Councilmember Sandra Ung was joined by representatives from Quincy Asian Resource, Inc. (QARI) to announce a new partnership to provide assistance to constituents applying for government benefits and other social services.
“The first step is educating people that these benefits exist and are available to them, the more difficult part is going through the application process, especially if you have limited English proficiency,” said Councilmember Sandra Ung. “My office already provides this help, but having QARI representatives in my district office twice a month dedicated to this work will allow us to serve even more people.”
QARI representatives can help apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program, Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and NYCHA housing, to name just a few public benefit programs.
QARI staff will be in the Councilmember’s district office the first and third Monday of every month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting on April 3 and continuing through the end of the year. Walk-ins will be accommodated is possible, but reservations are highly recommended and can be made by phone at (718) 888-8747 or by email at [email protected]. The Councilmember’s district office is located at 135-27 38th Avenue, Suite 388, in Flushing.
Services will be available in Mandarin, Cantonese, Farsi, Hindi and Spanish. People should bring identification and a piece of mail or some other way to prove their address. A typical appointment lasts about 45 minutes.
During the pandemic, Councilmember Ung partnered with QARI to provide culturally sensitive meals to homebound seniors. QARI was later selected by the city to serve as an anchor food program to provide pan-Asian meals to needy New Yorkers across the city.
“We know costs are going up post-pandemic due to inflation, and these programs are becoming so critical for immigrant families,” said Philip Chong, president and CEO of QARI. “We appreciate the support from Councilmember Ung to provide more language-competent services to the underserved in the community in terms of the application and interview process so they are better prepared to access these benefits.”
Since taking office, Councilmember Ung has focused on bringing free legal and other professional services to her district office to assist constituents. Groups and organizations she has partnered with include CUNY Citizenship Now, CUNY Law School, the Queens Chamber of Commerce Small Business Resource Network, Queens Legal Services, Communities Resist, New York Legal Assistance Group, and the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.
