The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
NEEDED ASSISTANCE
Community Action Partnership for Madison County hosts free distribution event
ONEIDA, N.Y. » Several lined up in their vehicles in front of the Oneida High School on Friday to receive free resources from the Community Action Partnership (CAP) for Madison County. Special guests included Congressman Anthony Brindisi, a representative from Senator Rachel May’s office, and Oneida Mayor Helen Acker.
Bags loaded with hygiene products and food was given away to residents, and diapers and baby wipes were available for families in need.
“It’s been a wonderful turnout, and everybody is having a really good time” said Antara Mitra, executive director for CAP Madison County.
This is the third distribution event of its kind in the area during the pandemic. Others took place in Canastota and Morrisville, but the Oneida event has been much anticipated.
Over 60 people pre-registered to receive supplies, and a number of walk-ins were welcomed. Mitra said this has been the biggest event like this so far.
According to their website, CAP for Madison County serves lower-income families/individuals striving for economic selfsufficiency through education, guidance, and resources. Events such as the one Friday have become more necessary due to the pandemic and its economic impact.
CAP’S Housing Department focuses on families and individuals who are on the brink of homelessness or who are already in that situation. According to Travis Burns, CAP housing coordinator, the demand for his department’s services has only been on the rise.
“We almost tripled the amount of families we’ve
been able to assist during the pandemic alone,” he commented.
More and more people may be on the verge of homelessness because state eviction-relief is ending and bills will soon be due from empty pockets. Burns reported that 24% of tenants in Madison County are currently behind on their rent payments, according to a recent CAP survey.
An added concern is that federal and state funding is speculated to be cut by at least 20%, and that hurts non-profits like CAP who rely on grant money and donations to operate. The need for funding couldn’t be greater, and yet the budget will be slashed, Burns remarked. This could affect services like rent relief, temporary housing, and utility deposit assistance.
The organization also provides work-coaching, daycare, mentorship, financial counseling, and more. To make sure these services reach those who need them, Burns said events such as this one can be a crucial connection point.
In particular, Burns said staff checked in with student-families at the event to verify their access to wifi and other tools that support the ever-important avenue of online learning. Burns said CAP works with school districts and other programs to secure chromebooks and wifi hotspots for those living more off-grid.
“Anything we can do to assist on a greater level as a whole is what we’re trying to do here,” he said.
Volunteerism is a great facet of CAP operations, and lending a hand Friday was Robert Black and Victoria Cueto, an engaged couple currently living in CAP transitional housing. The two and their three children were nearly homeless two years ago in the Chittenango area, but CAP helped them out of it.
“We try to give back any way we can,” Black stated. “Anytime CAP needs volunteer work, we’re right there. I don’t know where we would have gone if they didn’t have that program.”
CAP provided the family with relief in the form of guidance, counseling, and most importantly, a place to call home. “The stress was lifted off our shoulders immediately,” Cueto commented.
During those difficult times, nobody else would take them, she said.
Since being part of the program, the couple says they have set and achieved numerous goals. Their latest achievement: securing their own four-bedroom house. The family hopes to move in soon after much preparation.
Landing the opportunity was not easy, the couple admitted, and the pandemic certainly wasn’t much help. Landlords weren’t showing their properties, tenants weren’t moving out because of the eviction freeze, and finding any place to go was quite difficult, they said.
“When all is lost, [CAP] makes you feel like there’s hope,” Cueto commented.
Regular fundraising for the non-profit has been thwarted because of COVID-19 limitations, but there are other ways to show support. Donations are always welcome, both in the form of money and resources.
According to Burns, there’s no donation that’s too small. The team could always use more toothbrushes, toothpaste, first aid kits, shampoos, and other personal care items, he said, and cleaning supplies have been especially sought after. Fortunately, thanks to grant money, diapers have been wellstocked.
Preparations are underway to meet even greater demand for CAP housing services as evictions are likely to coincide with the colder months ahead, and this combination can be deadly.
Because Madison County lacks a homeless shelter, CAP helps set up warming sites and distributes other forms of aid to keep those displaced from their homes safe. Burns said that new employees are being hired and trained to help eliminate housing program waitlists and get people the resources they need. He expects that twice the amount of assistance will be needed this year compared to last.
Anyone who’d like to contact CAP can call 315-3291624 or can email info@ capmadco.org. For Cueto, it was a friendly stranger in a cab that pointed her in the right direction. More contact information can be found on their website.