Timely Information for Community Leaders & Residents At Sen. Sanders Clergy Breakfast

South East Queens Muslim Collective (SEQMC) President Abdus-Salaam Musa and Vice President Bilal Karriem attended New York State Senator James Sanders Jr.’s Clergy Breakfast at Calvary Assembly of God Church on Friday, October 13, 2017. The workshops presented information that can assist community residents and agency/service providers to increase awareness of services that exist in the community. Sen. Sanders represents the 19th Senatorial District of New York State that includes the neighborhoods of South Jamaica, Rochdale Village, Rosedale, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens and most of the Rockaways.

Presenters included Mr. & Mrs. Hopkins on the topic of “3 Steps To Financial Success.” They laid out a formula called the “2-4-3 Success Construct.” The presentation informed all about how to manage wages earned income in a manner such that more money is available in their paid salary instead of waiting for it as a refund after filing income taxes. The presentation included additional topics to “Know Your Enemy,” identifying four obstacles that hinder one from making the most out of our money; “The Credit Trap,” that involved how one can repair their credit and increase a credit score which involves many aspects of access to money and lower costs for such (a credit score can also have an impact on access to housing). How financial institutions investigate and tally credit scores was also discussed. The couple offers free financial empowerment seminars. In the future, the South East Queens Muslim Collective Inc. hopes to invite them to share this information to other community audiences in the not too distant future.

The NYC Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence presented on the topic of Domestic Violence (DV), since October is designated as Domestic Violence month. Domestic violence continues to be a pervasive problem that plagues our communities. The focus of the presentation was “Intimate Partners Violence” with the agency sharing a power point presentation detailing terminology and different forms of domestic violence that constitutes the abuse.

Information as to where a person can get help if they are victims of abuse was provided. One such location is the New York City Family Justice Centers that are located in all five boroughs. The centers are open from 9am to 5pm and offer translation services to all with no appointment necessary if you are in an abusive relationship. Information to contact these agencies is as follows:

Bronx: 718 508-1220; address is 198 East 161st Street; Manhattan: 212 602-2800, address is 80 Centre Street; Brooklyn: 718 250-5111, address is 350 Jay Street; Staten Island: 718 697-4300, address is 126 Stuyvesant Place; and last, but not least is our borough of Queens: 718 575-4545 located at 126-02 82nd Avenue.

Senator Sanders provided news that can be of assistance if interested in becoming a first time home buyer or a purchaser of other homes. A Home Buyer's Boot Camp his office plans to offer about best practices when purchasing a home will accommodate 200 people on a first come, first serve basis. This Boot Camp is open for South East Queens residents. The more exciting aspect of the Boot Camp will be finding out which banks are willing to offer 10 times the money being provided for the deposit towards a home's purchase. Following this pilot endeavor, Senator Sanders stated there will be similar programs for start up business owners.

It was encouraged that residents keep abreast of the Senator’s Facebook page. Applications are not available yet, so the advice is to regularly review his page so you will be adequately notified at the beginning of this project.

Other services being offered to community by Senator Sanders’s South Ozone Park office located at 142-01 Rockaway Blvd. include Free Legal Assistance for Senior Citizens being available the First Monday of Every Month from 10 AM - 2 PM (in November that will be November 6th); access to a Job Bank via computers on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10 AM - 1 PM; and more if you call Senator Sanders' office at 718-523-3069. Ask what the Senator's office and staff can do to assist you with your needs as a Southeast Queens community resident.

It is hoped you will share this information with those you know. Insha'Allah, something here can be of assistance to us all.