April 24th, 2013
Whether you have applied for FEMA or not — even if you were not eligible or were denied assistance — there may be local
resources available for you.
A trained, compassionate case manager can work one-on-one with you to:
- Answer your questions about recovery
- Develop a plan to address your needs
- Connect you with appropriate community resources
- Determine what financial assistance may be available to you
- Advocate on your behalf with service and benefit providers
Call Today – Help is Here:
855-258-0483
Monday – Friday: 9am to 5pm
Find Local Agencies for Help:
| AGENCY PHONE # |
| Bronx |
| BronxWorks |
718-508-3194 |
| Brooklyn |
| Arab-American Family Support Center |
718-643-8000 |
| Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled |
718-998-3000 |
| Brooklyn Community Services |
718-310-5620 |
| Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens |
718-722-6223 |
| Council of Peoples in Organization (COPO) |
718-434-3266 |
| Good Shepherd Services |
718-522-6910/6911 |
| Greater Chinatown Community Association |
212-374-1311 |
| Lutheran Social Services of New York |
718-942-4196 |
| Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty |
212-453-9539
917-281-6721 |
| Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton- Manhattan Beach |
347-689-1880/1817 |
| Manhattan |
| Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York |
855-258-0483 |
| Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) |
212-674-2300 |
| Greater Chinatown Community Association |
212-374-1311 |
| Queens |
| Arab-American Family Support Center |
718-643-8000 |
| Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens |
718-722-6223 |
| Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) |
646-442-4186
212-674-2300 |
| Greater Chinatown Community Association |
212-374-1311 |
| Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty |
212-453-9539
917-281-6721 |
| SCO Family of Services |
516-493-6457/5284 |
| Staten Island |
| Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York |
718-447-6330, ext. 121 |
| El Centro del Inmigrante |
718-420-6466 |
| Lutheran Social Services of New York |
718-942-4196 |
| JCC of Staten Island |
718-475-5213 |
| Long Island |
| Catholic Charities Diocese of Rockville Centre |
631-608-8883/8882 |
| Family Service League |
631-369-0104 |
| FEGS Health and Human Services |
516-496-7550, press 6 |
| Lutheran Social Services of New York |
516-483-3240 ext. 3030 |
| Hudson Valley |
| Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York |
845-344-4868 |
Additional service providers will be included.
The New York State Disaster Case Management Program is operated by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York under the auspices of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Office of Emergency Management and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Tags: Disaster case management Disaster relief, disaster recovery, families in crisis, families in need, Family emergency, FEMA, housing, Hurricane Sandy Fund, Hurricane Sandy Relief, sandy relief, Sandy survivors, Shelter
Posted in Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Staten Island, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Uncategorized | No Comments »
April 23rd, 2013
USCCB President says “Now is the Time” to reform Immigration system- Cardinal Dolan: Suffering of migrants must end
- Path to citizenship should be improved and families protected
- Enforcement should guarantee basic human rights
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), said in a press conference April 22 that “now is the time” to fix the nation’s broken immigration system. Cardinal Dolan was joined at the press conference by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, and Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chair of the USCCB Communications Committee.
“Let me say that now is the time to address this issue,” Cardinal Dolan said. “As we speak, persons are being deported and an untold number of families are being divided. Human beings continue to die in the American desert. This suffering must end.”
The Catholic Church has much to bring to the national immigration debate, given the Church’s history as an immigrant church, “having welcomed successive waves of immigrants into our parishes, social service programs, hospitals, and schools,” Cardinal Dolan said. “As the pastor of the archdiocese of perhaps the greatest immigrant city in the world, I know first-hand of the many efforts that have been made by the Catholic community on behalf of immigrants.”
He pledged to work with the sponsors of immigration legislation and other elected officials to “achieve the most humane legislation possible.”
In responding to recently introduced immigration reform legislation in the U.S. Senate, Archbishop Gomez said the path to citizenship for the undocumented population in the legislation is welcome, but certain requirements “could leave many behind, remaining in the shadows.” He pointed to the need to shorten the time required to obtain citizenship, to create a more generous cut-off date and to remove barriers for low-income migrants as areas for improvement.
“If the goal [of the legislation] is to solve the problem in a humane manner, then all undocumented persons should be able to participate,” Archbishop Gomez said. He also cited the need to preserve family unity as the cornerstone of the nation’s immigration system.
“This is an important and historic moment for our country and for the Church,” Archbishop Gomez added. “We hope to see the legislation improve and advance, and we will work toward that end. The lives of millions of our fellow human beings depend upon it.”
Bishop Wester said that eligibility for permanent status and citizenship should not be contingent upon enforcement initiatives contained in the legislation. He warned that it could create a de-facto permanent underclass.
Bishop Wester also called for the immigration debate to be conducted in a “civil and respectful” manner.
“This is an important and historic moment for our country and for the Church,” Archbishop Gomez concluded. “We hope to see the legislation improve and advance, and we will work toward that end. The lives of millions of our fellow human beings depend upon it.”
Tags: Archbishop José H. Gomez, Bishop John C. Wester, Bishop Wester, Catholic Church, Catholic community, immigration system, Los Angeles, migrants, parishes, social service programs, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, U.S. Senate, undocumented population, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB Committee on Migration, USCCB Communications Committee
Posted in Cardinal Dolan, New York City, Parishes, Policy and Advocacy, Uncategorized, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees | No Comments »
April 23rd, 2013
April 17, 2013
Continuing the Catholic Church’s longstanding commitment to immigration and immigrants, Archbishop Jose Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, released a statement of welcome for the immigration reform legislation introduced in the Senate today, and pledged that the bishops would carefully examine the bill and work with Congress to ensure that any final measure respects the dignity and basic human rights of migrants.
Here is an excerpt:
The introduction of U.S. Senate bipartisan legislation to reform the U.S. immigration system was welcomed by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, April 17. Archbishop Gomez also pledged that the U.S. bishops would carefully examine the legislation and work with Congress to ensure that any final measure respects the basic human rights and dignity of migrants.
“I welcome the introduction of legislation today in the U.S. Senate,” Archbishop Gomez said. “The U.S. bishops look forward to carefully examining the legislation and working with Congress to fashion a final bill that respects the basic human rights and dignity of newcomers to our land—migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable populations.”
Click here to read the whole press release on the USCCB website.
Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, also released a statement to the press today.
Here is his statement:
“We are hopeful that the filing of a bipartisan Senate bill on immigration seems, after many years, to make comprehensive immigration reform a real possibility. We appreciate the hard work of the group of Senators and others that has made this possible. We note with special pride and recognition the work of so many Catholic organizations and the leadership of the Bishops on this issue. While we are hopeful and supportive, the bill is complex and requires careful analysis. There will be opposition. We look forward to making suggestions for improving the bill to even better reflect our longstanding concerns for family unification, a fair, legal immigration system, protections for temporary workers, effective, yet humane border security and due process in enforcement. We look forward to working in partnership with many to ensure that this reform happens for a straightforward reason—concern for the common good of the nation and the well-being of individual immigrants and their families.”
Click here to learn how Catholic Charities is helping immigrants and their families.
Tags: Committee on Migration, comprehensive immigration reform, Immigration Reform, reform legislation, US Conference of Catholic Bishops
Posted in Archdiocese News, Cardinal Dolan, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Parishes, Policy and Advocacy, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
April 23rd, 2013
By Alice Kenny
The widow of a Marine Corps veteran, Tanya Thomas knows firsthand about pain and loss. Now as the first graduate of Grace Institute’s training program for female veterans and their families — and after landing a job at Catholic Charities — she knows firsthand about success.
Tanya stands among a growing number of female veterans and military spouses who took a disproportionate hit during the Great Recession and battle homelessness and unemployment. The jobless rate for female Gulf-War era veterans has been stuck at nearly 13 percent for the past two years, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“I can’t begin to say what a gift going to Grace and getting a job like this is,” Tanya said. ”It’s helping me build my future.”
When her children were ages two and four, her husband, U.S. Marine Dwight Anthony Thomas, developed a blood clot in his brain that ultimately killed him.
“I couldn’t get out of bed after he died,” she said. “It’s been a long road back to enjoying life.”
Then, when cancer claimed the life of Tanya’s aunt, Tanya took on the responsibility of caring for her aunt’s two teenage children as well.
“We were basically a house of widows and orphans,” Tanya said.
Fortunately Tanya found out about Grace Institute’s new program for female veterans and their families. The program, supported in part by the Clinton Global Initiative, is designed to hone the work skills of this underserved population and help them find work.
“Our commitment to helping veterans, never ends” says Jolene Varley Handy, a Senior Director at Catholic Charities affiliate Grace Institute, “because their commitment to our country never ends.”
Grace Institute, an affiliate of Catholic Charities, has been providing tuition-free job training skills for women in New York City for more than 100 years. Its new program builds on this success, working with military spouses and family members to assist with the transition to life off the base. The program includes intensive computer, business writing and career development classes. It prepares students for interviews and draws on its extensive lists of employer contacts to arrange meetings and help the students find work.
Tanya landed a job as soon as she graduated. She now works as a case manager with Catholic Charities. Her specialty is eviction prevention.
“It’s great to assist people with empowering themselves,” she said. “I know the feeling from both ends.”
If you are a female veteran or family member and would like to take advantage of this tuition-free program:
If you are a New York City employer seeking trained, responsible staff:
Tags: Blue Star program, Clinton Global Initiative, Dwight Anthony Thomas, eviction prevention, grace institute, Great Recession, Gulf-War, homelessness, job training, Jolene Varley Handy, Marine Corps, Tanya Thomas, training program, Tuition Free, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Marine, unemployment, veteran
Posted in Agencies, Policy and Advocacy, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Supporting the Physically and Emotionally Challenged, Uncategorized, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Tapping in on Earth Day, Catholic Community Services of Rockland (CCSR) announces its new program, “Produce the Produce,” to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to hungry children, individuals and families in Rockland County.
“Whether from our own garden, grocery store or farmers’ market, most of us have access we take for granted to fresh fruits and vegetables but those who are poor have neither,” says CCSR Executive Director Martha Robles.
“We are committed to changing that in Rockland with a bold, new and fresh initiative,” she adds, “and invite you to be a part of it.”
This proactive effort will put more freshly grown fruits and vegetables on the tables of people in need. CCSR plans to serve as a catalyst to engage other community and parish gardens to participate in “Produce the Produce.” It will also provide a central location where local farmers markets and common citizens can donate the fresh fruits and vegetables they grow.
The idea was “cultivated” from CCSR’s expanded community produce garden in Haverstraw. This garden, nicknamed the “Garden of Love,” has already produced more than 6,000 lbs. of fresh produce that has been distributed to participants enrolled in the CCSR Food Pantry. In addition to saving money, the Garden of Love helps feed our neighbors, while teaching members of the community how to grow their own food.
To ensure a plentiful bounty, Produce the Produce was formally announced during the 4th Annual Blessing of the Soil at CCSR, 78 Hudson Ave in Haverstraw, New York on April 20.
During this time of economic uncertainty, demand for the food pantries continues to grow. Fortunately, the CCSR garden’s bounty is growing as well. Seasonal cooking demonstrations that use fresh ingredients from the bounty harvested from the “Garden of Love” are also available.
At Catholic Community Services of Rockland, no one is ever turned away from receiving food. Please call 845 942-5791 during office hours to register.
Tags: Catholic Community Services of Rockland, community gardening, community produce, Executive Director Martha Robles, families, Food Pantry, Garden of Love, gardening, Haverstraw, hungry children, individuals, parish gardens, Produce the Produce, Rockland
Posted in Agencies, Events, Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, Hudson Valley, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Parishes, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
April 19th, 2013
A. There are no new laws yet and no “amnesty;” all we have is a bill in the Senate. We are still many months away – if not longer – from any new laws. You can call us at 800-566-7636 to check if the law has passed; we’ll be happy to answer your calls.This Senate bill is only the beginning of the conversation. There will be a long time before we know what the law looks like and before anyone can apply for anything.
B. In the meantime you should NOT give anyone money to any notarios, agencies, or lawyers to prepare an application or help them gather documents. Once we have a Comprehensive Immigration Reform law, there will be many reliable agencies that will help people at low cost and possibly for free. There is no need to pay thousands of dollars now.
C. What you can do is to start preparing on your own in the following ways:
i. Start a box of important documents, including:
1. Identity documents;
2. Evidence of when you came to the US and how long you have been here (the date in the Senate bill is December 31, 2011, but people who came to the US before they turned 16 and would qualify under the DREAM Act, should gather evidence for all those years that they have been living in the US);
3. Evidence of any trips outside the US after the first arrival (evidence of how long they were out of the US);
4. Evidence of work (particularly if you are an undocumented farm worker) or education in the US (particularly for DREAM Act-eligible kids);
5. Copies of any applications you already made to INS/USCIS;
6. If ever arrested, get the certificates of disposition, because those with certain serious convictions will not be eligible to apply, so you will need to show those conviction records to an attorney.
ii. Start learning English;
iii. US citizens who want to sponsor their siblings should talk to an attorney about starting the process now (the Senate bill proposes to eliminate visas for siblings of US citizens – but that can also change);
iv. Save money because there will be penalty fees (Senate bill says $2000, to be paid in stages) in addition to application fees.
Tags: campaign, Catholic Charities, CIR, comprehensive immigration reform, immigrant community, immigrants, immigration, Immigration Reform, immigration status, immigration system, Justice for Immigrants, Legal Services for Immigrants, naturalization cases, New York State New Americans Hotline, NYS New Americans Hotline, Obtaining Work Authorization, Policy and Advocacy, Preventing Exploitation, refugee, Refugee Act, Refugee Resettlement Program, Reuniting Families, Seeking Asylum, Senate bill, Teaching English and Civics, Undocumented citizens, Undocumented workers, Visa
Posted in Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees | No Comments »
April 19th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
From the Pee Wee Dash to the Boys Long Jump, children representing eight parish teams competed in the first Developmental Track Meet of season on Sunday, April 14. Two dozen “CYO unattached” runners (CYO children in parishes currently not fielding a track team) joined 225 CYO members on – finally — this perfect, sunny spring day.
They raced and received medals at the top-tier facility Mount St Michael Academy in the Bronx.
CYO has been working hard to provide a great experience for the children of the CYO Track & Field Community. With the addition of clinics with Olympic Athletes and new meets and events in some of the metropolitan region’s top facilities, CYO hopes to build upon the momentum gained over the past year.
Registration is now open for the April 21 CYO Developmental Clinic and Track Meet. It will be held at Mt. Saint Michael Academy, 4300 Murdock Ave., Bronx, NY 10466.
The Iona College track team will be offering a pre-meet clinic for CYO athletes starting at 12:30 pm.
(Use this registration if your parish does not have a track program but you are a member of a parish or school, grades K-8 of the Archdiocese of NY)
(Use this registration link if you are the team coach or parish coordinator.
Registration is done on ny.milesplit.com . This is open for ALL CYO Programs.)
Tags: Boys Long Jump, Bronx, clinics, community, CYO, Developmental Track Meet, Iona College, Mount St Michael Academy, Olympic Athletes, Pee Wee Dash, Track & Field
Posted in Events, New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Uncategorized | No Comments »
April 19th, 2013
Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, representing Timothy Cardinal Dolan, shook hands with Senator Chuck Schumer at the formal presentation of the bi-partisan Senate bill on comprehensive immigration reform at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Thursday April 18, 2013.
“The presence of so many diverse groups at the introduction of this bi-partisan bill shows that immigration reform is not about narrow self-interest, but the common good of the nation,” Msgr. Sullivan said.
“The Catholic Church, and in a particular way Catholic Charities, partners with many to promote just policies and provide compassionate services that enable our neighbors to live in dignity as made in God’s image. We understand there are different opinions on this important issue. We will listen, and talk together to move forward to reform our broken immigration system. The good of our country and of individual neighbors and their families demand our commitment. ”
Looking for information about Comprehensive Immigration Reform?
Catholic Charities is here to help.
Contact us now.
Call Catholic Charities at New York State New Americans Hotline: 1-800-566-7636
Tags: Catholic Charities, comprehensive immigration reform, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, Immigration Reform, immigration system, Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, New York State New Americans Hotline, Senate bill, Senator Chuck Schumer, The Catholic Church, timothy cardinal dolan
Posted in Cardinal Dolan, Events, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Policy and Advocacy, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
April 18th, 2013
Msgr. Sullivan meets with immigrants before leaving for D.C. for the presentation of the bi-partisan Senate immigration reform bill.
“We are hopeful that the filing of a bipartisan Senate bill on immigration seems, after many years, to make comprehensive immigration reform a real possibility. We appreciate the hard work of the group of Senators and others that has made this possible. We note with special pride and recognition the work of so many Catholic organizations and the leadership of the Bishops on this issue. While we are hopeful and supportive, the bill is complex and requires careful analysis. There will be opposition. We look forward to making suggestions for improving the bill to even better reflect our longstanding concerns for family unification, a fair, legal immigration system, protections for temporary workers, effective, yet humane border security and due process in enforcement. We look forward to working in partnership with many to ensure that this reform happens for a straightforward reason—concern for the common good of the nation and the well-being of individual immigrants and their families.”
- Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York
Tags: campaign, immigrant community, immigrants, immigration, Immigration Reform, immigration status, Justice for Immigrants, Legal Services for Immigrants, naturalization cases, New York State New Americans Hotline, NYS New Americans Hotline, Obtaining Work Authorization, Policy and Advocacy, Preventing Exploitation, refugee, Refugee Act, Refugee Resettlement Program, Reuniting Families, Seeking Asylum, Senate bill, Teaching English and Civics, Undocumented citizens, Undocumented workers, Visa
Posted in Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
April 18th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Erin Smith spends her nights at a relative’s house and her days repairing her hurricane–torn home in South Beach.
She said that dealing with different government agencies after the storm was a daunting task.
“It was so overwhelming it made you want to throw in the towel,” Smith says as she walks from gutted to freshly painted rooms in her bungalow during a recent interview aired on NY1.
Catholic Charities announced last week that $38.5 million in federal funding has been allocated to its disaster recovery program with the help of Governor Cuomo. The program is modeled after a similar one run by Catholic Charities in 34 counties across New York State following Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.
The Sandy recovery program will provide more caseworkers who can help local residents on Staten Island and throughout the city tackle a variety of tasks to cope with the hurricane’s consequences.
Eligibility is open to anyone with an unmet need that arose from or was exacerbated by Superstorm Sandy, even those who have not applied to FEMA for assistance.
Two months ago, Smith was referred to Catholic Charities caseworker MaryEllen Ferrera. The agency has about a dozen caseworkers on Staten Island who provide free assistance to homeowners hurt by Hurricane Sandy. Funds are allocated to the agency through a federal disaster assistance program.
Ferrera helped Smith get supplies and gift cards to rebuild her home. She has also reached out to government agencies on her behalf
“We get to know directors in positions to help and push through applications for our clients,” Ferrera says.
Smith says FEMA denied her applications several times. Ferrera intervened to successfully file an appeal. Finally, Smith received a FEMA grant.
Smith says her caseworker has not only helped her get help, she’s become a mentor and a friend.
It feels that I have somebody that’s going to have my back,” Smith says.
Check out the video on NY1.
Looking for help?
Call 1-855-258-0483
Or visit www.catholiccharitiesny.org.
Tags: Catholic Charities caseworker, disaster recovery, disaster relief, federal funding, FEMA, government agencies, Governor Cuomo, Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Sandy, MaryEllen Ferrera, NY1, program, Sandy recovery program, South Beach, Superstorm Sandy, Tropical Storm Lee
Posted in Parishes, Staten Island, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
