NEW YORK — Rep. Jamaal Bowman on Monday joined more than a dozen local elected officials and community leaders at the Yonkers Family YMCA to announce 10 Community Project Funding requests to benefit residents of NY-16, part of ongoing work in Congress to fund programs and initiatives that support NY-16.
“We did not go to Congress just to talk the talk — we are here to walk the walk,” said Rep. Bowman. “That is why I’m calling on the federal government and the U.S. Congress specifically today to help us to bring these investments home to NY-16 and build better infrastructure, health care, and community support to help us recover from the devastation of the past year. Thank you to all of the community organizations and elected leaders who worked with us to put these proposals together. Let’s keep fighting to bring home the equitable investments that the people of NY-16 deserve.”
The 10 Community Project Funding requests are as follows:
- $500,000 to WestHab, Inc. for affordable housing preservation to promote housing equity in Southern Yonkers
- $492,575 to the YMCA of New Rochelle for the Educational Achievement Gap Project
- $102,600 to Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center to expand behavioral health services for homebound elderly and disabled adults through home visiting to reduce the impact of mental health challenges
- $500,000 for to the Riverbay Fund in Co-Op City for improving access to green space and promoting waterfront resilience in America’s largest affordable housing development
- $800,636 to The HOPE Program in the Bronx for workforce development to promote positive social and economic outcomes for justice-impacted individuals through environmental resilience skillbuilding
- $393,840 to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi Medical Center for the Stand Up to Violence Program on reducing violence in the Bronx through mental health treatment (Requested jointly with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)
- $496,000 to the Yonkers YMCA for promoting health equity and affordable swim access through Yonkers YMCA pool improvements
- $1.5 million to the City of Mount Vernon for the Sewage Cleanup Project to promote equity and resilience in Mount Vernon
- $375,000 to the Westchester Public/Private Membership Fund for Aging Services for telehealth intervention programs for seniors
- $308,000 to the Town of Mamaroneck for senior center renovations and energy-efficiency upgrades
Click here to read more about the Community Project Funding requests, and click here to read more about Rep. Bowman’s seven Member Designated Projects requests for transportation and infrastructure.
“Standing with Congressman Bowman today, along with other leaders in Westchester County, is an example of the good government can do when its efforts are focused on serving the people – as they should be,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “This potential funding would provide much needed resources to various projects and programs aimed at advancing the quality of life for our community. Whether it be to advocate for funding, assisting constituents or any other issue, my Administration is proud to work closely with all of our federal partners, like Congressman Bowman, on behalf of the people of Westchester.”
“We’re thankful to Congressman Bowman for fighting to secure federal funding for Mount Vernon,” said Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. “Our appropriations request for our sewers will go a long way to helping provide environmental justice for our city. In just a few months we have accomplished work that has been languishing for decades. Although the sewer problem will require significant investment, the City of Mount Vernon is glad that Congressman Bowman has made his office available to seek funding that will provide a relief for hard working residents here in Mount Vernon.”
“Thanks to Congressman Bowman, we’re hopeful to receive a grant that will help us update and renovate the Mamaroneck Senior Center to provide better services and programs for senior citizens in the Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont,” said Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson.
“I'm delighted to have Congressman Bowman's support for this vital project, upgrading the Y's indoor swimming pool,” said Westchester County Legislator Ruth Walter. “As I wrote in my letter of support for this project to Congressman Bowman, The Y offers swim lessons focused on Black and Hispanic low-income children not only to teach a life-saving skill, but to help establish healthy fitness routines, provide employment opportunities in lifeguarding and offer a wonderful afterschool activity. Swimming is a life skill that all children should have easy, affordable access to. When you don’t learn to swim as a child, this makes it difficult later on as an adult, especially overcoming fears. My husband didn’t learn to swim as a child, and it was so tough for him to learn as an adult. Falling out of a boat or a ferry is a death sentence when you can’t swim — this is a vital part of growing up. I thank the Congressman for his support for the Y and for Yonkers children in this essential service.”
“The Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center is thrilled and grateful to Congressman Bowman for his support to fund the expansion and deployment of Behavioral Health Care Services to a population that is the most vulnerable and has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Judith Watson, CEO of Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center. “The Congressman’s unwavering support for this and other matters that impact low and moderate income, economically disadvantaged people speaks volumes about his character; which gives us great hope for the post pandemic recovery period and beyond."
"The New Rochelle YMCA is honored to be one of Congressman Bowman's proposed 2022 Congressional Community Projects,” said Jennifer Ryan Safsel, CEO of the New Rochelle YMCA. “We are fortunate that with his extensive background in education, he can understand the importance of and advocate for our Educational Achievement Gap Project. This comprehensive program is designed to strengthen our children's education by filling the achievement gap intensified by COVID with tutoring, physical activity and arts programming after school, weekends and during the summer."
"Congressman Bowman and HOPE share a deep commitment to access to education and training, jobs and climate justice,” said Jennifer Mitchell, Executive Director of The HOPE Program. “We are honored by the Congressman's advocacy of our programming to lift residents of the Bronx out of poverty through paid training, wraparound support services, and long-term employment in the green economy. On behalf of the HOPE community, Board, staff, students and graduates, we thank you for being such a strong partner, so that together, we can build a more equitable, inclusive, and greener world.”
"We deeply appreciate the efforts of Representatives Bowman and Ocasio-Cortez to fund our gun violence program, Stand Up to Violence (SUV),” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi's CEO, Christopher Mastromano. “SUV's innovative model has saved lives that have never passed through our hospital doors by preventing violence and retaliatory violence before it strikes. This additional funding will make it possible to reach more Bronxites and do more to stop the disease of gun violence."