State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has introduced Senate Bills S.7276 and S.7335, which will create a new lottery scratch-off game, whose proceeds would be dedicated to a new community grant fund. According to the senator, this fund will benefit community groups administering educational, recreational, cultural, senior or veterans programs and those groups providing volunteer ambulance services in our state.
This would be a big help to nonprofits all over the state who have suffered over the last three years because of the loss of state funding. In northeast Queens, vital community organizations like the Alley Pond Environmental Center, the Poppenhusen Institute, the Bayside Historical Society, the Queens Historical Society, the Queens Botanical Garden and the Queens Farm Museum would receive much-needed financial support to continue their important work and educational programs.
In addition, our great volunteer community ambulance services would receive financial aid.
As a community and civic person, I applaud this innovative and creative approach sponsored by Avella. I also thank community leader James Trent, whose idea to use this kind of lottery-generated money to sustain nonprofits has helped to lead to Avella’s proposals.
We all need to encourage the enactment of this legislation. Our nonprofits cannot continue their important work without funding.
Call your elected officials to show your support for Avella’s legislation.
Henry Euler
Bayside
