COVID relief: Maloney brings in federal big bucks to struggling Lower Manhattan groups

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney publicly celebrated Tuesday morning after securing a large bankroll for struggling Lower Manhattan community projects.

In all, 10 community organizations in Maloney’s district will get $6.3 million in project funding requests that Maloney allocated in the fiscal year 2022 appropriations legislation.

“This bill passed the appropriations committee, passed the House, in the Senate, and I can’t wait for it to get out of Washington into the community helping the lives of our people here in New York,” Maloney said. “I am honored to be able to support their work with critical federal funding.”

Standing behind her, clutching a gigantic fake check noting the funding total for the community, the groups cheered at the announcement. Recipients already have big plans regarding where the money will be allocated, including restoring a retail framework decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s unheard of that everyone got all of their projects funded,” Jessica Walker from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce said. “We think that up to a third of small businesses have closed. This funding is going to be so important to try to get us back to where we were and help the entrepreneurs of tomorrow to fill the vacancies that we see around the city right now. So, we are so grateful.”

The funds are not just promised to aid struggling business ventures, however. The pandemic also left New Yorkers requiring help obtaining basic human needs. Organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry are also promised to benefit from the sum.

“This opportunity that she’s, [Maloney,] going to give us is amazing. We’ve done 320,000 meals in the last two years and we’ve put out a million and a half pounds of food. We began to take care of mothers for WIC programs by providing them diapers, strollers–all kinds of goods for their children,” Neil Sheehan from the North Brooklyn Angels said. “This is going to allow us to staff a second kitchen, to add two more trucks to our hot meal campaign. It’s going to allow us to add another truck to our distribution and collection process. And it’s gonna allow us to have a full-time executive director because as I said, we’re a volunteer program.”