AOC to raise $1M to support COVID-19 relief efforts
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TIMESLEDGER | 12 QNS.COM | MAY 8-MAY 14, 2020
persing aid to individuals
hurt by COVID-19.”
The Pandemic Disaster
Assistance Act would
ensure that after any disaster,
following approval
from the governor and
the president, individuals
would be able to apply
directly for aid from
the following programs,
among others:
Disaster Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance
Program (D-SNAP)
Disaster Unemployment
Assistance – This
existing program would
be expanded to individuals
who lose their jobs,
see their hours reduced
or cannot reach their
place of work because of
the pandemic. It would
last for 26 weeks and
could be extended by
the president. It creates
a national floor for benefits
at one and a half
times the national weekly
average and provides
waiver to requirement
to exhaust state unemployment
insurance options.
Medical Assistance –
assistance with medical
expenses as a result of a
disaster.
Funeral Assistance
– available to families
with loved ones that die
from the disaster.
Child Care Assistance
– up to eight weeks
of child care expenses.
The congresswoman
announced a new
fundraising drive for
workers on the front
line. To date, the campaign
has raised nearly
$350,000 for 15 community
groups exclusively
through grassroots donors.
These groups are
providing personal protective
equipment (PPE)
to front line workers as
well as financial support
to undocumented families,
service workers, the
food insecure and Amazon
warehouse workers
her district. Those who
want to donate to the
relief efforts can do so
here.
The congresswoman
is setting a new goal to
raise $1 million for these
groups by mid-June.
Representatives from
some of the local community
groups spoke at
the press conference.
Ocasio-Cortez also
discussed her campaign’s
food relief program.
Through a partnership
with four local
food banks and the support
of grassroots donors
and volunteers, the
campaign has delivered
more than 500 meals
to constituents and is
committed to delivering
2,000 by mid-June.
Those who want to volunteer
with relief efforts
can sign up here.
“Day Laborers and
Jornaleras are on the
front lines of the fight
against COVID-19,” said
Ligia Guallpa, executive
director of Worker’s Justice
Project (WJP), a recipient
of the campaign’s
fundraising efforts.
“They are delivering
food, cleaning essential
facilities and continue
to work in construction
sites to keep our city
running. They remain
in these dangerous jobs
because they don’t have
the financial support
from the government to
quit and stay home.”
Glenda Sefla, a former
nail tech in NY-14
and current organizer
with the NY Nail Salon
Workers Association,
praised AOC.
“Cong resswoman
Ocasio-Cortez has demonstrated
her solidarity
with nail salon workers
again and again,” Sefla
said. “She was there
when we called for the
elimination of the subminimum
wage for
tipped workers, and she
has shown up during
the COVID-19 crisis by
promoting our fund and
mobilizing her network
to bring in thousands of
small donations. We are
grateful for her leadership
not only with our
fund but also in calling
for the government to
do more for immigrant
workers.”
Additionally, she
talkedbbaout her campaign’s
efforts to do
“check-in” calls for her
constituents.
The campaign’s field
team and volunteers
have made over 100,000
calls to check on constituents’
well-being and
connect them with local
resources. Their goal is
to make 500,000 calls by
mid-June.
BY JASON COHEN
New York’s 14th
Congressional District,
which includes parts of
the Bronx and Queens,
is one of the hardest hit
districts in the country
when it comes to COVID-
19 cases.
On May 1, Congresswoman
Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez outlined
her campaign’s efforts
to mobilize a grassroots
army in support of her
district during COVID-
19 and pledged to raise
$1 million to help her
constituents. With more
than 19,200 positive cases,
New York’s 14th Congressional
District has
higher numbers than all
of Manhattan, despite
having nearly a million
fewer residents.
AOC introduced the
House companion of
the Pandemic Disaster
Assistance Act, legislation
first put forward by
Senator Kamala Harris
(D-CA) in March. The
bill would expand the
ability of the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) to
provide financial assistance
directly to individuals
during a pandemic,
including the current
coronavirus outbreak.
FEMA can only provide
individual assistance
during natural disasters,
such as wildfires,
floods and earthquakes.
“Nearly 20,000 people
in my district have tested
positive for a deadly
virus,” Ocasio-Cortez
said. “Thousands of my
constituents are without
work. We built temporary
field hospitals
in public parks. This is
what a disaster looks
like. FEMA needs to
begin immediately dis-
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