As we close out Hispanic Heritage Month and kick off the Giving Season, we extend our heartfelt appreciation for your incredible support and are proud to share the tremendous impact we've achieved together at Acacia Network.

Through our diverse initiatives, this year we've touched countless lives across vital programs:

• Healthcare Access: Our network of health centers, care coordination, and specialized HIV/AIDS care have been lifelines for many.
• Support & Recovery: From mental health services to addiction support, rehab, and innovative care approaches, we've been there for those in need.
• Empowering Futures: Early education, youth development, and cultural programs have enriched the lives of thousands of students and families.
• Engaging the Elderly: Culturally competent services and support for vulnerable older adults have been central to our mission.
• Housing Solutions: Our efforts in providing stable housing options for thousands have been transformative.
• Creating Opportunities: We've connected individuals to employment, professional growth, and vital resources across multiple states.
• Fighting Hunger: Our food programs ensure families in underserved areas never go hungry, providing over 200,000 meals annually.
• Cultural Enrichment: Through free arts and cultural initiatives, we've brought communities together in celebration and revitalization.

Plus, I am thrilled to share another incredible milestone, as we prepare to touch ground with our new HEALING ON WHEELS initiative. With the support from the NYS Office of Addiction Services & Support, Acacia Network will soon operate five Mobile Medication Units (MMUs) to bring more accessible and convenient healthcare & SUD services to underserved areas, specifically targeting communities in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Albany, Buffalo, and Dunkirk. Our Bronx MMU will be the first to hit the streets. Stay tuned for the launch date!

Read on for more timely updates on our work and programmatic impact, made possible thanks to the unwavering dedication of our staff, leadership, and Board of Directors, and powered by the generous support of our partners, sponsors, and community members.

Will you join us in transforming lives and communities? Your contribution today ensures a brighter tomorrow for those who need it most. Let’s make this year-end our most impactful yet.

¡Gracias de todo corazón!

Lymaris Albors

CEO

Acacia Network and our affiliate, the Community Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP), have partnered with Columbia University to foster community well-being and individual growth through the ENGAGE program. 

ENGAGE offers brief, evidence-based interventions to address mental health and/or substance use concerns, offering trauma-informed, culturally competent, and bilingual services through in-person or telehealth sessions by a team of dedicated Community Wellness Workers (CWWs). We serve adults ages 18+ who are in need of support to address mild to moderate conditions to improve upon coping skills. No insurance or documentation is required, and services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL!

On November 2nd, our Columbia partners brought the Mozambique PRIDE team –which was the first to administer ENGAGE services– to our offices at 513 207th Street, where we were able to share our experiences with each other. In attendance were the ENGAGE Team, the Columbia University – NYSPI Mental Wellness Equity Center staff, and Lidia Gouveia, MD, PhD, former head of the Mental Health Department at Ministry of Health, Mozambique and founding members of the Mozambique PRIDE team. 

CLICK HERE to learn more about ENGAGE!

During National Recovery Month in September, Acacia Network and our affiliates organized a number of events and initiatives to promote awareness about substance use disorder (SUD) and provide hope and resources to those experiencing addiction, while highlighting our successes and patient outcomes.

At the Ramon Velez Recovery Center in the Bronx, we held our annual International Overdose Awareness Day, where staff, clients, and community members came together to learn about our programs, share stories on their recovery journeys, and provide resources. In Queens, Acacia Network and our affiliate, J-CAP, joined NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. to offer a training on overdoses and the use of naloxone, as part of our continued mission to curb the opioid crisis and save lives.

Finally, we capped off the month with our Recovery Graduation, during which program participants from our residential and outpatient programs –including BASICS, Promesa MTAR, Vida Nueva, Ramon Velez Recovery Center, United Bronx Parents: La Casita III, Lorraine Montenegro, J-CAP, El Regreso, and Greenhope Services for Women– gathered at the Lincoln Hospital Auditorium to mark an important milestone in their recovery journeys, as their families and friends cheered them on. For many, it was their first time wearing a cap & gown!

Thank you to our clients and families for placing their trust in us, and to our incredible staff and peers for their commitment and dedication to providing high-quality, trauma-informed care!

We are thrilled to share that we have been invited to present on our work through the Promoting Resilience and Mental Health Among Health Professional Workforce (PRMHW) Program during the upcoming Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Conference. Our program's clinical lead, Dr. Humberto A. Cruz Esparra of Hospital Menonita CIMA, and our Executive Director of La Casa de Salud, Lauren Mendenhall, will be presenting on our program's outcomes. CLICK HERE to view the poster they will be presenting!

Through the PRMHW Program, we launched a pilot program in Puerto Rico through a coalition comprised of La Casa de Salud in partnership with seven (7) local agencies: Hospital Menonita CIMA; Salud Integral de la Montaña (SIM); Corporación S.A.N.O.S.; Migrant Health Center; Equality Clinic; Casa la Providencia, and Estancia Serena.

This work was made possible with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support healthcare organizations and providers in medically underserved communities to address burnout and workforce resiliency.

As a mission-driven nonprofit housing developer, property manager, and social services providers, Acacia Network ensures that our affordable and supportive housing portfolios are in alignment with the integrated health and human services model that our Network provides to the community at large. Our housing portfolio is comprised of more than 4,400 units that are either solely owned or owned in partnership through a joint venture. To date, we have developed 1,800+ units as sole developer and more than 2,200 as co-developers.

Our Supportive / Supported Housing Portfolio includes Individual Residential Alternatives (IRAs) under the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), Community Residences and Apartment Treatment Programs under the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH), Congregate Supportive Housing under the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), NYC HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) Supportive Housing Programs, as well as diverse supportive housing programs for single adults and/or families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in which either the individual or the head of household requires support for a substance use disorder, a serious mental illness (SMI), a disabling medical condition or HIV/AIDS, among others.

We were recently proud to join the Supportive Housing Network of New York’s advocacy efforts to save 9,000 supportive housing units that are presently funded through the New York State Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP) and are at risk of being eliminated. The Times Union has the scoop!

To learn more about our robust housing portfolio and how it’s helping to transform lives by providing long-term stability to vulnerable New Yorkers, please check out the video above!

Our Institute for the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly (IPRHE) Older Adult Centers have been busy! During the month of October, we hosted several cultural events to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month. Among other activities, we hosted flamenco shows at our six centers, during which our seniors enjoyed a day of music, dancing, and entertainment featuring “Los Tres Del Tablao”. Thank you to our sponsors at AARP for their support!

Plus, IPRHE was thrilled to partner with Weill Cornell Medical College to bring the “Do More Feel Better” program to our Older Adult Centers – a bilingual program that aims to reduce loneliness and help older adults enjoy activities and socializing. 

“Do More Feel Better” is a community-based research program for adults aged 60 and over who are experiencing symptoms of low mood, loneliness, or depression. The program offers nine weeks of one-to-one therapy sessions via phone or video. Participants work with either a social worker or a trained and certified peer coach and learn to design a plan of enjoyable daily activities. Participants are compensated for their time. For more information, CLICK HERE or contact Caroline at 844-333-3579 x 714 or cmg4004@med.cornell.edu.

An article on the “Do More Feel Better” program was recently published in El Especialito, featuring our Carver Older Adult Center:

Acacia Network’s education & youth development affiliate, the Community Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP), provides integrated programming to more than 7,500 K-12 students and families annually. Students in ACDP programs benefit from an array of enrichment activities, including STEM, sports, arts, music, and much more. Plus, they get to share unforgettable experiences, like performing LIVE at the New York City Marathon!

On Sunday, November 5th, students from ACDP’s COMPASS Program at IS 254 performed during the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon to cheer on and motivate runners. Set up on 138th and Rider Ave, our talented middle schoolers performed while runners crossed over to Manhattan.

Founded in 1979, ACDP promotes and nurtures the physical, emotional, and socioeconomic wellbeing of underserved communities in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx by facilitating community empowerment through education, the provision of human services, and the development of individual skills and community leadership. ACDP’s robust portfolio of afterschool and family engagement programming includes Beacon, COMPASS / SONYC, and Cornerstone Programs, as well as Community Schools and the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), among other initiatives. To learn more, check out the video below:

On Friday, December 1st from 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM, our arts & culture affiliate, Loisaida Inc., will host their annual Traditional Puerto Rican Holiday Celebration for Older Adults at the Loisaida Center, located at 710 E 9th Street in the Lower East Side. 

Join us for a holiday kick-off celebration that will include arts, music, entertainment, and health + wellness resources, sponsored by the UnidosUS Esperanza Hope for All Grant (EHFA). The event will include a presentation by La Casa de Salud on the importance of getting vaccinated against the flu/COVID this season and how to stay healthy for the holidays, as well as a pop-up vaccination clinic. Stop by or contact us to learn more! 

We were proud to host a site visit by New York State Senator Nathalia Fernandez, Chair of the Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders Committee, to two of our Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) in the Upstate / Western New York Region. During her upstate visits, Senator Fernandez toured our Alba de Vida clinic in Buffalo and Camino Nuevo in Albany, where she was able to observe the programs in action, meet with leadership, and learn more about how we’re helping to set individuals on a path to long-term recovery and stability.

Alba de Vida and Camino Nuevo are Integrated Outpatient Programs licensed by the NYS Office of Addiction Services & Supports (OASAS) to offer comprehensive, trauma-informed treatment for chemical and alcohol dependency, including medication-assisted treatment (M.A.T.), to adults suffering from addiction.

Acacia Network was proud to host employee appreciation events at Seedco's regional offices in the Mid-South Region and Maryland to celebrate the incredible work and dedication of our workforce & economic development staff.

Our national workforce development affiliate, Seedco, presently operates programs in five states –New York, Maryland, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas– with their work concentrating around four core service areas: Benefits and Health Insurance Enrollment, Job Placement and Advancement, Financial Coaching, and Case Management.

Since 2004, Seedco’s Mid-South Regional Office in Memphis, Tennessee has served thousands of residents to enhance opportunity for low-income Tennesseans by addressing their challenges and forging connections with skill development and employment. In Maryland, Seedco's work focuses on enhancing public benefits access, including healthcare and workforce development.

Acacia Network recently attended the 2023 SOMOS Inc. Conference from November 8th - 12th in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This annual conference is organized annually by SOMOS, Inc. in collaboration with the New York State Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force to explore ways to improve the socioeconomic and civic status of Latinos across New York State and beyond.

While we love participating in the conference, networking, and exchanging ideas with our NYC peers and partners, our favorite moments are those we spend visiting the communities we serve across the island by organizing and hosting meaningful days of service. This year, we partnered with the Marriott Business Council –including Aloft San Juan, La Concha Resort, Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center, and San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino— to kick off the holidays at Acacia’s Palacio Dorado senior housing complex in Toa Alta. During this joyful event, we brought traditional Puerto Rican holiday food, music, and entertainment to the vulnerable older adults who live in this 100% affordable housing development built by Acacia in 2012.

In addition, we were honored to gather with our Agendas Comunes coalition partners to receive an award from the Office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, CCA Metro, and NYS and NYC Carpenters in recognition of our collaborative efforts to improve access to health and wellness resources for vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico.

Be part of a global generosity movement! Donate to Acacia Network on or before GivingTuesday, which will be celebrated this year on November 28th. Created in 2012 to unleash the power of radical generosity, GivingTuesday has grown over the past decade into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. 

Your donation –in any amount– will enable us to continue providing high-quality, integrated programs in the areas of health, housing, economic development, social services, and cultural revitalization, which impact more than 150,000 individuals of all ages every year. 

Becoming an Acacia Ally is simple: From making a gift online to spreading the word about our work, no gesture is too small.

Thank you for being part of our journey in 2023. Help us finish the year stronger across the many communities where we make a difference every day!