QC08062020 - Page 11

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 6, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11 Richmond Hill rally calls on SE Queens residents to complete 2020 Census BY BILL PARRY bparry@schnepsmedia.com @QNS Nearly half of all Queens residents have yet to respond to the 2020 Census, particularly those living in neighborhoods that were disproportionately ravaged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Councilwoman Adrienne Adams joined colleagues in government and community leaders in Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park in Richmond Hill, a neighborhood that has a 44 percent response rate, to kick off a collective eff ort to get a complete counting southeast Queens as well as the broader borough. “It is important for every man, woman and child who lives in New York City to be counted in the 2020 Census as it will determine our allocation of federal funding for the next 10 years,” Adams said. “Regardless of immigration status, income or if your family just moved here, we need every household to participate in the census. Th e funding we receive based on census data has a direct impact on the quality of life for everyone who lives here, and I am proud to work with my colleagues in government and local community groups to increase the local census count for the benefi t of all residents.” Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding fl ow into communities each year and currently the Queens self-response rate sits at 53 percent. Th e rates are particularly low in minority-dominated neighborhoods, which impacts the entire city, but it is particularly harmful to those neighborhoods. “Census data is critical for public services like healthcare clinics, emergency response preparedness and education programs,” U.S. Census Bureau Regional Director Jeff T. Behler said. “Th e 2020 Census is your census — the future of your community depends on your community’s responses. Encourage response now and lead your community to selfrespond at 2020census.gov.” Programs that distribute federal funds based on the census count include funding for public transit systems, programs supporting transition from homelessness, SNAP programs, temporary assistance for needy families, Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Programs, unemployment insurance and disaster recovery grant funding, such as aft er Hurricane Sandy. “In this time of economic uncertainty, when budgetary pressures are threatening to undermine the delivery of so many vital programs and services, it has become more important than ever to make sure every Queens resident is counted,” Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee said. “More people fi lling out the census means more money for our borough for schools, jobs, hospitals, senior centers, roads and more. Our offi ce is participating in the Census Bureau’s PUSH WEEK and launching our own 30 DAYS OF CENSUS ACTION to tell Queens residents that fi lling out the census is safe, quick and easy, as well as critically important for our borough’s future.” Especially during the post-COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery. “If there’s anything this pandemic has taught us, it’s the critical need for adequate government resources and their proper distribution,” Chhaya CDC Executive Director Annetta Seechcharran said. “Th e 2020 Census is the opportunity for us to make sure our communities get the resources we need for healthcare services, housing assistance, education and language access. APA communities, like the South Asian and Indio Caribbean community, continue to see an undercount in our neighborhoods. Th ere is power in numbers and so we must all collectively do our part in fi lling out the 2020 Census and encouraging our friends, family and neighbors to do the same.” Courtesy of Adams’ offi ce Councilwoman Adrienne Adams leads the Richmond Hill rally urging southeast Queens residents to be counted in the 2020 Census. Flushing Cemetery has completed construction of the Memorial Chapel Mausoleum Families now have the options of inurnment of cremated remains and crypt entombment as means of interment and memorialization. It is with great pride and pleasure that the Board of Trustees of Flushing Cemetery Association announces the opening of its newly constructed Memorial Chapel Mausoleum. The 75 acre countryside cemetery, lovingly referred to as the Wonderland of a Million Blooms, has provided a beautiful resting place for those who have passed on since 1853. In addition to its nearly 3400 niches, the Memorial Chapel Mausoleum will provide Flushing Cemetery the ability, for the fi rst time in its 165 year history, to off er families the option of crypt entombment in a community mausoleum. General Manager John Helly stated, “With cremation rates in New York expected to be over 50% by the year 2022 and with many cemeteries facing the reality of dwindling land acreage, our new mausoleum, with its options of niches and crypts, will allow Flushing Cemetery to serve the needs of our community for decades to come”. Those looking to inquire can call the cemetery offi ce at 718-359-0100 �� /2020census.gov /WWW.QNS.COM link link