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Dear John,
* Our team is currently searching for a new office in our updated district lines! For the time being, we are unable to offer in-person appointments with extremely limited exceptions. If you need help, call us at (718) 499-1090 or send us an email at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
* A reminder that starting on Friday, 3/1, all businesses must use bins with secure lids when setting out trash. This is an important step in keeping our streets clean! All trash must be in a secured bin when set out on the curb. This requirement doesn't apply if your trash is collected from a loading dock. Check out theDSNY website ([link removed]) for questions and more information.
* 3-K and Pre-K applications are now open for fall 2024 and are due 3/1! You can apply in one of three ways, online with MySchools.nyc ([link removed]) , over the phone at 718-935-2009 Monday-Friday between 8 AM and 6 PM, or contact a Family Welcome Center ([link removed]) . If you have questions about the process or need help applying, please contact our office at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

100 New Trees For Our Neighborhoods

That’s right – we’re bringing 100 new trees to District 39 and you get to help us pick where they go! Starting today, we’re accepting community feedback for where 100 new trees should be planted across our community. All proposed locations will be vetted by the Parks Department to make sure they meet the criteria for planting, so all you need to do to recommend a location is to input it into this form. ([link removed]) The form will be open until June of this year, so you have plenty of time to submit a block if you aren’t sure yet.

Please note: we can only accept a block area for tree planting. For example, 6th Avenue between 5th and 2nd Street is great, but “Gowanus” or “7th Avenue” won’t be helpful. You can also recommend a school and don’t need to specify a block (for example: putting down around PS 179 will work). Once we have all the locations, we’ll hand them over to a forester who works with the Parks Department to determine which submitted blocks are eligible for tree planting. We’ll send out more information as this process continues, but the tree planting should begin sometime in 2025. This initiative won on the Participatory Budgeting ballot last year and we are so excited to begin bringing the project to life. Let us know if you have any questions. I can’t wait to see everyone’s ideas!

International Mother Language Day

This past Wednesday our Bangladeshi neighbors commemorated Mother Language Day, which is globally recognized as International Mother Language Day. Prior to Bangladesh’s independence, the Bangla language was outlawed from governmental operations, excluding a whole constituency from participating in civic life and more. This rightfully led to mass discontent and protest. Student and language activists led demonstrations for Bangla to be instated as one of the national languages, which resulted in police violence and brutality. We honor the martyrs who died on that day in the fight to protect and preserve Bangla.

I take great pride in representing the largest Bangladeshi immigrant community in Brooklyn and have prioritized advancing language access across city services. As a first-generation Bangladeshi in the diaspora, I am honored to belong to a city with rich linguistic diversity, home to over 200 different languages.

I’m privileged to carry on the legacy of my ancestors right here in NYC for language justice as your Council Member. This Council has successfully supported measures to make it easier for our immigrant families, students, older adults, and small business owners to navigate city services in their languages, held hearings to make sure city agencies are enforcing Local Law 30-NYC’s Language Access Law, invested in bilingual and biliteracy education programs in our public schools, adult literacy programs, and more. In my first term, we moved to create worker-owned language access cooperatives to serve African, Asian, and indigenous Latin American communities. We secured funding for a community legal interpreter bank. There’s still much more to do, and I remain committed to ensuring that no New Yorker is left behind due to language barriers. Language access is an issue of survival.

SAVE THE DATE: Rally to End the Mayor’s 30 & 60-Day Rules!

Friday, March 1st at 9 AM on the steps of City Hall: I’ll be hosting a rally to speak out against the Mayor’s 30 and 60-day rules. I’ll be joined by a coalition of elected officials and outspoken advocates including NYIC, VOCAL, NYJA, Malikah, and more calling on the Mayor to revoke this harsh directive that has further uprooted the lives of asylum-seeking adults and children, including students at schools in our district. The rally will be immediately followed by aCommittee on General Welfare Hearing ([link removed]) on my bill ([link removed]) that will prohibit the administration from imposing caps on shelter stays. Register to testify at the hearing using this link ([link removed]) .

Community Bulletin
* Check out tets.org for a range of free technology resources, including educational classes, job training, and job opportunities.
* Don’t wait until 4/15 to file your taxes! NYC Free Tax Prep offers a variety of free tax prep options, including in-person, virtual, and drop-off options. For more information, contact 311 or visit nyc.gov/TaxPrep.
* The deadline for the2024 NYC Votes Youth Ambassador Program ([link removed]) was extended to 2/29! If you’re a young New Yorker who is passionate about civic engagement and voting, consider applying for this paid opportunity to help build a more inclusive City.
* If you’re having problems with your apartment, your lease, or your landlord, come speak with a tenants’ rights lawyer and tenant organizer for free at the Park Slope Library’s Tenant Q&A table on Tuesday, 2/27 from 3-6 PM.
* Our office is planning a job and volunteer fair for high school students in March! If you are a local employer that will be looking to fill summer jobs, internships, or volunteer opportunities, please fill out our interest form ([link removed]) . Let us know if you have any questions or if you need support with the application.
* The Summer Youth Employment Program application ([link removed]) is open! This summer, young New Yorkers, ages 14 to 24, can get six weeks of paid work experience in a variety of relevant fields. The application closes on 3/1, so make sure to apply before then.
* NY-Presbyterian Mini-Grant Application ([link removed]) is open now through 3/8 for CBOs whose programming supports health and wellness for communities across the City.

In Solidarity,

Shahana

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