Attorney General James Takes Action to Shut Down Monroe County Nonprofit for Financial Mismanagement

 

Community Resource Collaborative Misused Funds and Failed to Distribute More Than $243,000 to Local Nonprofits that Rely on Aid to Provide Services

AG James Seeks to Recover Funds for Local Nonprofits Owed Money by CRC

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a petition to dissolve the Community Resource Collaborative (CRC), a Monroe County not-for-profit, for misusing government funds intended to support local organizations that provide services to Rochester-area communities. The CRC, founded by Tina Paradiso, was created in 2021 to distribute millions of dollars in federal funds to 12 local organizations that provide housing, food, and other essential services to New Yorkers in the Rochester area as part of a program known as the Neighborhood Collaborative Project. However, the CRC’s executives used tens of thousands of dollars in federal funds to pay for personal expenses and failed to deliver more than $243,000 to the local organizations that were promised aid. Attorney General James seeks to dissolve CRC and appoint a receiver to liquidate its remaining assets to distribute owed funds to the local nonprofits.

“Vulnerable communities in the Rochester area were relying on financial support from the Community Resource Collaborative, but they only saw a fraction of what they were promised,” said Attorney General James. “The CRC’s executives cheated local organizations that provide essential services to the needy to pay for their personal luxuries instead. To right this wrong, my office is taking action to dissolve CRC for rampant financial mismanagement and to help recoup funds for nonprofits that were promised aid and were left empty-handed.” 

In November 2022, CRC was chosen to receive $7.1 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act over a four-year period for the Neighborhood Collaborative Project, an initiative intended to fund 12 local nonprofits that serve the Rochester area. In 2023, CRC received $1,067,971 in federal funding, but only $750,514 was distributed to the local nonprofits. 

An audit into CRC by Monroe County found that the nonprofit paid for expenses unrelated to its mission, including $28,000 in transportation expenses, most of them Uber charges for CRC executives, and $180,000 in disbursements to repay loans made by CRC’s founder, Tina Paradiso. The organization also made direct payments to its directors for no apparent reason, including $28,000 in rent payments to Tina Paradiso’s company Imprintable Solutions, $10,000 for personal security, and $20,000 in direct payments to CRC board member Anthony Hall. The report also concluded that CRC failed to maintain a proper financial management system and financial records. In many instances, accounting entries lacked detail and disbursements were not accounted for by the program and/or agency. 

As a result of this self-dealing and financial mismanagement, the CRC failed to deliver $243,907.02 to community charities that provide food, housing, and other services and were promised aid.

Through this petition, Attorney General James seeks to dissolve CRC for violating New York’s not-for-profit corporation laws and to appoint a receiver to liquidate CRC’s assets and use those funds to pay the local nonprofits the money they are owed. 

Attorney General James thanks the Monroe County Law Department for their cooperation and assistance in this matter.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF ROLL-OUT OF FIRST-EVER NO-COST, PAIN-FREE CITYWIDE CURBSIDE COMPOSTING PROGRAM

 

Hundreds of Millions of Pounds of Household Waste Now Eligible for Beneficial Reuse, Either as Soil or Renewable Energy 

Fulfils Adams’ 2023 State of the City Commitment

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Jessica Tisch today announced the completion of the roll-out of automatic, guaranteed, free, simple, weekly collection of compostable material to every New Yorker across the five boroughs. When trucks left DSNY garages serving the Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan just after 5:00 AM today, they were making good on a promise that the past administration had made for over a decade.  That promise was long derided as impossible, but that Mayor Adams committed to making it a reality in his 2023 State of the City address. This program, which began in Queens in the fall of 2022 and expanded to Brooklyn in the fall of 2023, is now permanent and offered citywide — something achieved with a focus on sustainability, cleanliness, equity, and efficiency.

“It’s simple: when food scraps end up in black bags on the street, they become rat food or methane emissions. said Mayor Adams. “Starting today, curbside composting is free and pain-free on every block and in every borough — something prior administrations have tried, but we got it done. I’m grateful to Commissioner Tisch and the dedicated sanitation workers who work day-in, day-out to make this program possible and keep our streets clean for New Yorkers.”

“We are waging a war against climate change. Our weapons are your banana peels, rotten tomatoes, and stale bread,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Now, in all five boroughs, our easy-to-use curbside organics collection program will prevent these scraps from being shipped to emissions producing landfills, and instead turn them into compost and renewable energy.”

“Curbside composting programs have existed in the city for over a decade, but none have ever served more than 40 percent of New Yorkers — until now,” said DSNY Commissioner Tisch. “This administration has achieved the long-standing goal of bringing composting to every corner of the five boroughs, not as a niche program, but as a free, universal, easy-to-use service — one that will divert record amounts of material from landfills. We're protecting the environment, fighting rats, and bringing equity to the city at large.”

While curbside composting programs have existed in New York City for the last decade, none have ever served more than approximately 40 percent of the city. Those composting programs had been plagued by stops and starts and complicated rules. This program’s model — no sign-up required, , fewer restrictions on material and on type of bin — is a model that can work for all New Yorkers. Every New Yorker can now simply take anything from their kitchen or their garden — all food scraps, yard waste, and food-soiled paper — and set it out for collection in either a DSNY brown bin or their own labeled, lidded bin of 55 gallons or less. In addition, they may choose to line the bin with a clear bag or not, based entirely on their personal preference. This material is collected on the same day that residents already set out their metal, glass, plastic, and paper recycling.

Since their initial launch in New York City’s easy-to-use composting programs have proven to be highly effective. The Fiscal Year 2024 Mayor’s Management Report showed a 65 percent increase in compostable material diverted from landfills over the prior two years — a staggering total of 260 million pounds. The overall diversion rate — the total amount of material kept out of landfills and either processed into compost or waste-to-energy facilities — has increased for the last three consecutive years.

Curbside service is only one part of the wraparound suite of composting services offered by DSNY. New York City is now home to approximately 400 Smart Composting Bins — 24-hour drop-off sites where New Yorkers can bring anything from their kitchen and anything from their garden to be put to beneficial reuse. New Yorkers opened Smart Composting Bins over 1 million times this past fiscal year — a 300 percent increase from the previous year. Earlier this year, Mayor Adams fulfilled a campaign promise by bringing DSNY collection of compostable material to every single New York City public school, helping to train the next generation of composters.

Material collected through these programs is turned into either renewable energy to heat homes or into compost sold to landscapers and given away free to New Yorkers for use in their yards and gardens. Without these programs, these materials would all go into a landfill, becoming nothing but harmful greenhouse gasses. The DSNY Staten Island Compost Facility has produced approximately 40 million pounds of finished compost per year for the last decade. Under the Adams administration, that facility recently completed a major expansion, expanding its capacity to process food waste by 2,000 percent ahead of today’s announcement.

Per local law passed by the City Council, participation in this program becomes mandatory in each borough when service starts, but fines cannot be written until April 2025. The fine structure is the same as the existing requirements for the separation of metal, glass, plastic, and paper recyclables from trash, which starts at $25 for properties with one to eight residential units and $100 for properties with nine or more residential units. This is the exact same separation requirement New Yorkers already know from recycling programs, now extended to the one-third of residential waste that is compostable.

Ahead of the mandate going into effect, DSNY is engaged in a major outreach effort, sending mailings to all covered residents, meeting with community boards and civic associations, and knocking on the doors of all buildings with fewer than 10 residential units in the Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan. A similarly robust outreach effort previously proved effective in Queens and Brooklyn.

While this program is for residential waste only, New York City’s commercial waste zone program will also increase commercial diversion of compostable material. Under this program, businesses will pay their private waste carter less to remove compostable material than they do to remove trash, creating a meaningful financial incentive to keep commercial compostable material out of landfills.

“A citywide curbside organics collection program is vital to creating a true circular economy in New York City,” said New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “Instead of simply discarding our organic waste, we are recovering energy and nutrients from this material at facilities like DEP’s Newtown Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility and DSNY’s Staten Island Compost Facility. This sustainable cycle of reuse creates valuable products, including compost and renewable energy, like biogas, which can be used to heat homes. This process has proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including methane. Through the end of June 2024, DEP processed approximately 330,000 wet tons of food scraps at Newtown Creek that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill and emitted harmful greenhouse gases. I want to thank Mayor Adams and DSNY Commissioner Tisch for their commitment to making curbside organics collection available to all New Yorkers.”

“This roll out is the city achieving another one of our PlaNYC goals, and an important step towards improving our environment,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “This diversion will reduce the amount of solid waste generated within the city, the majority of which is currently processed and transferred in a handful of over-burdened environmental justice communities.”

“Today we have reached our goal of implementing curbside composting citywide, allowing us to divert from landfills and compost all 1 million tons of organic household waste New York City produces annually,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “This is a critical component for a sustainable future: compostable waste accounts for 34 percent of our residential waste, and 20 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions. With curbside composting now in all five boroughs, we will reach our goal of reducing food-based emissions 33 percent by 2030. Diverting organic waste will also deprive the rodent population of food, bringing us closer to victory in the War on Rats. Together, we will forge a path to a sustainable, zero waste, and rat-free future.”

News, updates and more from NYC Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr.

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

NAICA’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA!

It was an honor to receive the Community Impact Award during the Neighborhood Association for Inter-Cultural Affairs (N.A.I.C.A.) 50th Anniversary Gala!

 NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for your support and for presenting me with this award 

I extend my congratulations to all of the other honorees and wish NAICA continued success in carrying out the important work they undertake in finding housing for our City’s most vulnerable residents

SOUNDVIEW ECONOMIC HUB GRAND OPENING WITH YMPJ!

Had a great time with Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, NYC DOT & the New York State Department of Transportation for the grand opening of the Soundview Economic Hub, located under the Bruckner Expressway! 

 to all of the city, state, and community organizations who collaborated on turning this formerly neglected space into a new, creative arts plaza for the Bronx 

Be sure to swing by on Sundays to view the art installations and support local vendors 

KENDRA WILLIAMS-MELENDEZ WAY STREET CO-NAMING

 

It was a beautiful morning as we gathered outside of P.S. 157x Grove Hill for a street co-naming ceremony in honor of Kendra Williams-Melendez, who spent 18 years as a teacher at the school. 

Following her diagnosis of cancer, Kendra began hosting and coordinating Cancer Week every October, raising thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society’s ‘Making Strides’ foundation, culminating with the Annual Cancer Walk at Orchard Beach. 

A fierce champion of her students and her beloved #Bronx, Kendra’s contributions to our community will forever be remembered as we pass by Kendra Williams-Melendez Way. 

ADDRESSING ILLEGAL TRASH DUMPING IN THE BRONX

 The Bronx is not a dumping ground for garbage!

The quantity of illegally dumped garbage I came upon while driving through the intersection of 153rd and Third Avenue is highly concerning.  

 NYC Department Of Sanitation on taking quick action to clean up this garbage - it’s important we continue working together so we can finally address this issue plaguing our community and hold those illegally dumping responsible

CELEBRATING REVEREND DR. RICARDO AND LUCY GUZMAN’S 47 YEARS OF SERVICE!

️ I was proud to present Reverend Dr. Ricardo Guzman and his wife, Lucy Guzman, with an official New York City Council Proclamation commemorating their 47 years of service at Jehovah Shalom Church! 

So often during the best and the worst of times, we look towards our spiritual leaders for their guidance, and today’s celebration was an ode to the decades of compassionate service that the Guzmans have ministered to their fellow New Yorkers.

NEW RULES REGARDING CONTAINERIZED RESIDENTIAL TRASH

ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS:

In line with new rules established to containerize all residential trash, beginning  November 12, 2024, all properties with 1-9 residential units will be required to use bins with secure lids when setting out trash. 

The New York City Department of Sanitation is currently delivering official, rat-resistant NYC Bins - To purchase yours, visit the following link: https://www.bins.nyc/ or call (1-855-NYC-BINS)

CELEBRATING HOLIDAYS IN THE BRONX

HAPPY ROSH HASHANAH Wishing a very Happy Rosh Hashanah to everyone celebrating. May this New Year bring you many new blessings!  Shanah Tova U’Metukah! IN THE NEWS HUNTS POINT EXPRESS “I came for summer lunches, I saw movies in the old auditorium, I played in the yard,” Salamanca reminisced to the Hunts Point Express. “It’s a proud feeling knowing as an elected official, I was able to deliver for this school.” Read more https://huntspointexpress.com/2024/09/30/i-s-217-debuts-new-auditorium-facilities/ UPCOMING EVENTS FREE ESTATE PLANNING CLINIC  Please join New York City Council NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for a FREE Estate Planning Clinic on Tuesday, October 15th   Estate planning, consultation, and education services will be available to New Yorkers over 50 years of age   The clinic will offer the ability to have your will, power of attorney, and health proxy drafted, free of charge   Register through the email listed on the flyer above Visit our District Office at:  1070 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York 10459 (718) 402-6130 salamanca@council.nyc.gov

Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Temple Israel Center

Governor Hochul: “Oppression of the Jews is not something new that happened even in our last century. It goes back thousands and thousands of years. And even in our own state—the great State of New York, home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, 1.6 million strong—even a place like that, that I'm so proud to represent, is not immune from horrific acts of antisemitism in our own cities, in our own communities.”

Hochul: “There is hate here, my friends. But I'll tell you this, I believe it to my core: we can overcome this hate. We can push that hate far into the recesses of our minds. We can change the course of history by standing together. All who feel oppressed, because there's more of us than them, I assure you. And as long as we stand united and call it out and are not afraid of those who try to raise an arm against us. Let them know the power of our strength. That's how we draw the hope that gives us the strength to carry on.”

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE’S STATEMENT ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE OCTOBER 7TH ATTACKS

"Last year, Hamas’ horrific and unconscionable terrorist attack against Israelis took the lives of over a thousand people and saw hundreds kidnapped. This tragic day is forever in our history. I pray for the families of all who were killed, and those whose loved ones are still held captive. I cannot imagine the horror they feel, but I am sure the emotions are as strong and painful today as they were a year ago. I pray, together with the prayers of so many worldwide, for comfort and the return of loved ones.

"The grief, fear, and anger in the wake of that horrific attack extended to our city. A cloud of brazen, dangerous anti-Semitic hatred and violence has risen. At times, this cloud has obscured the ability to legitimately speak out against violence or in opposition to the actions and inactions of government. Nonviolent protest itself has been condemned and combated by some leaders who center the hatred of the few instead of the horror of the many. 

"Horror is what I feel in this moment – at the terrorism of October 7th, and at the horrendous campaign of violence in Palestine that has followed. That sense of horror compounds with a sense of helplessness that I know many feel along with me.   

"Neither the peace process nor our ability to address it in our city have meaningfully advanced over the past year. There has only been more suffering, more fear, more death and loss as conflicts only escalate. With it rise the fears of Jewish New Yorkers facing anti-Semitism and Muslim New Yorkers confronting Islamophobia. And as the death toll mounts, so too does the moral outrage so many of us feel regardless of faith, ethnicity, or nationality. 

"The pain of the attack of October 7th must be always remembered and never repeated – which means confronting the hate and violence underneath an endless and increasing war. The hostages must come home, a ceasefire must take hold, and we must begin the long and painful effort toward the human rights and safety of all being respected and upheld. We may not find the answer to decades of crisis in our city, but we have to find our common humanity." 

MAYOR ADAMS LOWERS CITY FLAGS TO HALF-STAFF, ANNOUNCES CITY HALL, MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS TO BE LIT YELLOW TO MARK ONE YEAR SINCE HAMAS TERROR ATTACKS IN ISRAEL

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that city flags have been lowered to half-staff, and City Hall and other municipal buildings will be lit yellow this evening, in remembrance of one year since the horrific terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on October 7^th, as well as in advocacy for the safe return of hostages still held captive by Hamas.

“One year ago today, people of all faiths and creeds gathered at the Nova Music Festival in Israel to sing songs of peace and coexistence. With the brutal murder of more than 1,200 innocent men, women, and children by cowardly terrorists, a part of all of us died that day. Hundreds more were taken hostage in the aftermath, and many still remain in captivity today,” said Mayor Adams. “And as we see the devastation wrought on innocent people in the Middle East in the aftermath of this unprovoked attack, the thought of peace becomes even more distant. But that is exactly why we must continue to strive for peace — for the safe return of all of the hostages, for the defeat of Hamas, and for an end to this deadly conflict. To those who plan to use this day to peacefully protest, that is your right. As you do so, remember to follow the law and I ask you to please hold a place in your hearts for those who lost everything a year ago today.”

Ahead of the Jewish High Holidays and the one year mark of the October 7^th attacks, Mayor Adams and senior New York City Police Department (NYPD) leaders briefed New Yorkers last week on preparations implemented in anticipation of increased protest activity. Mayor Adams will join NYPD officers today to thank officers assigned to the October 7^th protest detail. He will also reiterate the importance of protecting not only New Yorker’s right to protest, but people of all faiths who wish to live and worship in freedom and security. Later today, Mayor Adams will attend the one-year commemoration of the October 7^th terrorist attacks being held by United Jewish Appeal and the Jewish Community Relations Council.

In addition to City Hall, the following city buildings will be lit up yellow tonight: 

• Bronx County Courthouse: 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451 
• Brooklyn Borough Hall: 209 Joralemon St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 
• The David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building: 1 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 
• Queens Borough Hall: 120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY 11424  
• Staten Island Borough Hall: 10 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301 

This Week at KRVC - Halloween Events, Restaurant Week and More!

 

COMING UP AT KRVC

Around the Community KRVC Hosts Monthly Paint and Sip!  Our events coordinator, Angie Rivera, leads monthly Paint  and Sips. This event is FREE. Please enjoy September's  painting, "Harvest Moon."

KRVC bids farewell to our karaoke host, Tamara. 

We had such a successful karaoke night! Thank you Tamara for your support throughout the years. We wish you all the best. Please stay tuned for future karaoke updates!

KRVC receives a certificate for their support of NYPD events. 

Thank you Captain Pierce for presenting us the certificate. 

Giving Friends Transports Donations to The 4Bronx Project 

Our head volunteer, Barbara, is outnumbered by donations!

Statement from NYGOP Chair Ed Cox in Remembrance of the October 7 Attacks on Israel

 

"Today, we remember the tragic attacks on Israel that took place on October 7, 2023, a day of unspeakable violence that ignited a war for Israel’s very existence. The brutal assault on innocent civilians serves as a stark reminder of the existential threats Israel continues to face, as it stands as a beacon of democracy in a hostile region. We must ensure that Israel receives our full support as it defends itself from those who seek its destruction.

 

"As we honor the lives lost, we must also confront the rising tide of anti-Semitism that has infiltrated too many corners of our society — especially on our campuses and in our urban centers. These manifestations of hate are not only an assault on Jewish Americans but an affront to the values that unite us as a free and tolerant nation.

 

"The Republican Party stands resolutely with Israel and the Jewish people, as we always have. We are proud to be the party that champions Israel's right to defend itself and its citizens, and we remain committed to ensuring that our nation stands strong against any threat to our shared values of liberty and justice.

 

"In this moment of war and mourning, let us reaffirm our commitment to combatting anti-Semitism in all its forms, to supporting Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, and to fostering an unbreakable bond between our two nations."