Spotlight on Your Funds
May 2021
Funds Help Members Apply for Pandemic Financial Relief, Continue Vaccine Education Campaign
The Home Care Benefit Fund continues to support your 1199SEIU employees and members throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, recently sharing information on programs that may provide them with financial assistance. New York State’s Empire Pandemic Response Reimbursement Fund reimburses eligible healthcare workers up to $1,000 for child-care, transportation, lodging and other expenses that allowed them to perform their jobs during the pandemic. Members can visit the New York State website for more information and may contact their Outreach Coordinator at OutreachAssistance@1199Funds.org for help completing the application. In addition, the Benefit Fund has been helping members apply for COVID-19 financial assistance programs, including the Brave of Heart Fund, which provides grants to eligible family members of healthcare workers who lost their lives to COVID-19; the Montefiore Family Resilience Fund (supported by the Robin Hood Foundation); and FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. To date, collectively, the Benefit Funds have helped more than 1,000 members apply for these programs. If you have 1199SEIU employees or members who may be eligible, please refer them to OutreachAssistance@1199Funds.org.

As the pandemic continues, the Benefit Funds, in partnership with the Union and the Training and Employment Funds, are continuing to educate members about COVID-19 and the vaccines, with the joint information campaign reaching nearly 25,000 members and retirees. The Funds’ website—which has had 35,000 COVID-19-related page views since January 1—includes a regularly updated COVID-19 resources page and an FAQ section, provided in five languages. The Funds have made numerous informational member mailings on the virus and the vaccines. Members may also email COVID-19-related questions to the Funds’ Chief Medical Officer Dr. Van H. Dunn, who has answered nearly 140 questions in the “Ask Dr. Dunn” section. To date, there have been more than 30 “Get the Facts” Tele-Town Halls and webinars with Dr. Dunn.
Training and Employment Funds to Launch Chromebook Distribution Program
The 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds will launch a Chromebook Distribution Program in the summer to support digital equity and literacy for your 1199SEIU employees and members. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the existence of digital inequities, with some members lacking the equipment they need to take certification and other educational training online. TEF created the Chromebook Distribution Program to help ensure that members have broadband Internet access with Internet-enabled devices, supported by digital literacy training, technical support and content designed to encourage self-sufficiency. A total of 500 Chromebooks will be distributed to eligible members based on need, such as those enrolled in programs for which a computer is essential and those enrolled in foundational education programs, including high school completion courses. Members whose continued employment depends on their success in their academic or training program will be prioritized to receive Chromebooks. For more information, your 1199SEIU employees and members may contact Eric Johnson at Eric.Johnson@1199Funds.org.
Meet Our Featured Member

Following a diagnosis of high blood pressure and diabetes, Silvanus Kydd credits her 1199SEIU benefits with helping her stay safe and healthy.
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