Quote of the Week

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth… not going all the way, and not starting.”

—Buddha

Did you know that June 2022, as North American Hurricane Awareness
Month in the State of New York?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. Hurricanes are life-threatening storms; they can bring heavy rains that cause major flooding, destructive winds that down power lines, uproot trees and damage homes, and storm surges that travel several miles inland destroying everything in its path.

Hurricanes can pose a significant threat to many communities; the damage and trauma sustained from Hurricane Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season in New York.

Senator Persaud sponsored Senate Reso. J1359 to remind constituents that preparation is the best protection against the dangers of a hurricane; families and individuals should build an emergency kit and create an evacuation plan for their household.

Free Summer Meals Start June 28

Breakfast and lunch will continue beyond the instructional school year. Our Summer Meals Program is available throughout New York City to anyone ages 18 years old and under.

Designated public schools, community pool centers, parks, and food trucks will be open for service.

No registration, documentation, or ID is necessary to receive a free breakfast or lunch meal. 

How To Find Locations:

View the 2022 Summer Meals location listing (all sites, dates and times are subject to change).

Website: www.schools.nyc.gov/summermeals
Text: NYC Food to 304-304 (standard text messaging rates may apply)
Call: 311

Food Resources

-If you or someone you know qualifies, you may apply for SNAP (food stamps), Cash Assistance, and Medicaid renewal all at the same time here.

-To find the nearest food pantries and community kitchens, call the Emergency Food Hotline at 866-888-8777.

-WIC2Go is a mobile app for New York State WIC recipients. For more information on WIC support, please visit their site or call 844-540-3031.

-For seniors aged 60+ NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA)  provides home delivered meals. You can access them online or call 311 for support, you also can call 212-244-6469 to see if you qualify direct delivery.

-If you are not currently receiving any food benefit (such as Meals on Wheels or SNAP), are unable to get to a grocery store, and do not have anyone to help you, you may qualify for NYC Food Delivery Assistance.

-CityHarvest offers free food every other week across NYC, you can find a location near you here.

Sisters With Purpose Organization 

The Sisters With Purpose will be having an open food pantry on Saturday June 11, 2022 from 9-10am at the Brooklyn Sports Club, located at 1540 Van Siclen Avenue:

For more information, visit here.

A Project Of United Community Centers

UCC will be hosting food distributions at 613 New Lot s Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11207 on Friday June 17, 2022 at 3pm, while supplies last:

For more information call: 718-649-7979 or visit: https://ucceny.org or email: Info@ucceny.org

SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR BANKS ANNOUNCES NEW CURRICULUM CENTERING AAPI VOICES

NEW YORK – Schools Chancellor David C. Banks announced a new curriculum designed to center the experiences and voices of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, a milestone step in our ongoing commitment to support AAPI students in our public schools.

This new set of curricular resources, Hidden Voices: Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States, is the third phase of the Hidden Voices Project, a companion to the NYCDOE’s Passport to Social Studies curriculum. The Hidden Voices project was initiated to help New York City’s students learn about and honor the innumerable people, often “hidden” from the traditional historical record, who have shaped and continue to shape our history and identity. Hidden Voices allows students to find their own voice as they become analysts of the past and to make connections between the past and the present.

“I’m so proud to announce this exciting new curriculum. It is essential that our classrooms and the lessons we teach our young ones reflect the incredible diversity of the great city of New York,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “Thank you to our partners and stakeholders who have helped us make this a reality – we are grateful for your steadfast dedication to our students.”

For more information, see here.

Beginning on July 1st, the City will no longer be deploying mobile vaccine units.

The City will continue to administer mobile testing units throughout the summer. 

The existing medical infrastructure in NYC (Doctor’s offices, pharmacies, etc) has ongoing capacity to administer 300,000 vaccines per week.

Almost every New Yorker lives within one mile of a location administering a COVID-19 vaccine.

As of 5/23/22, there are over 1,000 unique locations administering the COVID-19 vaccine via vaccine finder (link: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/).

Ever wanted to dispose of something, but wasn't sure about the proper way to do so?

Find and FOLLOW proper disposal info at on.nyc.gov/howtogetridof

Search for your county to find COVID-19 guidance for your community

Resources to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19.

For more information, see here.

COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline

NY Project Hope has launched a New York’s COVID-19 Emotional Support Helpline. They can be reached at 1-844-863-9314.

For more information, visit their site here. 

Senator Persaud and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced the opening of an exhibit "From Slavery to Juneteenth" in "The Well" of the Legislative Office Building at the Capitol in Albany.

This exhibit will be on display until Tuesday, June 21st. Many thanks to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library for their invaluable expertise and contributions to this exhibit.

For more information, see here.

Senator Persaud and colleagues on the last day of Senate Session.

See closing remarks from Senator Persaud here.

Wednesday 6.8.22, On Wednesday, 6/8, Senator Persaud and staff joined CUNY Kingsborough President Claudia V. Schrader and her team on the Commencement Caravan to celebrate 2022 graduate and SD-19 resident Adrian Alfred. Adrian is a US Army Veteran and is continuing his studies at John Jay College. Congratulations and Best Wishes to Adrian.

Wednesday 6.8.22, Staffers Winston and Christine represented Senator Persaud and distributed resources to the community at a Father's Day event hosted by the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau and Emblem Health at the Brownsville Recreation Center.

Activities at the event included music, food, free hair cuts, crowns for fathers to wear, an NYPD rock wall for climbing, gaming stations, and much more. It was an enjoyable afternoon for the community.

Five honorees received NY State Senate citations for their contributions to the community.

Tuesday 6.7.22, Senator Persaud was joined by staffer Jennifer as she presented Earth Day Participation Certificates to Middle School for Science and Medicine students.

Tuesday 6.7.22, Senator Persaud was joined by staffer Jennifer as she presented Earth Day Participation Certificates to Midwood Catholic Academy students. The faculty and students also had a surprise celebration for Principal Heimbach, who is retiring after 44 years in education.

Visit Senator Persaud's Facebook page to see more photos from SD19 events. 

How to prepare for hurricane season 2022 and avoid storm-related scams.

For more information, see here.

For more information, see here.

Verizon bridging NYC digital divide: $3M pledge, free internet offer

• Verizon has pledged $3 million in support of eight organizations across the city to support STEM education, digital access and online learning in communities that need it most.
  

• Offering free Fios home internet
  In addition to its ongoing direct support for New York City-based organizations and recognition of NYC as the largest market in the Fios footprint, Verizon provides low-cost Fios internet to customers in need as a proud supporter of the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), aimed at closing the digital divide.

• Verizon recently announced that with Fios Forward, ACP customers get home internet for free – without data caps, fees or equipment charges, helping them maintain connectivity for virtual learning, remote work, telehealth visits and more. 

For more information, see here.

Tenants of NYC:

Did you know that you can get free 1-on-1 help and guidance on housing-related issues, which may include referral to free legal services?

Call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline to get connected to a PEU Specialist!

For more information, please see here.

The New York State Liberty Medal is the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed by a Member of the New York State Senate upon a resident of New York State. Liberty Medals are adopted by resolution and remain on file in the Secretary of the Senate’s office.  For more information, click here.

The NYS Senate Commendation Award recognizes exceptional people who
have made a lasting contribution to their community.  For more information, click here.

The NYS Senate Empire Award recognizes excellence in business in Senate District 19. For more information, click here.

Excelsior Scholarship Application is Now Available!

The Excelsior Scholarship, in combination with other student financial aid programs, allows students to attend a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free. The program covers tuition for eligible SUNY and CUNY students.

For the 2022-23 academic year, families who earned $125,000 or less in the tax year 2020 are eligible to apply.

The 2022-23 Excelsior Scholarship application is open May 24 - August 31

For more information, see here.

To Apply:

YWCA-NYC x NYSID Summer 2022 Program Application

STEAAM ON PROGRAM

See here.

NYCHA CUNY Scholarships Now Open!

NYCHA’s Office of Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability (REES) is excited to announce that the applications for college scholarships are now open!

NYCHA offers multiple scholarships to support residents as they increase their income and assets through higher education. All scholarships award one-time $1,000 grants to eligible residents who are pursuing undergraduate degrees at a City University of New York (CUNY) college.

All applications must be submitted online by July 14, 2022.

To apply, please use the NYCHA self-service portal and select NYCHA-CUNY Scholarship on the left hand navigation pane. If an applicant does not already have access, they must create a username and password.

For a full list of scholarships and eligibility criteria, please visit here.

Any questions or requests for additional information should be sent to scholarships@nycha.nyc.gov.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE

The Mayors Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME) is excited to announce the opening of the Sound Thinking NYC Summer Program application!

Sound Thinking NYC (STNYC) is a free program for public high school students offered by the CUNY Creative Arts Team (CAT) and the Mayor's Office for Media and Entertainment (MOME), in partnership with NY Is Music.

All New York City public high school students interested in exploring how to turn their passion for music into a career are encouraged to apply.

Please see their website for additional info or click here to apply! 

The Safe in the City Grant from the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, led by the Office of Neighborhood Safety, offers funding opportunities from $1,500-$10,000 to support community-based actions that will make neighborhoods safer.

For more information, see here.

Summer Rising Enrollment is now OPEN!

Visit: www.nyc.gov/SummerRising

You can also review the Summer Rising Enrollment Family Guide on how to enroll.

Looking for a job? New York City Department of Parks & Recreation is hiring for many seasonal and full-time positions!

Summer work is also available if you’re looking for opportunities like:

Summer camp counselors
Playground associates
Swim instructors
Movie night crews + more

Find the full list of jobs at: https://on.nyc.gov/2TrWggq

Community Resources

Click the button under each graphic for more information.

Senator Persaud would like to hear from you! Press the button to leave any and all inquiries/suggestions you may have. 

Community Conversations, Workshops & Town Halls

Senator Persaud continues to host timely informational workshops and townhall discussions on various topics of importance to constituents. If you haven't had a chance to participate or watch on Facebook Live, the archived recordings are available as a resource to you. View via Facebook or nysenate.gov.

As your State Senator in the 19th Senatorial District: Senator Persaud proudly serves constituents in the communities of  Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill and Starrett City.

For more information, click the logos below for Senator Persaud's official website, Facebook or Twitter.