Biweekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

SENATOR RIVERA IN THE COMMUNITY

SENATOR RIVERA HOSTS HIS 13TH ANNUAL BACKPACK GIVEAWAY AT ST. JAMES PARK!

Last week, Senator Rivera hosted his 13th Annual Back-to-School Giveaway and Resource Fair at St. James Park, bringing together more than 25 community organizations for another successful event!

Senator Rivera was = pleased to be joined by Democratic congressional nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier during the event. Thanks to the support of our incredible community partners, more than 600 bookbags were distributed, along with hundreds of school supplies and valuable resources for children and families preparing for the new school year.

Senator Rivera thanks all the organizations that helped make this event possible as sponsors and tabling partners: Monroe University, the 52nd Precinct Counci, SBH, WBHNRC, UCHC, NMIC, POTS, Montefiore, Legal Aid Society, KRVC, VIP Community Services, S&A Unified Health Care, BRAG, VIP Mujeres, Metro Plus, Hunger Free, Essen Healthcare, Our Bronx, Ponce Bank, Mercy Center, BCG, IDNYC, Emblem, RAIN, FDNY, and Liberty Dental.

SENATOR RIVERA HOSTS BACK-TO-SCHOOL POP-UPS AND PARTNERS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO DISTRIBUTE BACKPACKS!

Throughout the month of August, Senator Rivera is distributing hundreds of bookbags and school supplies at a series of Back to School pop-up events for families across his district.

Senator Rivera has supported several Back To School giveaway events organized by local community organizations.

Pop-up at Washington Park

Pop-up at Poe Park

At the backpack giveaway organized by the Morris Park BID

At the backpack giveaway organized by the Friends of Pelham Parkway

At the backpack giveaway organized by the Davidson Community Center

DEADLINE FRIDAY 8/28: WEST BRONX COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP'S PROJECT RISE PROPOSAL

New York State continues to invest in combatting community-based violence, specifically gun violence across the State. The New York State FY 2023 State Executive Budget included major investments in programs and initiatives including initiatives to strengthen community-based strategies to prevent and interrupt gun violence, as well as, to restore and repair impacted communities.

Project RISE (Respond, Invest, Sustain and Empower), a collaborative project led by the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Service’s Office of Youth Justice (DCJS OYJ) and supported by the Office for Program Development and Funding (OPDF) seeks to:  Respond to pandemic-era gun violence in the hardest hit communities; Invest in community-driven solutions; Sustain positive programming; Empower communities. 

In October 2025, Governor Hochul announced an additional $3 million investment over two years to support the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership, a collaborative initiative driven by New York City Councilmember Pierina Sanchez and other local officials, community leaders and grassroots organizations in response to persistently high levels of gun violence and a shared goal of creating a safer West Bronx community. The funding will help address the root causes of violence through youth engagement, education and employment support, mental health services and stronger community connection.

As we prepare for Project RISE-Bronx 2026-2027, we are seeking proposals for programming as we continue to move toward our identified goals.

 

If you are interested in applying for Project RISE-Bronx 2026-2027 funding, please submit your programmatic proposal, workplan, and budget utilizing the submission link provided below no later than 12:00 p.m. (noon) on August 28, 2026.   Please make sure you are adhering to the instructions in the proposal form to ensure all requirements are met for submission of your proposal.

                             

Submission Link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8929550/Project-RISE-Bronx-2026-2027-Proposal-Submission

 

It is our goal to continue to assist you in making Project RISE a success in your respective community and we appreciate your cooperation with submitting proposals by the above deadline to ensure a timely review of materials. Please note: Submissions after the above date and time may not be accepted.

 

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Office of Youth Justice via email: ProjectRISE@dcjs.ny.gov.

APPLY NOW! UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIP 2026-27

The New York Metro Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP NY Metro) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for our Universal Healthcare Legislative Advocacy Fellowship (UHLAF) 2026-2027 session. This fellowship is designed to engage health workers, students, and advocates who are interested in participating in healthcare reform advocacy. The curriculum is structured to cultivate practical skills that are not only valuable for advocating for the NY Health Act - New York’s state-level single-payer bill - but are also readily transferable to other advocacy campaigns and organizing work. This fellowship runs as a cohort, so we ask people to commit to attending all (or most) of the sessions. We value being able to build community between participants and with PNHP NY Metro members during this fellowship to strengthen our clarity, competence, connection, and commitment together for health justice. The fellowship will run from October 2026 through April 2027 via Zoom. Monthly sessions are generally on the first Thursday of each month, from 7:30pm to 9:00pm. Topics range from Albany’s legislative structure and politics to relational organizing and storytelling skills. The sessions will incorporate presentation, group discussion, work in small groups and in-session homework review. Participants are expected to contribute approximately 5 hours per month from October to April, with a slight increase in March in preparation for Lobby Day and its aftermath.  For Lobby Day, participants will focus on key districts across New York state and will be responsible for researching, preparing and coordinating a planning meeting with lobby team participants for a lobby meeting with a legislator. Lobby Day date is TBA (usually in mid-to-late March) and is in-person in Albany. It will include the NY Health Act and a slate of additional health justice related legislation. Tentative Session Schedule, all sessions are via Zoom 10/8/26 7:30-9:30pm 10/22/26 7:30pm-8:30pm 11/5/26 7:30pm-9:00pm 12/3/26 7:30pm-9:00pm 1/7/27 7:30pm-9:00pm 1/21/27 7:30pm-8:30pm 2/4/27 7:30pm-9:00pm 2/18/27 7:30pm-8:30pm 2/25/27 7:30pm-8:30pm TBD Two March Dates* 4/8/27 7:30pm-9:00pm In between sessions, there may be optional Study Group Hours - an open one-hour space for the cohort to discuss, process, and build community - perhaps akin to office hours or small group discussion. These will be informal - for example, you can talk about items that have been “bike racked” during sessions, connect with other individual members, role play with your team before Lobby Day, lead a workshop session of your own making. The director or other mentors will be available at these gatherings. We welcome students, health workers, and a broad variety of health justice advocates from across New York to apply, as we strive to create an interdisciplinary, diverse cohort. Any questions about the fellowship or this application can be directed to YuLing Koh Hsu, Director of the Universal Healthcare Legislative Advocacy Fellowship: yuling@pnhpnymetro.org. Acceptance announcements will be emailed on Wednesday September 23, 2026.

Apply Here!

New SNAP Work Requirements: What You Need to Know

New federal rules are changing SNAP work requirements for some New Yorkers. Starting this year, certain adults may need to work, attend job training, or volunteer to keep their benefits.

You may be affected if you are:

● Between ages 18–64

● Not living with a child under 14

● Not exempt due to a health condition or other reason



If these rules apply to you, you may need to take action each month to avoid losing your SNAP benefits.



Check your status and learn what to do: on.nyc.gov/snap.

REACH OUT TO CSS' COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVOCATES TO HELP WITH HEALTH INSURANCE!

The changes from the feds that go into effect on July 1st will have serious implications for over 450,000 New Yorkers enrolled in the Essential Plan that are losing health insurance coverage. Thankfully, Community Health Advocates (CHA) have made themselves available to assist you.

Call the toll-free Helpline (888-614-5400, option 3) Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM. With your consent, Senator Rivera's team can also email your information over to CHA for assistance.

CHA can counsel consumers losing Essential Plan coverage about:  

• Insurance eligibility and options  
• Where to find low-cost care
• Resolving medical debt, and  
• Their rights for seeking treatment in emergency situations