Sign-up for free PPE from Team Biaggi

 

Dear Community, 

As we continue with distributions throughout District 34, we would like to extend the following form to community organizations and community groups that still need access to PPE, including masks, alcohol wipes, and hand sanitizer. Next week, we will be hosting pick-ups for community organizations and groups to receive these resources in bulk. 

If your organization is interested in receiving these supplies to distribute to your communities, please fill out this Google form by Sunday, February 27th at 9 PM.

Supplies are in limited supply and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please fill out the form as soon as possible. The form will close once all spots have been filled. Pick-ups will be coordinated the following week, and you will receive a confirmation email from my office if your organization is scheduled to receive supplies. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and my office at communityaffairs@senatorbiaggi.com or by calling our office at 718-822-2049. 

With Gratitude, 

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi

Comptroller Brad Lander Appoints Six Members to Iconic NYC Cultural Institutions’ Boards

 NYC Comptroller Brad Lander named six appointees to iconic New York City arts institutions and cultural organizations: Carnegie Hall, New York Botanical Garden, New York City Center, New York Public Library, Queens Public Library, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The Comptroller appoints ex-officio board members to cultural institutions with significant ties to the City, including public leases, grants, and other public funding. These leaders will be responsible to act as the Comptroller’s proxy in board meetings and will brief Comptroller Lander on operations, programs, and challenges these cultural institutions face.

The Comptroller’s appointments include:

• Carnegie Hall: Anthony Richardson
• New York Botanical Garden: Mohammed Mardah
• New York City Center: Jessica Lappin
• New York Public Library: Lisette Nieves
• Queens Public Library: Jimmy Van Bramer
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Annie Elisa Minguez

“Cultural institutions are woven into the social and economic fabric of New York City and will be a bedrock of a robust recovery. These appointees are champions of the arts, learning, culture, and tourism, and will bring their expertise and dedication to the work of bringing out the best of what makes these New York institutions iconic. These leaders will be a bridge to our office, so we can ensure that our museums, libraries, centers, and gardens are both accountable to public dollars and have the necessary funding to flourish for all New Yorkers and our visitors to enjoy for years to come,” said Comptroller Brad Lander.

Anthony Richardson is currently Managing Director for New York Syndications at CREA, LLC, a full-service Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Syndicator. Before, Richardson spent six years as the Executive Vice President for Development at the New York City Housing Development Corporation, and six years as the Director of Multifamily New Construction Programs at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Prior to his time in public service, he held financial advisory, fixed-income sales and brokerage positions at Ernst & Young, M.R. Beal & Company, and Cantor Fitzgerald.  He earned a Master’s degree in public administration and public policy from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, a Master’s degree in public administration and economic policy from The London School of Economics & Political Science, and a B.A. degree from Morehouse College.

Mohammed Mardah is the Executive Director of Africans Help Desk. He is also the Chairman of the African Advisory Council to the Bronx Borough President and member of the Board of Bridge Builders, non-profit organization serving the Highbridge community. In addition, Mardah is a Community Board 4 member and sits on the Youth and Education Committee. Mardah is an immigrant from Ghana and a graduate of Lehman College.

Jessica Lappin is the President of the Alliance for Downtown New York. The organization manages the country’s largest Business Improvement District and provides sanitation and public safety services downtown, serves the street homeless, runs a free bus service, and uses research and marketing to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District.  A lifelong New Yorker, Lappin spent two terms in the New York City Council representing the Upper East Side, East Midtown, and Roosevelt Island. She also serves on the boards of the FDR Memorial and Four Freedoms Park, the International Downtown Association, the NYC BID Association, and the American Skin Association. She sits on the Executive Committee of NYC & Company, New York City’s tourism agency, and the Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY). Lappin lives in Manhattan with her husband and two sons.

Lisette Nieves is the current president of the Fund for the City of New York, developing and implementing policy, programs, practices, and technology improvements for NYC’s agencies and nonprofits. Previously, she was the director of educational leadership and policy studies, and a clinical professor at NYU Steinhardt, where she still oversees doctoral students and supports research initiatives. Throughout her over twenty-five year career, Nieves founded Lingo Ventures, served as the Belle Zeller Distinguished Visiting Professor in Public Policy at Brooklyn College, was an Obama appointee on the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and was the founding Executive Director of Year Up NY— a workforce development program. She holds a B.A. from Brooklyn College, B.A./M.A. from the University of Oxford, M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, and a doctorate with distinction in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a Truman Scholar, Rhodes Scholar, Aspen Pahara Fellow, and a Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow. Nieves also serves on the board of the Edwin Gould Foundation, AVID, The Education Trust, New Schools Venture Fund, Jobs for the Future, and is the Founding Chair of the Guttman Community College Foundation Board.

Jimmy Van Bramer is the Chief Growth & Strategic Partnerships Officer for Girls Scouts of Greater New York. Prior, Van Bramer was the Council Member representing Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, and Astoria for twelve years, and chaired the Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee as well as serving Majority and Deputy Leader. In the eleven years before being elected to the City Council, he worked as a community organizer and served as the Chief External Affairs Officer for the Queens Public Library. Born and raised in Astoria, he graduated from St. John’s University. He currently lives in Sunnyside Gardens with his husband Dan Hendrick and is the first openly-gay elected official to get married in the borough of Queens.

Annie E. Minguez is the Director of Government and Community Relations at Good Shepherd Services, a citywide youth and family development agency that supports over 30,000 children and families throughout New York City. Before, Minguez served as the Program Director for La Idea, a U.S. State Department and USAID funded initiative fostering collaboration between U.S. and Latin America entrepreneurs and as the Small Business Working Group Manager at the Clinton Global Initiative. Minguez has an extensive knowledge of government having spent time serving at the U.S. Department of Labor, the Office of the Honorable Charles B. Rangel, and the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. Minguez is a native New Yorker and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from George Mason University.

State Comptroller DiNapoli Statement on Boeing Lawsuit Settlement

 

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued the following statement regarding the approval of the settlement of the derivative lawsuit the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) and the Fire and Police Pension Association of Colorado (FPPA) filed against the directors of The Boeing Company. State Comptroller DiNapoli, as trustee of the Fund, and the FPPA were appointed co-lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

In a derivative lawsuit, shareholders sue a company’s board of directors on the company’s behalf alleging that the board breached its fiduciary duties. The pension funds’ lawsuit sought damages on behalf of the company and corporate governance reforms, following two mass casualty 737 MAX crashes and the subsequent grounding of the aircraft. Under settlement approved today by the Delaware Chancery Court, Boeing will adopt enhanced safety and oversight protocols including, among other measures, implementing an ombudsman program that will provide a channel for Boeing employees to raise work-related concerns, and adding an additional director with aviation, engineering, or product-safety oversight experience. Boeing will enhance its mandatory safety reporting to its Board of Directors and Aerospace Safety Committee. Finally, Boeing will recover $237.5 million from the directors’ insurers.

“What happened at Boeing led to great tragedy. The settlement approved not only provides for the company to recover the largest monetary settlement in this type of case in the Delaware Courts’ history, but also includes much-needed reforms to enhance safety and oversight at the company. We hope this settlement will help safeguard Boeing and the flying public against future catastrophe and protect shareholders’ long-term investments in the company.”   

Governor Hochul Directs State Agencies to Prepare Emergency Response Assets as Statewide Winter Weather System Expected To Bring Heavy Snowfall Through Friday

 

Winter Storm Watches and Warnings Now in Effect Through Friday for Most of the State

Finger Lakes, Central New York, Mohawk Valley, Capital Region and North Country Regions Could See Up to a Foot or More of Snow Through Friday Night 

Snowfall Rates Up to Two Inches Per Hour Expected During Friday Morning Commute; Areas South of I-90 Corridor Could See Mix of Ice and Freezing Rain with Snow

 Governor Kathy Hochul today directed State agencies to prepare emergency response assets in advance of a winter storm system expected to bring statewide impacts and heavy rates of snowfall beginning late Thursday night and continuing through Friday evening. The Capital Region and North Country are expected to see the highest snowfall accumulations with the potential for more than a foot of snow. A general 8 to 12 inches of snow is forecast for other parts of the North Country and Capital Region, as well as the Mohawk Valley, Central New York and Finger Lakes Regions. The Southern Tier and Western New York Regions could receive up to 8 inches of snow, while locations in the Mid-Hudson Region could see up to 6 inches. 

“Despite the warm weather we experienced earlier in the week, Winter is not quite ready to be over here in New York State and we are preparing for additional snow and ice expected to impact most of the State on Friday,” Governor Hochul said.  “I have directed State agencies to prepare and deploy emergency response assets to areas where the greatest impacts from this storm are expected. I strongly urge New Yorkers to avoid driving, if possible, during Friday morning’s commute and pay attention to your local weather forecast for impacts throughout the day.”

New York City and Long Island are expected to receive less snow throughout the event, while freezing rain and ice could impact parts of the lower Mid-Hudson Region, where a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation is expected. Travel conditions on Friday morning could be difficult, where snow will fall at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour, causing reduced visibility on roadways.

Starting around midnight Thursday, a band of snow is forecast to develop and move northeast across the eastern Catskills, then shortly after midnight across the Mohawk Valley, Capital Region and Mid-Hudson Valley. By early Friday, snowfall rates of up to two inches per hour are likely near the I-90 corridor. The weather system is expected to shift north of the I-90 corridor Friday morning with a changeover to sleet and/or freezing rain expected for areas south of I-90, and sleet mixed with snow north of I-90. Precipitation is expected to continue through the afternoon before gradually tapering off from west to east by Friday night.

In parts of Western New York and the Finger Lakes regions, rain and snowmelt is causing water levels to rise on local creeks and rivers. Flood warnings are currently in effect with the threat of minor flooding forecast through Saturday evening for some locations.

State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, "Many parts of the state will experience up to a foot or more of snow over the next 24 hours. Governor Hochul and I want New Yorkers to stay home, if possible, on Friday. We encourage anyone in the path of this snowstorm to prepare emergency supplies now in case of a power outage or inability to travel. Let’s also remember to check on our vulnerable neighbors and loved ones to make sure they can get through the storm safely.”

Multiple weather warnings, watches, and advisories have been issued across the state for a variety of potentially hazardous conditions. For a complete listing of weather alerts and forecasts, visit the National Weather Service website at https://alerts.weather.gov.

Safety Tips

Winter Travel

The leading cause of death and injuries during winter storms are transportation-related crashes. Before getting behind the wheel, make sure that your vehicle is clear of ice and snow; good vision is key to good driving. Plan your stops and keep more distance between cars. Be extra alert and remember that snowdrifts can hide smaller children. Always match your speed to the road and weather conditions.

It is important for motorists on all roads to note that snowplows travel at speeds up to 35 mph, which in many cases is lower than the posted speed limit, to ensure that salt being dispersed stays in the driving lanes and does not scatter off the roadways. Oftentimes on interstate highways, snowplows will operate side by side, as this is the most efficient and safe way to clear several lanes at one time.

Motorists and pedestrians should also keep in mind that snowplow drivers have limited lines of sight, and the size and weight of snowplows can make it very difficult to maneuver and stop quickly. Snow blowing from behind the plow can severely reduce visibility or cause whiteout conditions. Motorists should not attempt to pass snowplows or follow too closely. The safest place for motorists to drive is well behind the snowplows where the roadway is clear and salted.

Some of the most important tips for safe driving include:

• When winter storms strike, do not drive unless necessary.
• Use caution on bridges as ice can form quicker than on roads.
• Wet leaves on roadways can cause slippery conditions, making it important to drive at slower speeds when approaching patches of them.
• Make sure your car is stocked with blankets, a shovel, flashlight and extra batteries, extra warm clothing, set of tire chains, battery booster cables, quick-energy foods and brightly colored cloth to use as a distress flag.
• Keep your gas tank full to prevent gasoline freeze-up.
• If you have a cell phone or two-way radio available for your use, keep the battery charged and keep it with you whenever traveling. If you should become stranded, you will be able to call for help, advising rescuers of your location.
• Make sure someone knows your travel plans.
• While driving, keep vehicles clear of ice and snow.
• Plan stops and keep distance between cars. Always match your speed to the road and weather conditions.

For more safety tips, please visit the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services website at https://www.dhses.ny.gov/safety-and-prevention.

Housing Lottery Launches For New Roads Plaza In Morrisania, The Bronx

 

New Roads Plaza in Morrisania, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

The affordable housing lottery has launched for New Roads Plaza, an eight-story community facility building at 485 East 164th Street in Morrisania, The Bronx. Designed by Danois Architects, the structure yields 95 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 37 units for residents at 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $39,943 to $77,340.

Amenities include bike storage lockers, shared laundry room, gym, community room, media room, storage, security cameras, elevator, and outdoor areas including a terrace. Units come equipped with energy-efficient appliances, high ceilings, and open layouts. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 60 percent of the AMI, there are 19 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,081 for incomes ranging from $39,943 to $64,440 and 18 two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,309 for incomes ranging from $48,652 to $77,340.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than April 19, 2022.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - FEBRUARY 23, 2022

 

Yesterday Daily Statewide Positivity Below 2 Percent, Under 2.5 Percent for Past Five Consecutive Days 

38 Covid-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.  

“Thanks to New Yorkers stepping up and getting vaccinated and boosted, our state is leading the way in beating back this virus and moving forward in the pandemic in a new way,” Governor Hochul said. “The vaccine is a critical tool to stay in front of COVID-19, but we still have more work to do to vaccinate our children. Parents and guardians, I encourage you to take advantage of the school midwinter break and consult with your child's pediatrician about getting them vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:    

• Test Results Reported - 129,088
• Total Positive - 2,456
• Percent Positive - 1.90%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.02%
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,404 (-57)
• Patients Newly Admitted – 249
• Patients in ICU - 385 (-41)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 212 (-27)
• Total Discharges - 284,341 (+272)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 38
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 54,564

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC – 69,054

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.  

• Total vaccine doses administered - 36,747,978
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 13,543
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 173,426
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 91.5%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 82.8%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 85.4%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) – 81.3%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 71.2%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 80.9%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 72.9%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 88.7%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) – 75.3%   

Long Island Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing Threatening Letters to LGBTQ+ Affiliated Individuals

 

Defendant Mailed Letters Threating Mass Shootings and Bombings of Individuals Affiliated with LGBTQ+ Organizations and Businesses

 Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Robert Fehring pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to mailing more than 20 letters threatening to assault, shoot, and bomb LGBTQ+ affiliated individuals, organizations and businesses.  When sentenced, Fehring faces up to five years’ imprisonment. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the guilty plea.

“In pleading guilty today, the defendant admits that he sent hate-filled communications that threatened mass shootings, bombings and other fatal attacks, to members of the LGBTQ+ community,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “This Office will use all of its available law enforcement tools to protect the safety and civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community and every other community. We will not tolerate hateful threats intended to invoke fear and division, and we will hold accountable those who make or act on such threats.”

Mr. Peace also expressed his gratitude to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.   

“Today’s guilty plea further highlights Fehring’s intentions, and underscores the FBI’s commitment to vigorously investigating civil rights violations. Anonymous threats against members of our community will eventually be uncovered, and those who are responsible for them will be held accountable,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.

“We have absolutely no tolerance for hate incidents of any kind here in Suffolk County and I hope that this guilty plea gives peace of mind to both the victims and the entire LGBTQ+ community,” stated SCPD Commissioner Harrison.  “Our department remains laser focused on holding individuals who carry out acts of hate accountable and I thank all of our law enforcement partners who helped bring quick closure to this case.”

As set forth in the court filings and today’s proceeding, from at least 2013 to 2021, Fehring sent letters threatening violence to individuals associated with the LGBTQ+ community.  In those letters, Fehring threatened to use firearms and explosives against the recipients. One such letter threatened that there would “be radio-cont[r]olled devices placed at numerous strategic places” at the 2021 New York City Pride March with “firepower” that would “make the 2016 Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting look like a cakewalk,” referencing the 2016 attack in which 49 persons were killed and dozens wounded at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.  Fehring also sent a threatening letter to the owner of a barbershop affiliated with the LGTBQ+ community in Brooklyn, New York, which stated, in part, “your shop is the perfect place for a bombing . . . or beating the scum that frequents your den of [expletive] into a bloody pool of steaming flesh.”  Fehring mailed dozens of additional threatening letters to individuals, businesses, and elected officials associated with the LGBTQ+ community.

On November 18, 2021, the FBI’s Civil Rights Squad and the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a search warrant at Fehring’s home in Bayport and recovered copies of letters containing threats, supplies used to mail threatening letters, 20 LGBTQ+ related Pride flags that appeared identical to flags stolen from flagpoles in Sayville in July 2021, and reconnaissance-style photographs from a June 2021 Pride event in East Meadow.  Law enforcement officers also recovered electronic devices owned by Fehring that contained internet searches for Fehring’s victims and related LGBTQ+ affiliated individual, events, and businesses.  Law enforcement officers also recovered from Fehring’s residence two loaded shotguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, two stun guns, and a stamped envelope addressed to an LGBTQ+ affiliated attorney containing the remains of a dead bird.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section, Civil Rights Section, and Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Rachel A. Shanies, and Andrew P. Wenzel are in charge of the prosecution.

Attorney General James Delivers Over $640,000 to New York Breast Cancer Organizations

 

Funds Derived from Fraudulent Charities and Fundraising Network Shut Down by AG’s Office

  New York Attorney General Letitia James today delivered more than $640,000 to five nonprofit organizations that are leading the fight against breast cancer. The funds were recovered by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) from organizations and individuals who defrauded New Yorkers into making donations that went into the pockets of telemarketers. The OAG recovered the funds from the Breast Cancer Survivors Foundation, Inc. (BCSF), a sham organization, and Garrett Morgan, a telemarketer who misled donors into contributing to a sham breast cancer organization on Long Island. The $644,054.79 in restitution was distributed to the American Cancer Society, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition, Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, and Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer.

“It is unconscionable that organizations and telemarketers preyed on the public’s generosity and deprived breast cancer patients of vital support during a time of tremendous physical, mental, and emotional distress,” said Attorney General James. “Today, I am honored to return these funds to the people and organizations that need them most. My office is proud to be a partner to these five incredible organizations and help them in supporting breast cancer patients and survivors throughout their journey.”

In 2017, OAG announced an agreement with BCSF and its president and founder. The BCSF posed in phone and mail solicitations as a medical center for breast cancer patients, when in reality it was a shell organization funneling donations to an outside fundraiser, which pocketed 92 cents of every dollar donated to BCSF. The OAG’s agreement required BCSF to shut down immediately and pay more than $300,000 in restitution, the last of which was received by OAG in 2021. The OAG also obtained $40,000 from BCSF’s auditors, McEnerney, Brady & Company LLC and Edmund Brady.

In 2013, OAG won a judgment against Garrett Morgan for fraud in raising funds for the Coalition Against Breast Cancer, a sham Long Island organization. The organization raised millions of dollars with solicitations that claimed there was a “mammography fund,” when there was none, and that donations would provide free mammograms to uninsured women. Morgan did not pay the judgment and, acting on a motion by OAG, the court appointed a receiver to collect or sell Morgan’s property to satisfy the judgment. In 2021, the receiver delivered $303,747.86 to OAG.

The OAG's Charities Bureau selected five nonprofit organizations to receive the restitution funds, including:

The American Cancer Society ($314,054.79): The American Cancer Society will use the award to support an initiative that increases breast cancer screening in high poverty areas, including screening among women who have never been screened before or who are not up to date with screening. The initiative focuses on uninsured and underinsured women by partnering with community health centers. With funds from OAG, the American Cancer Society will launch a new cohort of community health centers to participate in the mammogram initiative.

“The American Cancer Society is committed to expanding access to care for all and removing barriers that prevent cancer patients from getting the care and treatment they need,” said Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO, American Cancer Society. “The pandemic brought about dramatic declines in breast cancer screenings. We are grateful that funds from the New York Attorney General’s Office will expand our lifesaving initiative to increase cancer screening rates and ultimately save lives.”

Living Beyond Breast Cancer ($225,000): Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit organization, will use the award to support its Living Beyond Breast Cancer Fund, which provides one-time grants to help those on limited incomes manage the financial burden of breast cancer. Grants range from $500 to $1,000 and are for living expenses. Grants are paid directly to vendors or billers. Recipients of the one-time grants must be in active treatment for breast cancer or living with metastatic breast cancer, and have a household income under 400 percent of the U.S. federal poverty line.

“We are honored to have been selected by the New York Attorney General’s Office,” said Jean Sachs, CEO, Living Beyond Breast Cancer. “Living Beyond Breast Cancer was founded over 30 years ago to offer trusted information and a community of support for all people directly impacted by breast cancer. We annually serve over 600,000 people across the country. A critical program of ours is the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Fund, a financial assistance program that pays the bills for women in treatment for basic needs such as rent, utilities, and transportation. Since 2006, we have been able to disburse over 3,150 grants for an approximate total of $2,530,000 to women and their families. Since the pandemic began, we have doubled the number of grants available to give to recipients as a way to alleviate financial hardship faced by so many across the country. The funds provided by the New York Attorney General’s Office will allow us to continue this intensive support, and help women in treatment focus on their health and not on their bills.” 

West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition on Long Island ($30,000): West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition of Long Island, Inc., will use the award to provide patients undergoing breast cancer treatment with services such as transportation, meals, childcare, house cleaning, wigs, advice, and support from former cancer patients.

“The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition for Long Island, Inc. is extremely grateful to the Attorney General’s Office and its commitment to overseeing that funds raised to help women with breast cancer go to legitimate organizations that provide services to the many women on Long Island going through chemotherapy and radiation,” said Margaret Campise, president, West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition. “This award will ensure that many Long Island women will be taken care of through our ‘Lend A Helping Hand’ program, which offers free services like house cleaning, transportation to treatments, co-payments, wigs, prosthesis, and post-operative care. On behalf of the many women going through breast cancer, and the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition for Long Island, I want to thank the Attorney General’s Office.”

Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition ($35,000): Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc., will use the award to provide an array of services to patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer and gynecological cancers, including transportation to medical appointments, housekeeping, meals, and childcare as needed during treatment.

“About 1 in 8 U.S. women (13 percent) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of a lifetime and when that happens a woman’s life, and the lives of those who love her, are thrown into turmoil as she undergoes a horrific treatment ordeal,” said Nick Radesca, volunteer & vice president of finance, Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition. “Because most people’s lives have been impacted by this disease, many willingly donate to breast cancer charities. I want to thank the New York State Attorney General’s Office for bringing unscrupulous individuals to justice and redistributing defrauded donors’ funds to legitimate organizations. Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc. will use its share to provide free support services such as transportation to and from medical appointments, housecleaning, financial assistance, childcare, meal preparation, and other needed services.”

Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer ($40,000): Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer, Inc., will use the award to support its outreach program, which provides services to patients in the form of transportation, childcare, house cleaning, wigs, and non-financial support including advice and general emotional support of other former patients.

“The Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer congratulates the Office of the New York Attorney General's Charities Bureau for their efforts in pursuing the shutdown of the Coalition Against Breast Cancer and the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Foundation, both fraudulent organizations,” said Lynn Minutillo, member of board of directors, Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer. “The MWCABC is so very grateful to be designated as a recipient of funds secured in the settlements of these cases. The women with breast cancer with whom we engage will be better served financially, emotionally, and educationally. Be assured we will strive to be conscientious stewards of the funds entrusted to us.”

The recovered funds distributed today are part of OAG’s Operation Bottomfeeder, which is an initiative of the Charities Bureau to identify fraudulent charities and their fundraisers. This is done through an analysis of annual financial reports, fundraising contracts, and other documents that nonprofit corporations file with the Charities Bureau, and has allowed OAG to take appropriate enforcement action against those engaging in fraud. In 2020, as a part of Operation Bottomfeeder, Attorney General James announced a multi-agency agreement imposing a nationwide, permanent, ban on Outreach Calling, a for-profit fundraiser, from charitable fundraising. To date, Operation Bottomfeeder has recovered approximately $1.7 million from sham charities and their fundraisers and has redistributed that money to legitimate charities.