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,
SarahSarah 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
Important Information – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
From NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I’m sure you’ve heard about President Obama’s new program for undocumented youth, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The following message and attached documents outline vital information about this new initiative.
Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is a new federal immigration process that allows certain undocumented young people to request temporary deportation relief and work authorization from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The City estimates that 50,000 to 60,000 New Yorkers may be able to request deferred action.
In order to show that they meet the criteria, Deferred Action applicants will need to submit verifiable documentation to the federal government with their applications. They may be able to get some of the documents they need from City agencies. Attached is a one-page flyer that highlights the types of documents the City can provide to individuals who have records on file, along with instructions on how to access those documents. I have also attached flyers in English and Spanish created by USCIS to show the eligibility criteria and application process.
Please note: unlike the DREAM Act, Deferred Action is not legal status, and it does not provide a pathway to obtaining a green card or citizenship. For more information about Deferred Action, including where to find free legal assistance and how to avoid and report immigration scams, please call 311 or visit NYC.gov.
All the best,
Sarah
Sarah Flatto | One NYC One Nation Coordinator | NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
212-341-9075 | 646-409-3116 |nyc.gov/immigrants | *[email protected]