The Benefit Funds have released their 2022 member calendar, featuring messages of inspiration and resilience from 1199SEIU members who have served on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Benefit Funds are mailing the calendar to Trustees and delegates, as well as to members who attended wellness webinars or participated in online wellness programs in 2021. Members may request a calendar by visiting our website.

The 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds (TEF) launched a Chromebook Distribution Program in summer 2021 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. Among the 40,000 members who use TEF programs each year, about 6,800 have no computers or reliable Internet service. TEF created the Chromebook Distribution Program with grant funding to help ensure that TEF members are able to access virtual programs with Internet-enabled devices. Chromebooks and mobile hotspot devices are being distributed to eligible TEF members based on need, such as those enrolled in programs for which a computer is essential; members enrolled in foundational education programs, including high school completion courses; and those enrolled in a TEF program in response to a risk of layoffs at the facility where they are working. TEF is also providing digital literacy training, technical support and content designed to encourage self-sufficiency. For more information, your 1199SEIU employees and members may contact their program's manager or Milca Urena-Rodriguez at Milca.Urena-Rodriguez@1199Funds.org.

The 1199SEIU/Employer Child Care Corporation’s (CCC) 2022 Youth Mentoring Program (YMP) application period runs from January 3 to February 18. Your eligible 1199SEIU employees and members may apply through MyAccount. Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Therefore, CCC recommends that members explore alternative summer program options if their child is not selected for the YMP. While the 2022 program is currently scheduled to be held remotely for four weeks, it will run for six weeks if it changes to being conducted in-person.

The YMP provides summer employment opportunities for 15- to 17-year-old children of 1199SEIU members at participating hospitals and nursing homes. In addition to giving them an inside look at potential careers in the healthcare industry, the YMP offers participants professional development seminars, college admissions prep courses and career counseling services, while helping to establish a future workforce of young professionals. For more information about the Youth Mentoring Program, email Youth.Mentoring@1199Funds.org, or call (212) 564-2220, ext. 34. Please visit www.1199SEIUFunds.org/childcare for more information about other programs offered by the Child Care Corporation or Child Care Fund.

City & State New York, a media organization dedicated to covering New York’s local and state politics and policy, recently named Donna Rey, EdD, Executive Director of the Benefit and Pension Funds and CEO of Funds Administrative Operations; Sandi Vito, Executive Director of the 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds; and Vivian Fox, Executive Director of the 1199SEIU Child Care Funds, to its “The Power of Diversity: Women 100” list. The list recognizes prominent women, including politicians, government officials, consultants and union leaders, across New York State. For more information, visit the “Power of Diversity: Women 100” list website.