[Para ver la versión en español visite aquí).

Dear Neighbors, 

Hope, resilience, and solidarity lifted us up as a nation despite our collective grief in the aftermath of 9/11. Twenty years later, the lessons of that unity are more important than ever. This Saturday, we must continue our process of healing and compassion to one another with the resolve we demonstrated to the world in the face of profound loss two decades ago. As a community, we rose as one and should continue to work together, all of us, no matter which ZIP code we live in, nationality, or religious belief. As I have always stated to many of you before, only by coming together can we have the strength to overcome many trials as we did twenty years ago, only in unity.

Please continue on for information about critical resources, vaccines, and other important community updates. Keep safe and enjoy your friends and loved ones.

#CommunityFirst

Last Saturday, I joined Governor Kathy Hochul and my colleagues to inspect the damage done by the collapse of a retaining wall due to the storm at Park Terrace West & 218th Street in Inwood.

This wall gave out during the storm, bringing a car down with it and impacting the bedroom of the first-floor apartment at 560 w. 218th street. We were fortunate that no one was hurt or lives were lost. This is a wake-up call. Climate change is here with us. Inaction is not an option.

Advocating for Remote Option at City Council Education Committee Hearing

Time and time again, I have expressed my belief that students should be in the classroom, and my hope for the upcoming school year to have schools reopen for in-person learning. However, as we all adapted to pandemic life, the COVID-19 strains have adapted as well. No one opposes reopening schools in September, but we are still in a pandemic, and unlike other variants, Delta doesn’t spare kids too young to be vaccinated. We face record numbers of hospitalizations and deaths across the nation. Families and educators, like many New Yorkers, are scared.

NYC parents, students, & teachers have spoken. Parent input should’ve been considered in the spring to inform the new school year's reopening better. I share my testimony from the hearing from Wednesday's September 1st, 2021, City Council Education Committee Hearing.

You can find a copy of my full testimony here.

Food Pantry

This week my team partnered up once again with the West Side Campaign Against Hunger to hold another food pantry at Saint Elizabeth Church located at 268 Wadsworth Avenue. Many of our neighbors showed up to receive a box of healthy food for their households.

We’re happy to announce that the pantry will continue to run through November 17th.

If you're in need of food, please leave a message at 929.444.7189, and a member of my team will call back to get you signed up for the next available date. Also, please check out the volunteer opportunities and sign up for dates here. The volunteer shift begins at 8:30 am and lasts till 11:30 am for September. In October, we’ll shift a little later.

Backpack Giveaway and Back-to-school Resource Fair

We had a wonderful time giving away backpacks and school supplies to over 200 families this afternoon at J. Hood Wright Park in Washington Heights. We were also able to invite lots of great agencies and organizations to provide additional resources like the Child Tax Credit, Pandemic EBT payments, and more! 

Thanks to NMIC, Bronx Rising Initiative, The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), American Red Cross, FDNY, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Friends of Public School Harlem (FPSH), and DemocracyNYC, as well as Test & Trace. 

Annual, Free & Safe Paper Shred Event

On Saturday, October 2nd, 12–3 pm, I will join Assembly Member Daniel J. and Council Member Helen Rosenthal at the Annual, Free & Safe Paper Shred Event. This event will take place at 620 Columbus Avenue (between 90th & 91st St, west side of the street). Please email odonnelld@nyassembly.gov with any questions or to RSVP (optional).

Excluded Workers Fund

Applications for the Excluded Workers Fund (EWF) are now being accepted. As you know, the $2.1 billion funds were created to support New Yorkers who could not get unemployment, pandemic, or other federal relief benefits. 

Last week, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer announced that thousands of New Yorkers who previously couldn’t access the funds without an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) because of IRS backlog will now have their chance to do so. This is great news!

The multilingual application can be found here. 

NMIC is providing application assistance to those eligible for the Excluded Workers Fund. To contact them for assistance, please visit here. For important updates and reminders on the program, visit the FAQ page. 

RENT RELIEF 

Rent relief applications are still open for tenants and small businesses. The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) covers up to one year of rent and is available online only.

If you need *any* assistance filling out this application, please get in touch with my office to schedule an appointment by calling 212.544.0173

Property Tax Interest Abatement Program

If you have unpaid New York City property taxes and were impacted by COVID-19, the Property Tax Interest Abatement Program may help.

You may be eligible for an interest waiver if you are billed quarterly for your property taxes and:

• You use this property as your primary residence.
• You earn less than $150,000 per year.
• You or another household member has been adversely affected by COVID-19.
  

You can apply online here.

Gun Violence Prevention Initiative  

New York State has launched a long-term jobs program that will serve unemployed, under-employed, and out-of-school young New Yorkers ages 18-24 in areas impacted by high rates of gun violence.

Youth can sign up to participate in our partnership with the Consortium for Worker Education, the workforce development arm of the NYC Central Labor Council. If you’re between 18 and 24 and are interested in job training and placement services, please register here to obtain job training and placement in good, long-term jobs. Please note that youth enrolled in college or university will not be eligible. For more information, please visit this link.

Children's Aid Early Childhood Home-Based Program

Give your child an Early Head Start by enrolling in the Children's Aid Early Childhood Home-Based Program. To learn more and determine your eligibility, please contact them at: earlychildhood@childrensaidnyc.org or call 917-286-1529.

I continue to encourage everyone to please get tested for Covid and vaccinated. It's going to take all of us to do our part to achieve our goal of being safe in the coming months.

Free in-home COVID PCR testing

NYC Test & Trace is now offering free at-home testing to anyone over 65 and/or who is immunocompromised. Call 929.298.9400 9 am–5 pm to schedule an appointment for an at-home PCR test.

Free Transportation and In-Home Vaccinations

City residents 65 and older can get free transportation to and from a vaccination appointment. This service is also available for those with disabilities who have no other way to get to a vaccination site. You can find the in-home vaccination information here.

To schedule free transport by either ambulette or taxi (including wheelchair accessible vehicles), call 1-877-829-4692. If you are younger than 18, you must have your parent or guardian contact to book the trip on your behalf. You can also sign up online for an in-home vaccination or by calling 1-877-829-4692. Anyone 12 and older is eligible for in-home vaccination.

Expansion of In-Home Vaccination Program

The City's in-home vaccination program was expanded to include the following categories: NYCHA residents 12+, employees or retirees of the City of New York, and individuals referred by unions or other City partners. To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination at home, call 311 or submit this form. Medical providers will bring the vaccine right to your door at no cost to you.

Department of Education Employee Vaccine Mandate

Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter, and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner (DOHMH) Dr. Dave A. Chokshi announced a new health care mandate requiring all New York City Department of Education employees to provide proof of the first dose of vaccination by September 27th.

Key to NYC

People 12 and older will be required to show proof they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine for indoor dining, fitness, and entertainment events in NYC. You'll need to show proof of vaccination via your paper CDC card, excelsior pass, NYC COVID Safe App, OR any other vaccine record. The Executive Order went into effect on August 17, and enforcement begins September 13th.

3rd Dose 

Health officials are preparing to roll out COVID-19 booster shots in the United States this September. All U.S. adults who received a two-dose vaccine would be eligible for an additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine eight months from their second one, beginning the week of Sept. 20. Further information is available here.

NYC Health + Hospitals is offering third dose

NYC Health + Hospitals is offering a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible New Yorkers with certain serious medical conditions or who receive treatments that weaken their immune system. You must meet the following three conditions to be eligible for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine:

• You must be 12 years of age or older.
• You received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least 28 days ago.
• You are considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.

You can get your third dose at any NYC Health + Hospital vaccine location as well as other sites across NYC. You do not need to get your third dose at the same site where you got your first two doses. To find a vaccination site, go to nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or call 1-877-829-4692.

Inwood vaccines

Come to St. Jude's Church and/or Our Lady Queen of Martyrs on Sundays through October 3 to vaccinate yourself against COVID-19 with the Pfizer vaccine! See the flyer below for more details.

A Mobile Vaccine Bus will be at School in the Square (120 Wadsworth Ave) tomorrow, Saturday, 8am–6pm offering Pfizer vaccines. Next week it will be in Inwood, too!  

You can find the full schedule of other mobile vaccine locations online here. Walk-ups are welcome, and you can also book in advance through the Vax4NYC website.

Get $100 or other exclusive rewards with your free COVID-19 vaccine!

New Yorkers can get $100, free tickets, memberships, or gifts for getting vaccinated against COVID-19. These giveaways will be available for a limited time. Get your COVID-19 vaccine today! To learn more, visit nyc.gov/vaccineincentives or vax4nyc.nyc.gov or call 877-VAX-4-NYC (877-829-4692) to find a City-run vaccination site.

9/11 Memorial Gathering - 20th Anniversary at Ft. Tryon

Join the Fort Tryon Park Trust, the NYPD, FDNY, Northern Manhattan Parks, and Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance for a community gathering commemorating the 20th anniversary of September 11th. Help honor the lives of those lost and those who sacrificed with remembrances, music, a poetry reading, and an interactive memorial installation with artist Marta Blair.

Free Jazz Concert (911 Dedication)

On Governors Island, come to Jazz by the Water on Saturday, Sep. 11th, at 12pm, featuring Legendary Percussionist and Blue Note Recording Artist Joe Chambers, along with a special 911 Dedication by Musical Artist Paul Brown and others. NYC Ferry Reservations are required to Governors Island.

"Welcome to the Jazz Power Reunion" Jam

Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam will start its next season at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. "Welcome to the Jazz Power Reunion" Jam will feature live performances by Eli Yamin (piano), Antoinette Montague (voice), Claire Daly (baritone sax), Steven Oquendo (trumpet), Jason Clotter (bass), David F. Gibson (drums), Annette A. Aguilar (percussion) -- and surprise guests!

Seating is limited due to COVID-19 restrictions. You can also join the event Live on September 12th at 2 pm through their Facebook and YouTube pages.

Music in Riverside Park 

This Sunday, 9/12, there will be three concerts at three different installations—and the timing is staggered so that you can attend all of them! These concerts are being held in partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Howard Gilman GROWTH SOUNDS Foundation.

September Events at Lincoln Center

This Saturday at 8am, in honor of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Buglisi Dance Theatre and Dance/NYC perform the annual Table of Silence Project, a moving ritual for peace on campus paying tribute to all the lives lost on 9/11. Tune in on Lincoln Center’s Facebook page or LincolnCenter.org. 

This is also the final month final of Restart Stages. Find the list of the upcoming artistic, educational, and civic events here! 

 Lincoln Center also has a variety of open positions, including for Security Officers. The position is a union-represented role, and successful applicants will be required to join Local 32BJ. For their complete list of job opportunities, please click here.

The Senate Elections Committee wants to hear from you!

The Committee on Elections has held a series of statewide public hearings on improving our voting process and measures to protect voting rights. Over the next month, the Committee continues to accept written statements from voters with experiences and ideas to share. They review all submitted testimony and use these statements to inform their next steps, including questioning local and state election officials' during the final hearing on September 21 in Albany.

You may upload your testimony directly by using this link or email it to jacquet@nysenate.gov.

Zip Code Memory Project

The Forum will host the Zip Code Memory Project, sponsored by Columbia University and the Henry Luce Foundation, in collaboration with several local community, education, and arts organizations. This Forum is open to community members who live and/or work in Washington Heights, East Harlem, Central/West Harlem, or South Bronx and want to participate in a creative project to explore how the Covid-19 pandemic affected you and your community.

You must be at least 18 years old or older to participate and willing and able to participate in four weekends of afternoon workshops over a 9-month period. You must be COVID-19 vaccinated and agree to safety protocols that will be strictly observed.

If you’re interested in participating, email zipcodememoryproject@gmail.com and fill out this form. The deadline is September 15, 2021.

CLOTH Food Pantry

CLOTH food pantry has new dates in September for volunteers to register. Only 5 volunteers are able to register per shift. Volunteers must be 21 years or older.  Please limit registration to 3 shifts per week. All current or interested volunteers must register online before participating. Distribution shifts are available on Wednesday and Saturday at 8:45 am and 1 pm. 

In solidarity,

RJ