Mandarin/Cantonese Translators Needed

Brooklyn Jubilee is providing free legal services to Coney Island residents, primarily concerning FEMA, housing, public benefits, and insurance questions.  We need Mandarin, Cantonese, Urdu and Russian interpreters all week long, but primarily on Saturdays.  Interpreters will assist attorneys and paralegals conducting new client intake. No legal expertise is required for this volunteer position.

Intake hours are 10-3 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  Intake hours are 2-7 on Thursday.  Interpreters would be appreciated for 2-3 hours of the intake session any day of the week, but especially on Saturdays.  Please contact Executive Director Sandhya Reju Boyd at [email protected] if interested in volunteering.

Brooklyn Jubilee also provides opportunities for legal volunteers, which requires attendance at a training (next one is scheduled for 2/23).  A follow-up announcement regarding that opportunity will be forthcoming soon.

New date: Responding to Disaster in Working-Class New York: Housing and Community After Hurricane Sandy

New date: Responding to Disaster in Working-Class New York: Housing and Community After Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Relief – New Employment & Grant Opportunities

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I hope all is well. We have additional updates and opportunities for you about the city’s ongoing hurricane relief and recovery efforts.

1) MOIA’s Resource Guide

We have compiled a comprehensive and up-to-date resource guide, which provides detailed information on overnight shelters, warming centers, food distribution sites, disaster assistance application info, and important contact numbers. The most updated version is attached to this e-mail. Read here. Also, please check www.nyc.gov or call 311 for the most updated information.

2) Hurricane Clean-Up Employment Opportunities

The United States Department of Labor awarded the New York State Department of Labor grant funds to hire workers to assist in the cleanup of Hurricane Sandy. The grant will be used to help clean up impacted communities in Bronx, Kings, New York, Richmond, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Westchester counties. You must be unemployed prior to or as a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

Apply here: https://labor.ny.gov/secure/neg/2012-hurricane-sandy-form.asp

3) Hurricane Relief Grants

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, small volunteer-led groups responded quickly to meet the needs of local residents. Does your neighborhood of school group need immediate emergency funding? Citizens Committee of NYC is awarding grants to volunteer-led groups providing relief to areas hit especially hard by Hurricane Sandy. Grants of up to $5,000, Immediate notification upon application submission. Please apply here: http://www.citizensnyc.org/programs/grants/hurricane_relief_grants.html  

4) FEMA Mobile Application Registration Sites

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), is launching mobile Application Registration Sites across New York City. FEMA will be sending trained staff out to sites for 1-2 days to guide community members through the FEMA disaster assistance application process. Disaster assistance is financial or direct assistance to individuals and families whose property has been damaged or destroyed as a result of a federally-declared disaster, and whose losses are not covered by insurance. It is meant to help with critical expenses that cannot be covered in other ways. We are seeking community-based organizations and houses of worship to host FEMA’s mobile Application Registration Sites. Please let me know if you would like to host FEMA!

5) NYC Restoration Centers

NYC Restore helps New Yorkers in the areas most affected by Hurricane Sandy get access to important information and services to help them recover. For more information, visit: http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/dasc.html. NYC Restoration Centers provide the following types of assistance:

  • NYC Rapid Repairs
  • Food and Nutrition Assistance
  • Temporary Housing Information
  • Health and Medical Benefits
  • Business Restoration
  • Counseling Services
  • Financial Assistance
  • Personal Records and Information

6) Volunteering/Donating

Please see www.nyc.gov/service for current opportunities:

Volunteer on an ongoing basis with New York Cares, Red Hook Initiative, NYC Coalition Against Hunger, UJA Federation, OEM, P.S. 84, St. Virgilius Church, American Legion Hall, etc. in impacted areas.

Ongoing Parks & Recreation clean ups: http://www.nycservice.org/press/view/post/142

Donate food to City Harvest, Food Bank NYC, and Met Council.

Donate materials to Salvation Army, Housing Works, and Catholic Charities.

Donate cash to www.nyc.gov/fund. 100% of donations will go to relief efforts.

If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to contact me!

Best,
Sarah

Sarah Flatto | Project Manager, One NYC One Nation | NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
(212-341-9075 | (646-912-2496 |*[email protected] | nyc.gov/immigrants

Post-Sandy Recovery Efforts – Volunteers Needed For Friday’s Pro Bono Clinic

From KALAGNY:

We know this has been a difficult time for many of you. We hope you and your family are safe and are recovering post Sandy.

KALAGNY invites volunteer attorneys to make a difference in the lives of those adversely affected by Sandy.  Along with other social service providers, we will hold a pro bono “clinic” this Friday, November 9, 2012, from 1-6 p.m. at the Korean American Association of Greater New York (149 West 24th Street, 6th Fl. in Manhattan) (map). No specialized legal experience is necessary. A training session and lunch will be served at noon at the same location prior to the clinic.

At the clinic, KALAGNY and its partner organizations will provide legal support to individuals and businesses that may be facing homelessness, unemployment, medical exigencies, business interruption, or a combination of the foregoing. We are seeking 1-2 bilingual (i.e., Korean) volunteers for an information table at the Clinic.  Please e-mail [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering by Wednesday November 7, 2012.

NYS Bar Association Sets Up Legal Hotline to Assist Storm Victims

From the NYSBA website:

1-800-699-5636 Toll-free Number for Legal Questions

New Yorkers with legal problems related to Superstorm Sandy can receive free advice from volunteer lawyers through a program sponsored by the New York State Bar Association, President Seymour W. James, Jr. announced today.

“We know there will be a great need for legal assistance in the coming weeks,” said James (The Legal Aid Society in New York City). “We are grateful to attorneys who go above and beyond to serve their communities.”

Volunteer attorneys will answer storm-related questions about insurance, real estate issues (landlord-tenant and other property disputes) and general legal matters, such as replacing missing wills and other documents.

Storm victims seeking legal advice can call a toll-free hotline: 1-800-699-5636. They will receive the name and phone number of a volunteer attorney. Callers will be eligible for a free legal consultation of up to 30 minutes, either by phone or in person.

Individuals whose applications for emergency assistance are rejected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be able to speak with an attorney about how to appeal the decision.

The Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) is coordinating the program in partnership with the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. They are working closely with local bar associations, legal assistance providers, community programs and local officials in storm-battered areas of the state.

Attorneys wishing to volunteer can visit  www.nysba.org/DisasterVolunteerSandy or call 518-463-3200.    

Hurricane Sandy Legal Relief Efforts from probono.net

Thanks to Yomi Ajaiyeoba, President of the Nigerian Lawyers Association, for passing this along:

As the process of recovery begins in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, at Pro Bono Net we express our deepest sympathy for those affected by this devastating natural disaster in New York, and beyond. Pro Bono Net stands ready to support the legal relief efforts that will come together over the next several weeks, and will keep you apprised of the latest developments. Several initiatives are already underway, including:

  • For Long Island-based lawyers: The Touro Law School in Central Islip is opening a Storm Help Center to provide referrals, assistance and legal advice for local residents and small businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Thomas Maligno, Executive Director, Touro Law School Public Interest Center at [email protected].
  • The New York State Bar Association is recruiting volunteer attorneys to provide free telephone consultations to individuals affected by Sandy. If you are able to help, please visit www.nysba.org/DisasterVolunteerSandy and complete a volunteer form.
  • In New York City, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) has mobilized a legal aid disaster relief program to help victims of the storm deal with a range of legal issues. To volunteer to provide pro bono legal assistance, please email [email protected].
  • LawHelp/NY is compiling a current list of disaster relief resources and information for New Yorkers at http://www.lawhelp.org/link.cfm?3607.
  • Pro Bono Net is collaborating with the American Bar Association, Legal Services Corporation, and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association on the National Disaster Legal Aid website (http://www.disasterlegalaid.org/), where Hurricane Sandy resources and information are being posted regularly.
  • Pro Bono Net is participating in a gathering at the City Bar of New York City legal services and pro bono leaders this coming Monday, November 5, 2012, to discuss coordination of relief efforts. Please join the NYC Pro Bono Center (http://www.probono.net/ny/nyc/jointhisarea/) to keep apprised of pro bono efforts as we move forward.

We would like to hear from you about other ways that we can serve the pro bono community and strengthen your efforts in this time of recovery – please contact me with your news and ideas at [email protected].

We look forward to your participation in this dynamic recovery process, and thank you for your commitment to helping the individuals, families, and institutions shaken by Hurricane Sandy.

Sincerely,

Adam Friedl
Pro Bono Coordinator | Pro Bono Net
212.760.2554 x 490 | [email protected]
probono.net | lawhelp.org
lawyers serving the public good