COVID-19 Relief Grants Supply At-Risk Seniors with Potentially Life-Saving Equipment
Once again, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin, along with the Hempstead Town Board, is working with United Way of Long Island to help protect at-risk senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Clavin and the Council Members announced their support for a $387,995 relief grant, which will be under consideration for a vote at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, would reimburse the United Way for costs associated with the purchase and distribution of 500 portable medical-grade HEPA air filtration units to the Town’s at-risk senior citizens with underlying health conditions.
The grant announcement was made by Supervisor Clavin and his Town Board colleagues – Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, Councilman Bruce Blakeman, Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, Councilman Dennis Dunne, Sr., Councilman Tom Muscarella, Councilman Chris Carini, Town Clerk Kate Murray, and Receiver Jeanine Driscoll. They were joined by Theresa Regnante of the United Way of Long Island, John Durso of the Long Island Federation of Labor, Margarita Grasing of the Hispanic Brotherhood of Long Island, and Julie Harnisher of the Long Island Federally Qualified Health Centers.
“We continue to be thankful for Senator Schumer’s leadership in securing the extension of last year’s CARES Act funding that make initiatives like this one possible,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. “The proposal by United Way of Long Island will help provide hundreds of medical-grade air filtration units in an effort to protect at-risk seniors, who remain vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19.”
This grant has been made possible funding secured through the federal CARES Act. Led by Clavin and a bipartisan Town Board, the Town of Hempstead allocated millions of dollars to provide direct relief to communities, with a particular emphasis on the hardest-hit areas, including millions of meals to residents in need, thousands of free COVID-19 tests, economic aid to front-line entities such as hospitals, villages, fire departments, schools, colleges and universities, and the distribution of thousands of PPE kits to assist struggling small businesses during the height of the pandemic. Relief grants were also issued to organizations such as United Way of Long Island, which provided hundreds of air filters to seniors in the first phase of the program announced in 2020.
In addition, Supervisor Clavin and the Town Board issued a grant to Mount Sinai South Nassau, which established New York’s first Mobile Vaccination Unit, the Vaxmobile – which has provided over 5,000 free COVID-19 vaccines to date. To further its efforts, the Town of Hempstead also established its own homebound vaccination program, administered by the town’s in-house EMS department, to bring vaccines directly to those who cannot leave their homes.
“We’re truly thankful Senator Schumer’s efforts to secure this critical funding for our township when our residents needed it the most, and we continue to work together as a Town Board to support initiatives that help our communities during the pandemic,” Senior Councilwoman Goosby said.
“Once again, working along with Supervisor Clavin and my colleagues on the Town Board, we are utilizing federal funds to implement crucial services that are directly assisting residents throughout the pandemic,” Councilman Blakeman added. “I’m proud to join Supervisor Clavin and my fellow Council Members to collaborate with organizations like the United Way of Long Island as we expand our efforts to help residents during the pandemic,” Councilman D’Esposito said.
“We continue to deliver for residents during the pandemic, from free COVID vaccines to meals to those in need, and we are excited to once again work with United Way of Long Island on this helpful program for senior citizens,” Councilman Dunne stated. “Thanks to the teamwork of Supervisor Clavin and the Town Board, we have allocated millions in federal funds for critical services to residents throughout the pandemic,” Councilman Muscarella said. “Working with the United Way of Long Island, we have helped hundreds of at-risk senior citizens gain access to medical-grade air filters, and we are now expanding that effort,” Councilman Carini concluded.
