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COVID-19 has led to high numbers of unemployment and underemployment, and as a result, many have faced financial hardship, struggling to keep up with bills including rent and utilities. Help has been offered in many forms from expanded and extended unemployment to rental assistance and a federal eviction moratorium.
But what happens when that help isn’t enough and/or doesn’t come soon enough? Take for example Texas. According to NPR, the Texas state court system may stop enforcing the federal moratorium on evictions. If that happens, those behind on rent could face losing their homes. Though rental assistance is a part of the American Rescue Plan and was a part of past stimulus bills, those who have applied for it recently likely have not received funding. They may not even be sure the status of their application. That’s not enough to stop an eviction. Back home in Pennsylvania, those in need have struggled with accessing their benefits and, even more often, accessing a person to help them determine where those benefits have gone. Unemployment funds have taken weeks to months to arrive, for instance - a delay that is more than costly when you’re relying on a payment for all manner of needs. So yes, help has been given, but that help has faced its own obstacles. As we look to rebuild the economy and return to a semblance of normalcy, we must remember that those who have faced the greatest difficulties will still need assistance in the coming months.
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6 of RJLF’s Fellows have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past year. That accounts for nearly half of the young adults we are currently serving. While all have recovered fully or appear to be recovering fully, their illnesses are a stark reminder of the risks many have been forced to take through the pandemic, particularly those in low-income and underserved communities. For example, while millions have had the opportunity to work from home through 2020 and 2021, others - including a number of our Fellows - have gone in-person to work at grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, patient homes and group homes. Despite precautions, many have been exposed to COVID-19 at their jobs. However, an equal number have been exposed at home through partners, roommates and/or their children’s caretakers. Why? Because when you’re:
For many of us, the risks we’ve taken through the pandemic have been largely optional - should we see a loved one, go to a playground or pop into the store instead of ordering curbside pick up? But for so many more, the risks have been mandatory and constant, and the results of that have too often been an illness with an unpredictable outcome.  COVID-19 has highlighted the value and the importance of essential workers, and it has broadened our understanding of what “essential” means in the workforce. However, still and too often, social workers, who are key frontline workers, are forgotten from the conversation and recognition. What that lapse leaves out are:
March is Social Work Month. Take the time to thank these essential workers for all that they have done and will do through the pandemic and in its aftermath. This Women’s History Month, we wanted to spotlight a community partner that has had a profound impact on our Fellows, as well as many others in need throughout Bucks and surrounding counties. The Vine at Doylestown United Methodist Church is a women-led organization that, through donations, helps to provide food, clothing and other goods to underserved communities, families and individuals. To distribute, the Vine partners with programs, like RJLF, throughout the area and works to meet a wide range of needs as they arise. Though we have been linked with the Vine for some time now, it has been through the pandemic that we have seen just how much they can and want to do. When the COVID-19 lockdowns began, the Vine put together food for families who had lost income or who saw an increased strain on the grocery budget due to kids being home all the time. In August, they filled school supply lists (including hand sanitizer, wipes and masks), and at Thanksgiving they stuffed cars full of holiday meals plus bagfuls of extras. In between and since, they have helped Fellows gather clothes for interviews and new jobs, they have sent gift cards and much, much more. Most recently, they put out a call to help one of our Fellows fill the Amazon wishlist she made in preparation for her new baby. We are constantly in awe and overwhelmed with gratitude for the hard work and generosity of the Vine. Thank you to the Vine and especially to Liz, Becky and Lynlee. You are women we could not be more proud to know.  It has been one year since we reached out to our Fellows, Mentors and Board Members cancelling a March 15th workshop. At the time, we thought this would be a temporary blip on the calendar. We were discussing an April fundraising event and brainstorming May dates for the in-person workshop to be rescheduled. On this same day, one year ago, Governor Wolf issued social distancing guidelines for our counties and urged nonessential businesses to close. Just 11 days later, he issued stay-at-home orders. Those orders remained in place until June 5 when we entered the yellow phase of reopening and June 26 when we entered the green phase. Since March 12, 2020, COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our communities. Bucks County has had 42,051 confirmed cases and 1,150 deaths, while Montgomery County reports 55,716 confirmed cases and 1,572 deaths. Within RJLF, at least three of our Fellows have tested positive for COVID-19. Many of us have lost loved ones. And we miss each other. However also since March 12, 2020, we have again and again been reminded of the strength, resilience and dedication of our RJLF Fellows, their children, our Mentors and Board Members, and our Community Partners. We cannot accurately predict how much longer our society will remain as it is. We cannot predict what “normal” will look like when we return to it. What we do know is that we are grateful to be in this unknown with you and better for having had the RJLF community through this pandemic. Thank you.   According to Vice President Kamala Harris, approximately 2.5 million women have left the workforce since the beginning of the pandemic one year ago. They have been laid off and furloughed. Their businesses have been shuttered. And/or their families’ needs have necessitated a step away. We don’t yet know if this loss will be permanent or even how long-term. It is likely that a portion of the 2.5 million will remain out of the workforce for some time, potentially choosing to remain at home if able or facing the loss of an industry/company/position. No matter the duration, we do know that fewer women in the workforce isn’t a good thing. Women are proven to have a positive impact on their places of employment, increasing collaboration and productivity, boosting morale among employees and improving recruitment and retention for the company. This Women’s History Month (and beyond), we must remind ourselves of the importance of having women in the workforce and strive to help the women who have been pushed out due to the pandemic, as well as those still working, to find their place and voice within the workforce, to find the balance they want between work and family, and to recognize the assets they are to our society. Having looked at the disproportionate representation of Black youth in foster care and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority groups, we thought it time to revisit the impact the pandemic has had on youth in foster care. According to a study completed by the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research, nearly half of the youth surveyed - youth who are in or recently aged out of foster care - reported COVID-19 having a negative impact on their housing. The youth were asked to leave or feared being asked to leave their current living situation, and/or were experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. More than half reported being food insecure and “Two-thirds of the participants reported that COVID-19 was having a major negative impact on their educational progress or attainment.” The study also found significant impact on mental health and permanency. What does this mean specifically for Black youth in or aging out of foster care through the pandemic? The research - in Pennsylvania and nationally - hasn’t borne that data yet. However, we can surmise that COVID-19 has been particularly challenging for Black youth and could have long-term impacts on their futures. We and others have said many times that while we are all in the same storm, we are in different boats. Some will feel the waves of the pandemic more than others, and if we can, it is up to us to help anchor them.  COVID-19 has impacted everyone. The United States has seen, thus far, more than 27.8 million cases and more than 488,000 deaths. Data shows, however, that some groups of people have been impacted more - are at a greater risk - than others. This is true specifically for people of color in the United States. Black Americans, for example, are 1.1 times more likely than non-Hispanic white persons to contract COVID-19, 2.9 times more likely to require hospitalization and 1.9 times more likely to die from COVID-19. There are several underlying factors for the increased risk including, according to the CDC, healthcare access and utilization, occupation, housing, and education, income and wealth gaps. However, it is telling that at the top of the CDC’s list is discrimination - a factor that greatly impacts every system in America that is supposed to help protect its citizens. The systemic failures have led, for instance, to diminished access to healthcare services. They have led to the other factors on the list. On an individual level, “Discrimination, which includes racism, can lead to chronic and toxic stress.” Toxic stress is well-known to affect a person’s health long-term, particularly when that stress is felt through childhood and into adulthood, as it is for people of color in the United States. The disparities in how COVID-19 has affected racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. does not have to do with the virus itself but rather with the structure and reality of a country that has work to do.   Black youth (ages 0 to 17) are disproportionately overrepresented in the foster care system. Making up just 14% of the child population in 2018, they accounted for 23% of all youth in foster care that year. According to the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Black children also “are 2.5 times more likely to be placed in foster care. Once in foster care, Black foster youth stay longer and are far less likely to be adopted.” And in Pennsylvania, as of 2016, 43% of Black youth in the state were in foster care.
The overarching reason behind this disparity is well known to be racial discrimination. The good news is that the numbers have actually been improving, having declined from 30% in 2009 to 23% in 2016 (the rate has been stagnant at 23% since). But some good news is not enough. In fact, it’s far from it. As Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said when the county’s Department of Children and Family Services created an Office of Equity, “We want to create the kinds of programs and systems that allow us to make the best, most culturally competent decisions we can for our 30,000 children in foster care.” In short, we have work to do. Over the past month, we’ve talked about who mentors are and the impact they can have on their mentees. One thing we haven’t discussed, however, is why - why become a mentor? And so, we’ve decided to close out National Mentoring Month (a day late) with a look at what motivates our mentors and board members to be a part of the R.J. Leonard Foundation and, more importantly, our Fellows’ lives.
For many, their upbringing and present family life have encouraged them. “Coming from a nurturing family and now being a parent of three young adult children, I understand and appreciate the importance of having support at this pivotal time in life,” says Kathleen - both a board member and mentor, and the Foundation’s last Program Director. “Without guidance to navigate through education and career decisions, and having a safety net to fall back on in times of crisis, the road to independence and self- sufficiency can be daunting.” Board member Kerry agrees, “I have always been someone who believes in mentoring and teaching. As someone raised by a teacher, I saw firsthand the value of people passing down information learned to one another.” Outside of family, many at the R.J. Leonard Foundation have been affected by a mentor of their own. “I’ve been fortunate to have a number of mentors that have authentically impacted my life. The perspectives offered, guidance, reflection and shared experiences have influenced my life’s decisions. I am immeasurably in a better place today and better positioned for tomorrow because of these individuals,” describes Miles, RJLF’s Board Chair. The desire to pass on such a positive and far-reaching influence is often a motivator for our volunteers. Just as it will be for our Fellows in the years to come. There are many other reasons why mentors become mentors, each one unique to the individual. We encourage you to find out more about what motivates our RJLF family and what might motivate you by contacting us at info@rjleonardfoundation.org or 833-475-5363. |
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P.O. Box 1138
Doylestown, PA 18901 |