Chelsea gets new COVID-19 vax site
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
A new COVID-19 vaccination site is
coming to the Fulton Community
Center in Chelsea.
Located at 119 Ninth Avenue, the site
will offer more than 200 appointments
per day – over 1,000 per week – and will
be open 5 days a week, from Tuesday
through Saturday. The new vaccination
site, hosted by Hudson Guild and operated
by Daybreak Health, will offi cially open on
April 7.
“Technology is going to help fuel New
York City’s recovery, including getting more
New Yorkers vaccinated. I thank Google
and Hudson Guild for their partnership
to open this new site, and I encourage all
eligible New Yorkers, especially NYCHA
residents, to get vaccinated as soon as possible,”
said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“Since its inception, Hudson Guild
has always worked to bridge the gap,
reconnecting our neighbors to available
resources in the community. The collaboration
with Google and the City of New York
is no different. We are proud to be able
to work alongside these partners to help
more people receive their vaccinations,”
said Ken Jockers, Executive Director of
Hudson Guild.
The site will prioritize appointments
for nearby NYCHA residents, including
residents at the Fulton Houses and Chelsea-
Elliott Houses, with a particular focus on
reaching seniors. The city will partner with
NYCHA and Hudson Guild to reach out
to eligible NYCHA residents to help them
make appointments and answer their questions
about the vaccine.
Additionally, Google will provide
FILE PHOTO/DEAN MOSES
the City worth over $1 million to help
vaccinate vulnerable communities in
NYC, including $750,000 in advertising
grants and a $330,000 Google.org grant
to Hudson Guild to set up a community
vaccination center located in the Fulton
Houses NYCHA campus serving the Fulton
Houses, Chelsea Elliot Houses, and the
NYCHA community citywide.
“Google recognizes that equitable population
vaccination is a complex problem to
solve, and we’re committed to doing our
part. We are pleased to partner with the
Mayor and Hudson Guild to announce a
$1M Google commitment to help vaccinate
vulnerable communities in New York. This
includes ad grants, to help ensure New
Yorkers can easily fi nd where, when and
how to get a vaccine and a Google.org grant
to set up a community vaccination center in
the Fulton Houses NYCHA campus,” said
Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Chief Health Offi cer
at Google Health.
“The opening of a new vaccination site
in Chelsea that prioritizes nearby NYCHA
residents and focuses on reaching seniors,
hosted by Hudson Guild, is great news
and is exactly the kind of City and neighborhood
partnership that will help keep
New Yorkers healthy and protected from
COVID-19,” said Manhattan Borough
President Gale A. Brewer. “Additionally,
Google’s investment in marketing this site
will help increase the vaccine site’s reach
and accessibility. “
Starting April 12, eligible New Yorkers
will also be able to make an appointment
at this location by visitingnyc.gov/vaccinefi
nderor by calling 877-VAX-4NYC.
Additional days and appointments will be
available as supply increases citywide.
Mayor takes part in Greek, Italian celebrations
BY DEAN MOSES
Mayor Bill de Blasio had a busy,
culturally enriching on March
25, honoring the historical contributions
of both Greece and Italy all in
one afternoon.
First, the mayor met with Greek Independence
Day Parade Chairman and organizer
John Catsimatidis, religious leaders,
and others to commemorate the 200th
anniversary of Greece’s Independence
Day. This widely celebrated holiday usually
boasts a parade fi lled with music, fl oats,
and the Greek fl ag fl own high; however,
the COVID-19 pandemic has put a halt on
these and similar festivities.
In lieu of the parade, de Blasio joined
celebrants outside of the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America on 10 East 79th
St. to salute Greek New Yorkers.
“We celebrate 200 years of independence.
But let’s celebrate thousands of years
of Greek contributions to the world. A way
of life, a way of thinking that we embrace,
and we love today wouldn’t have been possible
without Greece,” de Blasio said.
The Greek Revolution took place in
1821, which both Catsimatidis and de
Blasio said was inspired by the American
Mayor Bill de Blasio spent much of March 25 celebrating Greek and Italian
culture.
Revolution of 1776. While Greece was
inspired by America’s push for freedom
and independence, it is said that America’s
founding fathers drew inspiration from
the Greeks in creating our democratic
republic.
“So today, 200 years later, it’s a very
different world. But we need to hold
those patriots in our hearts,” de Blasio
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
said, comparing the fi ght and struggle the
Greeks underwent during their revolution
to New York’s battle with the coronavirus,
adding, “We’ve faced something we never
could have possibly imagine and at times it
looked like the coronavirus was that great
empire bearing down us. But every one of
you were freedom fi ghters. New Yorkers
fought back, and so today we celebrate the
rebirth of New York City and what a good
day to celebrate it 200 years of consistent
devotion to freedom and democracy by the
Greek people and our closeness.”
The event culminated with the showcase
of traditional Greek dances and music. De
Blasio also promised next year will feature
a parade.
While de Blasio honored Greece for its
imprint on American culture, he also paid
tribute Thursday afternoon to the 700th anniversary
of the death of Italian poet Dante
Alighieri. The mayor joined members of the
Italian Heritage and Culture Committee of
New York (IHCC) to remember the literary
contributions of Alighieri at Dante Park on
Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street.
Standing directly in the shadow of
Alighieri’s statue, de Blasio emphasized
the fi gure’s contribution towards the soul
and passion of Italian language. Alighieri
is famously known for his epic poem, Inferno,
which follows his journey through
the many levels of hell.
“He means the beauty of our language.
Without him there would not be that single
unifi ed language,” de Blasio said.
The ceremony concluded with segments
of Alighieri’s work read aloud by students
from La Scuola d’ Italia.
4 April 1, 2021 Schneps Media
/Google.org
/Google.org
