Community Update: January 17th
| Dear Friend, Happy New Year! Here’s to a year filled with happiness, friendship, new opportunities, good health, and of course, bold progressive changes. As I celebrated MLK Day yesterday, I reflected on the work to come in the fight for racial justice, as well as the incredible progress our country has made on its long march to racial equity. While it’s extremely uplifting to see the progress that Black Americans and all ethnic and racial minorities have made since Dr. King was stolen from us in 1968, we must be clear-eyed about the work to come. As you all know, I’m a forever educator, so I want to share the following stats about racial inequities that we must overcome to create a truly just society: – Black women are 3x more likely to die while giving birth than their White counterparts – Black Americans are almost 2x as likely as white Americans to lack health insurance – Just 79% of Black Americans graduate high school on time, compared to the national average of 85% of all students. The figure for Native Americans is even lower, at 74%. – Black and Hispanic women are unemployed at 10.9% and 11.4% respectively, compared to the national average of 8.3% – Black men are 2.5x more likely to be killed by police than white men – Black homeownership rates lag behind the national average by more than 10% – There are just 3 Black Senators in the United States Senate, despite the fact that 13.6% of the nation’s population is Black While these figures can be discouraging, we must remember that each and every day, real progress is being made towards building a more just nation. Today, I recommit myself to continuing the fight for racial justice, because I refuse to be comfortable with a world where people are denied opportunities simply because of their skin color.This Thursday, in partnership with CUFFH, my office is hosting an affordable housing pop-up from 12 to 6PM. Come by 930 Flatbush Avenue to meet with a service specialist to apply for affordable housing and get your housing questions answered. More details can be found on the flyers below. As a reminder, every Tuesday from 10AM to 6PM, CUNY Citizenship NOW will provide services at our district office at 930 Flatbush Avenue. If you would like to sign up to receive services, you can do so here. Alternatively, you can reach out to their Contact Center to schedule a legal appointments for their legal staff. CUNY Citizenship Now can be reached at (646) 664-9400 or (212) 652-2071 for an immigration appointment. The flyer for the event can be found below. The deadline to apply/register for TPS Haiti is on August 3, 2024. Learn more here. Dat limit pou w aplike/anrejistre pou TPS Aysisyen w se 23 Out 2024. Pou plis detay, ale sou lyen sa a. As always, my team and I would love to hear from you. No constituent issue is too big or too small for us. We can be reached at 718-287-8762 for community concerns, and 212-788-7352 for legislative or budget concerns. Our office is also available for walk-ins or appointments at 930 Flatbush Avenue, Monday-Thursday. Feel free to reach out to us to share your thoughts on legislation, to inform us about an issue that needs to get fixed in the neighborhood, to help you navigate city agencies, or to invite me to a community event. We hope to hear from you soon! Best, Rita |
 Council Member Joseph spoke at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Tribute to Dr. King alongside a number of her colleagues at the local, state, and Federal level. |
 Council Member Joseph joined Senator Kevin Parker’s Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “A Shared Dream ‘Homecoming,'” to celebrate the holiday. |
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 From October 1 – May 31, building owners are required to provide heating and maintain minimum temperatures. If you’re a tenant without heat or hot water, contact your landlord. If they’re unresponsive, file a complaint by calling 311. If you’re a constituent, follow up with our office! |
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 NHS Brooklyn is offering home repair grants to Brooklyn, NY, homeowners of 1-4 family homes, condos, and coops. Homeowners can receive up to $20,000 toward the cost of repairing their homes. Learn more here. |
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| Job Opportunity from St. Gabriel’s Older Adult Center 331 Hawthorne Street Assistant Director Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Gerontology or Human Services with at least one year of Supervisory Responsibilities, preferably with the aged population, Or, Four-years College Experience working in Community Management or Programs in the field of the aging (Accounting background is a plus) Role Assist the Director on every task of the Center’s program and activity. Provide Case assistance and information to members and the supervision of the Program Coordinator ResponsibilitiesTrack all incoming vendor bills, compile billing information and statics, including the monthly bank deposits, petty cash receipts and all vendor invoices in a timely manner.Provide and prepare billing reports for accounting purposes.Keep and track all daily attendance logs with required records.Provide and prepare billing reports, maintain service records.Submit all necessary reports to the accountant, no later than 3 days after the end of the month.Maintain safe and sanitary procedures in compliance with the NYC Fire Department, The Health Department Codes and DFTA regulations.Work closely with the Cook and Assistant Cook on all daily food usage records.Prepare the cost analysis of the Food and supply a monthly Inventory.Perform all duties about and in compliance with governmental laws and regulations and the New York City Department for the Aging.Work closely with the Director on assigned tasks, assisting in all other areas, when necessary. Salary This is a part-time position, with 2 weeks paid vacation. The hourly rate is $19.88 for 20 hours per week, with an annual income of $22,730 For more information, please contact Ms. Judith Villaroel at 718-773-4049 |
| Job Opportunity from St. Gabriel’s Older Adult Center 331 Hawthorne Street Assistant Cook/Meal Preparer QualificationsMinimum of two (2) years’ experience, as a Cook.Must have a Food Protection Certificate.Must be in good health and the ability to stand for long hours.The ability to speak, read and write in English is necessary, while other languages can be a plus. Role Responsible to work in the kitchen assisting in the entire task assign by the Cook for preparation of breakfast and lunch. On site cooking in the absence of the Cook. ResponsibilitiesAssist the cook in daily menu meal preparation service and clean-up.Perform tasks, relative to the food program as assigned by the cook and Director, including weekly inventory and cleaning schedule.In the absence of the cook, assumes responsibility for cooking and serving of all meals.Assist in recording daily food used menu, quantity of cost, and temperature record.Take food inventory and maintain orderly storage areas.Move, unpack, and store food and supplies.Adhere to health and safety standards.Wash all used pots, pans, and kitchen utensils between meals and at the end of each meal.Daily cleaning of stove, convection oven, all refrigerators/freezers and mop floors.Remove all kitchen garbage and recycle, break-down boxes from deliveries.Bi-weekly or as needed, scour, and deep clean the inside of all stoves, freezers, refrigerators, cabinets.Attend training as required by the Director and the Department of the Aging. Salary This is a part-time position, with 2 weeks paid vacation. The hourly rate is $20.74 for 25 hours per week, with an annual income of $25,943 For more information, please contact Ms. Judith Villaroel at 718-773-4049 |
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| An Important Note from Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A (“Brooklyn A or BKA”) is a non-profit legal services provider that provides free services for tenants including eviction prevention, repairs, and tenant association organizing; for homeowners seeking help with foreclosure prevention, bankruptcy, and protection against scams, predatory lending, and deed theft; for taxpayers facing issues with the IRS and New York State; and small business owners and non-profits that need commercial lease assistance. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about the event or BKA’s services, please reach out to info@bka.org or call 718.487.2300. |
| An Important Note from the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled If you or someone you know has a disability, the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID) can help you. BCID can give you advice on getting housing, Social Security/Disability insurance, or Medicaid. We can also connect you with people who have similar disabilities. BCID also works to make life better for people with disabilities. We advocate for accessible transportation, fair pay for home care workers, and more. All of BCID’s services and advocacy are free, and we serve people with any type of disability. For more information about how BCID can help you or how to get involved with our advocacy campaigns, call 718-998-3000 during business hours or write info@bcid.org. |
| The Brooklyn Bodega invites you to join their in-person events. |
| The New-York Historical Society offers free online citizenship classes for green card holders preparing for the naturalization interview. The online citizenship course prepares permanent residents for the civics test portion of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization interview. More info can be found here. |
| Pillars NYC is providing FREE training to become a certified home aide, teacher’s assistant, and more! Sign up here. |
| Mental Health Crisis Lifeline: 988988 is the new nationwide number for anyone in mental health crisis or concerned about a loved one. You can text or call 24/7 for resources and support. Read more about this service here. |
| An Important Note from SHARED Cancer Support: Call SHARE Cancer Supoort’s breast, ovarian, uterine or metastatic breast cancer Helpline and speak with a survivor or caregiver who’s been there. We can answer your questions, talk with you about treatments, help you sort through your options and make informed decisions. We can connect you with a peer whose situation is similar to yours, or we can just listen. Breast Cancer (toll-free in English and Spanish) 844-275-7427 Ovarian Cancer (toll-free) 866-537-4273 Uterine Cancer (toll-free) 844-582-6005 Espanol (Seno y Ovario) 212-719-4454 Caregivers (toll-free) 844-275-7427 |
| An Important Note from The Community Service Society of New York: The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) has worked with and for New Yorkers since 1843 to promote economic opportunity and champion an equitable city and state. CSS powers change through a strategic combination of research, services, and advocacy to make New York more livable for people facing economic insecurity. For more information on the CSS visit their website. |
| DSNY recruits temporary, per diem snow laborers. These workers are called on after heavy snowfalls to remove snow and ice Citywide from areas like bus stops, crosswalks and fire hydrants. Pay starts at $17.00 per hour and increases to $25.50 per hour after the first 40 hours worked in a week. To be eligible, applicants must be:At least 18 years old.Eligible to work in the United States.Able to perform heavy physical labor.Find more info here. |
| An Important Note from National GridQualifying customers with unpaid balances may have them forgiven through a bill credit for their electric and gas bills. Receive more information here. |
| HEAP applications are now open. You can find more information here. |