Examining the best ways to help working families in need, the Pascale Sykes Foundation held its national research summit, “The Power of Research to Inform Policy”, on November 16, 2022. Post-event coverage of the Summit appeared in the following media outlets.
Research Demonstrates Success of “Whole Family Approach” in Helping Struggling Families.
Rev. Darrell Armstrong, a long-time friend and associate of the Foundation, is interviewed on Your New Jersey with Lisa Marie Falbo on the intersection of faith and the Whole Family Approach.
Acting President Susan Doctorian Kyrillos shares how the Whole Family Approach is helping New Jersey’s struggling families during these difficult economic times.
Pascale Sykes Foundation’s Vice President of Programs and Operations, Richelle Todd-Yamoah, appears on Fox 5’s Good Day Street Talk to discuss how the Whole Family Approach is helping low-income families.
Pascale Sykes Foundation Announces “The Power of Research to Inform Policy” Summit
(RED BANK, NJ – November 11, 2021) – The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey honored the Pascale Sykes Foundation as a “diversity champion” on November 10, 2021.
As a diversity advocate, the Pascale Sykes Foundation has been at the forefront of ensuring a range of opportunities would be afforded to those most in need. For more than 30 years, President Frances P. Sykes and the Foundation have played a key role in uplifting and investing in community organizations and working, low-income families in New Jersey and New York. Since its opening, the Pascale Sykes Foundation and its substantial grants have serviced numerous social service collaborations by investing roughly $60 million in more than 75 NJ- and NY-based community organizations and initiatives. This has contributed directly to the positive development and well-being of children and families throughout our region.
Central to its success, the Pascale Sykes Foundation’s Whole Family Approach is a preventive rather than crisis-driven approach. It is a family-led strategy that provides adults and children with the tools and social support to collectively set life goals, create actionable plans, and achieve those goals. When the whole family works together to support each other’s goals, long-term change, stability and well-being become a reality. Empowering families with the tools to reach their goals and stay out of poverty has far better long-term benefits than intervening after they are in crisis.
“While it is a tremendous honor to accept this award on behalf of the Pascale Sykes Foundation, it is an even greater honor and privilege to be of service to so many different communities,” stated Susan Kyrillos, Acting President of the Pascale Sykes Foundation.
In the spring of 2020, when many small businesses nationwide struggled to remain afloat, the Pascale Sykes Foundation and New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC) expanded the THRIVE initiative to provide emergency funding for small businesses and nonprofits affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pascale Sykes Foundation sought to establish and implement long-term solutions for underserved communities after the Association of Black Foundation Executives sent out a call to action in 2020. Furthering its commitment to diversity, on March 10, 2021, Mrs. Sykes presented a $1,000,000 check to New Jersey Community Capital and the African American Chamber of Commerce to create and benefit the Equitable Small Business Initiative. This $1,000,000 contribution creates opportunities for Black Business Enterprises (BBEs) in New Jersey seeking access to resources and support to establish, sustain, augment, or expand business operations, especially while these businesses grapple with the economic downturn.
In prior recognition of its positive impact, the Pascale Sykes Foundation has been honored with numerous accolades and awards. They include being honored by the Nonprofit Development Center of Southern New Jersey (2015), First Baptist CDC (now Central Jersey CDC), Parents Anonymous of NJ/Father Time (2019-2020), Mental Health Association of Monmouth County, The Choice is Yours, Inc., Tri-County Economic Development Summit, Kitchen of Hope, Salem County Board of Chosen Freeholders (2016), PlanSmart New Jersey (2015), WheatonArts, United Way of Gloucester County (2018), Exponent Philanthropy (2020), and NJ LEEP (2018).
For its decades of work, as well as uplifting underserved communities, the Pascale Sykes Foundation receives its distinguished honor of “Diversity Champion.”
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IMG_8888.jpg: On March 10, 2021, The Pascale Sykes Foundation presented a $1,000,000 check to New Jersey Community Capital and the African American Chamber of Commerce to create and benefit the Equitable Small Business Initiative. This $1,000,000 contribution will help create opportunities for Black Business Enterprises (BBEs) in New Jersey seeking access to resources and support to establish, sustain, augment or expand business operations. Pictured here from left to right are: VP of Strategic Engagement Jackie Edwards and President Frances P. Sykes of the Pascale Sykes Foundation; President John E. Harmon of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey; President Wayne Meyer of New Jersey Community Capital; and Chief Operations Officer Phillip D. Woolfolk of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.
IMG – TBD (Susan Kyrillos accepting award): Pascale Sykes Foundation Acting Foundation President Susan Kyrillos accepts the “Diversity Champion” award from the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ on November 10, 2021. On hand at the event, amongst fellow nominees, the Pascale Sykes Foundation was honored for its decades-long role toward community improvement through diversity.
ABOUT THE PASCALE SYKES FOUNDATION
The Pascale Sykes Foundation builds strong families by advocating for and funding innovative, holistic social and economic programs that transform the lives of working, low-income families. They envision a world where all working, low-income families can be self-sufficient and thrive. A world where all members of a family are able to identify and use all the tools and services they need so they can do more than just get by. A world where working families become economically stable and no longer live paycheck to paycheck. A world where they define, create and live the futures they dream of. For additional information visit PascaleSykesFoundation.com. For specific information about The Whole Family Approach, visit WholeFamilyApproach.org.
Invested 30 years in community organizations strengthening communities and working, low-income families in New Jersey and New York
(Vineland, NJ) — The Pascale Sykes Foundation announced it will close its doors in 2022 as part of its original spend-down plan. Since 1992, the Foundation has advocated for and funded innovative, holistic social and economic development programs to transform the lives of working, low-income families.
“Our decision to sunset the Pascale Sykes Foundation was based on our fierce dedication to our mission: changing culture to focus on the integrity, independence and well-being of the intergenerational working low income families, ” said Frances Sykes, President of the Pascale Sykes Foundation. “We knew our work would be most effective if we awarded a select number of significant grants within a short time frame rather than spreading out our funding in smaller grant amounts, preserving our corpus.”
The Foundation has invested roughly $60 million in more than 75 NJ and NY-based community organizations and initiatives over the past 30 years.
The Pascale Sykes Foundation was founded on the premise that working families shouldn’t experience a crisis before they can access the resources and support needed to navigate the system and reach their full potential. To this end, the Foundation spearheaded the Whole Family Approach, an innovative, family-led strategy which equips adults and children in the family with the tools and support to set, plan for and achieve their goals together.
The Whole Family Approach focuses on practitioners in the field working alongside families with two dependable adult caregivers through individualized goal setting, organizational collaboration, and consistent personal support to families. The Foundation funds collaboratives of agencies that make available a range of personalized tools to families seeking to set and reach their goals. Each collaborative meets regularly to share information, evaluate families’ progress and assess any changes required in service. These teams of agencies work together with family units towards one family plan, avoiding the older examples of the solitary social worker or the competing priorities and disjointed supports that often occur when agencies do not coordinate their efforts for one family. This holistic approach gives families the guidance and support to strengthen their relationships, establish financial stability, achieve child and adult well-being and accomplish their long-term goals.
“Many of the current social service systems approach family well-being from an individualistic and crisis-oriented perspective,” said Sykes. “The Whole Family Approach, focusing on whole people within their family environment, encourages collaboration among service providers to address the goals of children and their caregivers together. We know this approach works and encourage other organizations to adopt this model, which can be effective in various situations.”
Since 2011, the Pascale Sykes Foundation has implemented the Whole Family Approach in 26 different collaborative nonprofit efforts across Southern and Central New Jersey and New York City. Evaluations of the Whole Family Approach by the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs and University of Pennsylvania show it is effective in a range of settings — rural, urban and suburban — and enables families to work together in realizing any number of goals, ranging from education to financial stability and health.
“The Pascale Sykes Foundation was one of the first in the region to use data to drive their work,” said Christine Healey of the Healey Educational Foundation. “By using data, the Foundation and their grantees were able to develop specific and measurable goals that would lead to real impact.”
“Fran and the Foundation team have worked long and hard through its network of collaborating grantees to make a difference in the region,” said Michael Jeary, a Foundation Board member. “It is important now for other funders to continue building on this philanthropic legacy, particularly as families and communities work to recover from the trauma inflicted by COVID-19, so devastating to the integrity, livelihood and social well-being of many families. There is no shortage of work to be done, but there are viable solutions and the Whole Family Approach has proven to be one of them.”
Much of the Pascale Sykes Foundation’s funding decisions throughout its tenure have been based on input it received regularly from the community. During community listening sessions in its early days, the Foundation heard from countless South Jersey residents that without a car or accessible public transportation options, they lacked the ability to travel to and from work, and access other necessities day-to-day. In response, the Foundation began investing in and partnering with public transportation efforts and concerned residents, to create community shuttle programs, in the South Jersey region.
The Pascale Sykes Foundation has also long funded, partnered with and launched initiatives to encourage economic growth in the Southern New Jersey region. In 2014, the Foundation partnered with New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC) to launch THRIVE South Jersey, an initiative developed to address economic hardship in the targeted four-county region of Gloucester, Cumberland, Salem, and Western Atlantic Counties. THRIVE has offered flexible, affordable capital through non-traditional loans and capacity building assistance to generate quality jobs and improve economic opportunity across the four-county area.
In the spring of 2020, at a time when many small businesses nationwide struggled to remain afloat, the Pascale Sykes Foundation and NJCC expanded the THRIVE initiative to provide emergency funding for small businesses and nonprofits affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also recently donated $1 million to NJCC and the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ) to support Black business enterprises (BBEs) grappling with the economic downturn.
As part of its South Jersey Economic Initiative, the Foundation launched NJHeartland.com, an interactive news site promoting local attractions and events, community news and other resources to encourage community connection and economic vitality in the four-county region.
The Pascale Sykes Foundation will continue to fund its current grantee organizations through the end of the 2021-2022 grant year. Until that point, Sykes and the Foundation’s partners encourage new funders to learn more about the Whole Family Approach and consider funding organizations that implement it.
“Families are the foundation upon which strong communities are built. But too many of America’s working low-income families are one crisis or one paycheck away from falling into poverty,” said Sykes. “We have seen families move into stability. Every family’s goals are achievable. Families just need the tools and social support to achieve those goals as all family members work together. We are proud of our accomplishments over the last 30 years and look forward to other funders taking the lead in funding the future of the Whole Family Approach.”
The Pascale Sykes Foundation announces today its donation to New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC) and the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ) to support Black business enterprises (BBEs), which have historically faced challenges in the U.S. Through a $1,000,000 investment in the Equitable Small Business Initiative, the contribution will help create opportunities for BBEs in New Jersey seeking access to resources and support to establish, sustain, augment or expand business operations, as well as those economically impacted by the pandemic. Coinciding with Black History Month, the forming of this relationship is not only timely but symbolic.
This contribution from The Pascale Sykes Foundation and through NJCC and the AACCNJ will allow for pandemic relief loans ranging from $10,000-$75,000 and recovery loan sizes in yet-to-be-determined amounts.
In response to a call to action in Spring of 2020 by The Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE), a philanthropic organization that advocates for transformative investing in Black communities, a relationship formed between The Pascale Sykes Foundation and the AACCNJ.
The Pascale Sykes Foundation’s President Fran Sykes stated, “We’re honored to support initiatives like this. As sole proprietorships and family-run businesses primarily define the Black business community, they often require non-conventional loans and business guidance for sustainable growth. In collaboration with the AACCNJ and NJCC in this capacity, we can directly affect family-owned and -operated businesses, be more inclusive, and positively affect a greater number of people.”
In support for the wellbeing of the people and the businesses they operate, the Pascale Sykes Foundation champions the Whole Family Approach – a family-led strategy that provides families the tools they need to set goals together, create plans, and achieve those goals. In accordance with this, the foundation is better able to assist families and, in turn, their economic and financial development to improve their communities overall.
“Especially as this integral segment of our nation’s economy is being devastated by the pandemic, the relief this provides could not come sooner. I really believe it instills hope in so many.” says John E. Harmon, Founder, President & CEO at the AACCNJ. Wayne Meyer, President of NJCC adds, “Although our work at NJCC has always been rooted in racial, economic and social justice, it is incumbent upon us to ask what more we can do to promote opportunity and equality?’” The CEOs of both organizations appreciate the Pascale Sykes Foundation and its President for her vision and enthusiastic support of this partnership.
For additional information regarding loan programming inquiries, contact:
For information on The Pascale Sykes Foundation, its mission, grantees and programs, visit PascaleSykesFoundation.com.
ABOUT THE PASCALE SYKES FOUNDATION
The Pascale Sykes Foundation builds strong families by advocating for and funding innovative, holistic social and economic programs that transform the lives of working, low-income families. They envision a world where all working, low-income families can be self-sufficient and thrive. A world where all members of a family are able to identify and use all the tools and services they need so they can do more than just get by. A world where working families become economically stable and no longer live paycheck to paycheck. A world where they define, create and live the futures they dream of. For additional information visit PascaleSykesFoundation.com. For specific information about The Whole Family Approach, visit WholeFamilyApproach.org.
ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF NEW JERSEY
The AACCNJ performs an essential role in the economic viability of New Jersey. While providing a platform for New Jersey’s African American business community, to speak with a collective voice, the AACCNJ advocates and promotes economic diversity fostering a climate of mutual benefit and mutual value for its members, the community at large, its supporters and advocates. The chamber promotes business growth through major initiatives centering on education and public policy. The Chamber serves as a 501(c) 3 tax exempt, organization. Nationally the AACCNJ is a member of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. To learn more, visit www.aaccnj.com
ABOUT NEW JERSEY COMMUNITY CAPITAL
New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC) is a nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides an innovative toolkit of financial products, programs and services to advance equity and opportunity in underserved communities. NJCC supports the preservation and development of affordable housing and sustainable community development ventures that increase jobs, improve education and strengthen neighborhoods to ensure that communities can thrive. To learn more, visit www.newjerseycommunitycapital.org and Twitter: @NJCLF.
This story was originally published here by Cross County Connection.
Public transportation has always provided an important service for South Jersey residents. Yet during the current pandemic, transit in our region has become even more critical. Findings from a survey of NJ TRANSIT customers show how these services have allowed many in the region to continue to travel to work and reach essential services. During 2020, NJ TRANSIT has conducted a series of travel surveys to assess to what extent the pandemic has impacted public transit usage. The surveys targeted customers traveling via NJ TRANSIT prior to the pandemic. The surveys gathered data on how customers were traveling during the pandemic and on their perceptions regarding social distancing, vehicle cleanliness, and usage of face coverings. Respondents included both those still using NJ TRANIST and those that have not been during the pandemic.
By addressing these topics, NJ TRANSIT analyzed how COVID-19 contributed to behavioral changes among commuters and other transit customers. Travel surveys were conducted in April, June, and December. Survey findings from the June survey were released in November and show how South Jersey transit users might differ from their neighbors to the north.
When compared to all NJ TRANSIT service modes in the two halves of the state, South Jersey buses had marginally higher levels of ridership retention during the pandemic compared to other NJ TRANSIT markets, as shown in the table below.
A reason behind South Jersey NJ TRANSIT buses’ marginally higher rate of retention could likely be that a high percentage of its ridership works at essential businesses. As seen in the table below, South Jersey bus riders represent the highest percentage of respondents that self-identified as an essential worker. From this data, one could infer that the 81% of South Jersey bus riders, self-identifying as essential, likely commute to jobs in sectors such as warehousing, food production, retail, and the healthcare industries. North Jersey buses and light rail also have high percentages of essential workers at 73 and 78 percent, respectively, but they may also have a portion of riders that commute to office and service-sector jobs in New York City, Newark, and the surrounding suburbs.
Essential jobs are more likely to be places where employees do not have the option of working from home. As seen below, apart from the Access Link paratransit service, South Jersey bus riders are the group of NJ TRANSIT users with the lowest percentage of people who reported working from home. This again indicates that a significant majority are employed at essential businesses and need a reliable means to get to work.
As shown in the final chart, South Jersey bus riders are slightly more likely than other NJ TRANSIT customers making work-trips to have a household income of less than $75,000. This held true not only in June 2020, but also in April 2020 and even before COVID-19’s onset. And further, 85% reported having limited or no access to a vehicle during the pandemic. This indicates that South Jersey’s public transit users may be marginally less likely be able to afford a vehicle of their own, and as a result, depend on public transportation as their only option to reach these essential jobs. For these essential workers, access to public transportation is imperative.
The importance of NJ TRANSIT bus service in South Jersey similarly underscores how local community shuttles serve a critical function during this challenging time. As transit-dependent South Jersey riders rely on NJ TRANSIT buses, they also depend on the region’s community shuttles. Cross County Connection partners with NJ TRANSIT, the South Jersey Transportation Authority, the counties of Atlantic and Gloucester, and others to provide shuttle services in parts of South Jersey that would otherwise be lacking public transit.
The Pureland East-West Community Shuttle, operating in Gloucester County, and the English Creek-Tilton Road and Route 54/40 Community Shuttles in Atlantic County, retained on average 33% more of their ridership during the stay-at-home orders last spring compared to the larger regional transit systems (NJ TRANSIT, PATCO, and SEPTA). On both of the Atlantic County shuttles, ridership rebounded quickly after a low point in April at the outset of the pandemic. Between April and October 2020, ridership on the Route 54/40 Community Shuttle increased 36%, and during the same timeframe, the English Creek-Tilton Road Community Shuttle’s ridership nearly doubled.
As reflected in this data, the rebound in the Atlantic County Community Shuttles’ ridership demonstrates how public transit is essential in enabling South Jersey workers get to their jobs.
Overall, the recent NJ TRANSIT survey findings emphasize the current importance of public transit to South Jersey. As the region continues to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, those decisionmakers who will guide the region’s economic recovery must understand that these vital services are part of the solution and collaboratively work to ensure their long-term viability.
SOURCE: COVID Travel Survey #2 (Conducted June 22 to July 3, 2020): Survey Findings. NJ TRANSIT Market Research. November 2020.
