Page 22 - Albanian Yellow Pages 2020

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A Message from NYC Councilman Mark Gjonaj
Dear Friends,
I hope you and your families are staying well during the COVID­19 pandemic. While we have been going through some tumultuous 􏰀mes, New York is definitely doing its part in fla􏰁ening the curve and defying the odds by entering the phases of reopening as we con􏰀nue to be NYStrong and NYSmart.
Since the start of the pandemic, my staff and I have been working 􏰀relessly to help cons􏰀tuents in our district. We have organized over 100 daily food giveaways in different neighborhoods, we have delivered food to first responders, essen􏰀al employees and medical staff, we have distributed over 27,000 face masks, we have organized over 30 neighborhood weekly clean­ups, graffi􏰀 removals and 23 COVID­19 cleaning ini􏰀a􏰀ves with senior centers and community facili􏰀es and organized 15 weekly community tele­townhalls on important issues such as small businesses, unemployment, housing, senior services, educa􏰀on, health, domes􏰀c violence, transporta􏰀on, etc., that were a􏰁ended by more than 1,600 residents.
As an Albanian­American elected official in NYC, I have con􏰀nued to work hard and never take your support for granted. Now more than ever, during this crisis, NYC needs the leadership to keep our communi􏰀es moving forward. Since I have been elected, Chair of the NYC Council Commi􏰁ee on Small Business, and a member of other important commi􏰁ees, I have introduced, sponsored, and passed several pieces of legisla􏰀on that will help our local mom­n­pop shops in NYC and helped pass budgets that include millions of dollars that go directly into our neighborhoods.
I am proud to have worked with the Albanian­American community on different issues. Whether standing up for different causes, lobbying US policy makers to adopt posi􏰀ons favorable for Albanians, plan and organize “Rally for Her Jus􏰀ce” with community organiza􏰀ons in NYC, to demand jus􏰀ce for the survivors of sexual violence during the war in Kosova, visited Albania, in the a􏰂ermath of the recent earthquake, with a group of Albanian­American structural engineers and architects, who focused on preliminary func􏰀onal and structural stability of 200 schools and more.
As a community, we must con􏰀nue to strive for more, do our part to be united, involved, civically engaged, and become more influen􏰀al to be􏰁er our lives in the US and help our countries of origin. I encourage all Albanian Americans to fill in CENSUS 2020, an important means to ensure we have the recourses and determine how hundrends and billions of dollars flow into communi􏰀es every year for the next decade. As an old proverb goes “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
And while I am certain that our city will be stronger in the face of this pandemic, I want to express my condolences to those who have lost family and friends during this 􏰀me and my thoughts and prayers go out to those who are con􏰀nuing the fight against the virus. We are thankful for our healthcare workers, first responders and essen􏰀al employees who have put their lives on the line every day to save and protect all of us.
The following pages will offer glimpses and updates on some of the ini􏰀a􏰀ves and events that we have been working over the last year. I will con􏰀nue to work on your behalf for cleaner, safer, be􏰁er neighborhoods. Remember, you can only get out of a community that which you put into it.
Sincerely,
NYC Councilman Mark Gjonaj