FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 5, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 17
Community groups team up to fi ght food insecurity in Woodside
BY JACOB KAYE
jkaye@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Two local community groups joined
forces on Wednesday to help provide
much-needed food assistance to residents
of the Woodside Houses.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Sunnyside
Community Services and Queens
Together hosted a rally for food security
outside of the New York City Housing
Authority’s Woodside Houses. Th e two
groups aimed to both call attention to
the dwindling amount of food supplies in
food programs and to distribute food to
those in need.
While over 1 million New York City
residents were food insecure prior to the
pandemic, eight months into COVID-19
in the city, the number of people unsure
where their next meal will come from has
greatly increased.
“When the pandemic hit in early March,
we received 1,000 calls to our agency,” said
Judy Zangwill, the executive director of
Photo by Dean Moses
Sunnyside Community Service. “Not only
are people dealing with where their next
and economic relief to people in need.
Jonathan Forgash, the co-founder and
meal is coming from, we know that they
However, some of these groups have begun
executive director of Queens Together.
are dealing with loss, jobs and businesses
to see a diminished supply of food donations,
“Government funding and the USDA
decimated, and isolation.”
according to Sunnyside Community
programs are all winding down, even as
Community groups have stepped up
Services and Queens Together.
the virus is still with us. Th e economic crisis
during to the pandemic to provide food
“Th is system is now broken,” said
is getting worse. Where are the elected
offi cials? What are they doing about it
right now?”
Following remarks from the organization’s
leaders, the two groups distributed
food to residents of Woodside Houses.
Additional reporting by Dean Moses.
Lancman leaves offi ce to serve as Cuomo’s new Ratepayer
Protection at the New York State Public Service Commission
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Councilman Rory Lancman, who’s represented
his native Council District 24
since 2014, has left offi ce to take on the
new position of statewide Special Counsel
for Ratepayer Protection as of Wednesday,
Nov. 4.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the
new appointment on Friday, Oct. 30, aft er
announcing earlier in the week that the
state Senate and Assembly would introduce
legislation to make a slew of reforms
to the way utility companies are penalized
aft er failing to provide service to consumers.
“Utility companies do not have a Godgiven
right to operate in New York, and
when they abuse and bully consumers
they must be held accountable. I am creating
a new position of Special Counsel for
Ratepayer Protection at the Department
of Public Service to help ensure that happens,”
said Cuomo. “Rory Lancman has a
long record of public service and his background
makes him ideally suited to help
protect the interests of New Yorkers and
ensure they get the service they deserve.”
In his new role, Lancman, who is
term limited, will represent the interests
of residential and commercial customers
of New York’s regulated electric,
gas, water and telecom companies.
He will participate as a party in Public
Service Commission proceedings, conduct
hearings and investigations, undertake
discovery to compel documents and
testimony, and otherwise marshal the
resources of the Department of Public
Service to safeguard the interests of ratepayers
and hold accountable those utilities
and telecoms which fail to meet their
contractual and regulatory obligations to
their customers.
“Every New Yorker should be able to
turn on the lights, heat their homes and
open their faucets to clean
water because their electricity,
gas and water
providers are meeting
their obligations to
provide safe, reliable
and aff ordable service
as the law requires,”
said Lancman. “I’m
honored by the governor’s
appointment
and grateful for his commitment
to holding New
York’s utilities and telecoms
accountable to
their most
important constituency — the rate paying
public.”
As Special Counsel, Lancman will work
to enhance and strengthen the department’s
existing protections of utility consumer
interests.
His primary role will include determining
whether utilities are making the
investments required, whether utilities
are performing as required, whether utilities
are responding adequately to consumers
both in residential and commercial
settings, and whether utilities are
complying with renewable energy
goals and standards.
In his role, he may make presentations
to the New York State
Public Service Commission at
its monthly meetings on fi ndings
and fi le regular reports
to the Commission assessing
the operations of such utilities.
Th e Special Counsel may
also issue reports, hold forums
with consumers and stakeholders
in the community
and
v a r i -
o u s
industry sectors, make recommendations
regarding the necessity of legislation,
and will have a dedicated website
landing page that will refer complaints
from consumers for investigation by the
Special Counsel.
Lancman took to Twitter on Friday to
express his gratitude of the new role.
“Th e governor gets things done. I
like that. It’s what New Yorkers expect,
and deserve. I start Wednesday,”
wrote Lancman. “I’m grateful to
@NYGovCuomo for this opportunity. I’m
grateful to my constituents for their trust
& I look forward to serving their interests
in this new way. And I’m proud of the
work I’ve done @NYCCouncil building a
fairer, more accountable justice system in
NYC. Excelsior.”
“Th e Department of Public Service
applauds Governor Cuomo for selecting
such an outstanding public servant as Mr.
Lancman to join the agency and to help
ensure ratepayers’ interests are protected,”
said Department of Public Service CEO
John B. Rhodes. “Mr. Lancman will be an
invaluable asset in our eff orts to oversee
utilities in New York State.”
Lancman currently chairs the New York
City Council Committee on the Justice
System, overseeing much of the city’s
civil and criminal justice system, including
the Mayor’s Offi ce of Criminal Justice,
the boroughs’ fi ve district attorneys, cityfunded
public defenders and civil legal
services providers, and the courts.
File photo/QNS
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