A person holds a sign with a QR code for donations during a protest
against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine outside the White House.
Photo by Sarah Silbiger/ REUTERS
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2022 9
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
In their efforts to provide
aid for Ukrainian refugees, the
Queens borough president’s
office and Council members
from the Queens Delegation,
along with local organizations
launched a boroughwide donation
drive on Monday, March 7,
to collect supplies for those who
have fled to Poland to escape the
ongoing Russian invasion.
The Queens borough president’s
office is encouraging all
Queens residents to consider donating
in support of the “proud
and courageous Ukrainian people
who have inspired us all.”
“In less than two weeks,
Vladimir Putin’s vile and illegal
invasion of Ukraine has already
claimed thousands of lives and
forced more than 1 million innocent
families to flee their
beloved homeland,” Queens
Borough President Donovan
Richards said. “Those who have
remained in Ukraine are in desperate
need of medical supplies,
especially as the Russian government
recklessly escalates
its brutality against the local
population.”
The borough president’s office
is collecting first-aid kits,
bandages, gauze, tourniquets
and over-the-counter medications
such as aspirin, acetaminophen
and ibuprofen.
Donations will be accepted at
Queens Borough Hall, located at
120-55 Queens Blvd. in Kew Gardens.
Donations can be dropped
off in a box located on the first
floor of Borough Hall next to
the security desk in the lobby,
just inside the building’s main
entrance on Queens Boulevard.
The lobby is open 24 hours a day.
Items collected this week
during the drive, launched
with the help of Kevin Ly and
Amanda Deebrah of Richards’
Queens General Assembly,
will be delivered to the NYPD,
which is conducting an identical
donation drive at all 77 precincts
through March 11. The
Queens borough president’s
office will continue to accept
donations after March 11, with
the goal of sharing collected
items with a verified nonprofit
organization working on the
ground in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Councilmen
James Gennaro and Robert
Holden have teamed up with
the Queens Delegation and local
organizations to host a community
donation drive.
Several lawmakers from
the Queens Delegation —
Council members Francisco
Moya, Vickie Paladino, Selvena
Brooks-Powers, Linda Lee,
Nantasha Williams and Sandra
Ung — will collect items at their
district office.
The Associazione Culturale
Italiana Di New York will cover
the cost of shipment to Rzeszow,
a city in Poland located near
the border of Ukraine. The Polish
Consulate and President of
Rzeszow, Konrad Fijołek, are
helping to coordinate the final
drop-off in Poland, ensuring
donations will go directly to
Ukrainian refugees.
Residents who wish to support
the Queens Delegation’s
efforts may donate canned food,
clothing, children’s toys (without
batteries), sealed pet food
and toiletries.
The donation drive will run
through next week, with the
following dates, times and locations
below:
Council member Vickie
Paladino — March 7-11, 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. (20-15 Francis Lewis
Blvd. in Whitestone)
Council member Selvena
Brooks-Powers — March 7-11,
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (1931 Mott Ave.,
Suite 410 in Far Rockaway)
Council member Linda
Lee — March 7-11, 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. (73-03 Bell Blvd. in Oakland
Gardens)
Council member Nantasha
Williams — March 7-11, 9 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m. (122-05 Smith St. in
Jamaica)
Council member Sandra
Ung — March 7-11, 10 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. (135-27 38th Ave., Suite
388 in Flushing)
Council member James F.
Gennaro and the CHAZAQ
Organization — March 10, 4
p.m. to 7 p.m. (141-47 72 Ave. in
Kew Gardens Hills)
Council member Francisco
Moya — March 10, from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (106-01 Corona
Ave. in Corona)
Council member Robert
Holden and the Associazione
Culturale Italiana Di New
York — March 12-13, 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. (66-31 Fresh Pond Road in
Ridgewood)
Queens lawmakers launch donation
drive to help Ukrainian refugees
When you need it,
help is here.
For those having a hard time with natural gas bills,
we can help with grant programs, budget plans,
monthly bill credits and more time to pay.
Find natural gas bill assistance at
ngrid.com/heretohelp
/QNS.COM
/heretohelp
