African Services Committee Update
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We hope everyone is continuing to stay safe and healthy during this unprecedented time.
From the refugee crisis and HIV/ AIDS and T
uberculosis
epidemics in the early '80s, to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the silent threat of viral hepatitis, and the continued assault on immigrants under the current administration, we’ve encountered much in the last nearly four decades of service to newcomers.
We have been adapting in 2020 in response to COVID-19.
Immigrants are on the frontlines during this pandemic and we will continue to serve undaunted with all our capacity.
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ASC staff in Housing, Health Testing and Navigation to Care, Legal, LGBTQ, and Individual and Family Case Management, have all been in regular contact with clients remotely since ASC closed all but pantry services at our Harlem headquarters. We have implemented remote HIV testing and we are working toward becoming a COVID-19 testing site.
Demand for food pantry services has reportedly doubled since NYC became the epicenter of the pandemic. We’ve converted a space on our 4th floor to provide contactless food pantry pick up to anyone who needs it. ASC’s Director of Advocacy and LGBTQ Programming Amanda Lugg and ASC’s Health Education Officer Emily Bishop are also providing contactless delivery to our neediest homebound clients throughout ASC’s five boroughs five days a week.
Click
here
to watch a video of our work during this crisis.
Click
here
to listen to a Voice of America radio interview with Co-Executive Director Kim Nichols, which was recently broadcast throughout Africa.
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Board of Directors Announcement of African Services Committee Executive Director Retiring
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A note from, Uzoamaka Okoye, Chair of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors announces the Fall 2020 retirement of Kim Nichols as Co-Executive Director at African Services Committee. Her Co-Executive Director and Founder of African Services Committee, Asfaha Hadera, will also be transitioning from Co-Executive Director to an advisor role for the Ethiopia Program.
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ASC’s Executive Director search is underway
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The Board of Directors for ASC is seeking an Executive Director to replace a retiring founding Executive Director. We are looking for someone to lead the organization into its next phase, setting strategic priorities and initiatives that reflect current and developing needs of the African Diaspora in New York and HIV-positive clients in our clinics in Ethiopia.
If you think you are that person, or know someone who is, please share and apply
here
.
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ASC's Public Charge COVID-19 PSA Campaign
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Immigrant New Yorkers should seek care without fear.
The use of health services related to COVID19 will not be considered under the federal administration’s Public Charge rule and will not impact one’s ability to apply for a green card or citizenship.
On March 13, 2020, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) posted an alert clarifying that seeking or using medical treatment or preventive healthcare services related to COVID-19 will not be considered under the P
ublic Charge
rule, even if the services are Medicaid-funded. Use of healthcare services will not impact your ability to apply for a green card. Anyone who needs help during the COVID-19 crisis should seek care without fear, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay for health services.
Anyone with questions or to receive more information about the new regulation can contact ASC's Legal Department at 929-269-6494, the
Office for New Americans hotline at 1-800-566-7636, or ActionNYC at 311 to access safe New York City -funded legal advice. For real-time New York City COVID-19 updates in English, text COVID to 692-692 or COVIDESP 692-692 for updates in Spanish and follow CDC guidelines at cdc.gov/coronavirus.
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Census 2020: Get Counted and Shape the Future for our Family and Community
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As this country battles the COVID-19 pandemic, a bedrock of America’s democracy is in peril: the 2020 Census. Participating in the 2020 Census is one of the most important things you can do for your community and democracy. This unprecedented challenge does not lessen our responsibility to make sure that every person is counted and encourage our family, friends, and communities to do the same.
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Data collected in the 2020 Census will inform the distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds to states and communities each year. Businesses, community leaders, and local governments use census data to create jobs, ensure public safety preparedness, and support community initiatives. All responses are confidential and protected by law. Your personal information can never be shared with law enforcement agencies or property managers, and it cannot be used against you in any way.
Visit
2020CENSUS.GOV
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Thank You Tyler Perry Foundation
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A heartfelt thank you to the Tyler Perry Foundation for providing critical support to African Services Committee clients during the COVID-19 crisis!
Learn more about how The Perry Foundation’s generosity is lifting up communities in need during this time
here
.
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Contacting ASC Legal Services During COVID-19
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While African Services Committee's offices in Harlem are closed, ASC legal staff have been working remotely during this time.
ASC Legal Department questions:
- Existing ASC Legal Department clients call 929-269-6494 or email immigration@africanservices.org and leave a voice message with the following information and your attorney and/or legal advocate will contact you as soon as possible:
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- Full name
- Phone number
- Name of your attorney or legal advocate
- Brief explanation of what you need or the purpose for your call.
ASC Legal Hotline is 929-269-6494.
Please leave a voice message. If you are calling with an immigration issue that is an emergency, or that a relative has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), please call the Office for New Americans at 800-566-7636 to receive immediate assistance. Learn more
here
.
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ASC Food Pantry and Delivery
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In this image ASC staff prep food pantry bags at ASC's Harlem headquarters. ASC is operating a contactless food pantry Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm located on the fourth floor vestibule accessed via the elevator at 427 West 127th Street. Staff are also conducting door-to-door deliveries to homebound clients throughout the week.
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TheBody.com Stops by ASC’s LGBTQ Program Group Meetup
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Before social distancing measures were put in place by New York City to combat the spread of COVID-19, TheBody.com's Tim Murphy stopped by one of ASC’s LGBTQ Program group meetups and spoke with the group’s immigrant aslyees and asylum seekers and ASC's Director of Advocacy and LGBTQ Programming Amanda Lugg to hear about how immigrants and agencies nationwide have been adapting to pandemic.
Click
here
to read the full story.
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NPR Visits ASC to Learn about COVID-19 Impact
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Before social distancing measures were put in place by New York City to combat the spread of COVID-19, NPR visited African Services Committee's headquarters in Harlem to report on Coronavirus impacting urban immigrant communities and ASC's efforts to help stop the spread.
Click
here
to listen to the program.
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