I moved to Miami from Haiti at the age of 6. From an early age, my parents encouraged me to get involved in my community. While in school, I volunteered in local hospitals, marched for immigrant rights, and participated in community service projects.

I am now a Human Resources professional. I have worked at the InterContinental hotel for over 21 years, mostly training and developing our employees. I became involved with Catalyst Miami nearly 12 years ago, when I was informed of this new initiative to deliver direct services to workers in their workplace, and I signed up! Our employees receive free tax preparation assistance, healthcare navigation, benefits enrollment, credit coaching, and more, during their lunch breaks. These services really help our employees achieving their goals. That's one major reason why I decided to support Catalyst Miami as a donor and to enroll in their leadership programs.

Recently, when a friend told me about Catalyst Miami’s leadership development trainings, I decided to participate. I was not expecting to have such a transformative experience. I believe our purpose in this world is to help others, and participating in this training has helped me do that. Catalyst Miami provided me with the foundation I needed to be able to help my community in a meaningful, informed way. I am a better person, a better citizen. I am involved with community service projects and I can aptly advocate for policies that matter to me and my community. I am also more aware of the many ways in which individuals can affect change in the local level.

Step Up Miami brought together individuals from all walks of like to look at poverty and think through solutions collectively. We grew into a team seeking to improve ourselves and our community through our voices.

I have donated to Catalyst Miami every year during Give Miami Day. I donate because I value the resources and opportunities Catalyst Miami offers our community. I also value Catalyst Miami's philosophy of providing individuals a road to self-empowerment and engagement. They get that individuals have stressors in their lives that they could use help solving, but then they also guide them through developing their leadership skills and voice in order to change the systems that create these stressors. Catalyst Miami serves as a foundation; you can rely on the staff to help you with anything you need. They are always there to provide you with the push and assistance you need, and that's not readily accessible anywhere else.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CQQOtHszLE[/embed]

“People want to create change, but they often don’t know how”, says Roxy Azuaje, community training manager at Catalyst Miami. Hardly did the Venezuelan-born artist and photographer know how much change she would create when she arrived in Miami. Equipped with her camera and lots of enthusiasm, she soon became involved in various outreach programs, teaching young adults how to use the art of photography to express their thoughts and ideas.

Six years later, she works more behind the scenes, facilitating Catalyst Miami’s leadership development programs. “It is amazing,” she says of the program. “We give people tools. We show them that they all have something to give back to the community. Many of the participants do in fact become community leaders; they not only learn to identify problems and issues in their lives and in their community, they also start to develop solutions to create positive change.

As a staff member of Catalyst Miami, Roxy also makes sure to connect her participants to other programs and opportunities. “Part of my job is having big ears to connect individuals with opportunities that would enable them to utilize their skills.” As a result, “many participants stay involved with us, some even start helping us as volunteers.”

“Others become stronger advocates for their children; they get involved at their schools and in their education, and some even strive to participate in local grassroots movements,” says Roxy. She recently received positive feedback about some participants who started volunteering for another organization to register voters. “The communication and leadership skills they acquire through our programs are invaluable.”

Another element Roxy really likes about the leadership training programs is that the whole family can get involved. “Two of our programs offer sessions for adults and children,” she explains. “When the parents learn about democracy, the kids learn about it, too. Ideally, that leads to a meaningful conversations between the parent and child once they get home.”

But what if the children are too young to attend? “We also provide childcare,” explains Roxy. “We try to cut down most of the barriers that might prevent residents to participate.” Although Catalyst Miami’s participants come from many different backgrounds, most face similar barriers to engagement: childcare, transportation, or simply not being able to provide a healthy, nutritious meal for their family.

“In most cases we also refer our participants to another arm of Catalyst Miami or another organization,” explains Roxy. “Our goal is to show them how to find and access resources and opportunities. Working for Catalyst has taught me so much. There are so many different ways to look at a situation and as many ways to create positive change.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2015

Carla Moreira Strickland
[email protected]
(786)414-1292

Family leadership development programs offered in Liberty City and Downtown Miami beginning in February

Catalyst Miami aims to cultivate strong civic leaders through leadership development programs

MIAMI, Florida – In February, Catalyst Miami will offer two leadership development programs for individuals and families interested in growing as advocates and community leaders. Step Up Miami, a 12-week program, will be hosted in Liberty City. Parent Leadership Training Institute, a 22-week program, will be hosted in Downtown Miami. The programs are open to all residents, with dinner and childcare provided at no cost.

Step Up Miami is a 12-week leadership development program that aims to generate a critical mass of neighborhood leaders interested in addressing poverty in Miami-Dade County. The program guides participants through an examination of current best practices in community development, the sharing of personal experiences, an exploration of diverse community development approaches, and hands-on application of problem solving strategies.

The next Step Up Miami cohort begins on Tuesday, February 16, 2015 at Gwen Cherry Park, located at 7090 NW 22nd Ave, Miami, FL.

Parent Leadership Training Institute is a 22-week leadership development training that helps parents and child advocates learn the leadership skills needed to become effective advocates for children in schools, communities, and state and local governments. Participants are able to enroll their children, grades K-5, in our Children’s Leadership Training Institute, which runs parallel to PLTI. Children will experience a multiple intelligence-based curriculum designed to develop young leaders.

The next Parent Leadership Training Institute cohort begins on Thursday, February 13, 2015 at Catalyst Miami, located at 1900 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL.

For more information or to apply, please contact Gina Ha, Family Leadership Director at Catalyst Miami, at (786) 414-1296 or [email protected]

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Catalyst Miami is a nonprofit organization developing and supporting individual leadership and strong organizations that work together to improve health, education, and economic opportunity in our community. You can visit Catalyst Miami’s website at catalystmiami.org and follow Catalyst Miami on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment began on November 1, 2015

Catalyst Miami’s community health workers will help individuals interested in finding coverage in the Marketplace starting on November 1, 2015 and ending on January 31, 2016

MIAMI, Florida – Sunday, November 1, 2015 marked the first day of Open Enrollment under the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. To assist individuals interested in attaining coverage through the Marketplace, Catalyst Miami’s several community health workers will be providing navigation services in our offices and at off-site locations from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016.

Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the U.S. health and human services secretary, said the federal government is targeting Florida and three other states in an effort to enroll the uninsured. Catalyst Miami is one of the organizations leading the enrollment effort locally. We aim to ensure that all residents who need quality, affordable healthcarecan access it.

To be eligible for health coverage through the Marketplace, one must live in the United States, be a United States citizen or national, and not be incarcerated.

Important dates for 2016 enrollment:

November 1, 2015: Open Enrollment starts — first day you can enroll in a 2016 Marketplace plan. Coverage can start as soon as January 1, 2016.
December 15, 2015: Last day to enroll in or change plans for new coverage to start January 1, 2016.
January 1, 2016: 2016 coverage starts for those who enroll or change plans by December 15.
January 15, 2016: Last day to enroll in or change plans for new coverage to start February 1, 2016
January 31, 2016: 2016 Open Enrollment ends. Enrollments or changes between January 16 and January 31 take effect March 1, 2016.

If you don’t enroll in a 2016 plan by January 31, 2016, you can’t enroll in a health insurance plan for 2016 unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Individuals should also note that this year’s penalties for not having healthcare coverage are higher then last year. To learn more, contact us at (305) 576-5001 or check out our informational post at http://bit.ly/Marketplace101.

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Catalyst Miami is a nonprofit organization developing and supporting individual leadership and strong organizations that work together to improve health, education, and economic opportunity in our community. You can visit Catalyst Miami’s website at catalystmiami.org and follow Catalyst Miami on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

By: Gene Schaefer, Miami market president, Bank of America

The clock is ticking. Soon after Halloween, the federal government will reach its limit on borrowing. That means the U.S. would not be able to meet all its obligations – payments to bondholders and everything government does, from Social Security checks to federal worker pay to Medicare and Medicaid bills.

Tell Congress: Don’t scare us – get to work! Increase the debt limit and #StopTheCuts.

There are several ways to take action:

• Send an email.

• Join the Twitterstorm on October 21 at 1pm ET with #StopTheCuts with our social media toolkit.

• Post a blog (check out MomsRising’s blog next Wednesday morning for a #StoptheCuts Blog Carnival that CHN is cosponsoring).

• You can even pick up the phone (Call the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121, and ask for your Rep. or Senators).

Whatever you choose – please speak out. Members of Congress must get to work now. With so much at stake, they should act this month to prevent the self-inflicted wounds of debt ceiling disaster and impending cuts to everything from Head Start to meals on wheels to low-income housing. We’ve got Halloween ghouls and monsters – we don’t need Congress to be scary.

For more important background on the debt ceiling and ways you can take action, see CHN’s latest blog post.

Do you have questions about enrolling for healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace? Navigate this post for important information regarding ACA enrollment. You can contact us at [email protected] if you have questions or would like to make an appointment with one of our Community Health Workers.

To be eligible for health coverage through the Marketplace, you:

• Must live in the United States
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present)
• Can't be incarcerated
• If you have Medicare coverage, you’re not eligible to use the Marketplace to buy a health or dental plan

Documents needed to enroll:

• Basic information, including your name and date of birth
• Information about your household size
• Home and/or mailing addresses for everyone applying for coverage
• Information about everyone applying for coverage
• Immigration document information (this only applies to legal immigrants)
• Social Security Numbers (SSNs)
• Employer & income information for everyone in your household
• Policy numbers (this only applies if anyone in your household currently has a health insurance plan)
• Notices from your current plan (this only applies if anyone in your household had Marketplace coverage in 2018)

Important dates for 2019 enrollment:

November 1, 2018: Open Enrollment starts — first day you can enroll in a 2019 Marketplace plan. Coverage can start as soon as January 1, 2019.

December 15, 2018: 2019 Open Enrollment ends. Last day to enroll in or change plans for new coverage to start January 1, 2019.

January 1, 2019: 2019 coverage starts for those who enroll or change plans by December 15, 2018.

If you don’t enroll in a 2019 plan by December 15, 2018, you can’t enroll in a health insurance plan for 2019 unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

There’s no limited enrollment period for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You can apply any time.

There’s also no limited enrollment period for small businesses to enroll in SHOP coverage for their employees. You can apply any time.

Health plans that qualify as minimum essential coverage:

If you're covered by any of the following types of plans, you're considered covered under the health care law and don't have to pay a penalty or get a health coverage exemption.

• Any Marketplace plan, or any individual insurance plan you already have
• Any job-based plan, including retiree plans and COBRA coverage
• Medicare Part A or Part C
• Most Medicaid coverage
• The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Most individual health plans you bought outside the Marketplace, including “grandfathered” plans. (Not all plans sold outside the Marketplace qualify as minimum essential coverage.)
• If you’re under 26, coverage under a parent’s plan
• Self-funded health coverage offered to students by universities for plan or policy years that started on or before Dec. 31, 2014 (check with your university to see if the plan counts as minimum essential coverage)
• Health coverage for Peace Corps volunteers
• Certain types of veterans health coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Most TRICARE plans
• Department of Defense Non-appropriated Fund Health Benefits Program
• Refugee Medical Assistance
• State high-risk pools for plan or policy years that started on or before December 31, 2014 (check with your high-risk pool plan to see if it qualifies as minimum essential coverage)

Immigrants with the following statuses qualify to use the Marketplace:

• Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR/Green Card holder)
• Asylee
• Refugee
• Cuban/Haitian Entrant
• Paroled into the U.S.
• Conditional Entrant Granted before 1980
• Battered Spouse, Child and Parent
• Victim of Trafficking and his/her Spouse, Child, Sibling or Parent
• Granted Withholding of Deportation or Withholding of Removal, under the immigration laws or under the Convention against Torture (CAT)
• Individual with Non-immigrant Status, includes worker visas (such as H1, H-2A, H-2B), student visas, U-visa, T-visa, and other visas, and citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
• Deferred Enforced Departure (DED)
• Deferred Action Status (Exception: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is not an eligible immigration status for applying for health insurance)
• Lawful Temporary Resident
• Administrative order staying removal issued by the Department of Homeland Security
• Member of a federally-recognized Indian tribe or American Indian Born in Canada
  Resident of American Samoa

Applicants for any of these statuses qualify to use the Marketplace:

• Temporary Protected Status with Employment Authorization
• Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
• Victim of Trafficking Visa
• Adjustment to LPR Status
• Asylum (see note below)
• Withholding of Deportation, or Withholding of Removal, under the immigration laws or under the Convention against Torture (CAT) (see note below)

Applicants for asylum are eligible for Marketplace coverage only if they’ve been granted employment authorization or are under the age of 14 and have had an application pending for at least 180 days.

People with the following statuses and who have employment authorization qualify for the Marketplace:

• Registry Applicants
• Order of Supervision
• Applicant for Cancellation of Removal or Suspension of Deportation
• Applicant for Legalization under Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
• Legalization under the LIFE Act

If you have a questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call (305) 576-5001.

Contact: Carla Moreira Strickland

MIAMI, FL – One year after the historic People’s Climate March, when 400,000 people crowded the streets of New York City, more than fifty organizations in Miami are joining forces with the People’s Climate Movement as part of its 100-city National Day of Action to demand action on climate change. Led by people on the frontlines of climate impacts, the Miami People’s Climate March will include faith communities and business leaders as well as labor, social service, social justice, education, environmental and student organizations -- all of whom are pressing for change and taking to the streets to demand it.

This march begins at the seat of county government in downtown Miami, a city which has one of the highest capital assets risks profiles of any city in the world. Given Miami’s vulnerability to severe economic failure as a result of rising sea levels and climate change, the lack of real action by elected leaders is putting the city’s most vulnerable residents at great risk.  Miami leads the nation in income disparity and climate vulnerability.

“We must have action from the local, state, and federal levels,” said Kamalah Fletcher of Catalyst Miami and Moms Clean Air Force. “Climate change and community resilience are issues that cut across everything we have been championing: better transit, safe and affordable housing, fair wages, household and community wellness. Climate change will impact all of it and we are fighting to make sure frontline communities are at the decision-making table."

The People’s Climate March will gather at the Government Center, 111 NW First Street, at 5:00 PM, on October 14th. More than 800 participants, including various elected leaders, are expected to attend what will be a celebration of future possibility. Salsa and bomba dancers, a silent disco troupe with ten popular local DJs, a family theatrical ensemble, and puppeteers will join activists, college and high school students, and Miamians young and old in the 1-mile walk. The march will culminate with a rally at the Torch of Freedom, where the crowd will carry out a collective ribbon-tying ceremony and show unity before taking their real climate solutions message to Tallahassee legislators at a hearing on October 16th.

“Civic engagement has become essential because the science tells us, with great certainty, that we are degrading the environment and creating a significantly more hostile world.” says Caroline Lewis of CLEO Institute. “Instead of giving up or putting our heads in the sand, we are calling for action at all levels and for leadership from our elected officials to fund solutions now!”

The march is being organized by a diverse coalition who see the challenges ahead clearly and soberly.  Last month, the same coalition was able to push the issue of sea level rise forward by advocating that county commissioners include funding for sea level rise abatement in this year’s budget and to create a Chief Resilience Officer and Office of Resilience -- all of which the county has done in response to the public pressure.

“This will be Miami’s largest event showcasing the public’s concern about climate change, its impact on our city and region, and most importantly, on the most vulnerable of our citizens,” says Kaydrianne Young of New Florida Majority, who coordinated the artistic elements of the march. “The march will be a vibrant celebration of our region’s art, music and culture, and a bold call for climate leadership now. The seas are rising and so are we!”

When: Wednesday, October 14, 5 p.m.

Where: Miami-Dade County, Stephen P. Clark Government Center. 111 NW 1^st St., Miami

Who: More than 800 people, including frontline vulnerable communities, local elected officials and members of over 50 community organizations.

Why: Because if we don’t take the initiative to save our city, who will?

What: Run of Program

5:00             Assemble at Stephen P. Clark Government Center - assemble puppets, unfurl banners, speakers & cultural performances at the stage.

6:10             March begins and heads east on 2nd Street

6:35             March pause moment of silence, touch the ground symbolic connection to the earth, then roar and continue march

7:00             Rally & music at the Torch of Freedom