligibility to continue the process of determining your eligibility. Appointments are usually scheduled from 2 to 10 months after the application deadline. You will be asked to bring documents that verify your household size, identity of members of your household, and your household income.

It's never too early to mark your calendars! Please save the date for our 2022 fundraisers, which support our health, housing, social services, and youth development initiatives... and so much more!