New York Immigration Coalition
New York Immigration Coalition
Grant Status
Completed
Project Title
Strengthening the Capacity of Immigrant Organizations to Link Uninsured Immigrants to Health Care and Insurance
Award Amount
$150,230
Location
Manhattan
Website
Date Awarded
September 20, 2007
The New York Immigration Coalition is a nonprofit umbrella policy and advocacy organization of more than 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees. The coalition became a leading advocate for immigrant communities on the local, State, and national levels by successfully bringing together multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-sector constituencies to pursue a common agenda: achieving fair immigration policies; increasing the availability of key integration services for immigrants; combating discrimination; ensuring civil rights and workplace protections; and improving immigrants’ access to quality health care, education, and safe and affordable housing.
Many New Yorkers go without needed medical care because of cost, or fear and confusion surrounding the complex interaction of immigration policy and public benefits law. The coalition will build capacity within immigrant community organizations to address the health access needs of their constituents by partnering with 11 immigrant community groups to engage in an intensive, multi-lingual outreach and education campaign to demystify health care and insurance, and educate community groups on options for affordable care. The project will develop a diverse cadre of health advocates who can assist immigrant family members, and the project’s partners will help thousands of low-income, uninsured, linguistically isolated immigrant New Yorkers to access health care and coverage. Through ongoing, intensive training and technical assistance, the project will create sustainable capacity within key immigrant organizations to address community members’ health literacy and navigation needs, and to overcome barriers to care for thousands of the State’s most marginalized residents.