AAFSC's COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund

AAFSC'S COVID-19 RESPONSE

As a non-profit organization providing vital services to the most marginalized among us, the Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC) has been deemed an essential service provider by the city and remains open during the ongoing COVID-19 emergency in New York City, offering uninterrupted service delivery throughout the crisis to over 2,400 families since March 2020. As we worked to adapt to social distancing directives, we have been actively monitoring the situation and evolving our service provision to best meet the emerging needs of our client base.  This includes pivoting our programs to deliver services using a HIPAA-compliant, confidential teleconferencing platform, and providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to our staff to ensure we can balance safety with presence for vulnerable, at-risk families.

OUR EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND

In response to the economic hardship exacerbated by wide-spread job loss, AAFSC has expanded our Emergency Relief Fund, which provides immediate financial assistance to families facing an economic crisis. These payments directly target the acute housing and food insecurity that hundreds of our families are experiencing as a result of COVID-related business closures and layoffs, and in many cases are benefitting those who are ineligible for benefits such as Unemployment Insurance and federal stimulus aid.

As of August 2020, we are proud to have distributed $256,114.27 in emergency funding to over 450 families, helping them get access to:

1. Healthy, nutritious food to ensure nobody goes to bed hungry.
2. Reliable housing to remain safe and secure without the fear of eviction.
3. Counseling and legal advocacy for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence.

Thanks to the ongoing generosity of our community, we have been able to extend our reach across the city to those who need it the most. But, COVID-19 is far from over and we need your help.

For the 2020 A Community Thrives Challenge, please consider sending a gift of hope— big or small— to AAFSC's Emergency Relief Fund between September 21 and October 16 so we can continue saying YES to the most at-risk immigrant New Yorkers, who are bearing the brunt of this crisis and need our compassion  now more than ever.