Community leaders gathered at The Bridge Multicultural & Advocacy Project on Friday, November 4th to announce the distribution, in partnership with the NYC Department of Social Services, of emergency relief clothing and supplies for asylum seekers housed at the Highland Park Shelter in East Flatbush to take place that day.
Councilwoman Farah Louis joined together with State Senator Roxanne Persaud, Mark Meyer Appel, Executive Director of The Bridge, and community, business and faith-based organizations to collect thousands of donated items, including coats, shoes, clothing, toiletries, hygiene products and baby supplies, in a joint humanitarian effort initiated by the Mayor’s office to provide much-needed items for newly-arrived asylum seekers, also referred to as “the new New Yorkers” by Louis.
“We have over 1,300 migrants that have been placed in our district and we believe that there has to be supplementary resources that are provided,” Louis said.
The Bridge, located at 1894 Flatbush Avenue, is one of six chosen drop-off locations for NYC. Highland Park Shelter was the first of three family shelters selected for distribution in District 45 and is part of an ongoing effort.
According to Ruth Guillaume, representing Louis, the Highland Park Shelter contains about 97 units where there are approximately 260 asylum seekers with about 160 women, 30 infants, 50 adolescents and 20 men.
Louis expressed thanks to Mayor Adams and community members who aided in the effort, including, but not limited to, Persaud, Appel, Sallie Bennett, Dr. Marie Guerline-Paul, Rabbi Shlomo Segal, Carol Delille Elias, staff members and volunteers.
Appel spoke of the need for the community to come together in time of crisis. “You have tens of thousands of people coming to New York, many children, many infants. They have to be clothed. They have to be fed. They need supplies as winter is approaching. So it’s our mission and our goal, and God has given us the opportunity to get the community together — the Muslim community, the Jewish community, the Afro-American community — all these communities together in this historic effort to bring in whatever they need,” he said.
