Kim’s Office Does Double Duty In Serving HEAP Clients
Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Whitestone, Flushing, Murray Hill) announced that for the fifth year in a row, his district office will also serve as an office for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).
HEAP is a federally funded program that provides financial assistance to both renters and homeowners, and can be used to help cover the costs for home heating equipment and repairs.
Eligibility for HEAP relies on a number of factors, including income, household size, primary heating source and whether a member of the household is under the age of 6, over the age of 60 or permanently disabled. For the upcoming winter, a family of four that has a household income of up to $4,457 a month may qualify for help. Applications are now being accepted, but assistance will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
“No one should be forced to make impossible decisions just to keep their family warm this winter. I encourage anyone who needs assistance to reach out and apply for HEAP. Your well-being and safety should never be at risk. I hope this announcement also serves as a reminder to the constituents who have applied in the past that they can once again do so at my office,” said Kim.
Kim’s office will be offering HEAP Application Assistance on Wednesdays & Thursdays every week by appointment from November until the middle of March. Translation services for those who speak Chinese or Korean will also be available.
Those interested can learn more about HEAP by visiting www.mybenefits.ny.gov or calling 1-800-692-0557. Anyone seeking to make an appointment to apply for HEAP may contact the district office of Assemblyman Ron Kim at 718-939-0195 or 136-20 38th Avenue, 10A, in Flushing.
Avella Grant for LGBT Community Center Makes Difference
State Senator Tony Avella (D-College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston, Floral Park) said yesterday that the $100,000 he fought for in this year’s budget to fund The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center has already had a huge impact.
Senator Avella’s funding has allowed “The Center” to hold over 75 career coaching sessions, 3 cycles of the immigration leadership and empowerment group – reaching over 325 LGBT immigrants, and 4 legal immigration workshops that reached 40 community members.
“I was extremely happy to be able to allocate this funding for the LGBT Community Center during the budget process but when they told me recently how this funding was able to transform their programming I was astonished. The work that the staff at The Center does for our state’s most vulnerable is unparalleled and I am honored to have helped them in any way. I look forward to working with The Center in the future and cannot wait to see the way their work impacts our city, state, and nation,” said Avella.
More information about The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center can be found at gaycenter.org.
Crowley Votes Against Government Funding Bill
U.S. Rep. and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-Sunnyside, Astoria, College Point, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona, Woodside, parts of the Bronx) yesterday announced he voted against the stopgap funding measure until mid-January, averting a government shutdown this weekend but kicking fights over issues like immigration, surveillance and health care into the new year.
“I made a promise to 800,000 DREAMers to fight for their security in the United States after they were put at risk by President Trump. I refuse to support a government funding bill that does not accomplish that goal,” said Crowley.
“Republicans are putting party before country and politics before morality with this funding bill. It does not adequately address the 9 million children whose health care is in jeopardy. It fails to fulfill our obligation to secure pensions for thousands of hardworking men and women. And it fails to provide the necessary support to the range of programs that lift up the middle class and working Americans.
“Republicans lack a strong and effective vision for this country. They spent months maneuvering a tax bill through Congress that benefits corporate special interests and the wealthiest Americans, while abandoning those who do the most to grow our economy—Americans who work paycheck-to-paycheck. The GOP’s singular focus on providing a political win to its base has left DREAMers, retirees, children, and other hardworking men and women without the support they need in the new year. This is not how responsible leaders govern.”
