Dear Neighbors,

As an Italian-American, I would like to wish you and your families a very happy Columbus Day. Every year, we all come together to celebrate what the Italian American community is all about – family, faith, pride in our country and always celebrating our heritage. Together we take pride in all the achievements and contributions that our Italian-American brothers and sisters have made to our great City, State and Country. Today I reflected on all the years that my father and brother and I marched proudly to share our culture with New York City I hope that you have enjoyed the holiday weekend!

As we continue our work to stop the spread of COVID-19, please remember: by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, looking after our seniors and most vulnerable neighbors, and getting vaccinated we can continue to stay well and overcome this pandemic.

Please find below the latest news and resources to stay informed.

Thank you and stay well,

Council Member Paul Vallone
 
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Council Member Vallone Sponsors Halloween Family Fun Event with NYPD and Parks Department

Council Member Vallone worked with NYC Parks, the NYPD, and the Center for the Women of New York to create a halloween family fun evening in Fort Totten on October 23rd. As we cautiously move forward to recovery from this pandemic, events like these are key to restoring comfort and community to our city.

"I am proud to support this Halloween celebration for everyone in our community" said Council Member Vallone, "It is truly wonderful that we are able to come together and create a wonderful event for families in our community"

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Parks Deparment Holding Community Input Meeting on New Park in Bay Terrace

This week NYC parks will be hosting an input session on the new park that will be built in Bay Terrace. This is the first new park in our district in decades, and community input is key to a successful project.

"After eight years of service to my community and my neighbors, securing funding and support for a brand new park in our district is one of the greatest achievements of my time in council." said Council Member Vallone, "I am glad that the community will have the opportunity to express their views on how to make this park a success, and a favorite of children for years to come!"

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Vallone Introduces Bill to Improve City's Connections with Minority Owned Businesses

On Thursday October 7th, Council Member Vallone introduced int. 2428, This bill would require agencies to conduct outreach and education tailored to businesses in minority- and women-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) categories for which agencies fail to achieve M/WBE utilization goals. Agencies would utilize the Office of Ethnic and Community Media and community-based organizations to conduct the outreach and education, which would inform businesses about issues related to agency procurement. This bill would also make technical amendments related to the numbering and headings of certain sections of the contracts and purchases chapter of the Administrative Code.

"It is important that we are vigilant to ensure that our existing equity programs are monitored for efficacy and updated as we learn more about how they perform." said Council Member Vallone. "The M/WBE program has been wildly sucessful for many in our city, but we must repairs the binld spots and ensure that it works for all who need it."

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KCS Now Open to All 12+ for Walk-in Vaccinations

The Korean Community Services Center is now open to walk in vaccinations to those 12 and over!

If you know If you know someone who is 12 years or older and is still in need of a COVID vaccine, please encourage them to get vaccinated!

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Grab and Go Meals for ALL

Even when school buildings are closed, free meals are still available at NYC Schools Meal Hubs!

To find a location near you visit http://schools.nyc.gov/freemeals
or text "NYC FOOD" to 877-877.

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Food Pantry Assistance

Our local food pantries in College Point, Flushing and Whitestone are offering assistance to hundreds of families and need our help. Please donate if you are able and spread the word! Thank you CEC D25!

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College Point Residents Organize Fundraiser to Deliver Meals

As our City continues to battle the effects of COVID-19, Northeast Queens residents continue to organize and offer a helping hand. College Point residents Jennifer Shannon, Cathy Shannon, James & Kathryn Cervino, and Margaret Loughlin have stepped up and launched a fundraiser to help College Point residents who are in need of food.

Organizers write: "We have been going strong throughout the summer, helping to keep the food pantry alive at First Reformed Church in CP. Thanks to generous donations from the community, businesses, and city partners, we have been helping the community throughout these difficult Covid times...Our focus has now fully shifted from thanking workers, which was a wonderful initiative, to supporting the food pantry."

I was proud to contribute to this local effort. Please offer a helping hand if you are able!

Find more information on GoFundMe

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