Interns for Impact: ALEJANDRA SALGADO

ALEJANDRA SALGADO

Hey! My name is Alejandra Salgado and I am a summer intern at Catalyst Miami. As an intern, I contribute to the Catalyst Miami's blog by writing of events I have attended or different articles and websites I personally come across and would like to share. So far, I have blogged about the Miami-Dade County Mayoral Forum, a recent hike in Florida’s minimum wage and there's more to come! I often come across many interesting articles that relate to social justice, social services or human rights that I share with my friends on Facebook or Jumo, and now the Catalyst Miami blog. My hope is that people will read what I share and either learn something new, share with others, or even change their opinion on something.

I graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations. I also completed a minor in History and a certificate in European Studies. Recently, I completed a Masters degree in Politics from New York University. While in New York I had the amazing opportunity to intern at Amnesty International USA, my first nonprofit experience. This past March I moved back to Miami to get involved in nonprofit work in the city I grew up in and love. Daniella Levine and Catalyst Miami has given me the opportunity to meet other professionals in the nonprofit field and attend events which helped get me back in the loop of Miami’s politics and human services scene. I have also had the opportunity to intern at The Education Fund, helping with their annual art auction, and exposing me to a new side of nonprofits for me.

In the future I hope to continue to be involved with nonprofits, specifically ones that address issues of poverty, whether that is education, maternal health care or housing. I am soaking in everything I learn from Catalyst Miami so that I can use it in my future career at a nonprofit.



Tip of the Iceberg? Surviving in a Down Economy

Dear Champions of Civic Health, YOU ARE INVITED!

Tip of the Iceberg? Surviving in a Down Economy

July 20th 12AM-2PM

A Lunch sponsored by Allegany Franciscan Ministries

Training Center

1900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 200  Miami, FL 33132 

RSVP to Amanda Schubert at amandas@hscdade.org or 305 576 5001 x 48

Are your revenues down? Are your expenses up? Is the cash flow not flowing?

• Come for roundtable discussion to explore the forces at play and how we can fight back, survive and thrive.
• Downsize, merge and innovate: but don't give up your dreams.
• Case studies on recent closures and reductions at C-One, Bertha Abess and Farm Share.
• Analysis and response from area experts.

Speakers will include representatives from:

• Hands on Miami (currently in a state of suspended operations)
• Farm Share (facing dramatic cuts from a state budget veto)

In addition to hosting this important conversation, we will announce 

3 exciting developments of Catalyst Miami

Official flyer coming soon!

Interns for Impact: SUMMIYA TASNIM

SUMMIYA TASNIM 

Greetings! My name is Summiya Tasnim and I am an intern working with Prosperity Campaign. As an intern, I operate under the wing of Nadine Gousse, the Community Liaison and Health Navigator of PC, in linking at-risk individuals with opportunities to help improve their standard quality of life.

As an adamant advocate and supporter of human rights and dignity for all, I believe that quality health care coverage and nutritional sustenance are fundamental necessities universally entitled to every individual in existence. With that being said, it is a rewarding feeling knowing that I am in some way contributing to the process of connecting individuals with resources in meeting their basic human needs.

Apart from being an intern, I am also a student attending Mount Holyoke College and majoring in International Relations with a concentration in Human Rights Law in the Middle East. I have dreams and aspirations of one day attending Law School. To prepare for the long road ahead, I've taken part in a handful of extracurricular activities, one of them being Model United Nations (MUN). It’s fascinating yet inspiring to see how the policies I have lobbied for throughout my MUN conferences are realistically being achieved here at Catalyst Miami.

The guidance, assistance, and insight I am gaining while working at Catalyst Miami will be essential in every type of endeavor I pursue.  Professionally, I am getting hands on experience in learning how to expand, cultivate, and nurture my administrative skills thus increasing my proficiency. Personally, I am getting the chance to make a difference in someone’s life. How much better can it get? I only hope to continue to develop personally as an individual but more importantly as a leader while working here at Catalyst Miami.

Letter to the Editor: healthcare subsidies for public employees

In response to a recent Miami Herald article about the subsidized healthcare of Florida state legislators and other public employees, our very own Julieta Romero sent this letter to the editor:

Yesterday's Herald article on State legislators' defense of their taxpayer-funded health coverage was eye-opening. The irony is even greater given the preparations they are making to slash coverage for State workers and vulnerable Medicaid recipients next legislative session. Perhaps most telling was future Senate President Mike Haridopolos' unbelievable comparison: "It's not like we pay nothing...It's not like Medicaid.''

For starters, hundreds of thousands of Medicaid recipients do pay out-of-pocket just like Senator Haridopolos. It's not clear whether the Senator was unaware of that fact or whether he just wants to continue the practice of blaming the very poorest and sickest Floridians in lieu of fixing our broken tax structure.

The fact is, it only takes a couple of copayments to spend more than 1% of a typical Medicaid recipient's below-poverty income. By comparison, given Senator Haridopolos' publicly funded salary as a legislator and professor, he would need to pay at least $1,000 a year in co-pays to reach even a comparable burden.

The article shows that legislative leaders lack more than the revenue they need to meet Florida's basic needs. They lack a basic understanding of the lives of real Floridians.