Monday, August 10 - Community Aid Coordinators
Community Aid Coordination [CAC; formally known as Dispatch] is the first touch point between Sunnyside & Woodside Mutual Aid [SWMA] and those of our neighbors who are in need. We are made up of about 15 individuals of all different backgrounds and each day we are on duty from 10 am to 10 pm. We work in four hour shifts watching our phone lines, text lines, and email. We help the individual in need connect with a volunteer near them who can help with the task at hand. Tasks can include grocery delivery, PPE donation and delivery, financial donations, help with housing/immigration forms, and so much more. Our CACs are armed with dozens of resources that get shared daily within our community.
Community Aid Coordination is not about supplying Charity and then checking out. Our Aid Coordinators foster relationships between neighbors and facilitate daily check ups on individuals. These relationships speak to one of our core values: “Solidarity not Charity.” If you are interested in being an Aid Coordinator, please contact Katelyn Hertel or Ethan Hova on Slack!
As part of the SWMA newsletter, we are launching a series of profiles of our neighbors in Sunnyside and Woodside, from individuals to community organizations. Our first profile is Woodside Sunnyside Composting, click here to read!
Complete the Census
The 2020 Census is happening now! Everyone living is the US is counted and all are able to respond online, by phone, or by mail.
Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year. And remember, when you respond to the census, your answers are kept anonymous. They are used only to produce statistics, determining where to build roads, hospitals, schools, and so much more!
The deadline is Wednesday, September 30th—to complete your census online today click here or call 1-844-330-2020.
2020 Voter Registration and Absentee Deadlines
To register for the November 3 general election, applications must be postmarked no later than October 9, 2020 and received by a board of elections no later than October 14, 2020 to be eligible to vote. For more information on registering to vote, click here.
To vote by mail, applications to request an absentee ballot must be submitted online or by mail by October 27th. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by November 3rd.
Below is a voting plan checklist from American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU]:
Cooling Assistance
As the temperatures rise, the New York City Human Resources Administration and ACCESS NYC have developed a program to help eligible households buy and install an air conditioner or fan. For more information and eligibility requirements, click here.
If not eligible or interested in other options, the NYC initiative Cool It! provides alternative ways to find relief from the heat for city-dwellers this summer.
Free Food Pantry Saturdays
For food assistance, find us on Saturdays from 1 pm - 3 pm. We will have stations set up at 46th Street-Bliss @ 7 train station; 61st St-Woodside @ 7 train station; and by Woodside Houses @ Broadway & 49th.
No matter your situation - you can get nutritious food!
Get Involved
Mutual aid is about fostering reciprocal support and greater connection within our communities. Sunnyside & Woodside Mutual Aid empowers individuals in our neighborhoods to actively contribute and take care of each other.
Need help? For everything from food assistance to legal advice, click here.
Interested in joining SWMA? Get more information here or find an overview of our existing working groups from the June 13 newsletter. Think you can contribute to one? Is something missing from the list? Let us know!
For more, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or help us spread the word the old-fashioned way! And if you live elsewhere, find out about nearby mutual aid and community support networks here.
This collage highlights several food related efforts Sunnyside & Woodside Mutual Aid has taken part in over the last month. From the Borough President’s monthly food donations to our weekly Saturday pantries, SWMA is dedicated and responsible for feeding hundreds of families weekly.
P.S. Don’t forget, if you plan to attend a protest, Amnesty International has developed a toolkit for how to do so safely and Mask On Zone has created an Anti Surveillance Protest Guide.