30 The Queens Courier • april 11, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com PHOTO COURTESY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BETTER TOMORROW Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow has a reputation of giving youth the tools they need to be successful, and its new partnership with the Jamaica YMCA will provide southeast youth with opportunities to put their lives on the right track. Youth can get on the ‘Y Road’ BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] The southeast Queens community is coming together to help put their youth back on the right road – the Y Road. The Jamaica YMCA, in partnership with Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT), is launching a new program, the Y Roads Initiative,geared towards giving youth ages 16 to 24 the little push they may need to get their lives going in a productive direction. It is designed to support roughly 300 young people who are neither employed nor in school and gear them towards a fruitful life. “We want to build a plan for each student,” said Clare Dwyer, the Y Roads Center Director, “and figure out how we can get them to be successful.” OBT staff and the YMCA have collaborated over the last several months to create a comprehensive one-stop service facility, building off of the Y’s strengths in youth work, counseling service and leadership development. Y Roads will additionally provide job training and a GED model within a simulated corporate work environment. Emergency housing units are available to participants, as well as mental health and lifestyle counseling, and recreational programming and childcare services. “We really feel like the all-encompassing pieces are coming together,” said Dwyer. “Now we can offer all of the pieces, and that’s really what makes Y Roads special.” The program will be held at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning on Jamaica Avenue. OBT has raised half a million dollars, which puts it 2/3 of the way towards its funding goal, and is enough to open the doors to the public. “We think we have something that works,” said Peers. “This is really exciting. I think Jamaica has a really good advantage. This is where we want to be, we’re ready to roll.” DGAL gives back The Dwarf Giraffe Athletic League (DGAL) of Whitestone continues in its effort to help support the Whitestone Memorial Day Parade. On April 6 at a fundraising event held at the American Legion, DGAL president Jay Vigorito presented American Legion Post 131 Commander Jim McVey a check for $1,175. Including this most recent donation, DGAL has raised a total of $5,275 since last year to help support the Whitestone Memorial Day Parade. DGAL officials say they plan to continue this effort and will additionally raise money to help the Whitestone Volunteer Ambulance. GETTING THERE Pilot program helps Astoria’s disabled BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Astoria residents with disabilities will now have an alternate method of transportation, thanks to a pilot program offered by the city. The Taxi Smart Card Program will allow qualified residents to use a $100 bank card to take yellow taxicabs or livery car service to doctor’s appointments, visit family members or for errands instead of Access-A-Ride or public transportation. The pilot program, which officially launched in November, is a collaboration between the city Department for the Aging (DFTA) and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) and will offer the alternative to disabled residents in Community Board 1 in Astoria and Community Board 18 in Canarsie, Brooklyn. “We began this pilot program to test an alternative to Access-A-Ride for people with disabilities in communities with limited access to public transportation,” said Caryn Resnick, DFTA deputy commissioner. “It’s another option.” Both Community Boards were selected because they are considered to be areas that are difficult to reach by public transportation. Once residents are enrolled they will have to pay $12.50 toward the Taxi Smart Card. The remaining $87.50 will be paid by the city. “People with disabilities can and do live active lives and need reliable transportation and options for getting around, the Taxi Smart Card Program helps to provide that,” said Maria Jacobson, director of vocational services for the International Center for the Disabled. The program offers users a convenient alternative that will also free up Access-ARide for people that are wheelchair bound, said Resnick. The program is funded through the New Freedom Act of 2010 and administered by the Department of Transportation. Residents who would like to apply for the program can do so through the Department for the Aging or Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities websites. They can also call DFTA at 212-442-3026 or MOPD at 212-788-2830. VISIT QueensCourier.com TELL US WHAT YOU THINK...
QC04112013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above