As the death toll climbs and the nuclear threat increases in the aftermath of the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Honshu, Japan, there are plenty of organizations right here in Queens ready and willing to help.
New York Community Bancorp, Inc., the parent company of New York Community Bank and New York Commercial Bank, has established a relief fund for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
The NYCB Family of Banks is coordinating this effort to enable its employees and customers to easily and effectively make donations, and to double the benefit of the donations they make.
“We are all devastated by the events that occurred in Japan, and as members of the world community, we are all compelled to act,” said president and chief executive officer Joseph R. Ficalora. “By matching the funds contributed in our branches, we can double the benefit of the donations made by our customers and employees, which will support the incredible relief work being done by The Salvation Army in Japan.
“As a community bank, we have a commitment to supporting the causes that are important to our customers and our employees, and providing relief for the people of Japan is certainly important to us all. Immediately following the disaster, representatives of The Salvation Army in Japan were dispersed to the most severely affected areas, where they are distributing basic necessities to survivors and assessing the ongoing need for help. We are proud to provide them with our support.”
Donations can be made at any of The NYCB Family of Bank’s 270+ branches in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, and Arizona, and no gift is too small. The NYCB Family of Banks includes New York Community Bank and its seven local divisions (Queens County Savings Bank, Roslyn Savings Bank, Richmond County Savings Bank, Roosevelt Savings Bank, Garden State Community Bank, AmTrust Bank, and Ohio Savings Bank) and New York Commercial Bank and its Atlantic Bank Division.
To find the nearest branch in your area, visit www.nycbfamily.com or www.amtrust.com.
To help children and families of the city’s grieving Japanese community cope with devastation and uncertainty, The Child Center of NY will make its Japanese-speaking staff available to provide immediate crisis intervention.
“It is crucial for families with young children who are struggling with disruption and loss to recognize any behavioral changes and seek short-term treatment before they escalate,” said said Sandra Hagan, The Child Center’s executive director. “These may include nightmares and other sleep disturbances, separation fears and clinging to caregivers, anxieties about death and frequent complaints of stomach aches and headaches.”
The Child Center’s crisis counselors are trained to focus on minimizing stress, providing the child with emotional support and improving their coping skills. This type of intervention is intended to be brief, generally lasting for a period of no longer than a few months. Both community workshops and one-on-one counseling are available in English and Japanese for Queens families with children. For more information, call 718-657-7100.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is enacting temporary relief measures to help people from Japan establish or maintain lawful immigration status.
Temporary relief measures available to eligible nationals of Japan may include:
*The grant of an application for change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;
*Re-parole of individuals granted parole by USCIS;
*Extension of certain grants of advance parole, and expedited processing of advance parole requests;
*Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;
*Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs);
*Expedited employment authorization where appropriate; and
*Assistance to LPRs stranded overseas without immigration documents such as Green Cards. USCIS and the Department of State will coordinate on these matters when the LPR is stranded in a place that has no local USCIS office.
Visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program may visit a USCIS local office for assistance. Japanese nationals who are at a U.S. airport may contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office there. For more information on USCIS humanitarian programs, visit www.uscis.gov or call the National Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283.
Other ways to help include:
? Make checks payable to Tzu Chi
Tzu Chi Foundation, U.S.A.
1100 S. Valley Center Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773
Or call the credit card donation hotline at 888-989-8244
? The Red Cross is organizing efforts to help. You can donate to the effort by visiting the Red Cross’s donation web site or by texting REDCROSS to 90999, which will in turn donate $10. Red Cross donations
?Save the Children – Those looking to donate to that effort can visit Save the Children’s donation page here
? Global Giving – Donors can choose to give a one-time or recurring donation of anywhere between $25 and $1,000. Global Giving Donations
? CUNY – Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Frank Sanchez has been designated University Relief Coordinator. He will lead a CUNY-wide effort to encourage contributions to assist the Japanese people through the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City: CUNY donations through Mayor’s fund
You may want to help, but beware of scams. Click here for more information.
