New York, NY – Earlier today, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein announced a $300,000 investment in community organizations serving Assembly District 74. This investment of state funding for twelve community organizations was secured as a result of the advocacy of the Assemblymember, reflecting his deep commitment to addressing critical needs in our neighborhood.

The investment will fund 12 programs:

• Trinity’s Services and Food for the Homeless, Vision Urbana, and Father’s Heart Ministries – providing food assistance for neighbors in need
• Dorill Initiative and Fourth Avenue Arts Block – funding arts programs for socioeconomically disadvantaged young people who may otherwise not have the opportunity to experience the arts
• University Settlement Families Thriving Program – eliminating barriers to mental health treatment for low-income families
• Cooper Square Community Development Committee – preserving affordable housing and protecting tenants in our neighborhood
• Loisaida – advancing Puerto Rican arts and culture, hosting a Summer Movies in the Park series in Tompkins Square Park, elevating local filmmakers, and creating and advancing local arts and community activities
• The Lower East Side Girls Club – empowering young people on the Lower East Side through arts, civic engagement, and wellness programming
• Lower East Side Ecology Center – facilitating food scrap and electronic waste recycling
• Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association and New York City H2O – beautifying parks in our community and organizing events to enrich peoples’ lives through access to green space and cultural programming

Organizations present celebrated the investment and discussed plans for how the funding will serve the community. Assemblymember Epstein unveiled a big check to celebrate this investment.

“We can build a stronger, more engaged community when we work together to make sure that everyone is lifted,” said Assembly Member Harvey Epstein. “In the 74th Assembly District, we have a variety of incredible community organizations that work to make our neighborhood stronger. From promoting access to green spaces to feeding our neighbors, I am proud to have secured $300,000 in state funding to bring back to our community and serve my constituents”.

“As food insecurity continues to rise, we are witnessing an increasing number of individuals seeking our assistance. We are deeply grateful for the generous funds provided by Harvey Epstein's office. These funds will enable us to serve a hot breakfast to over 1,000 guests each week and provide more than 1,000 food pantry bags weekly, each containing at least 12 meals with a mix of fresh and frozen foods. Additionally, we offer a hot meal to asylum seekers weekly and supply toiletries when available. Understanding that many of our guests have needs beyond food, we also provide a range of support services, including a social services resource desk, ESL and GED tutoring, and a new community space in our auditorium where guests can enjoy coffee and muffins while discussing further ways we can assist them” said Father’s Heart Ministry’s Executive Director Marian Hutchins.

"Vision Urbana is an NYC-registered Emergency Food Relief Organization (EFRO) ever since 2017 and beginning in 2020, the organization has become one of the largest weekly distribution of pantries to public housing families and seniors on the Lower East Side through a volunteer base consisting of more than 12 NYCHA Tenant Associations, faith-based volunteers and volunteer organizations like New York Cares which make possible the home delivery, on-site pick-up and fresh produce distribution to reach over 1,200 households weekly living in NYCHA and section 8 public housing developments across several Assembly Districts including AD74. Vision Urbana operates in partnership with major food banks including the Foodbank for NYC, United Way of NYC, and City Harvest, with partnerships including the Hispanic Federation and donation requests for prepared meals through local vendors, restaurants, and our DonateNYC listing. VU maintains its own robust database of Pantry participant individuals and families, to readily communicate with Pantry members and clients as to Pantry deliveries and solicit feedback regarding our services and their needs. In addition to food security, we offer monthly community-wide community forums on health and nutrition and virtual health presentations weekly. When the Coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020, Vision Urbana immediately transitioned its traditional onsite Emergency Pantry program model to pioneer and quickly champion a coordinated volunteer-based home delivery food distribution model we named 'Pantry Express,' targeting older adults and homebound residents. Assemblymember Harvey Epstein has volunteered since the first month and helped connect Vision Urbana to additional resources in an effort to sustain this needed service in the community. Today we highlight how this model works, is deserving of investment, and celebrate the allocation of funds from his office to continue feeding our communities most in need in AD74." said Eric Diaz, Executive Director of Vision Urbana, Inc.

“This grant from the Assembly ensures that we have the necessary food and staff on hand to distribute the food. We distribute over 200,000 meals annually to East Village residents and beyond. These funds will go towards fresh and nutritious meals that will feed the homeless, the underemployed, children and families, and all who face food insecurity” said Trinity Services and Food for the Homeless Executive Director Alex Lawrence.

"Fourth Art Block (FABnyc) is a team of artists and organizers working to preserve, strengthen, and grow the cultural vibrancy of the Lower East Side. Many thanks to Assemblymember Epstein for this generous grant! We plan to use this funding to support free outdoor art programs in the Lower East Side at NYCHA Family Days and the Avenue B Open Street, organize and celebrate Lower East Side History Month, coordinate the LES Arts Open House, and sustain our Young Artists of Color Fellowship” said Ryan Gilliam, Executive Director of FABnyc.

“As we lead innovative and community-driven solutions to address the public mental health and human services workforce crises, Assembly Member Epstein's critical investment in Families Thriving will deepen our impact. With this support, we can extend our services to more families, engaging them directly in their homes, schools, and community settings. This funding will also allow us to further expand our groundbreaking collaboration with School District 1, building a promising and scalable model for NYC Public Schools. The robust mental health continuum at University Settlement supports families, increases the consistency of services and our neighbors’ engagement with them, prevents cycles of hospitalization and system involvement, and creates community care. We are deeply grateful to Assembly Member Epstein for his commitment to our shared value of democratizing mental health” said Barbra DiGangi, Director of Community Wellness Initiatives at University Settlement.

Member item funding from Assemblymember Harvey Epstein will sustain Cooper Square Committee's capacity to counsel and organize tenants to prevent evictions and get repairs. We're thankful for his support, which enables us to build a stronger community and a stronger tenant movement" said Steve Herrick, Executive Director of Cooper Square Committee.

"Loisaida, Inc. will utilize this funding to foster community spirit and youth empowerment through our summer movie series and media program. By offering free cultural events and providing young people with platforms for creative expression, we aim to strengthen our neighborhood's social fabric and inspire the next generation of leaders. This support is a testament to our commitment to justice, equity, and community resilience." said Loisaida Executive Director Alejandro Epifanio.

“SPNA is using the funds to create diverse programming inside the park to welcome all of our neighbors to enjoy the park and meet others in the community. From wellness programs like weekly yoga classes open to all to Pride Month events, Hispanic Heritage Month events in September, and the various events that bring the community together around the holiday season in December. We are grateful for this much-needed support to impact the lives of New Yorkers and support our community” said SPNA President Jason Money.

"NYC H2O looks forward to working with schools in the neighborhood around Tompkins Square Park and Assemblyman Epstein to paint the benches in the park and make it more welcoming. We thank Assemblyman Epstein for helping to make this work possible” said Avery Wallace, Admin and Communications Coordinator for NYC H2O.