VOLUNTEER THIS WEEK: Sandy Relief Efforts in Brighton Beach, Jersey, and Staten Island

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community, Filipino American, NYC, Operation Kaligtasan, Sandy, volunteer

I was very fortunate to have escaped Sandy with my power, shelter and worldly belongings intact.  I have kept up on Twitter as you may have noticed if you follow my timeline but this is the first day I can really communicate in long-form.

Being my first day back, I’m taking this occasion to rally potential volunteers for the post-Sandy project Operation Kaligtasan (O.K./Operation Safety). There are still folks who could use some help this week. Check out their latest volunteer update below and connect with them on Facebook.

O.K. Needs volunteers for Brighton Beach, Jersey, and Staten Island this week!.

More links to other post-Sandy volunteer projects to follow. Peace!

Hurricane Irene Is Coming: Guide to Making Shelters Safe for Transgender Evacuees (via National Center for Transgender Equality’s Blog)

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breaking news, hurricane, Hurricane Irene, hurricane preparedness, NYC, transgender

Remember: natural disasters are no excuse for intolerance and violence against the transgender population.

From North Carolina to New York City, thousands of people have already evacuated their homes to escape Hurricane Irene's path. Among them are transgender people who, like others, don't have anywhere else to turn to except for evacuation shelters. Considering the unique difficulties transgender evacuees encounter, NCTE, Lambda Legal, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force have issued these simple guidelines to assist shelters in making their … Read More

via National Center for Transgender Equality's Blog

All About Irene: Keep Calm and Carry On

Tags

hurricane, hurricane boyfriend, Hurricane Irene, hurricane preparedness, NYC

If the Eastern Seaboard earthquake wasn’t enough, Hurricane Irene is now headed for New York. Every other conversation I’ve had for the past 24 hours has somehow revolved hurricane preparedness in some way. New Yorkers don’t know how to handle two unusual natural occurrences in one week.

I will readily admit that I panicked over a mere 30-second tremor on Tuesday than more so than over Irene. My boss called me a hardened hurricane veteran since she knows I lived in Florida at one time. I may not go that far but I’ll say that I’ve had my share of hurricanes and tropical storms and come out okay in the end.  The worst I’d lived through was Wilma, which thankfully didn’t damage my apartment or car.

What am I going to do? Well, thankfully I don’t have to evacuate. I have candles, water, electronic devices charged, nonperishable food, and plenty of books to pass the time.  The only thing I’m missing from my Florida days are a corded telephone and battery-operated radio.

Need more tips and information? Click on the following links while we still have power.

• NYC Severe Weather site has breaking news updates and hurricane preparedness guides
• Check the Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder or PDF map of the evacuation zones if you have to evacuate or brace yourself in Zones B & C
• Obama declares state of emergency for New York
• The Village Voice summarized the NYC OEM’s guide with a few points on How to Prepare For A Hurricane
• Share weather conditions and latest news about your neighborhood, like downed trees or power lines, as it happens on the NYC Crowdmap

And if you’re looking for a little levity, there’s always Twitter and this blog post on finding a hurricane boyfriend.

Mandatory Evacuation Issued for NYC Coastal Areas

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hurricane, Hurricane Irene, NYC

From the NYC.GOV Severe Weather site:

Mandatory Evacuation Issued for NYC Coastal Areas
Due to the approach of Hurricane Irene, the City has issued a mandatory evacuation order for New Yorkers who live in the low-lying Zone “A” coastal areas across all five boroughs and the Rockaways. These areas include: Coney Island, Manhattan Beach, Far Rockaway, Beach Channel, South Beach, Midland Beach, and Battery Park City. People should be out of these areas by 5 pm on Saturday.

Residents who live in Zone A are strongly encouraged to stay with friends or family outside an evacuation zone. Evacuation Centers are open for residents who have no alternative shelter.

MTA service including subways, buses, and railroads will begin to shut down at noon tomorrow, so please prepare to evacuate immediately.

Tremor Felt in NYC from 5.9 Earthquake in Virginia

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breaking news, earthquake, earthquake 2011, NYC

Courtesy of New York Times, J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

I turned to my boss at the same time as she did to me. “Did you feel that?” For 30 seconds, we felt the building shake. Her plant did not stop moving for another minute.  As someone who was in the city at the time of 9/11, shakes and tremors are not something I take lightly. I looked outside my 23rd floor window. There was no panic in the streets, which was comforting.

The building announcement on the P.A. system was not comforting.  The voice said the building indeed shook and management was investigating.  A minute later: “The shaking was citywide; I repeat, citywide.” Not comforting at all.

Traditional news media was not updated, so naturally I looked to Facebook to tell me what happened. Statuses from friends all over and down to DC reported an tremor, then an earthquake.

The best status of the day, simply because it relieved the tension,

Autism in the News: Karate Kids in Queens

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autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Central Queens Y, NYC, Queens

Here’s an article by the Forest Hills Patch about a program currently running at the Central Queens YM & YWCA:

Everybody Is A Champion at Karate Kids

Karate Kids is a one-hour program that pairs volunteers, social workers and martial arts teachers with autistic children, from 5- to 11-years old. The Central Queens Y is now providing “sports situations” for children who can’t participate in community sports programs due to autism, as well as “building community awareness to special needs.”

Donate to the Central Queens Y by visiting centralqueensy.org/donations or contacting Danielle Ellman, dellman@centralqueensy.org.

SATURDAY RALLY: Defend Our New Health Care Law!

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Affordable Care Act, events, health, health care law, Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign, NYC, rally

Courtesy of a flyer from Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign:

======================================

All invited – spread the word!

“DEFEND OUR NEW HEALTH CARE LAW!”

WHY THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
MATTERS FOR EVERYDAY NEW YORKERS

WHAT: A Citywide Rally and Press Conference

WHY: Join your fellow New Yorkers to:

• celebrate the first anniversary of the new health care law
• find out about how the new law is already helping New Yorkers
• hear about what’s already underway here in New York to fully implement the new law and how best to keep moving forward
• learn about new moves in Congress to take health care away from us and our communities, and how to fight back

WHEN: Saturday, March 26 at 1 p.m.

WHERE: Community Healthcare Network’s Long Island City Health Center

36-11 21st St. in Long Island City (Queens)

(Take N train to 36th Ave, or F train to 21st St.)

MORE: Special guest speakers to be announced!

Bring loose pennies to symbolically support keeping health centers open
(since Congress is now debating cutting their funding.)

Information: 212-925-1829, metrohealth@igc.org, or http://www.hcfany.org

Sponsoring groups [list in formation]:
Brooklyn for Barack, Children’s Defense Fund of New York, Citizen Action of New York City, Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare, Community Healthcare Network, 504 Democratic Club, Disabilities Network of NYC, Downtown East for Change, Greater NYC for Change, Goddard-Riverside Community Center, Health Care for All New York, Long Island City Alliance, Make the Road New York, Manhattan Young Democrats, Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign, National Physicians Alliance New York, New York Immigration Coalition, Queens Young Democrats, Public Health Assoc. of NYC, Queens Drinking Liberally, Raising Women’s Voices, Rekindling Reform, Tribeca for Change, UFCW Local 1500, Young Invincibles

Rally for Women’s Health on Saturday

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events, health, NYC, women

A message from Planned Parenthood of NYC…

=================

Don’t miss this Saturday’s Rally for Women’s Health!

JOIN PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NYC AND HEAR FROM

CELEBRITIES, ELECTED OFFICIALS, MUSICIANS AND WOMEN’S HEALTH LEADERS!

Elected Officials: Senator Charles Schumer, Congressmembers Yvette Clark, Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler, Anthony Weiner, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn

Celebrities and Musical Guests: Kathleen Turner, Gloria Steinem, Kathleen Hanna, the Mountain Goats, Nellie McKay, Toshi Reagon, Maddy Wyatt, and More

And women’s health leaders from across New York, Connecticut and New Jersey

In the next week, Congress will hold the fate of Planned Parenthood and family planning in their hands. Let them know that New Yorkers will not stand for this current assault on women’s access to health care.

Stand with thousands of New Yorkers and voice a common message:

WOMEN’S HEALTH MUST BE PROTECTED!

Saturday, February 26th

Foley Square, Across from the Court House in Lower Manhattan

1-3pm

RSVP TODAY!!

Congress is home and listening. Let’s make some noise!!

See you in the square!

 

“Arrivals/Departures”: AF3IRM’s Multi-Media Commemoration of Women’s Month

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art, NYC, women

Save the date on March 17th when a talent-packed group of women artists of color join forces in Arrivals/Departures:  Women’s Experience of Migration Under Globalization at the Project Reach 4th Floor Gallery at 39 Eldridge (between Canal and Hester Streets).

The multimedia event is a joint project of AF3IRM and Zero Capital, to help commemorate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.

The presenting artists are Ana Bravo (Mexican), Besos Not Bombs (Caribe-Latina-American), Maria “TOOFLY” Castillo (Ecuadorian), Tatyana Fazlalizadeh (Iranian-Black American), Athena Magcase Lopez (Filipina), Erin Yoshi (Japanese) and Leilani Montes (Mexican-Guatemalan). The show’s curators are Leilani Montes (Mexican-Guatemalan) and Ninotchka Rosca (Filipina). 

State of the Union Watch Party

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events, NYC, politics, SOTU, SOTU 2011, State of the Union

Join Greater NYC for Change, friends and fellow activists to watch and listen to President Obama’s second SOTU address and hear his vision for the year ahead. We’ll be joined by friends from our co-sponsors, including: Manhattan Young Democrats, DL21C, NYDLC and OFA.

Details:

Tuesday, January 25, 2011