QBP RICHARDS TO HOST IMMIGRANT RESOURCE FAIR IN ELMHURST

Saturday, September 25 from 10AM-3PM at St. James Episcopal Church

(September 21, 2021 at 10:30am)

QUEENS, NY – Deepening his steadfast commitment to ensure immigration services are widely and easily accessible for the more than 1 million immigrants who call The World’s Borough home, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. will host an Immigrant Resource Fair on Saturday, September 25 from 10AM to 3PM at St. James Episcopal Church, located at 84-07 Broadway in Elmhurst.

“We could not be prouder to bring our administration’s first Immigrant Resource Fair to Elmhurst, one of our borough’s most diverse neighborhoods, to meet families in need of resources directly where they live,” said Borough President RICHARDS. “With a wide range of community-based organizations on-hand offering critical services, including Excluded Workers Fund application assistance, we encourage anyone seeking the immigration-related resources they deserve to join us on September 25. We are here for you.”

Participants at Borough President Richards’ Immigrant Resource Fair include representatives from numerous community-based organizations and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, who will be able to connect Queens residents with the important information and services they need.

Application assistance for those interested in applying for the New York State Excluded Workers Fund — a one-time payment program for immigrant residents who lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic but were ineligible for various federal unemployment and pandemic relief benefits — will be available. Residents can pre-register to receive that assistance by clicking here, and those interested in applying are asked to bring any and all appropriate documents. Personal information will be kept confidential and will be used solely for eligibility determination purposes.

A NYC Health + Hospitals mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit will also be stationed outside the Resource fair, while a mobile IDNYC unit be on-site to provide enrollment services for Queens residents in need of identification. Other City agencies include the NYC Commission on Human Rights, the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and the NYC Emergency Management.

The Immigrant Resource Fair comes four months after Borough President Richards launched a first-of-its-kind Immigrant Welcome Center at Queens Borough Hall and just two weeks after the Borough President announced a partnership with Community Mediation Services and CUNY Citizenship Now! to provide weekly in-person services at the Center for the more than 1 million immigrants who call Queens home.

Open on weekdays from 9AM to 5PM, the Immigrant Welcome Center can be contacted via phone at 718-286-0644 and via email at [email protected]. In-person visits are by appointment only. Additional information about Borough President Richards’ Immigrant Welcome Center can be found at the Center’s dedicated webpage www.queensbp.org/immigrantwelcomecenter, complete with a community calendar and links to a wide array of resources.

“In partnership with Health + Hospitals, IDNYC, the Commission on Human Rights, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) continues to directly engage with and uplift our diverse immigrant communities, bringing resources and program accessibility to the residents of Queens,” said Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner RAQUEL BATISTA. “MOIA is proud to partner with the Queens Borough President’s office on this immigrant resource fair, and encourages all New Yorkers to attend.”

“Our City is a city of immigrants and our agency actively works to ensure all immigrant New Yorkers are aware of their rights as workers and consumers in New York City,” said NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner PETER A. HATCH. “We are happy to join Queens Borough President Richards to share important City resources and show that our City is committed to supporting and protecting its diverse communities.”

“As the daughter of immigrants, I know firsthand the important role that immigrant communities play here in the World’s Borough,” said Congresswoman GRACE MENG. “Immigrants make enormous contributions to Queens. They contribute to our economy and enhance our neighborhoods. We must make sure that immigrants from our borough have access to the services they need, and this upcoming resource fair will help ensure that they can find the resources they need. Thanks to Borough President Richards for spearheading this important event.”

“If New York City is the ultimate city of immigrants, The World’s Borough its physical manifestation, with over 160 languages spoken in Queens,” said State Senator JESSICA RAMOS. “Too many of our neighbors were shut out of meaningful relief due to their documentation status, but help is finally here. Come to the Immigrant Resource Fair at St. James Episcopal Church on Saturday from 10AM-3PMto apply for the Excluded Workers Fund, get connected to immigration-related support and other resources available to all New Yorkers who call our city home.”

“I am thrilled to be a sponsor of the Immigrant Resource Fair hosted by Borough President Richards and his team,” said Assemblymember CATALINA CRUZ. “Our immigrant neighbors deserve the opportunity to not only to survive, but to thrive, in our great borough. Borough President Richards has reaffirmed his commitment to the success and diversity of Queens, and I am honored to be a part of this inaugural event.”

“Queens is the home to people from over 200 counties all over the world. We must support each other and that’s what this borough-wide Immigration Resource Fair will do” said Assemblymember JESSICA GONZALEZ-ROJAS. “I’m so proud to co-sponsor this event along with my colleagues in government, city agencies, and community-based organizations to provide information on and referral to services for our communities, including Emergency Rental Assistance, the Excluded Workers Fund and more. We are always stronger when united so I hope our neighbors will come out and join us on September 25.”

“We are looking forward to providing multilingual assistance to residents of Elmhurst and surrounding communities during the Queens Borough President’s upcoming Resource Fair,” said Asian Americans for Equality Managing Director of Community Services EMILY RIOS. “It’s especially crucial that low-income immigrant community members have the necessary tools to apply for the state’s Excluded Workers Fund and Emergency Rental Assistance Program, and AAFE will be prepared to facilitate these applications. We thank Borough President Richards for his dedication to immigrant community services in Queens.” 

“The pandemic has caused a massive increase in domestic violence cases, while unemployment also causes tension at home, leading to more child abuse cases. Moreover, families with mental health patients are deeply affected as well,” said Garden of Hope Executive Director YUANFEN KRISTEN CHI. “Garden of Hope’s bilingual team understands the Chinese immigrant’s experience, culture, and heritage and is trained in cultural competency. All services are free.”

Queens continues to be the city’s hub for immigrants from all walks of life, and the Immigrant Resource Fair will bring much-needed resources for immigrant families to their communities,” said Hispanic Federation Vice President for Program Strategy and Impact JESSICA GUZMAN. “Hispanic Federation is proud to work alongside Queens Borough President Donovan Richards to expand access to resources such as the Excluded Worker’s Fund, vaccines, IDNYC, and much more to our Queens community.”

“Street Vendor Project is proud to partner with Borough President Richards to serve our immigrant community in the Immigrant Resource Fair in Elmhurst. Our community members need to be connected to the resources available to them including the Excluded Workers Fund that our essential excluded workers fought for and desperately need now.” said Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center Managing Director MOHAMED ATTIA. “We hope our neighbors in Queens join us that day and learn about the services available to them.”

“Womankind is excited to continue our partnership with Borough President Richards Jr, the borough president’s office, and other important organizations in the Queens community to bring invaluable resources to survivors of gender-based violence at the Immigrant Resource Fair on September 25,” said Womankind Associate Director of Community Programs SASHA-ANN FRAZER. “We hope to work together with all parts of this community to innovate towards collective well-being, restoration, and social justice. Thank you to Borough President Richards and the Immigrant Welcome Center for centering and meeting the needs of all the immigrant communities and all survivors of gender-based violence.”

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