By Michael Morton
Last year the programs received $2.8 million in funding, but in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's current preliminary budget, crafted in response to the city's fiscal crunch, they received nothing. Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows), Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) and Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Corona) said places such as Centro Hispano “Cuzcatlan” on Hillside Avenue and 148th Street, their stop for the day, would be hurt.”In ways large and small, they're really doing everything they can to make a difference,” Gennaro said of the organization, which works with immigrants in Jamaica and Jackson Heights. “This group is emblematic of all the groups that do good work around the city.”The $10 million the councilmen asked for would go toward classes on English and civics, legal advice, worker assistance, and programs for foreign-born seniors. Immigrants make up 43 percent of the city's work force and in Queens, home to the largest number of foreign-born residents, their numbers have more than doubled since 1990.While educating immigrants is crucial to future economic growth, Liu said, city agencies have been overwhelmed by their population growth and non-profit organizations have been severely underfunded in their attempts to fill the gap in a cost-efficient manner.”They operate on a shoestring budget,” Liu said. “They squeeze so much output out of so few resources.”Centro Hispano helps new arrivals with housing, employment and legal issues as well as with filling out immigration applications. The group, which focuses on Spanish speakers but is open to all, received $80,000 from the city last year after the Council created the immigrant funding program. But Eduardo Barahona, the program coordinator, said the group wanted $600,000 in order to find a bigger space and expand its staff and programs. With the preliminary budget, however, he recognized the organization is in trouble.”The small money we get is not enough to keep all these programs,” Barahona said.Comrie, the son of Jamaican immigrants, said the funding needed to be restored to the budget.”It's unconscionable that the mayor took it out,” he said. “This is a need we know works.”Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
