| Dear New Yorker, Last week Mayor Adams took the stage at Queens Theater to declare that the State Of our City is strong! He also outlined a “Working People’s Agenda” built on 4 pillars: jobs, housing, public safety and care. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we say “never forget.” Mayor Adams hosted a film screening of ‘Devorah’s Hope.” It is an inspiring story of a young woman enduring antisemitism and the Holocaust but finding hope in her own faith and courage. City Hall and other municipal buildings were lit in yellow to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. We must work together to eradicate hate. Mayor Adams announced the launch of ‘Breaking Bread, Building Bonds,” a citywide initiative to empower everyday New Yorkers to host dinners and gather diverse groups at a single table. The Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit is eager to work with communities across the five boroughs to bring different voices together. We will find that our diversity is our strength and that we have more in common than we realize. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Tyre Nichols. The brutality we witnessed in the video out of Memphis is unacceptable. We must continue to work together to build a better system. For the latest updates, please follow CAU on Twitter and Facebook, and be sure to check out the Mayor’s ‘Week In Review’ video below All the best, Fred Kreizman Commissioner, Community Affairs Unit |
| Key Updates: A bigger NYC EITC. Full refund. Your family deserves it. Get it back. IRS certified VITA/TCE volunteer preparers. In-person or online options. No fees so you get more money from credits like the NYC Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). If you earn $80,000 or less, file for free with NYC Free Tax Prep. NYC Service Partnership Applications All 501c3 organizations in NYC are welcome to apply to host NYC Civic Corps members! NYC Service recruits and places full-time NYC Civic Corps AmeriCorps members at select partnering community-based organizations for 10 months. NYC Service is accepting applications that demonstrate how members would advance the partner organization’s mission through building, developing, or managing volunteer programs. Organizations are notified of acceptance in the Spring and are expected to host members Sept. ‘23 – June ‘24. Applications must be submitted by February 22, 2023. Interested or have questions? Visit nyc.gov/hostciviccorps for more information and to apply! Volunteer Engagement Trainings by NYC Service: – Neighborhood Engagement Toolkit (NET) Training Series on 1/31 and 2/7 for nonprofits and community-based organizations interested in maximizing their impact by leveraging partnerships and volunteers. – Register to attend the trainings. – The Online Volunteer Recruitment Training Series on February 2 and February 9 is available for not-for-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, public educational institutions, and government agencies. Participants will learn about our new volunteer recruitment platform, best practices, and how to market their opportunities. Register to attend the trainings. Fire Safety Education Program The goal of the Fire Safety Education Program is to eliminate residential fire deaths in New York City. Fire deaths have dropped steadily during the past decades and studies have shown that there is a direct link to strong public education programs. The goal of FDNY instructors is to continually educate the public with critical lifesaving strategies that focus on fire prevention, with a special focus on the City’s most vulnerable populations and at-risk communities. The program includes: – Presentations at local schools and community centers in New York City. – Planned visits to New York City firehouses or EMS stations. – Hands-on practice inside the Department’s Mobile Fire Safety Experience Trailer. – Community outreach at events, such as street fairs, parades and more. – Visits from Hotdog, the FDNY fire safety mascot, or Siren, the FDNY life safety mascot. Request a Presentation The Fire Safety Education Unit is specially trained to conduct public education and community outreach. To ensure your request for a presentation is fulfilled, please give a minimum two weeks’ notice. Go to FDNY Smart to Request a Presentation Alternate Side Parking It’s not too late to download the 2023 ASP Calendar! Download a printable version or learn how you can import it into your Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook |
| In case you missed it: |
| .@mayorsCAU #Bronx Borough Director attended the @Bronxcb5‘s general board meeting where Dr. Bola Omotosho ended his 15+ years as Chairperson. We thank Dr. Bola for 25 years of Community Board service! pic.twitter.com/hSIHGKezW1 — Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit (@mayorsCAU) January 27, 2023 |
| .@mayorsCAU South Asian Liaison attended a Saraswati Puja celebration! pic.twitter.com/XrtS8QxZJL — Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit (@mayorsCAU) January 27, 2023 |
| Highlights From the City Hall Press Office: Mayor Delivered State of the City Address: Mayor Adams outlined a “Working People’s Agenda” in his second State of the City address, delivered at the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Mayor Adams’ agenda is built on four pillars that are essential to building a city that meets the needs of working New Yorkers and represent the focus of his administration’s work in 2023: jobs, safety, housing, and care. Mayor Launched ‘Breaking Bread, Building Bonds’ Citywide: Mayor Adams announced the launch of ‘Breaking Bread, Building Bonds’ (B4), a citywide initiative to combat the rise in hate crimes in many communities across the city, and foster mutual understanding between New York’s diverse neighborhoods. The program, which builds on an initiative that was launched when Mayor Adams served as Brooklyn borough president, aims to organize 1,000 meals citywide with a group of 10-12 diverse New Yorkers at each meal. Historic $75M “Opportunity Fund” to Help Small Businesses: Mayor Adams and Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kim announced the groundbreaking creation of the $75 million NYC Small Business Opportunity Fund, the largest public-private loan fund directed at small businesses in the city’s history. Approximately 1,500 local businesses will be served by the fund — with loans up to $250,000 at a market-leading rate of 4 percent — unleashing unprecedented resources at a critical time in the city’s economic recovery for small businesses too often underserved by financial relief programs. To be eligible for a loan, businesses must have less than $5 million in annual revenue and be located within New York City. Applications to the Opportunity Fund are available online, and those interested can learn more about the Fund by calling SBS’s hotline at (888) SBS-4NYC. |
| Additional Resources: Food Help NYC: Free food locations including food pantries & soup kitchens. NYC Well: Free, confidential mental health support in more than 200 languages, 24/7/365. Call 888-NYC-WELL or text “WELL” to 65173. Mental Health For All: A comprehensive hub with helplines and services that offer a range of free, direct support to meet the needs of all New Yorkers. Buildings After Hours: Free in-person information session with DOB staff every Tuesday from 4 PM to 7 PM at your local borough office. COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Illnesses: Resources including test kits, treatment, vaccines, and masks available to New Yorkers as New York City experiences high levels of COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory viruses. Notify NYC: Enroll for free in New York City’s dedicated emergency public communications program. 311: Non-emergency municipal services available online, by texting 311-692, or by calling 3-1-1 from within the City or 212-NEW-YORK outside the five boroughs. TTY service is also available by dialing 212-504-4115. |