Thursday, August 1, 2019

Upcoming Bronx Chamber of Commerce events in August and September




Thursday | August 8, 2019 | 5:00-8:00pm
 
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce invites you to join us at the 4th annual SummerFest Mixer. This Festival of Food and Fun is a networking event and an opportunity to sample food from some of our finest Bronx eateries. Enjoy it now and visit their establishments later for some fine dining with your family and friends.
Admission: See flyer for admission information
RSVP: events@bronxchamber.org or 718-828-3900
Location: Residence Inn by Marriott, 1776 Eastchester Road, Bronx, NY 10461 
Tuesday | August 20, 2019 | 6:00-8:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
 
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce invites you to join us at this networking event sponsored by NYC Health & Hospitals/Jacobi. Light food and refreshments will be served.Flyer.
Admission: Free
RSVP: events@bronxchamber.org or 718-828-3900
Location: Jacobi Hospital, Building 4, 2nd Floor Conference Center,
                1400 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461
Friday | September 6, 2019 | 6:00-8:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
 
The Young Professional Committee of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend a free interactive workshop co-hosted by Empanology. Share your stories, build your network, and pave the way for your success. Flyer.
Admission: Free
RSVP: events@bronxchamber.org or 718-828-3900
Location: Empanalogy, 2407 Third Avenue, Bronx, NY 10451
Tuesday | September 10, 2019 | 8:30-10:00am (doors open at 8:00am)
 
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce and Mon Amour Coffee & Wine invite you to join us at this breakfast networking & card exchange. Flyer.
Admission: Free to Chamber members; $10 for guests of members; $20 for non-members.
RSVP: events@bronxchamber.org or 718-828-3900
Location: Mon Amour Coffee & Wine, 234 West 238th Street, Bronx NY 10463
Tuesday | September 10, 2019 | 6:30-7:30pm (doors open at 6:00pm)
 
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce and TD Bank invite you to this first-time home buyer’s workshop for adults who wants to learn the basics of buying a home. Flyer.
Admission: Free
RSVP: events@bronxchamber.org or 718-828-3900
Location: TD Bank’s Grand Concourse Branch, 148 East Fordham Road, Bronx NY 10468
Friday | September 27, 2019 | 8:30-10:00am
 
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce invites our members to join us for the first Coffee & Conversation event of the series. Meet and connect with your City and State elected officials. Flyer.
Admission: Free, but this event is open to Chamber Members Only.
RSVP: events@bronxchamber.org or 718-828-3900
Location: Mercy College Auditorium, 1200 Waters Place, Bronx, NY 10461
 
Monroe College is offering a special 20% exclusive tuition reduction to all Bronx Chamber of Commerce corporate partners and their employees. See flyer for details.
 
The Children’s Learning Corner at the Hutch Metro Atrium is offering a special 20% discount to Bronx Chamber of Commerce members off any of its full-time programs. Seeflyer for details.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00am – 6:00pm.
Location: 1776 Eastchester Road, Bronx, NY 10461
 
Checkley & Associates offers on-site and online QuickBooks training sessions with instructor Hope Checkley, CPA, MBA. Basic and intermediate classes available. September 10 & 11 and 18 & 19. Special 10% discount for Chamber members.
Fee: See flyer for prices and additional information.
Location: 4015A White Plains Road, Bronx, NY 10466
 
TSCTA Training Academy provides OSHA Training Classes to help you obtain a Limited and Supervisor SST Card. Attend these courses at your jobsite, office, or one of their training facilities to meet the requirements under Local Law 196.
Locations in The Bronx, Long Island City, and Bayonne, NJ.
See flyer for more information.

IN HISTORIC EXPANSION OF CENSUS 2020 OUTREACH EFFORTS MAYOR DE BLASIO INVESTS $1.4 MILLION IN CITY’S LIBRARY SYSTEMS


NYC Census 2020 Will Fund Efforts Across Entire System, with Priority Given to Approximately 90 Branches Serving Historically Undercounted Communities

  Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that NYC Census 2020, the City’s first-of-its-kind census outreach and engagement campaign, is investing more than $1.4 million in an unprecedented partnership with New York City’s three public library systems – the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Public Library – to count every New Yorker in the upcoming 2020 Census.  

Funding libraries to conduct census outreach and provide internet access will be a critical component of NYC Census 2020’s campaign to combat the fear and disinformation resulting from the specter of the now-defeated citizenship question, as well as bridge the digital divide that has left hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers without regular, reliable access to the internet.

The funding being announced today is one of the cornerstones of the City’s overall historic $40 million investment in census outreach, organizing, and public awareness, which includes a large community-based grants program, a field operation, as well as innovative, robust, and multi-lingual media and marketing efforts.

“New York City has been on the front lines of the resistance against the Trump Administration and ensuring every New Yorker gets counted is central to our fight,” said Mayor de Blasio. “We cannot let the federal government silence our diversity of voices. Our partnership with the public library system will help all New Yorkers stand up and be counted.”

“You might think we’ve come a long way since the three-fifths compromise, but when it comes to the Census, make no mistake: the Trump Administration thinks it’s 1820, not 2020. We’re not going to let them use this critically important civil rights exercise to erase us from the map, which is why every one of our major public institutions, from hospitals to housing, and to the 90 library branches serving our most undercounted neighborhoods will be leveraged to get every New Yorker counted next year,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Phil Thompson.

"Our three library systems are the foundation of the City's cultural and civic ideals," said Vicki Been, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development.  "For countless families, libraries serve as trusted sources for information, services, and programming. With this plan, we will encourage civic engagement and improve New Yorkers' access to the census and related resources."

The partnership between NYC Census 2020, led by Director Julie Menin, and the three public library systems, will enable libraries to expand and better leverage their existing capabilities to assist New Yorkers to complete the census form, which will be online for the first time. The funding will support activities across the three library systems, with priority given to the approximately 90 branches that serve historically undercounted communities.

“Our job is to get every New Yorker counted in next year’s census, and we’ll only be able to do our job by partnering with the libraries, which serve as among the most trusted voices in communities across the city. With this investment, together, we will combat the fear and disinformation about the census created by the Trump Administration, and also bridge the digital divide that could create barriers for New Yorkers to stand up and be counted in next year’s census, no matter where they live or what language they speak,” said NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin.

“The enormous success of IDNYC, one of the City of New York’s most successful public programs to date, would not have been possible without our close and extensive partnership with the city’s three library systems,” said Bitta Mostofi, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “Libraries are central hubs to immigrant New Yorkers who rely on the library systems every single day to get access to critical services and programming, citizenship classes, and access to the internet, among so much else. We are proud to be partnering with NYC Census 2020 to fight the Trump Administration’s attempt to use the census as a tool to harm immigrant communities, and we look forward to working closely with our sister agencies, community-based organizations, and all of the city’s public institutions to ensure a fair and complete count in next year’s census.”

NYC Census 2020’s funding will cover:

·         Technology: libraries will be able to significantly expand the ability for New Yorkers, especially those lacking internet access, to participate online in the census as a result of investments in laptops, tablets, and other similar technological solutions;
·         Training and translations: the libraries’ front-line staff will be trained and equipped to help New Yorkers from all backgrounds gain access to information about the census, with a focus on priority branches;
·         Operational support: extended library hours will be funded in priority neighborhoods to convene census-related activities, such as informational sessions and periods of time when New Yorkers can access the internet to participate in the census;
·         Marketing: library-specific messaging will be created to reach local communities in dozens of languages, and to raise awareness about libraries’ role in the decennial census; and
·         Personnel: civic engagement staff will be brought on to engage New Yorkers on the census and activate grassroots interest across the library systems.

By resourcing a large, trusted, citywide network of local institutions, the City is significantly expanding its capacity to ensure that all New Yorkers participate in the 2020 Census, which will help determine the allocation of more than $650 billion in federal funding, in addition to the apportionment of seats to states in the House of Representatives (and, thus, the Electoral College, as well).

Current population change estimates indicate that New York State could lose up to two congressional seats following the 2020 Census, making a complete and accurate count a top priority for the City, which has historically been significantly undercounted compared to the rest of the country. In 2010, New York City’s self-response rate to the census was just 61.9%, with the national self-response average being 76%.

“The City Council commends Mayor de Blasio and NYC Census 2020 for making this essential investment in libraries. New York City's three public libraries systems serve as trusted community anchors in every neighborhood. In our city where nearly 30 percent of the population lacks internet access, they will play an outsized role in bridging the digital divide to ensure that families who don’t have internet access at home, often in hard-to-count communities, can be counted in the 2020 Census. The Council’s 2020 Census Task Force and all our members look forward to partnering with libraries to ensure we get a complete count in 2020,” said Speaker Corey Johnson.


We love compost, with all its power to create a useful new product from waste, keep our trash cans from smelling, and prevent harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by landfilling food scraps.  We love eating too, and all the benefits that come from using what we have, so this month we bring you some tips for making the most of summer produce and more!
Waste Not, Before You Rot
 
Can climate change action take place in your kitchen?  Here's some food for thought: an estimated 13% of carbon pollution emissions in the U.S. are related to the growing, manufacturing, transporting, and disposal of food.  40% of food produced in the U.S. each year is wasted, with nearly 85% of this waste resulting from consumer-facing businesses and at home, according to ReFed.  Taking steps to reduce food waste can result in some creative new recipes and save money too--the average American family throws out around a quarter of their food purchases, amounting to about $1,600 each year! Before sending food to the compost pile, learn how to store produce, check the shelf life for fruits and veggiesuse up or preservesummer's bounty, and learn to cook creatively to reduce food waste.  
NYC Reduce, Reuse and Repair Grants
 
Apply for a grant of up to $2,000 to support the reuse, repair, and refurbishing of discarded products throughout the five boroughs!  Deadline: September 16.  Learn more
Upcoming Events
Stop 'N' Swap® Community Reuse Events
 
Bring clean, reusable, portable items such as clothing, housewares, games, books, and toys that you no longer need, and take home something new-to-you, free! You don't have to bring something to take something. No furniture or large items, please. Learn more.
 
Saturday, August 3 - Prospect Lefferts Gardens
12pm-3pm, BKLYN Commons - PLG Rooftop (map)
495 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn
Outdoor event, check website for weather-related changes  
 
Sunday, August 11 - Stapleton
12pm-3pm, Staten Island MakerSpace Park (map)
Front & Thompson Sts, Staten Island
Outdoor event, check website for weather-related changes 
 
Saturday, August 17 - University Heights
11am-2pm, St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church (map)
2345 University Ave, entrance on W. Fordham Rd, Bronx
Clothing Swap - East New York
Saturday, August 10, 10am-1pm
East New York Farmers Market (map)
Schenck Ave b/t New Lots & Livonia Ave, Brooklyn
Outdoor event, check website for weather-related updates 
 
Bring clean, reusable clothes to share and find an outfit that's new-to-you! You don't have to bring something to take something. Clothing, shoes, belts, hats, and accessories only.
GrowNYC's zero waste programs funded by the NYC Department of Sanitation aim to improve the City's recycling rate by educating residents about recycling and waste prevention, and working with landlords to make sure building recycling programs are adequate. Our free services include apartment building recycling audits, trainings for tenants and supers, community events centered on education and special collection programs for clothing and food scraps. For more information visit www.grownyc.org or call 212-788-7964.
Support GrowNYC
Zero Waste Programs is a program of GrowNYC, a 501(c)3 environmental nonprofit organization. Donate Todayto support Zero Waste Programs, neighborhood Greenmarkets, food access programs, community gardens, recycling and environmental education for youth.