Trinity Services Inc.’s Post

This past year I started a non profit organization called RANGE- Research and Advocacy in Gender Equity with the goal of funding research projects that help us better understand how gender equity issues affect our society as well as fund development and educational projects that create solutions to address those issues. RANGE strives to increase knowledge and awareness of gender equity issues so that the public better understands how gender biases can affect everyone and advocate for laws and policies that support creating gender equity ( i.e.paid leave, subsidizing child care, reproductive choice, and flexible working conditions). In our first year we have successfully given out two grants- one researching the various childcare needs of people in the medical field with the goal of creating a more comprehensive and financially sustainable model for child care for medical training and beyond. The other grant is supporting a multifaceted program aiming to address needs identified by female emergency medicine faculty at UCSF. You can learn more about them on the News and Events section on our website. Although our first two grants went to projects related to the medical field, our hope is to expand our work to other types of graduate programs and community organizations. We were thrilled to be able to raise enough money to support two small grants, but we now need help to fund more grants in the future. This is where you can help us grow and expand our impact- Our funding comes from you! Your donations go directly into creating grants to support these projects. We aim to keep our overhead small to make sure that the majority of our funding goes towards our mission. There are smart, creative people out there already with ideas on how to solve gender equity issues within their fields and communities and they need our help to turn those ideas into a reality . Our grants, even if small, can help. Our organization’s focus on supporting and amplifying problem solvers already out there with grant money is a unique and impactful way to make change and create a more equitable society over time. Please consider supporting us on Giving Tuesday. To learn more, please visit our website www.rangefoundation.org

What Works Building Evidence Fund 2023 - should be of interest and relevance to some DFI Member Orgs Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman has announced the creation of a new fund under the What Works prevention and early intervention initiative, which is funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund. The What Works Building Evidence Fund has been established under the Quality and Evidence strands of the What Works initiative. It aims to support the gathering and analysis of data and evidence within the community and voluntary sector. The Fund is open to practitioners and service providers working in not-for-profit organisations who work with children, young people and their families. Not-for-profit organisations are invited to submit applications for funding of up to €50,000 for prevention and early intervention projects that will identify gaps in service provision and develop skills for effective monitoring, evaluation and analysis of prevention and early intervention services. All applications must have a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention. The total value of the fund is €600,000. The Fund further aims to help those working with children, young people and families to access training on collecting, research and analysis that improves outcomes for children and young people. The deadline for applications is 5.00pm on Friday, 22 September 2023. Applications should be submitted to whatworks@equality.gov.ie. Hardcopies delivered via post will not be accepted. Applicants are advised to carefully and thoroughly read the for the Fund before completing and submitting the Application Form. Click here for more information https://lnkd.in/e_6SiGzh

🌟 One More Reason to Adopt and Implement the SOC in New York State 🌟 💥 One more reason to ASAP adopt and implement the SOC and standardize services in DSP-related occupations in NYS - see below: New York Disability Advocates highlighted on Twitter: 💥 “85% of NYers with I/DD rely on non-profit DSPs for care, yet DSP wages have stagnated for over a decade. Non-profit DSPs earn just 70% of their state-employed counterparts for the same work, making it harder for individuals with I/DD to access the care they need.” 🪞👀 The revision of the 2018 SOC was launched in June 2024. We must look at the SOC as a mirror to see better who we are, and our DSP-related occupations, identify areas for improvement in job duties and tasks performed, and consider introducing new DSP-related occupations (if needed) or enhancing the description of existing ones in the SOC major groups. 🗽 Let's advocate for improvements in SOC and the SOC adoption and implementation in NYS for better service standards to ensure better care for individuals with I/DD and fair wages for DSPs 🤝 https://lnkd.in/eW9RnJK8, https://lnkd.in/e_49t_Tg, https://lnkd.in/eF4Zz7wG, https://lnkd.in/dwrgNtaJ, https://lnkd.in/dDurzbam, https://lnkd.in/eEJBWNmy, https://lnkd.in/euq-jZ5C, https://lnkd.in/e-CHEXDe, http://lnkd.in/duCPEa6V, https://lnkd.in/ewSMCYQr, https://lnkd.in/eDPj-t_T, https://lnkd.in/ejU4RHFn, https://lnkd.in/ekXRk_g3, https://lnkd.in/eyk38V8A, https://lnkd.in/e-hfgvVz. #Advocacy #FairWages #DSPWorkers #IDD #SOC2028 #ServiceStandards #TrainingPrograms #QualityCare #Inclusion #SupportServices

This is a significant moment for both the providers and consumers within Pittsburgh's nonprofit sector. The recent developments herald a new era of enhanced support and expanded resources across the Commonwealth, promising to elevate the effectiveness of community services. This will not only benefit the current recipients but also set a robust foundation for future community support initiatives -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his administration wants to see a lot more Sierras and Christys getting the support they need as adults with special needs, and supporting and retaining direct support professionals like Grimes. That's why he unveiled in his proposed 2024-25 budget increased funding — almost $500 million — for people with intellectual disabilities and autism, and to hire and retain direct service professionals. That's critically important to the work of Achieva, which serves the Pittsburgh region and nearby counties with about 600 employees serving thousands of people with disabilities. "Our vision is to assist people with disabilities to lead lives of personal significance," said Stephen Suroviec, president and CEO of Achieva. "Not what's significant to others, but what's significant to them." Suroviec said the funding, if approved by the General Assembly, will help Achieva retain direct support professionals by raising pay. He estimated about a third of the new direct support professionals don't stay with Achieva more than a year, drawn away by higher wages elsewhere. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With an influx of support that we knew might wane, in June of 2022, Yellowhammer Fund had an important decision to make. We chose community. Last year following the Dobbs decision Yellowhammer Fund had an uptick in support. We stood in community with other Black-led organizations in Alabama that felt ignored in terms of funding despite their intentional, community-led and successful grassroots efforts and work. We recognized the 1. Lack of funding in Alabama (When people ‘fund the south’ they often fund GA, TX, etc) 2. The ignored intersections of abortion/repro justice with other issues. We decided to interrupt the practices that often leave our critical work underfunded and do a subgranting cycle that funded 11 orgs for a total of $210k-$235k. We funded Black led orgs that do work in the following fields: Trans Advocacy, Civic Engagement and Black Mother Bailout, Maternal Health and Doula work, and other critical work whose need was exacerbated by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The grant application was comprehensive but not overwhelming. We defined any necessary jargon as well as offered assistance completing the application in order to make the process as accessible as possible. We are gearing up to do it again and ask that folks are intentional about funding in Alabama. Subgranting is only one of our programs as a small organization but we are committed to keeping it and supporting our partners in this work.

According to the CDC, healthcare disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or in opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged racial, ethnic, and other population groups, and communities. However, the CDC fails to with disability as a disadvantaged group subject to healthcare disparities. This needs to be done specifically and expeditiously. Physical access to healthcare is often denied to persons with disabilities. Additionally, according to a study done by Dr. Lisa Iezzoni, more than 80% of physicians believe we have a lesser quality of life and that belief leads to a lower quality of healthcare. The primary mission of Accessible Healthcare Rhode Island is to make a database-driven, content-delivery information system available to persons with disabilities, practitioners, and stakeholders about the availability of accessible healthcare services. We also aim to provide information to practitioners about becoming accessible, giving them a better understanding of the measures and standards of accessibility. Accessible Healthcare Rhode Island is a Rhode Island nonprofit organization with a 501©(3) charitable organization designation. While we are applying for grants to support our work, you can also help us achieve our goals by visiting our GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/f931be2a. Another way to help us achieve our goals is to email us at info@accessiblehealthcareri.org and volunteer to serve on our board. One of our goals for 2024 is to have a diverse board that appropriately reflects the Rhode Island community.

With an influx of support that we knew might wane, in June of 2022, Yellowhammer Fund had an important decision to make. We chose community. Last year following the Dobbs decision Yellowhammer Fund had an uptick in support. We stood in community with other Black-led organizations in Alabama that felt ignored in terms of funding despite their intentional, community-led and successful grassroots efforts and work. We recognized the 1. Lack of funding in Alabama (When people ‘fund the south’ they often fund GA, TX, etc) 2. The ignored intersections of abortion/repro justice with other issues. We decided to interrupt the practices that often leave our critical work underfunded and do a subgranting cycle that funded 11 orgs for a total of $210k-$235k. We funded Black led orgs that do work in the following fields: Trans Advocacy, Civic Engagement and Black Mother Bailout, Maternal Health and Doula work, and other critical work whose need was exacerbated by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The grant application was comprehensive but not overwhelming. We defined any necessary jargon as well as offered assistance completing the application in order to make the process as accessible as possible. We are gearing up to do it again and ask that folks are intentional about funding in Alabama. Subgranting is only one of our programs as a small organization but we are committed to keeping it and supporting our partners in this work.

Are all speakers being asked to speak for free or just the disabled or marginalized ones? Do all speakers need days or weeks to recover emotionally and physically from travel to live events or just the disabled and marginalized ones? Do all speakers hear "we have looked at your credentials and decades of experience and, congratulations, you have been chosen to speak at our conference (for "exposure bucks") or just the disabled and marginalized ones? Oh, my goodness, "I feel so honored", I used to think. Thank you for including me (as in, "little old disabled neurodivergent queer mama bear me" who doesn't look anything like the other speakers at the conference), I used to think. I used to think I had to pay to be visible, but that is because I have been an entrepreneur/public speaker since BEFORE THE INTERNET was widely available (yes, I am "that old"). I'm used to making flyers with rip off paper strips with a landline number on them to hang in coffee shops. I used to barter serves for banana bread, y'all! Old narratives die hard. Even though I am a now a popular guest on podcasts and have hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, I am still falling for the line "it will be good exposure for you". As a marginalized person, I have become accustomed to not getting paid for my expertise or time. Like a reflex, I recently said "yes" to speaking on stage at a conference for "free" for the last time. I have to pay for flights and hotels, take time of work, arrange for child and pet care and, the kicker, PAY FOR THE 3 DAY CONFERENCE I am speaking at. I asked if there was a fund or scholarship for marginalized folks who could not afford to attend, and they said no. I asked if I could stay only for the day I am speaking and they said no. I am opening day one of a professional conference- for free. The irony is, of course, I am speaking about intersectionality at a conference about how to serve a marginalized community. Anyone surprised? Yes, I DO still volunteer my time to speak online and locally to non-profit organizations that serve marginalized communities, when it feels aligned with my values and capacity. But no more speaking for free at conferences I have to travel to or pay for. No more speaking for free when the cost to my physical and financial health is too great. No more speaking for free just because it is a fun gig and I can stay home in my pajama bottoms doing it. Just because a particular speaking engagement feels comfortable and doesn't tax our ability and capacity, it does not mean we should speak for free! It actually means we are experts and have been dedicated to our work long enough to educate with ease! So let's agree to practice asking "what's your budget?" or saying "this is my speaking fee" and stop paying to simply be heard, OK? Photo of me speaking for banana bread and thinking that's normal. #professionalspeaker #publicspeaker #dei #deia #disability #marginalized #neurodivergent #queer #disabled

Such meaningful timing to be tagged in this post yesterday and to read the stories of this year's grantees. When Tony Ferraiolo he/him/his and I first talked about co-founding this organization back in 2007, it was a pipedream. Even our own community challenged us about being careful to "not getting people's hopes up." We did the volunteer hard work for a decade and because the community needs this, and people have continued to step up to keep it going, it has worked. To see the faces of people who are smiling and alive and talking about a dream come true sends me the message that I pass on to younger trans activists who feel that familiar doubt and fear when the work you are doing is not immediately paying off and you are getting discouraging pushback. KEEP GOING. If the efforts you are doing are for the greater community and for the future generations, nothing is in vain. It doesn't matter if they are not listening to you right now, or if you are being deemed a problem or troublemaker. If you know this is the right thing to do and needs to be done, just do it. And, try to have fun doing it - make sure you are creating community and leaning on your community along the way. Make t-shirts. Someday you might get to see your community carrying on the work and get to see shining faces of people who are thriving in part because you never gave up -- and they never gave up. <3 Read the grantees stories below. https://lnkd.in/dDgQjf7J

Caring for Denver Foundation announced more than $11.4 million in funding to community-based nonprofits that will fill gaps in mental health and substance misuse care, especially surrounding the need for a more diverse, accessible, and intentional workforce. The goal is to meet Denver’s higher demand for inclusive access to behavioral health care with services that reflect and affirm individuals’ needs and identities, while also supporting care providers.  “There is a higher demand for services that are relevant and accessible to our communities’ cultures and experiences,” said Lorez Meinhold, the foundation’s executive director. “These funded programs will increase connections and belonging and provide more care in trusted spaces, creating safe spaces for older adults, veterans, and diverse communities to heal in.” The funding expands access to care for people of color, people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, people within the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and survivors of sexual assault, among others. It also includes funding to support care provider resiliency and training for community mental health providers, including direct clinical care and peer support. Grantees are funded under Caring for Denver Foundation’s community-identified funding area, Community-Centered Solutions, outlined here:   https://lnkd.in/gHSecNV8