The Mayor�s Office needs to be better educated on the Extended  Services Program (ESP) and the huge impact this program has in communities around the City.  Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty needs your help to advocate.  Please send your letter of support to the Mayor.  Write to Mbloomberg@cityhall.nyc.gov or Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Hall, New York, NY  10007.  Also reach out to members of the Bloomberg administration.
 
Since 1973, The Extended Services Program funded through DFTA has served needy and elderly individuals in New York City�s diverse communities.  These programs were awarded under a competitive request for proposal process.  In 2004 Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty was selected through a competitive RFP to perform these services; rankings have been at the highest level.  Most other city-funded programs received 3% cuts; Extended Services Program was eliminated.

Two linked charts gives you a sense (for 2006 and 2007) of the number of clients assisted through Met Council's JCC network throughout the city as well as its Crisis Intervention staff by Council and Assembly districts.  Most of the clients receive assistance in accessing benefits (columns A/B); columns D/E point out how many received actual financial assistance and columns F/G lists the total financial assistance.

 It is extremely important that you reach out to colleagues at the highest level of the Bloomberg Administration to indicate how mistaken  it would be to eliminate the entire �Extended Services Program� which enables us to staff this program across the City and leverage the privately raised financial assistance.

SOME FACTS/INFORMATION

Ensuring the strength of the network providing this service is a critical investment in the future of New York City. Each day, the City works closely with the human service providers to develop and implement innovative strategies to address complex issues like poverty, homelessness, teen pregnancy, A FAST GROWING SENIOR POPULATION and child abuse. It is vital that Met Council's progress and reform continues � ESP is a critical ingredient in this safety net

ESP provides a level of service that does not exist elsewhere � it is in essence short-term case assistance.  It is more cost effective than full-blown case management, which will either not take them or spend unnecessary resources when they need less
 
Leverage Private and Philanthropic Dollars - these services leverage more than a million dollars from private sources, such as NYT Neediest Case Funding and UJA-Federation funding.

Constituent Affairs for Elected Officials and 311 Referrals  - Met Council's network performs much of the casework and crisis intervention which is done at the referral of a local officials, non-profits and 311.

Individuals Employed Work And Live In The Communities They Serve -- dedicated staff of these organizations earn average salaries of $26,000.  This money is spent directly in their communities compounding the negative economic impact in each community.
 

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