New Offices at 37-61 84th Ave. (Facebook)
March 22, 2019 By Meghan Sackman
A New York non-profit that focuses on helping the Asian community has recently moved into new space in Jackson Heights.
Asian Americans For Equality (AAFE), founded in 1974 in Chinatown, has moved from it second floor office space at 93-03 Roosevelt Ave. to a larger ground floor space at 37-61 84th St. The new office is more visible and, being on the ground floor, easier to access for seniors, according to the group.
The non-profit opened its new space on Monday, March 18, and will have a grand opening event next month.
AAFE, which was founded in the 1970s by Asian leaders in response to discrimination, provides services for immigrants and other underserved Asian Americans, according to the nonprofit’s website. The organization has six locations in Manhattan, one in Flushing and one in Jackson Heights.
The nonprofit, which originally focused on labor rights, has branched out over the years to provide a range of social services, according to AAFE’s Director of Communications Ed Litvak.
The organization provides seniors with help in getting food stamps, reduced-fare Metrocards and with Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemptions (SCRIE). The group also helps people get low-cost healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid, and provides help with medical billing issues.
Free legal services are offered to help people with their immigration or tenant issues, and free workshops and classes are available that help immigrant entrepreneurs with topics such as social media and online marketing.
The new location, which is about 1,000 square feet, is now ADA compliant and more accessible. While the non-profit’s clientele is primarily people of Chinese and Korean origin, the organization is serving a wider audience.
“Our mission is to help people in underserved communities throughout the city,” Litvak said of the nonprofit’s work. “We want to be able to provide our services to more people and this office provides us with that opportunity.”
The new office is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch.
All services are offered in Chinese, Spanish, and English. Walk ins are welcome and one-on-one appointments can be set up in advance by calling the location’s number at 718-316-9993.
