Council Member Rosie Mendez

E-Blast

District 2, Manhattan

December 2012

Temporary Food Assistance Available to Affected Households in the Aftermath of Sandy: Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) guidelines allow for a higher income level than regular SNAP by providing a one-time benefit to those eligible.  Families who may not be eligible for SNAP should consider D-SNAP, as a family of four with an income that would normally be too high could be eligible depending on their amount of storm-related expenses. Please be aware that replacement of food lost as a result of Sandy cannot be counted as a disaster related expense.

To receive D-SNAP benefits, applicants must prove their identity and proof they lived in one of the affected zip codes on October 27th. They should also provide any relevant documentation regarding income, resources, and family composition, from October 27 to November 25. This information will be reviewed and independently verified. See zip codes below:

Please notice that people who receive recurring SNAP benefits and resided in the authorized zip codes on October 27, 2012, will automatically receive D-SNAP if the benefit amount received for November 2012 was less than the maximum amount allowed for their household size (please see table below). Current SNAP recipients should not come in to apply and will be turned away if they do. Current SNAP households who received the maximum SNAP benefit for the month of November will not receive a supplement.

D-SNAP MONTHLY INCOME GUIDELINES AND D-SNAP ALLOTMENT BASED ON HOUSEHOLD SIZE

Please be advised that Councilwoman Mendez, Congresswoman Velázquez and other elected officials are working together to advocate for additional zip codes to be included in the D-SNAP program. In addition, constituents should note that immigration status is not considered and applications may only be filed in person from December 12 to December 18, 2012 as follows:

December 12, 2012, at Downtown Brooklyn: 495 Clermont Ave., December 12 to December 18, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For the first 2 days, applicants will be accepted alphabetically, according to last names. Wednesday, December 12, only applicants with a last name beginning with A-M; Thursday, December 13, only applicants with a last name beginning with N-Z; all other days are open to all applicants, regardless of last name.

NYCHA is Hiring, Immediate Temporary Positions Available: NYCHA is hiring a team to support hurricane cleanup and outreach efforts in NYCHA developments. Individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy are strongly encouraged to apply. The temporary positions were created for the cleanup of NYCHA developments and community outreach to connect residents to critical resources in hurricane impacted areas. Candidates must be comfortable working outdoors for long periods of time. TO QUALIFY, CANDIDATES MUST BE UNEMPLOYED AND have lost employment as a result of Hurricane Sandy(temporarily or permanently) or have been unemployed for 27 consecutive weeks or more or have been laid off or terminated by their last employer or have received a notice of termination. Candidates who lost their job as a result of Hurricane Sandy and/or live in areas heavily impacted by the hurricane are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates must be able to pass drug screening and employment verification. Please visit this website to express your interest in attending a NYCHA Recruitment Event: http://bit.ly/nychasandyjobsles. The next NYCHA recruitment event will take place at the Campos Plaza Community Center 611 East 13th Street on December 14, 2012 from 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM. Candidates should have a valid Social Security Card and photo ID. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for individuals who lost their identification as a result of the storm.

7th Precinct Hosts Annual Toy Giveaway: On December 22nd from 10-2, the 7th Precinct will be giving away gifts to the local children. For more information please call  212-477-7311 or visit the 7th precinct at 19  ? Pitt Street.

9th Precinct Annual Children’s Christmas Event: The 9th precinct will be giving away holiday presents to every child who attends their event on Saturday, December 15th from 9AM to 1PM at 321 E. 5th Street. The event is sponsored by the 9th precinct community council and features a chance to meet Mr. & Mrs. Claus, refreshments and entertainment. For more details please contact the 9th Precinct Community Affairs at  212-477-7805.

Sign up for a Toy Giveaway: On Saturday, December 15th His Toy Store, a collaboration between Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s HOPE for New York and New Song Community Church in Harlem, will be giving away toys to low income families.  150 applications are available for low income parents to pick up free toys for their children from New Song Community Church.  The event will take place at the Triangle Building, 120th & 8th Avenue New York, NY  10027, from 10:00am – 3:00pm. For more details, Contact Pastor Vincent Deas at  212-749-6122 FREE  or call  646-283-0855 for an application.

God’s Love We Deliver is Seeking Volunteers on Christmas Eve:

God’s Love We Deliver, prepares and delivers nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. All of the services are provided free of charge without regard to income. Each Holiday Season the organization deliver a special meal (and one for a guest) to all of their clients throughout the Five Boroughs and parts of New Jersey – this special time is called Winter Feast. The organization is seeking drivers to deliver the meals this December 24th.  For more information or to sign up, please visit: http://godslove.vsyshost.com/vsys/app/LQLYXB37RBDUT667

Do you or Someone you Know Need a Warm Coat this Winter?: NY Cares will be distributing coats at the Manhattan locations listed below; you do not need a voucher to receive a coat. For more information, please visit www.newyorkcares.org or call 212.402-1173.

• Coalition for the Homeless 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays November 19th – January 18th at 108 East 51st St., between Park Ave. and Lexington Ave. Take E/M trains to Lexington Ave. or the 6 train to 51st St. Distribution vans located outside of St. Bartholomew’s Church.
• East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. Thursdays, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. November 19th – January 31st 161-169 East 110th St. – between Lexington Ave and Third Ave Take the 6 train to 110th St.

If you would like to donate a coat to NY Cares, please do so by visiting NY Care’s Coat Drive Warehouse, located at 157 W. 31st Street from 9Am to 4PM Monday through Friday. You may also ship your coats to The New York Cares Coat Drive 157 W 31st Street, Basement #2 New York, NY 10001.

Shop Local Shop LES: In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many local shops suffered a financial hardship due to lost income. This week and next, FAB NYC and the LES community encourage you to do your Holiday shopping with events like Rally Downtown and Midnight Wednesday in the East Village. Fab NYC has compiled a shopping list for places to get the most thoughtful presents in your neighborhood! For more details visit: http://fabnyc.org/